51.56 MILLION DOLLAR AGE DISCRIMINATION VERDICT AGAINST LOCKHEED MARTIN
In the evening hours on January 26, 2017, after a four-day trial, a federal jury in Camden, New Jersey rendered an age discrimination verdict in favor of Robert Braden and against Lockheed Martin in the amount of $51,560,000. The verdict included a punitive damages award pursuant to the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination in the amount of $50,000,000. Plaintiff's trial counsel were Rahul Munshi and Emily R. Derstine Friesen of Console Mattiacci Law, LLC. The verdict is one of the largest ever obtained by an individual plaintiff in an age discrimination case. At the time of his layoff, Mr. Braden was 66 years old, and had worked at Lockheed Martin for approximately 29 years.
The case involved a reduction in force which Mr. Braden claimed was an effort by Lockheed Martin to target older workers in a scheme to lay them off and replace them with younger workers. The jury of eight unanimously agreed, awarding Mr. Braden all of the economic loss he sought ($520,000), concluding that the action was willful (which adds liquidated damages of $520,000, pursuant to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act), and further awarding Mr. Braden
pain and suffering damages of $520,000. The jury later concluded that Lockheed Martin was subject to punitive damages in the amount of $50,000,000. Stephen G. Console, a founding partner of Console Mattiacci Law, LLC, commented about the verdict: "The jury sent a loud and clear message to corporate America: no company is too big to follow the civil rights laws of this amazing country of ours. This is a verdict that should make every employee in this country proud and happy."
