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Former Quinn Emanuel secretary dismisses his racial bias suit against firm

A former secretary who alleged racial bias by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has dropped his lawsuit.



The secretary, Spencer Marin, and the law firm jointly filed a stipulated order of dismissal in the case Tuesday, Law360 reports. Lawyers in the case did not immediately respond to the ABA Journal’s questions about whether a settlement had been reached.

The filing follows a March 9 hearing in which U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni said she was “baffled” by the firm’s description of an N-word remark by one of its employees as a joke.

Marin had alleged the firm’s trial logistics director created a hostile work environment when she made that remark and other comments. Marin said the firm retaliated against him after he complained.

The N-word remark was allegedly made after a black staff member said she had second thoughts about sharing her food during a March 2014 dinner. The trial logistics director said the staffer was a “re-n____er.”

Marin also alleged that the trial logistics director told Marin he was “not black enough” and asked whether he had ever been arrested.

During the hearing, Caproni said Marin’s amended lawsuit was sufficient to survive a motion to dismiss. She added, however, that she was “somewhat skeptical” that the alleged conduct was sufficiently pervasive to survive a later motion for summary judgment.

Removes duplicate reference to Spencer Marin in third paragraph at 5:45 p.m.