SAN FRANCISCO, June 18 (UPI) -- A former partner with the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers was ordered to pay nearly $276,000 in legal fees from her failed attempt to sue the firm for discrimination.

Nearly three months after losing her case charging gender discrimination and retaliation case, Ellen Pao was tentatively ordered to pay $275,967 to the firm or about a quarter of what the company demanded. A judge is expected to finalize his decision Thursday.


"This tentative ruling recognizes that our settlement offer was reasonable and made in good faith. It also recognizes the cost rules still apply when a plaintiff refuses a reasonable settlement offer and forces the parties to go through an expensive trial," said Kleiner spokeswoman Christina Lee.

Pao, now the interim chief executive of the online forum Reddit, lost her court case on March 27, after a three year legal battle. About a month later, Kleiner asked Pao to repay some $973,000 in legal expenses that include fees for experts, depositions and travel. Pao said she did not have the income to pay.

Pao's case was closely scrutinized as it put gender discrimination and income inequality in Silicon Valley in the spotlight. In early June, Pao filed her intent to appeal the decision in her case, but said she will drop it if Kleiner pays her $2.7 million.