March 31 2010, three female Financial Adviser filed a national class action lawsuit against Bank of America and Merrill Lynch alleging sex discrimination. The New York Times reports that the lawsuit, which was filed in New York, claims that the companies have violated several federal and New York state laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New York State Human Rights Law.
Employment lawyer Kelly M. Dermody says that "While Merrill Lynch and Bank of America have favored male Financial Advisers to receive lucrative client opportunities, they have penalized female Financial Advisers financially for not being chosen for those advantages they created."
The plaintiffs