Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani Partner Melissa J. Brown and Senior Counsel Jonathan R. Stuckel obtained a decisive summary judgment victory on behalf of their client, a long-term care facility, successfully dismissing a wrongful termination lawsuit in the Superior Court of New Jersey.
The plaintiff, a former employee, alleged that her termination violated public policy under New Jersey’s Pierce doctrine, claiming the facility unlawfully retaliated against her for participating as a plaintiff in unrelated litigation. Through aggressive and strategic discovery, GRSM’s Sout Jersey team demonstrated that the allegations were meritless, clearly establishing two critical facts: (1) no evidence whatsoever indicated that any decision-maker at the facility knew about the plaintiff’s external lawsuit, rendering causation impossible; and (2) the client had abundant and well-documented performance-based reasons – ranging from chronic tardiness and attendance issues to significant patient-care concerns – that justified her termination independent of any retaliatory motive.
During the oral argument, the court specifically noted the “overwhelming” factual record presented by GRSM in support of the summary judgment. The court concluded there was no genuine issue of material fact. It dismissed the lawsuit in its entirety with prejudice, protecting the client from potentially significant liability exposure and trial costs.
This outcome highlights the GRSM Employment Group’s ability to efficiently leverage factual and legal defenses to achieve early resolutions, consistently delivering strong results and minimizing litigation risk and expense for employers across industries.