Scott Tillett 

Scott Tillett, a partner at Pine Tillett LLP, is a renowned appellate attorney specializing in providing exceptional legal representation for plaintiffs in employment and civil rights cases.

His dedication to fighting for justice was recently demonstrated in a groundbreaking case where the Court of Appeal ruled that billionaires cannot manipulate their female employees or the justice system to suit their personal interests.

This resulted in a $58 million judgment, including affirmance-in-full of an unprecedented $50 million in punitive damages. Khan v. David, B305849 (Cal. Ct. App. May. 27, 2022)

“There were some hurdles that made this case particularly challenging, but we had some incredibly damning evidence in our favor,” Tillett said. “In this case, the defendant, who owned a media company specializing in film, TV and hologram technology, engaged in the worst sexual harassment behavior I have ever seen. He would harass our client by touching her inappropriately in front of other employees and clients, including grabbing her breasts, showing her pornography, and exposing himself. These actions occurred in the workplace, with witnesses present.”

The court’s gavel fell heavily on defendant billionaire Alkiviades David and the appellate court affirmed the ruling in full.

“This was not just a good ruling; it was a resounding statement that the justice system would not be a puppet in the hands of the affluent,” Tillett said.

David claimed he was denied a fair trial for reasons such as his inability to represent himself and the court’s refusal to accept his evidence.

“This was not a case where the defendant was denied due process,” Tillett said. “He had every warning and every means possible to represent himself and then hire counsel. … In response to David’s repeated profane outbursts directed at the judge, our client, and trial counsel in open court, the trial judge revoked his right to represent himself. … He then decided to mount a due process challenge on appeal—claiming that he was the victim—and he lost. The appellate court determined that there was only one victim in this case, our client, and although the judgment will never make up for what David put her through, we are very happy with the outcome.”

— Douglas Saunders