Mireya D’Angelo, a well connected senior anti-money-laundering lawyer formerly with HSBC’s private bank, has sued the bank for discrimiation after being fired last August for alleged time and expenses violations….
She’s shown with her husband Joseph. (Picture from New York Social Diary)
This isn’t HSBC’s first discrimination suit. They’ve also been sued by Peter Lewis, former global head of equity trading, who claims that he was fired because he is openly gay.
D’Angelo, who is seeking monetary damages and reinstatement in her job, says she was discriminated against because she is Hispanic.
HSBC spokesman Stephen Cohen declined to comment about the lawsuit, saying the bank would prefer to confine any discussion about it to the courtroom. D’Angelo also alleges that the bank defamed her when it suggested to other employees she had been fired for money-laundering.
D’Angelo, who in 2003 was named to a "Top Fifty" program which recognized "high potential performers" at the private bank, according to the complaint, claims that Terese Pesce, its director of anti-money-laundering, consistently treated her in a "hostile and condescending manner."
D’Angelo claims in the lawsuit that she repeatedly expressed concerns to Pesce’s superiors about signs that Pesce was discriminating against her because she was of Hispanic origin but that the situation was never remedied.
She was fired from the bank shortly after traveling to a meeting in Geneva of the 50 top employees of the private bank, a trip of which D’Angelo says Pesce was informed.
HSBC sued by former lawyer claiming bias firing – Reuters
HSBC: "H" is for homophobic? – Wall Street Folly
Tags: Discrimination, HSBC, Lawsuit
