L-R: Rebecca Fitzpatrick,Christa C. Cottrell, and James F. Hurst of Kirkland & Ellis. Courtesy photos Litigators of the Week: The Kirkland Trial Team That Fought Off a Former Abbott Laboratories Employee's Racial Discrimination Claims
Jim Hurst, Christa Cottrell and Rebecca Fitzpatrick made the case that a former regional sales manager at Abbott Molecular was let go as a part of a reduction in force rather than as a result of any race discrimination or retaliation.
September 03, 2021 at 07:30 AM
11 minute read
Facing claims of race discrimination and retaliation from a former employee, Abbott Laboratories turned to a Kirkland & Ellis team led by Jim Hurst, Christa Cottrell and Rebecca Fitzpatrick.
Over the course of two weeks in federal court in Chicago, the Kirkland team methodically made the case that Jacinta Downing, a former regional sales manager at diagnostic testing division Abbott Molecular, was let go as a part of a reduction in force rather than as a result of any discrimination. Downing was seeking back pay, future pay and emotional distress totaling at least $7 million and three times that in punitive damages.
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