Elliott Greenleaf Wins Summary Judgment in ERISA Case
Elliott Greenleaf recently won summary judgment when its client a major Fortune 250 company, properly denied enhanced salary continuation benefits under the client's severance and salary continuation plan.
On May 3, 2003, the Honorable R. Barclay Surrick of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted summary judgment to Elliott Greenleaf's client on Plaintiff's claim for enhanced severance benefits under a Severance and Salary Continuation Benefits Plan. The Plan was governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, 29 U.S.C. §1001 et seq. (Pascuzzo v. Aetna, E.D. Pa., No. 00 CV-2464, 5/3/2003).
The Court granted Elliott Greenleaf's motion for summary judgment on all claims, agreeing with Elliott Greenleaf that the employer denied Plaintiff's claim for enhanced severance benefits based on the explicit terms of the Plan and the circumstances of Plaintiff's termination. The employer had a rational basis to deny enhanced severance benefits to Plaintiff, and its decision was reasonable and well supported by substantial evidence. Moreover, the employer's decision to deny benefits was neither arbitrary nor capricious, nor an abuse of its discretion under the Plan.
Elliott Greenleaf's Eric J. Bronstein and Kathryn M. Schilling represented this Fortune 250 company in this ERISA litigation. |
