Ellen Pao. Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED

A little over a month after losing a gender discrimination case against her former employer—venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers—Ellen Pao has told a court that she should not be required to pay the firm nearly $1 million in court fees.

"The amounts Defendant seeks to recover are improper under the law, and, in any event, are grossly excessive and unreasonable,” Pao and her attorneys write in the court filing.

The five-week sex bias trial, which unfolded earlier this year, exposed the inner workings of a storied Silicon Valley venture capital firm and was closely watched by much of the tech world, where women are still a distinct minority. Though Pao lost the trial, the case continues to serve as a symbol for the larger effort to reduce gender discrimination across Silicon Valley.

Kleiner is demanding reimbursement of witness fees and deposition and court reporter costs, which amount to $972,815 in all. The bulk of the fees Kleiner is seeking to recover are for expert witnesses who testified at the trial. The bill from one witness, a Harvard Business School professor and scholar of the venture capital industry, Paul Gompers, ran up to $131,400, according to an earlier court filing. Legal fees, however, are not up for consideration as part of the reimbursement costs.

Additionally, if Pao promised not to pursue the case any further, Kleiner said it would waive the reimbursement fees. Asked to comment on Pao's latest filing, a Kleiner representative pointed to a statement the company made in late April: "We believe that women in technology would be best served by having all parties focus on making progress on the issues of gender diversity outside of continued litigation."

According to Pao’s motion, Kleiner must first prove that suit was "brought in bad faith, frivolously, or maliciously" before it can recover costs. Pao’s party also claims that Kleiner’s offer was not made in good faith, and that most of the fees were "unreasonable and unnecessary." Pao’s lawyers specifically cited Kleiner’s expert witness fees—which were expensive compared to bills filed by Pao’s own witnesses—and expedited trial transcripts as examples of costs that had no basis.

Last November, Kleiner offered Pao up to $964,502 to settle the case, according to court filings. But the trial went ahead. And Pao may still appeal the decision. She has until June 8 to do so.