Harold F. Pearson, III v. John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co.

SELYA, Circuit Judge.

This hard-fought appeal presents one overarching question of Massachusetts law: could a reasonable jury, viewing the facts in the light most hospitable to the plaintiff, find that the defendant’s personnel manual constituted a contract with its employees such that the defendant was bound to rehire the plaintiff, a former at-will employee, following the plaintiff’s completion of a leave of absence? Because Massachusetts law requires a negative answer to this inquiry, we reverse the judgment below. Consequently, we need not reach the other issues briefed by the appellant.

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