Firm failed to honor exit package after retaliating for bias complaint, former BigLaw partner alleges

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Agency didn’t honor exit package deal after retaliating…

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Agency didn’t honor exit package deal after retaliating for bias criticism, former BigLaw accomplice alleges

By Debra Cassens Weiss

April 29, 2025, 10:53 am CDT

A former salaried accomplice at Womble Bond Dickinson has filed a lawsuit alleging that the legislation agency lower her pay by half and supplied her an exit package deal—which it did not honor—after she complained a couple of hostile work surroundings.

The April 25 go well with filed by Wilka Toppins alleges race and gender discrimination, retaliation, misrepresentation and breach of contract.

Law360 has a narrative on the go well with, filed in Harris County, Texas.

Toppins, who’s Hispanic, stated she achieved “a substantial amount of origination and a big guide of enterprise” after she started work on the agency’s Houston workplace in November 2021, regardless of receiving insufficient help.

For a majority of her time on the agency, Toppins “had no affiliate assist and no secretarial assist,” the go well with stated. She was additionally subjected to a “very hostile work surroundings” by agency members and help employees in her company and securities follow group, based on the go well with.

“The disparity in remedy included not offering enough help, trying to remove plaintiff’s immigration purchasers and enterprise, talking to plaintiff in a derogatory and condescending method, and failing to meet primary guarantees to her,” the go well with stated.

Toppins was the one Hispanic feminine in the whole agency on the time of her hiring, based on the go well with.

After Toppins complained, the agency stated it will examine. Finally, Toppins was advised that the agency discovered that she was subjected to a hostile work surroundings, nevertheless it was not as a result of she was a member of a protected class.

A sample of retaliation adopted, the go well with stated. Toppins’ pay was lower from $350,000 to $175,000, and she or he was advised that if she didn’t like the brand new wage, the agency can be blissful to “transition her off,” based on the go well with.

After Toppins sought restoration of her pay, Womble Bond Dickinson supplied her an exit package deal consisting of a ten% referral settlement, a contract place for immigration work and a severance settlement. Counting on the settlement, Toppins resigned in January 2024.

The agency then didn’t honor the settlement underneath the exit package deal, the go well with stated.

A spokesperson for Womble Bond Dickinson didn’t instantly reply to the ABA Journal’s request for remark made in an e mail and a voicemail.

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