Leo VARTANIAN, Plaintiff—Appellant, v. MONSANTO COMPANY, Et Al., Defendants—Appellees

**Worker Loses Lawsuit Over Promised Severance Package** Leo Vartanian sued Monsanto Company after claiming the company misled him about a severance package when he retired. Vartanian argued that company representatives told him he would receive certain severance benefits, causing him to retire based on those promises. He sued for breach of contract and making false statements that caused him harm. The court ruled in favor of Monsanto and dismissed Vartanian's case. The judges found that Monsanto did not make any legally binding misrepresentations because the severance package was never actually under "serious consideration" by the company when Vartanian retired. The court applied a legal standard requiring that for a promise to count as actionable misrepresentation, there must be a specific proposal being actively discussed by senior managers who have the authority to implement it. **What this means for workers:** This case shows how difficult it can be to win lawsuits based on verbal promises about benefits or severance packages. Unless company representatives with decision-making authority are actively discussing specific proposals, casual mentions of potential benefits may not be legally enforceable. Workers should get important promises about compensation and benefits in writing whenever possible.