Glaser Weil Secures Win for Sony Electronics in High-Profile Gender Discrimination Class Action

Glaser Weil successfully defended Sony Electronics Inc. in Riddick et al. v. Sony Electronics Inc. et al., a high-profile class action lawsuit challenging Sony’s Alpha Female Creator program under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. Plaintiffs alleged the program, which awarded grants to female photographers, videographers and filmmakers, discriminated against male creators by restricting their eligibility for funding.

Initially filed in San Diego County Superior Court in May 2021, the case was removed to federal court in February 2024 under the Class Action Fairness Act. This hard-fought litigation tested the boundaries of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act and questioned the authority of private companies to set gender-based eligibility criteria in grant programs.

After more than three years of rigorous legal proceedings, Glaser Weil’s team secured a decisive outcome: the plaintiffs dismissed their claims with prejudice. This result was achieved through the strategic efforts of  Joseph Leventhal, Partner and Head of Litigation for the San Diego Office, with critical support from litigation associates Celia Spalding and Michael Gosling. We are proud to have helped Sony Electronics achieve this impactful result, reinforcing its rights in a challenging legal landscape.