SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist who helped direct early investments in Google and Amazon.com is set to take the stand in a high-profile sex discrimination lawsuit that has sparked debate over the treatment of women in the high-tech and venture capitalist arenas.
John Doerr is scheduled to testify on Tuesday in San Francisco Superior Court in a lawsuit against venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. The plaintiff, Ellen Pao, says she was denied a promotion at Kleiner Perkins because she is a woman and then fired in 2012 after she complained.
The firm says Pao was a poor performer who didn't get along with her colleagues.
Pao initially worked as Doerr's chief of staff before becoming a junior partner with full-time investment duties.
