General Dynamics Corp. v. Superior Court

Opinion

ARABIAN, J.

We granted review to consider an attorney’s status as “in-house” counsel as it affects the right to pursue claims for damages following an allegedly wrongful termination of employment. Specifically, we are asked to decide whether an attorney’s status as an employee bars the pursuit of implied-in-fact contract and retaliatory discharge tort causes of action against the employer that are commonly the subject of suits by non-attorney employees who assert the same claims.

We conclude that, because so-called “just cause” contractual claims are unlikely to implicate values central…