CMEA Capital
Judge to CMEA Capital: No arbitration for you
May 15, 2013: 11:43 AM ET
Sexual harassment case against VC firm can proceed.
FORTUNE -- Venture capital firm CMEA Capital has lost its motion to compel arbitration in a sexual harassment suit brought against it by three former female employees. The complaint, filed in March, also alleges racial harassment and retaliation.
The San Francisco Superior Court judge also agreed to seal compensation history of the three plaintiffs: Dawn-Shemain Weeks, Margaret Hines and Shannon Schlagenhauf. The defense is expected to argue that the lawsuit was brought only after CMEA Capital altered its overtime policy in a manner that reduced each plaintiff's annual compensation by tens of thousands of dollars.
A case management conference is now scheduled for July 10.
The arbitration request is common among investment partnerships like CMEA, which would prefer to keep such ugliness out of the public eye. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers did something similar when sued for gender discrimination last year by former partner Ellen Pao, but also saw its motion denied. Kleiner Perkins has since appealed that ruling, and has a case management conference scheduled for next month.
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VC firm sued for sexual harassment
Bay Area firm accused of sexual harassment by three executive assistants.
FORTUNE -- Three executive assistants with San Francisco-based venture capital firm CMEA Capital have sued the firm and one of its former partners for sexual harassment, in a vivid complaint that also alleges racial harassment and retaliation.
The three plaintiffs -- Dawn-Shemain Weeks, Margaret Hines and Shannon Schlagenhauf -- tell of a hostile work environment and detail 35 different alleged examples MORE
Dan Primack - Mar 8, 2013 3:15 PM ET -
CMEA: No more VC funds or fees
Yesterday I sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with Jim Watson, managing general partner of Silicon Valley venture firm CMEA Capital. He was in Boston for SuperReturn U.S., but was heading down to D.C. as part of his continuing efforts with Harvard Biz School's Josh Lerner to improve management/structure of investment operations at public pension funds. Some notes:
* CMEA Capital will not raise another "traditional" VC fund, after having closed MORE
Dan Primack - Jun 10, 2011 10:24 AM ETPosted in: CMEA Capital, Venture Capital
