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Tag: john doerr

Jesse Jackson

Silicon Valley: Ground Zero for Diversity Lawsuits after Ellen Pao

The five-week-long and very salacious trail against Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers for alleged sexual discrimination against Ellen Pao went to the jury Wednesday. The former junior partner is demanding $16 million for sexual discrimination and up to $144 million for punitive damages. Her suit has paved the way for a coming tsunami of diversity litigation across Silicon Valley.

John Doerr (Matt Rourke / Associated Press)

VC Legend John Doerr takes Stand in Sex Discrimination Case

As the globe’s top venture capitalist, John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has funded and mentored tons of start-up Silicon Valley companies that became fantastically successful, including Google, Amazon, Intuit, and Electronic Arts, Twitter, Square and Zynga. But one of his worst bets may turn out to be personally hiring Ellen Pao in 2005. Pao is dragging Doerr into her lawsuit for $16 million for sexual discrimination after 7 years at the firm.