A high-ranking attorney for General Electric Co. can go ahead with her class-action lawsuit against what she calls the "very male-dominated culture" in the international conglomerate, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. District Judge Peter Dorsey on Wednesday rejected a motion filed by GE to prevent Lorene Schaefer's lawsuit from achieving class-action status. A class-action lawsuit would allow Schaefer to gather as many as 1,500 plaintiffs, including women who hold entry-level executive jobs and all the company's female lawyers. The lawsuit potentially seeks damages of $500 million.

Schaefer, general counsel of Erie, Pa.-based GE Transportation, filed a suit in May 2007 accusing officials of giving unfair preference to men in promotions to top-paying legal jobs.

Among its claims, GE argued that Schaefer cannot lead a class-action lawsuit because she had access to confidential client information while employed with GE.

Dorsey rejected that argument for now.

"If at any point during discovery, the defendants learn and can demonstrate that plaintiff is inappropriately using confidential client confidences in asserting her claims or representing the class, the court may reconsider the propriety of plaintiff's class allegations at that time," Dorsey wrote in his 30-page ruling.

In a statement, Schaefer said the ruling would benefit hundreds of GE employees.