Defense Victory in Los Angeles Employment Litigation Jury Trial

On April 10, a downtown Los Angeles jury returned a complete defense verdict in less than two hours for Quinn Emanuel client Menzies Aviation in a racial harassment employment case. 

Given Quinn Emanuel’s proven track record and demonstrated success in defending companies in sensitive matters, Menzies enlisted Quinn Emanuel for its defense just a few months before the original trial date.  Quinn Emanuel hit the ground running, obtaining discovery that proved critical in revealing the lack of credibility of Plaintiff’s claims at trial.

            Plaintiff was employed as a ramp agent for Menzies Aviation, loading and unloading luggage at LAX airport from 2016 to 2019.  He alleged that he had been subjected to serious and routine harassment throughout his 38 months until he was terminated in 2019. Plaintiff sought nearly USD 10 million in economic damages and exponentially more in punitive damages.

Critical for the defense was illustrating that Plaintiff’s claims were not credible, and instead had been manufactured (and enhanced over time) for litigation purposes only when he knew that his job was threatened due to his inability to obtain documentation required for airport employees.  During cross examination, Quinn Emanuel caught Plaintiff in multiple inconsistencies and untruths where Plaintiff even conceded he had “misspoken” about crucial facts.  In sharp contrast to Plaintiff and his witnesses, Menzies witnesses credibly explained the Company’s zero tolerance policy, process for submitting complaints, and that Menzies never had been made aware of any purported complaint by Plaintiff. 

            In closing, Quinn Emanuel emphasized Plaintiff’s admissions, other witness testimony that failed to support the claims and that Plaintiff’s damages demand was akin to seeking the “legal lottery.” The jury quickly agreed and returned a complete defense verdict that afternoon.