A major Philly law firm beat paralegal’s overtime-pay allegations. Then another paralegal sued over discrimination and harassment.

A Philadelphia federal jury sided last week with one of Philadelphia’s premier personal-injury law firms in a trial over alleged overtime payments owed to a former paralegal.

But the firm’s woes with ex-paralegals are not over.

On Sunday, another former paralegal filed a federal lawsuit against Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, accusing the firm of discrimination and retaliation based on alleged racist statements by colleagues and unwanted sexual advances by a supervisor.

Yanez Perez, an Afro-Latina woman who joined the firm as a paralegal in 2022, said in a complaint filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania that an IT analyst made inappropriate comments about her hair, clothing, and intelligence.

She further said that her supervising attorney frequently talked to her about the attorney’s separation from her wife instead of work, and made unwanted advances. For example, the supervisor allegedly pressured Perez to join her at a 2023 event at a local winery, commenting “I look cute, we look cute together!”

And after Perez reported the behavior to the firm’s human resources department, she was confronted with false allegations that she was involved in a romantic relationship with a managing attorney, the complaint says.

The managing attorney denied the relationship, the suit says, as did Perez, who contended the allegation was manufactured as retaliation for reporting the unwanted advances.

The complaint includes other interactions that Perez says show discriminatory and retaliatory behavior by the firm’s staff.

“Defendant SMB’s employees made repeated racist and sexist comments, engaged in sexual harassment, and otherwise treated Plaintiff less favorably than similarly situated non-Afro- Latina, non-female employees,” the complaint says.

Perez suffered severe anxiety because of the situation and took leave in summer 2023. She resigned that fall.

Michael Banks, an attorney with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP who represents Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, said in a statement that Perez’s allegations are “wholly without merit.”

The former paralegal’s complaints were investigated and addressed by the firm, which does not tolerate discrimination or harassment, Banks said. And when Perez asked for a leave of absence, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky granted her request but she chose to resign.

“It is unfortunate that she is now choosing to file a baseless lawsuit more than a year and a half after her employment ended,” Banks said. “The firm will defend the case vigorously.”

When Perez complained about a clerk who made a disparaging comment about her with a sexual nature, the firm fired the employee, according to her complaint.

Perez’s attorney, Jesse Weinstein, declined to comment.

The lawsuit comes on the heels of a court victory for Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky in a case brought by another ex-paralegal.

Desiree Purvenas-Hayes, who worked for the firm from 2012 to 2021, sued in 2022, alleging that it owed her overtime pay for her work in the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic when the business transitioned to remote work.

Purvenas-Hayes said in the complaint, which was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, that she frequently worked 20-hour days. She sought $250,000 for overtime compensation and $200,000 in damages, according to court filings.

The firm countered in court filings that the paralegal worked nights and weekends because she spent her days on personal activities, ranging from caring for her children to doctor appointments and yoga classes.

“Her days were filled with personal activities that took her away from her job responsibilities, requiring catch-up work after hours,” the firm said in a pre-trial memo.

A Philadelphia federal jury sided with the firm last week, unanimously rejecting Purvenas-Hayes’ claims.

Robert Mongeluzzi, the firm’s president and founder, said that fair treatment and compensation of employees is a core principle.

“During the pandemic we paid full salary, benefits, overtime pay and bonuses to every one of our employees,” Mongeluzzi said in a statement.

Wayne Ely, who represented Purvenas-Hayes, did not respond to a request for comment.