A 53-year old female attorney who was fired while on adoption leave has filed a $5 million age and gender discrimination lawsuit against law firm Boston-based Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr L.L.P.

According to the lawsuit filed by New York-based plaintiff law firm Sanford Heisler L.L.P. in the District of Columbia Superior Court on Thursday, Pamela Levinson, who had worked for seven years at the law firm’s Washington office, was terminated while on family leave in February 2012 after she adopted a 22-month-old child from China. The lawsuit says despite excellent reviews, Ms. Levinson, a litigator, was never promoted to partner or special counsel.

The lawsuit states that although the law firm had had numerous partner promotions during Ms. Levinson’s tenure, only one over-50 female attorney was promoted to partner during the relevant time period.

“In fact, the vast majority of individuals promoted to partner and/or special counsel were below the age of 40 at the time of their promotion and there was not been a single instance in which a person over the age of 50 was promoted to special counsel in the litigation department,” says the lawsuit.

The lawsuit charges the law firm with discrimination and retaliation under the District of Columbia Family and Medical Leave Act, discrimination and wrongful discharge under the District of Columbia Human Rights Act, breach of contract, and breach of good faith and fair dealing.

The lawsuit seeks $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, back pay with interest, attorney’s fees and costs, and reinstatement, among other things.

“Ms. Levinson’s claims are completely without merit and we will vigorously defend the firm,” Susan W. Murley, the law firm’s Boston-based co-managing partner, said in a statement.

In December, Sanford Heisler filed a putative class action lawsuit against international law firm Greenberg Traurig L.L.P. on behalf of current and former female shareholders charging the firm with gender discrimination.