Judge: Woman behind Silicon Valley gender discrimination suit liable for $276K in legal costs

A judge says a woman who lost a high-profile gender discrimination lawsuit against a Silicon Valley venture capital firm is liable for about a quarter of the roughly $1 million in legal costs the company is seeking.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn issued the tentative ruling on Wednesday, a day before attorneys for plaintiff Ellen Pao and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers are due in court.

Pao's case became a flashpoint in an ongoing discussion about gender inequity at elite technology and venture capital firms.

Kleiner Perkins is seeking more than $970,000 in legal costs from Pao. Kahn says the company is entitled to $276,000.

Heather Wilson, a spokeswoman for Pao, said she did not have an immediate comment.

Kleiner Perkins spokeswoman Christina Lee said the judge had reached a fair result.