Woman who lost Silicon Valley gender bias suit drops appeal

SAN FRANCISCO — The woman who lost her high-profile gender discrimination lawsuit against a Silicon Valley venture capital firm says she is dropping her appeal. Ellen Pao said in a statement released Thursday that she cannot afford the risk of incurring additional costs to fight Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. She said she had not reached any settlement with the firm and will pay some of its legal fees. A judge has ordered Pao to pay Kleiner $275,000 in legal fees. A jury in March found that Kleiner Perkins did not discriminate or retaliate against Pao when the firm fired her in 2012. Pao's case became a flashpoint in an ongoing discussion about gender inequity at elite technology and venture capital firms, where women are grossly underrepresented.