We successfully defended a sexual harassment and sexual stereotyping lawsuit filed in state court by a former male employee. The former employee claimed he was treated unfavorably because of his sexual orientation. He sued not only our client, but also a former manager of our client, as well as one of our client’s suppliers. By familiarizing ourselves with all the relevant facts, including conducting extensive interviews of all the pertinent witnesses prior to taking the plaintiff’s deposition, we were able to negate the plaintiff’s claims with one deposition. Our carefully thought out deposition strategy resulted in deposition testimony from the plaintiff himself that made it clear he had no valid claim.
We then moved for summary judgment on all claims and served a motion for sanctions seeking reimbursement of our client’s attorney’s fees and costs under Florida Statute 57.105. The plaintiff was provided with the required 21-day safe harbor to withdraw his claims voluntarily, but refused to do so. Therefore, we proceeded with the hearing on our summary judgment motion and the Court agreed the plaintiff had no evidence to support his case, granting summary judgment in our client’s favor. Before the hearing on our motion for sanctions, the plaintiff finally agreed to dismiss the claims against all three defendants with prejudice, and agreed to reimburse our client’s costs. By efficiently handling the case, our client was spared a considerable amount of money that otherwise would have been spent in litigation.