A former Morrison & Foerster secretary claims in a wrongful termination suit filed last month that an associate at the firm had once threatened to bring an Uzi to work and kill people if an important fax wasn't located.
Aileen Martinez, the former secretary, leveled the accusation against associate Mimi Yang in a suit filed in San Francisco Superior Court.
Yang, who is still at MoFo, declined to comment and referred inquiries to her legal counsel, Michael Hallerud at Nixon Peabody. Hallerud declined to comment.
Martinez, who'd been at MoFo 28 years, lost her job in the firm's January 2009 layoffs. The suit says that when the Uzi comment was made, in 2008, she complained to superiors, filed a police report, and took a three-month disability leave.
Her complaint says she was at One Market Plaza in 1982 when Ricardo Contawe shot 11 people at an insurance office on another floor. Martinez alleges she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident that remained latent until Yang’s Uzi comment. She was afraid to go to work for several months, and afraid of Yang from then on, the complaint says.
Mary Shea Hagebol at Shea Law Offices in Oakland is representing Martinez. She did not respond to requests for comment.
This should be an interesting case to watch unfold. It is always interesting to see these emotions still running wild after years of stewing. Hope this puts an end to this long ordeal.
Posted by: Disability Insurance | March 02, 2010 at 08:21 AM
I suspect that Wang is a seven or eight year associate who is feeling the pressure of making partner vs. not making partner. IMHO, that decision is a no-brainer; she made a stupid comment and deserves what she is getting (or won't get.) MoFo should pay up and put this behind them. I still remember "101 California" as do most "seasoned" lawyers. You simply do not make these statements in law firms, even if in jest. I suspect that as soon as the check is written, Wang will be looking elsewhere for work. Curious to know what happened to the police report filed against Yang. Did her [alleged] threat ever help her find her fax? ha, ha.
Posted by: AM | March 02, 2010 at 02:13 PM
The last comment is inane. A young associate's silly remark during a stressful moment is no basis for a disability claim or a wrongful termination suit. No rational person would truly think that this associate would bring an automatic rifle to work. Are we all so sensitive that every comment should be taken in a hyper-literal manner. The case should be dismissed on demurrer. Ms. Yang has clearly suffered enough.
Posted by: IP in SF | March 03, 2010 at 11:49 AM
IP in SF: What planet do live on?
Posted by: dung | March 04, 2010 at 09:23 AM
Wang is probably an unpleasant person to work for, and the secretary is probably one of those people you don't want to hire because they are overly sensetive and complain more than being productive. Although, Wang probably learned something here. The secretary?
Posted by: sacotomatoes | March 04, 2010 at 03:59 PM
sacotomatoes, I don't think it fair to call someone who has lived through a shooting incident in the workplace as "overly sensitive."
Posted by: myownigloo | March 05, 2010 at 10:24 AM
Wow this is not good news. Hope this all gets sorted out accordingly.
Posted by: Promotional Products | March 26, 2010 at 04:53 AM
Oh my this is an interesting news!!
Posted by: Nursing tops | May 14, 2010 at 12:54 AM
search for a donor."With the waiting list, that tells you there are more people out there that need organs than are willing or able to donate.
Posted by: cheap uggs boots | November 08, 2012 at 12:47 AM
could only be described with that word: relief.Relief in the sense that the summer stretched out
Posted by: Beats By Dre australia | November 08, 2012 at 06:01 AM