Proskauer Rose LLP recently became the latest BigLaw heavyweight to be rocked by a gender discrimination suit, a trend legal industry experts say will likely gain steam as female partners are emboldened to go public with claims of bias at their firms.

The Proskauer partner, who is identified in the May 12 complaint as Jane Doe, alleges that the firm has compensated less successful male colleagues as much as 65 percent more in recent years, and that after complaining of the issue she experienced discrimination and hostility that caused severe anxiety and other health problems. The firm denied her allegations.

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Deborah Rhode, a Stanford Law School professor who heads its Center on the Legal Profession, told Law360 that women in more senior roles are more likely to come forward with claims because they possess a refined ability to spot systemic discrimination when they see it and have the resources to wage potentially costly legal battles.

“There are more women at leadership levels, and those that have [reached that level] have the most to gain from this kind of litigation,” said Rhode, who has also served as chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Profession. She added that for women at that level, suing is less likely to be seen as “suicidal” to their careers than it is for those just starting out.