A federal judge in Manhattan on Monday declined to temporarily block Chadbourne & Parke's partnership from voting to expel Kerrie Campbell, a partner in Washington, D.C., who is leading a $100 million gender discrimination action against the firm.

At an afternoon hearing, U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken of the Southern District of New York rejected the bid by Campbell and other plaintiffs in the gender bias suit to postpone a Chadbourne partnership vote set for Wednesday. Campbell, represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp, had argued that Chadbourne's planned vote and an April 5 press statement about it were intended to discourage other woman partners from joining the suit.

Oetken wasn't persuaded. Ruling from the bench on Monday, the judge contrasted the “ambiguous” wording of Chadbourne's press release with other, more overt threats of corporate retaliation.