Employment Contracts

Plaintiff was the co-founder of a lingerie company. She and the other co-founder had a falling out and she was removed. She had a written employment contract which stated she was an “at will” employee and spelled out her rights and remedies if she was removed from her position pursuant to the processes set forth in the agreement. Plaintiff argued the parties had other unwritten agreements that conferred greater benefits to her than the written agreement and claimed an ownership in the company post termination.

Plaintiff worked for a production company and was laid off during COVID. He claimed that his part written, part oral and part implied in fact contract governed his working conditions and guaranteed his pay, whether the company had work for him or not.

Plaintiff was an actor whose contract included a “pay or play” provision. The studio eventually contracted with a different actor and filmed the project. Plaintiff sued and argued he was due fees for the work contemplated by the contract. Employer argued that the pay or play was invalidated by Plaintiff’s violation of the morality clause in the existing and prior contracts.

Plaintiff, one of the company’s first employees, claimed the right to stock options upon her termination for cause. Plaintiff was given stock options as part of her compensation over the years and when she was terminated attempted to exercise the options or otherwise recover their value. Employer claimed that the termination for cause relieved the employer from its obligation to otherwise pay out the value of the stock options.

Physician with medical group had an employment contract that was renewed annually by amendment. One of the early contracts provided for a $500,000 payout in the event the doctor was terminated before the conclusion of the annual contract. The amendments did not specifically include reference to the payout provision in later versions. Upon the doctor’s termination for cause (he employed practices that were prohibited by the group), he claimed the right to the $500,000 payout.