T.J. Simers v. Los Angeles Times

In January 2016, Partner Linda Miller Savitt and Senior Counsel Elsa Bañuelos, who were co-counsel for Defendants in a five week jury trial, successfully persuaded the trial judge to toss the jury’s $7.1 million verdict to former Los Angeles Times sports columnist T.J. Simers over claims that he was forced out due to his age. After Ms. Savitt argued in post-trial motions that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that Simers was forced out of his job, the judge agreed and threw out the entire award, and granted the LA Times’ motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict on the constructive discharge claim and for a new trial on damages.