McDermott Resolves Former Associate’s Racial-Discrimination Lawsuit

Event and filing date: September 30, 2026
Reported: September 30, 2026, 1:33 p.m. Central
Procedural status: Settled; parties filed a joint dismissal. No court finding of discrimination. Settlement terms have not been publicly reported.

McDermott Will & Schulte has resolved a racial-discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by former associate Ashley Ogedegbe. Attorneys for both parties filed a joint dismissal in federal court in Chicago on September 30, according to Reuters.

Ogedegbe alleged that she was excluded from work and training opportunities because of her race and was terminated in March 2025 after raising concerns internally. Her complaint also described anonymous responses at a firm retreat, including “white pride” and “white power,” displayed in response to prompts about workplace feelings.

The firm’s response: McDermott denied wrongdoing. It acknowledged in court filings that such words appeared onscreen, denied endorsing them and said an investigation could not identify who submitted them. A spokesperson had not provided Reuters with an additional comment when its report was published.

Plaintiff’s response: Ogedegbe’s attorneys said they were pleased to have reached a resolution.

Important qualification: The allegations were not adjudicated. The resolution does not establish that the firm discriminated, and the publicly available reporting does not disclose settlement payments or other terms.

Why it matters: The resolution concludes a closely watched employment-bias case involving a major international law firm. Court Watch includes settlements and case closures as well as pending proceedings and rulings.

Sources: Reuters report | Original federal complaint (allegations) | Case record