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There is such a thing as being victimized by someone claiming to be a victim. If it's ever happened to your firm -- or to a team within your firm -- your under

There is such a thing as being victimized by someone claiming to be a victim. If it's ever happened to your firm -- or to a team within your firm -- your understanding of the scope of the full spectrum of human behavior will change, permanently. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got, growing up, was this: "Even if you have not (yet) experienced, in your youth, a very broad range of human behavior, you can compensate by imagining the range of behavior that an officer of the law with 20 years on the force has probably seen." The facts are pretty clear, it comes off as a 'frivolous' lawsuit in my opinion. 1) There has been no female at the firm -- or any female, or Pao's attorney would've had them in court -- claim that KPCB has gender discrimination problems. And there have been several women in court testifying about this issue. No one backs her up. 2) She claims that KPCB didn't do anything to get Ajit Nazre to stop pestering her. But in fact, the leader of the firm was going to fire Nazre. And Pao intervened, begging them not to fire Nazre. It seems like a frivolous case to me. Don't know how else you'd describe it.

NotableAlamode 12y ago
Of course it's a frivolous case, but the US legal system is incredibly misandric/anti-male, as every man who's every been in a divorce case in the US can testify. It's Pao's rational self-interest to exploit the misandry of the US legal system.
- vasilipupkin 12y ago
  I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. An all male partner party for Al Gore is pretty strong evidence of discrimination, in my opinion.
  - NotableAlamode 12y ago
    How? Kleiner partners and Kleiner ladies probably diverge in their ideas of what's fun. I'm often not invited to my colleagues parties, and I don't invite them -- we are very different.
    - vasilipupkin 12y ago
      you seriously asking me this? the issue at stake is not being invited solely on the basis of one's sex. Discrimination based on sex is prohibited by law
kzhahou 12y ago
That's not what "frivolous" means.
- youngButEager 12y ago
  ?? A 'frivolous' lawsuit is a case with no merit. From Merriam-Webster: Full Definition of FRIVOLOUS a : of little weight or importance b : having no sound basis (as in fact or law) <a frivolous lawsuit> Granted, it's only my opinion the case has no merit, that she's filed a frivolous lawsuit. And even if she loses, her "In for a penny, in for a pound" team of lawyers will probably appeal -- they're probably working pro-bono ("Yay! We're going to get rich suing the almighty KPCB!") and might well think "we got this far, filing the appeal has a chance and it's not that much more work." If she'd had a few female witnesses back up her story that "gender discrimination is rampant at KPCB, and gender discrimination is why I was never promoted." She's got none. ZERO. Her whole case is 'gender discrimination.' Since there are no witnesses to concur, it's looking more and more that the stuff she pulled on Komisar and her list of enemies at the firm really do add up to "crummy performer" as the reason she didn't get a promo. Are you aware that she told her bosses "give me ten million dollars and I'll disappear" ? That comes across as borderline extortion. http://www.businessinsider.com/ellen-pao-asked-for-10-million-2015-3 http://www.businessinsider.com/ellen-pao-asked-for-10-millio...
  - kzhahou 12y ago
    This article agrees with you: http://www.cnbc.com/id/102537722 http://www.cnbc.com/id/102537722

NotableAlamode 12y ago

Of course it's a frivolous case, but the US legal system is incredibly misandric/anti-male, as every man who's every been in a divorce case in the US can testify. It's Pao's rational self-interest to exploit the misandry of the US legal system.

vasilipupkin 12y ago
I wouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. An all male partner party for Al Gore is pretty strong evidence of discrimination, in my opinion.
- NotableAlamode 12y ago
  How? Kleiner partners and Kleiner ladies probably diverge in their ideas of what's fun. I'm often not invited to my colleagues parties, and I don't invite them -- we are very different.
  - vasilipupkin 12y ago
    you seriously asking me this? the issue at stake is not being invited solely on the basis of one's sex. Discrimination based on sex is prohibited by law

kzhahou 12y ago

That's not what "frivolous" means.

youngButEager 12y ago
?? A 'frivolous' lawsuit is a case with no merit. From Merriam-Webster: Full Definition of FRIVOLOUS a : of little weight or importance b : having no sound basis (as in fact or law) <a frivolous lawsuit> Granted, it's only my opinion the case has no merit, that she's filed a frivolous lawsuit. And even if she loses, her "In for a penny, in for a pound" team of lawyers will probably appeal -- they're probably working pro-bono ("Yay! We're going to get rich suing the almighty KPCB!") and might well think "we got this far, filing the appeal has a chance and it's not that much more work." If she'd had a few female witnesses back up her story that "gender discrimination is rampant at KPCB, and gender discrimination is why I was never promoted." She's got none. ZERO. Her whole case is 'gender discrimination.' Since there are no witnesses to concur, it's looking more and more that the stuff she pulled on Komisar and her list of enemies at the firm really do add up to "crummy performer" as the reason she didn't get a promo. Are you aware that she told her bosses "give me ten million dollars and I'll disappear" ? That comes across as borderline extortion. http://www.businessinsider.com/ellen-pao-asked-for-10-million-2015-3 http://www.businessinsider.com/ellen-pao-asked-for-10-millio...
- kzhahou 12y ago
  This article agrees with you: http://www.cnbc.com/id/102537722 http://www.cnbc.com/id/102537722