Paknad v. Superior Court, 119 Cal. App. 5th 1256 (2026)

While still employed by Intuitive Surgical, Michelle Paknad alleged sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and unlawful retaliation. In response, the employer retained outside counsel to investigate. During the investigations that followed, the attorney interviewed multiple witnesses, reviewed documents, and produced two reports containing her findings and conclusions. The employer relied upon the attorney’s investigations