A yearlong showdown has ended between one of the highest-profile women in Silicon Valley and one of the most powerful venture capital firms in technology.
Ellen Pao announced in an essay on ReCode Thursday that she is dropping her appeal against storied venture capital firm Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers and paying the legal costs of her gender bias case.
"Seeking justice in the courts has been painful for me personally and professionally, and for my family," Pao wrote. "I am now moving on, paying Kleiner Perkins’ legal costs and dropping my appeal. My experience shows how difficult it is to address discrimination through the court system."
Pao, a former junior partner at Kleiner Perkins, filed suit against the firm in 2012, alleging that partners passed her over for promotions because she was a woman and retaliated against her and ultimately fired her for speaking out about it. She lost on all four courts after a closely-watched month-long court room drama earlier this year that spurred a far-reaching conversation about gender inequity in the male-dominated tech world.
In June, the judge ordered Pao to pay $275,966.63 of the legal fees amassed during the legal battle. Kleiner Perkins offered to waive the payment if Pao agreed to drop her appeal, but she declined.
Pao also recently ended her rocky eight-month tenure as interim CEO of Reddit after a site-wide revolt over the firing of the company's talent coordinator.
In her essay, Pao criticized the judicial process for settling workplace disputes and said she was far outmatched by Kleiner Perkins' powerful legal team and PR campaign.
"Since bringing my case, I discovered that the court system today is not well-designed to address these issues," Pao said.
"The disparity in legal, PR and financial resources is also tremendous — and the primary reason for my decision to now focus my efforts outside court. I was lucky to have the resources to bring my case this far."
In a statement on Thursday, Kleiner Perkins said it was relieved to put an end to the dispute.
"We are glad to put this trial behind us," a Kleiner Perkins spokesperson said. "There is no question diversity in the workplace is an important issue. KPCB remains committed to supporting women and minorities in venture capital and technology both inside our firm and within our industry."