Kleiner Trial Defense Covers Ex-Partner’s Pay, Affair Texts
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Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers revealed its trial defense in a gender-bias case brought by former partner Ellen Pao, saying she earned more than her male peers and wrote angry texts to a colleague after their affair ended.
Pao’s salary ranged from $300,000 to $380,000 from 2008 to 2011, which was more than men she compares herself with made, Kleiner’s lawyers said a court filing detailing the venture capital firm’s defense in a trial set to begin as early as Monday. As many as 13 Kleiner executives, including John Doerr, Ted Schlein, Ray Lane and Mary Meeker, may be called as witnesses to rebut Pao’s claims that the firm discriminated against her in pay and promotions.