“Judge Rules Ellen Pao Can Sue For Punitive Damages In Gender Discrimination Case,” 21 Mar 2015

A…judge ruled…that a woman suing…[Kleiner Perkins] in a…gender bias case may seek punitive damages that could add tens of millions of dollars to the $16 million in lost wages and bonuses she is pursuing...[The j]udge…denied a request by lawyers for Kleiner Perkins…to have…Pao's demand for unspecified punitive damages thrown out…[The judge]…said there was enough evidence for the jury…to conclude that Kleiner Perkins acted with malice, oppression or fraud, which in California is the legal threshold for awarding [punitive] damages...Kleiner Perkins has denied wrongdoing and says Pao didn't get along with her colleagues and performed poorly after she became a junior partner...Jurors are expected to hear closing arguments in the case on Tuesday. [The judge’s]…decision means…they will need to decide, along with the validity of Pao's underlying sex discrimination claim,…whether she is entitled to punitive damages and if so, how much…