A Los Angeles law firm has asked the California Superior Court to step in and tell a former partner to stop asking for bonuses and more money.
According to the complaint filed on April 2 in Los Angeles County, plaintiff Gerard Fox Law PC hired defendant Melissa Francis as a non-equity partner in 2017. Francis worked as an at-will partner and was compensated more than any other non-equity partner at the firm, according to the suit.
The plaintiff says that Francis demanded a salary increase in October 2019 that the firm could not afford. The firm had lowered her salary the year prior. Francis then allegedly told the firm that she would leave if they could not afford the salary she was requesting and, after confirming to Francis that the firm would not be paying the demanded raise, the firm terminated Francis in January of 2020 since she had vocalized her intent to leave.
After being terminated, Francis allegedly began demanding the firm pay her bonuses that she claims she was owed, despite the terms of her at-will non-equity employment not including any promise of a bonus, the suit claims.
The firm requests the court declare that Francis is owed no further compensation. The plaintiff is self-represented.