News Article

Lawyer in Bias Case Against Coke Hopes to Become a Major Player

The Wall Street Journal

Published: November 21, 2000

When Cyrus Mehri filed a lawsuit alleging widespread racial discrimination at Coca-Cola Co. , one of the world's most positively viewed corporations, he knew his career and the fate of his embryonic law firm would ride on the outcome.

"I had to decide, was I willing to risk the firm, my family's financial situation on this case," says Mr. Mehri, 39 years old.

Last week, 19 months after Mr. Mehri filed suit, Coke settled the case, agreeing to pay $192.5 million and to submit its employment practices to a high level of outside supervision. Mehri, Malkin & Ross PLLC, hopes to become a major player in class-action race discrimination cases.

The big payoff, considered one of the largest discrimination settlements ever, has prompted criticism by Coke executives.

Mr. Mehri, who cut his teeth on employment discrimination law as a member of the legal team that won a $176.1 million settlement in a race-bias suit against Texaco Inc. in 1996, brushes off the complaints. Raised in New York by Iranian parents who fled that country, Mr. Mehri is comfortable playing the role of crusader. He worked for Ralph Nader as a consumer advocate before attending Cornell Law School.

As an associate with the Washington law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll PLLC, Mr. Mehri played a central role in the discrimination suit at Texaco. Two years later, Mr. Mehri set up his seven-attorney law firm in Washington, D.C. Its first major case was the lawsuit against Coke, filed in April 1999. After struggling unsuccessfully to get bigger, better financed firms to join the case, Mr. Mehri forged ahead against Coke, borrowing to finance the litigation and the firm.

For more information or the full story, contact Mehri & Skalet, PLLC.