Blake Lively's Sexual Harassment Complaint: Legal Expert Breaks Down What's Next in the 'Intensely Personal' Case (Exclusive)

Blake Lively could face trial over allegations made in her sexual harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni, a legal expert tells PEOPLE.

According to Gregory Doll, who is a partner at Doll Amir & Eley in Los Angeles, Lively, 37, could go to court if a “mediated solution” is not found between her and her. her Ends with us Costar Baldoni, 40, over his alleged harassment of her on the film’s set, which was detailed in a complaint she filed this week. (Doll is not involved in the case and does not represent either party.)

Lively sued Baldoni, who also directed the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, for sexual harassment, which was followed by a public campaign of retaliation to “destroy” her reputation. Other members of the production team and individuals alleged to be involved in the alleged smear campaign against her are also part of the complaint. Lively is seeking unspecified damages.

Bryan Freedman, Baldoni’s attorney, told PEOPLE in a Dec. 21 statement that Lively’s complaint was to “repair her negative reputation.” He added that her claims were “false, outrageous and willfully maligned with the intention of causing public injury”.

Freedman also alleged that Lively caused problems during the filming of the film, including “threats not to show up on set, threats not to promote the film, which ultimately led to his death during the run.”

Meanwhile, Lively issued a statement to The New York Timessaying, “I hope my legal action will help pull back the curtain on these sinister vindictive tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and help protect others who may be targeted.”

Lively pictured at the ‘It Ends With Us’ premiere in Copenhagen in August.

NILS MEILVANG/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty

Everything Blake Lively Claims in Justin Baldoni’s Lawsuit: Unwanted Kissing, Naked Watching and Smear Campaign

The California Department of Civil Rights, where Lively filed the complaint, has 60 days to decide whether to investigate the case. Doll tells PEOPLE that they could “try to broker a solution with the employer [Baldoni]” and Wayfarer Studios, which Lively is also suing, before accepting the suit.

If no settlement can be reached, “they will fire and give [Lively] what’s called the right to sue,” Doll further explains. “[This] means that now he can go to court and submit his claim there.”

Doll says that while settlements are common in legal cases in Hollywood, Lively’s lawsuit has the potential to go to trial over the specific allegations.

“The most likely cases that don’t [settle] are they like these where it gets very personal between two people,” he tells PEOPLE. “The reason is … when you get into what we call discovery, when you exchange documents and find out some of the things that are going on behind the scenes that you didn’t know, the prosecutor gets furious.”

“They’re going to see more messages and more emails and more compensation … and it could be like, ‘I’m taking this to trial where I’m going to expose the whole thing,'” Doll adds.

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However, the lawyer says that he believes that in this case it is more likely that mediation will take place.

“If [Lively]Her primary goal was just to get this story out there and expose what he was doing, she’s already doing that,” says Doll. “He may not want to build on a long-standing lawsuit … He may not want to build on much of the litigation, he already has his narrative in the press.”

Baldoni pictured at the premiere of ‘It Ends with Us’ in New York in August.

Gotham/WireImage

Justin Baldoni was dropped by his talent agency because Blake Lively sued him for sexual harassment

Doll also tells PEOPLE that she believes Baldoni “one hundred percent” will file a countersuit against Lively.

“I could see some small exceptions where they wouldn’t, but based on what I’ve seen, it’s almost guaranteed they’ll file a counterclaim,” he says.

Following Lively’s appeal, Baldoni resigned from his talent agency WME on December 21.

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Source: HIS Education