Allegations: Ellen Pao is suing the firm Keliner, Perkins, Caulfied and Byers, claiming she was subjected to discrimination after she broke off an affair with a male colleague

Reddit's chief executive his set to testify in a trial against her former employers, claiming she was harassed after ending a relationship with a married colleague and was the victim of a male dominated culture.

Ellen Pao, 45, has accused Silicon Valley firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfield & Byers of discriminating against her and creating an environment where female colleagues were urged not to complain.

Pao claims she was pressured into having sex with a co-worker who is believed to have had a strong influence over the way Kleiner partners viewed her.

After she ended the relationship, Pao claims he retaliated against her for five years.

She was excluded from important meetings, email chains and company dinners because women 'kill the buzz' of such festive occasions, according to the lawsuit.

Kleiner fired Pao in 2012 - six months after she filed her lawsuit. Pao claims she was forced out because of her discrimination complaints.

The firm counters that she was let go because of poor performance.

The firm had hired her in 2005 to serve as chief of staff for senior partner John Doerr.

He helped direct early investments in Google, Amazon and a long-list of successful technology companies.

Doerr is a Google board member and serves on President Obama's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

Pao holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and graduated from the Harvard University law and business schools.

Her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, but during a court hearing on February 2, a lawyer for Kleiner told a judge that Pao is seeking $16 million for back pay and future wages lost.

The firm is seeking to limit any possible damages by arguing that Pao is well-compensated in her current position as interim CEO of the popular social media company Reddit and hasn't suffered financially since leaving Kleiner after filing her lawsuit.

The firm denies Pao's accusations and defends its record with women employees. They say that her affair was consensual and Pao never complained about the conduct of her colleague until she hired a lawyer five years later.

The firm insists she was let go because she clashed with co-workers and didn't like her job.

Menlo Park-based Kleiner, Perkins did not submit the case to an arbitrator to decide behind closed doors and has made it clear in court filings that it intends to paint Pao as an unpopular underperformer often caught up in office drama who was paid more than many of her male peers.

Beginning of the case: Pao (right) and attorney Alan Axelrod walk to their courtroom before the start of her trial at San Francisco Superior Court, California

'For some reason, there's always some team controversy swirling around Ellen,' one of her annual reviews stated, according to a court filing by the firm. 'At any moment in time, Ellen is not getting along with someone.

'This case is a wakeup call,' said longtime Stanford University law professor Deborah Rhode, who teaches gender equity law. 'The case has sparked a much-needed debate about gender inequality regardless of its merit.'

Opening statements are expected to start Tuesday and the trial is expected to last four weeks in San Francisco Superior Court.

Rebutall: The firm denies Pao's (pictured at court) accusations and defends its record with women employees

Women hold 15 percent to 20 percent of the technology jobs at tech giants Google, Apple, Facebook and Yahoo, according to company disclosures.

The companies acknowledge needing to do more to hire female engineers but largely attribute the problem to cultural issues that discourage girls and young women from taking classes needed to pursue careers in computer coding and website design.

Venture capital firms are even more slanted toward men. A 2011 survey by the National Venture Capital Association found women accounted for 11 percent of investors.