A lawyer is suing a Newport Beach lawsuit firm, alleging that his employers stopped paying him because he didn’t want to attend a personal-development seminar during which men talk about their sex lives.

A partner at the personal injury firm, Bisnar/Chase, said Friday that the lawsuit is a frivolous claim filed by a former employee seeking money.

Steven C. Eggleston filed the lawsuit in August against the firm and its partners, John Bisnar and Brian Chase. Eggleston – who became an employee in July 2009 – alleges the firm stopped giving him monthly wages after he refused to attend a “New Warrior Training” seminar in February organized by the global nonprofit group, The Mankind Project.

Eggleston said he did a Google search on the group, and learned that men revealed their intimate encounters during the retreats, which are held in remote areas, according to the lawsuit. One activity involved participants sitting naked in a circle and passing around a wooden phallic symbol, the lawsuit added.

The firm stopped paying Eggleston after he expressed his concerns about the outing, and declined to attend, according to the lawsuit. He left the firm in March.

In an interview Friday, Chase confirmed that employees at the firm do attend the retreat – but that attendance is completely voluntary.

He said employees at the firm choose to attend a variety of personal and professional programs, including Women within International – a group similar to The Mankind Project.

He dismissed Eggleston’s claims.

“It is a frivolous lawsuit and a shakedown to get money from me because he failed to bring in cases and failed to settle cases,” Chase said.

Eggleston alleges several causes of action in his lawsuit, including sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to pay wages and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

He seeks unspecified damages in the case, which has been assigned to Orange County Superior Court Judge David R. Chaffee.

Contact the writer: 714-834-8773 or rsrisavasdi@ocregister.com