Genie E. Harrison

Los Angeles

Plaintiff's Employment Law, Sexual Harassment & Discrimination

Genie E. Harrison founded her nearly all-female Genie Harrison Law Firm APC in 2013, intending to focus on women's rights cases. Her track record since bears out the success of that vision, including the $100 million deal she struck last year to settle sex discrimination claims by the female employees of Riot Games Inc.

Both her pro-woman attitude and her litigation chops were on display in that case. An earlier male-led firm that filed the original complaint negotiated a $10 million settlement in 2019; dissatisfied class members turned to Harrison to improve it dramatically. McCracken v. Riot Games Inc., 18STCV03957 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed Nov. 6, 2018).

"As the firm has grown, I have hired employees who could relate to my client base," Harrison said. "Clients tell me they came to us because they felt comfortable talking to a woman. It was often the deciding factor."

Three current cases illustrate the niche Harrison has found for female-centered litigation targeting male-dominated realms such as pro football, video game-making and auto manufacturing.

"Some clients have told me that they explained their stories to male attorneys and were turned away, informed they had no case," Harrison said. "Often, I could see clearly that they had legitimate causes. And I have been right."

One client is a former vice president of NFL Media Group, the first woman to have held the post. Her bosses subjected her and other female employees to a hostile work environment, sex discrimination and retaliation, her complaint alleges. Harrison and lawyers at Foley Lyman Law Group LLP represent the woman, Jennifer Love. Love v. NFL Enterprises LLC, 23STCV08388 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed April 14, 2023).

In a case against another video game maker, Harrison represents a class of female employees who assert that the company systemically devalued their work, denied them equal pay and stifled their careers. The complaint makes clear that women of color, including the lead plaintiff, were especially mistreated. Harrison and JML Law APLC represent the class. Doe et al., v. Niantic, Inc., 23STCV15935 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed July 7, 2923).

"The NFL and the video game world focus on male consumers, and that's reflected in their hiring practices and on how women are treated in those workplaces," Harrison said. "And it's shortsighted because there are many millions of female gamers and pro football fans."

In a third case, Tesla, Inc. is alleged to have failed to provide lactation facilities for female workers. "It's important to have a dedicated room where women can have privacy," Harrison said. Perkins v. Tesla, Inc., 3:23-cv-02084 (N.D. Cal., filed April 28, 2023).

All three cases are in the early discovery stage. "It's exciting to me to be working on these important causes for women," Harrison said.

--John Roemer