Allegations of unequal pay and workplace retaliation have been raised in a federal lawsuit by a former senior litigation trial attorney, who claims she was paid less than her male counterparts for performing equal work at a local law firm. The complaint was filed by M. Catherine Hilton in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on March 20, 2026, naming Ron Austin Law LLC as the defendant.
According to the court filing, Hilton alleges that Ron Austin Law LLC violated the Equal Pay Act by compensating her at lower rates than male attorneys who performed substantially similar work. Hilton, who is licensed to practice law in Louisiana since April 2001 and previously worked as a paralegal for two decades, joined Ron Austin Law LLC in March 2015 as a Senior Litigation Trial Attorney. At the time of her hiring, she had fourteen years of experience specializing in complex litigation and medical malpractice.
The complaint outlines that upon joining the firm, Hilton was promised an $80,000 draw, specific fee splits for cases she handled or originated, and support staff assistance. She states that two other senior attorneys were employed at that time: Jeff Green (male) and Jevan Fleming (female), neither of whom had prior personal injury experience but both had defense backgrounds. During onboarding, Hilton asked whether her compensation matched Green’s; “Austin stated that she was receiving the same pay as Green.” However, Hilton later learned this was not accurate—Green received an $80,000 salary plus a 30% fee split while Hilton’s $80,000 draw required quarterly repayment from her fee splits.
Hilton contends that “the work performed by Green required equal skill, effort, and responsibility and was performed under similar working conditions.” She asserts that differences in salary were not based on any legitimate system such as seniority or merit but instead on sex. In 2017, Hilton says she was tasked with launching the firm’s mass tort efforts with assurances of additional compensation but received none despite thousands of hours spent over several years.
By 2021, after demonstrating significant involvement in firm management duties alongside her legal caseload—including contract negotiations and mentoring junior attorneys—her draw was converted to a salary and she was publicly identified as a manager. Despite these expanded responsibilities, Hilton alleges ongoing disparities: “Throughout 2022, Defendant improperly withheld approximately $160,000 in earned fees,” with only half eventually paid out. An “overhead” claw back further reduced her compensation calculations by deducting $400,000 from gross settlements related to her cases.
Hilton also claims she often lacked adequate paralegal support while male colleagues had full-time dedicated assistants. In 2024, another male attorney without plaintiff personal injury experience—Scott Huete—was hired at a starting salary of $125,000 with increasing fee splits reaching $145,000 within one year. The complaint states: “The work performed by Huete required equal skill, effort, and responsibility and was performed under similar working conditions.” Again citing no valid basis for pay differences other than sex.
After raising concerns about these issues with Ron Austin multiple times—including complaints about unequal pay and staffing—Hilton alleges retaliatory actions followed: withholding earned fees without justification or notice; reducing fee split percentages; exclusion from client meetings; and refusal to address inadequate staffing. Ultimately feeling forced to resign due to these conditions, Hilton left the firm in March 2025 but reports continued delays in receiving owed funds for shared cases post-employment.
The complaint seeks relief under the Equal Pay Act including lost wages and benefits owed pursuant to the statute; liquidated damages; pre-judgment interest; attorney’s fees; costs; and any other just relief deemed appropriate by the court. It also demands a jury trial on all triable issues.
Hilton is represented by Stephanie Dovalina (LSBA #31137) of Gretna. The case is identified as Civil Action No.: 26-cv-00604.
Source: 226cv604_M_Catherine_v_Ron_Austin_Complaint_Eastern_District_of_Louisiana.pdf
