Employment

Congratulations to our client Aero Aggregates, for going above and beyond to help rapidly repair the Interstate 95 bridge over Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia – after an oil-tanker fire caused four lanes to collapse. While repairs were expected to take months, crews worked around the clock to reopen I-95 in just two weeks. Aero Aggregates turns recycled glass into a lightweight, gravel-like material that is used as a fill for special construction projects. The construction team used 8,000 cubic yards of the material to build a temporary roadway while a replacement bridge is currently being constructed. Congratulations to everyone at Aero Aggregates for helping complete this massive and urgent task so quickly!

The Third Circuit sided with Stradley Ronon’s client, Temple University, wherein the plaintiff alleged race discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act. A three-judge panel affirmed the District Court’s judgment and held that the lower court did not err by allowing Temple University to use evidence discovered after the plaintiff’s termination.  The Third Circuit found that such evidence was relevant to rebutting the plaintiff’s testimony at trial and held that the District Court’s jury instructions were sufficient.

Stradley Ronon secured summary judgment for SEPTA in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for discrimination claims based on age, sex and race. The plaintiffs argued that they were paid less than their colleagues, unfairly denied promotions and retaliated against for filing complaints. The judge agreed with Stradley Ronon’s assertions that the plaintiffs failed to adduce any evidence they were compensated unfairly, identify a single comparator or provide proof of their qualifications for promotion. Additionally, the Court found there was insufficient evidence of retaliation for the case to proceed to trial. 

Stradley Ronon secured summary judgment for Temple University in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for an age and disability discrimination matter. The plaintiff was terminated when he refused to return to work. He claimed he was denied reasonable accommodations for his position and argued that a younger person replaced him. The Court agreed with the arguments provided by Stradley Ronon’s litigation team and dismissed all claims against Temple University.

Stradley Ronon represented Temple University in a significant victory in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Court granted summary judgment to Temple on all of plaintiff’s discrimination claims, entering judgment in Temple’s favor and ending the case without the need for a trial. Importantly, plaintiff’s argument that Temple should be precluded from offering declarations from any Temple employees as evidence in support of its motion for summary judgment, describing those witnesses as “interested” in an attempt to suggest bias, was squarely rejected by the Court which noted that plaintiff’s argument ran counter to current Third Circuit precedent.

Stradley Ronon attorney Danielle Banks secured a significant victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for the Community College of Philadelphia. The plaintiff, an adjunct professor who works at CCP, claimed that he was not promoted to a full-time position as a result of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, and his combined race and gender by the two final decision makers hiring for the position.

Banks filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the plaintiff’s claim failed because he could not establish that he was qualified for the position. Although the plaintiff had advanced through three rounds of interviews, the final decision makers ultimately discovered that he lacked the necessary credits to qualify for the position.

Judge Quinones Alejandro agreed with Stradley Ronon’s argument and determined that the plaintiff failed to state a discrimination claim. Stradley Ronon vigorously opposed the plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration, which was denied. In the plaintiff’s subsequent appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Banks again argued that the district court had correctly ruled in CCP’s favor, based on the relevant record evidence. The court agreed with all of the points made in the district court’s opinion and affirmed summary judgment for CCP.

Stradley Ronon represented AmerisourceBergen, a Fortune 12 publicly traded pharmaceutical company, in the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, World Courier Ground Inc., to a subsidiary of TFI International, a publicly traded Canadian company. World Courier Ground Inc. was the U.S. ground transportation division of AmerisourceBergen.

AmerisourceBergen is one of the largest global pharmaceutical sourcing and distribution services companies, helping both healthcare providers and pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturers improve patient access to products and enhance patient care. With over $140 billion in annual revenue, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs approximately 19,000 people.

Stradley Ronon’s trial team secured a full defense jury verdict in an employment discrimination case brought against the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

Plaintiff filed an administrative complaint in 2012 with the Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission against SEPTA, alleging that she was denied a promotion because of race discrimination, gender discrimination and retaliation for filing a lawsuit against SEPTA. The plaintiff later amended her complaint to include allegations of quid pro quo sexual harassment. Once her claims were filed, the plaintiff began applying for a series of other promotions.  By the time the plaintiff filed her civil lawsuit against SEPTA in 2014, she claimed she had been denied a total of seven promotions because of quid pro quo sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation.

Stradley Ronon represented SEPTA at trial and, after four days of testimony, the jury returned a verdict in SEPTA's favor on all counts.