Styles case settles
Former Clayton Utz employee Bridgette Styles has settled a sexual harassment case against the firm.Styles, a graduate solicitor with the firm for just over one year until late 2008, alleged she
Former Clayton Utz employee Bridgette Styles has settled a sexual harassment case against the firm.
Styles, a graduate solicitor with the firm for just over one year until late 2008, alleged she was the victim of sexual harassment and defamation during her time with the firm.
On 25 November, the matter was settled out of court following mediation with former High Court judge Michael McHugh.
Final orders, which remain confidential, were handed to Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum.
Styles' barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, issued a statement which said, "I am very happy with the terms of the settlement that we've reached - the terms are confidential".
Darryl McDonough, the chief executive partner of Clayton Utz, released an official statement which said, "During her time at the firm, Ms Styles demonstrated that she has very good legal skills. We wish her well in her legal career".
Styles had claimed that a solicitor with the firm, Luis Izzo, with whom she had been romantically linked, made allegations to Joe Catanzariti, the head of the firm's workplace relations, employment and safety practice group, that she was "conspiring" against a group of lawyers with regards to a sexual harassment complaint.
In June this year, the New South Wales Supreme Court also heard that Styles was the subject of disparaging comments from Clayton Utz staff at bars in close proximity to the firm's Sydney office. She also alleged that 16 defamatory imputations were made against her in an email sent to a human resources manager at the firm.
Upon leaving Clayton Utz in 2008, Styles took up a role with Johnson, Winter & Slattery before being admitted to the Bar in October this year.
Styles was seeking at least $200,000 in damages.