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Lorna Orabona v. Santander Bank, N.A.

Date: 06-20-2025

Case Number: 1:23-cv-00299

Judge: mary S. McElroy

Court: United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (Providence County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Jennifer Sylvia

Defendant's Attorney: Leslie Parker, Breanna Force, Brendan Ryan

Description:
Providence, Rhode Island employment law lawyer represented the Plaintiff who sued on tort and breach of contract theories.



Santander Bank, N.A. terminated Lorna Orabona's employment as a high-earning mortgage development officer for cause, notifying her that she had violated the company's Code of Conduct client privacy policy. In consequence, she was not eligible for severance benefits under its Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Severance Policy. Orabona did not employ the administrative procedure under the ERISA Severance Policy. Rather, she sued under state law in multiple

counts sounding in both tort and contract. She alleged that Santander had terminated her employment to avoid paying her

severance benefits under the Policy.





Outcome:
After discovery, the district court entered summary judgment for Santander on the grounds that Orabona's claims were expressly preempted by ERISA section 514(a), 29 U.S.C. § 1144(a).



Affirmed
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments:

About This Case

What was the outcome of Lorna Orabona v. Santander Bank, N.A.?

The outcome was: After discovery, the district court entered summary judgment for Santander on the grounds that Orabona's claims were expressly preempted by ERISA section 514(a), 29 U.S.C. § 1144(a). Affirmed

Which court heard Lorna Orabona v. Santander Bank, N.A.?

This case was heard in United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island (Providence County), RI. The presiding judge was mary S. McElroy.

Who were the attorneys in Lorna Orabona v. Santander Bank, N.A.?

Plaintiff's attorney: Jennifer Sylvia. Defendant's attorney: Leslie Parker, Breanna Force, Brendan Ryan.

When was Lorna Orabona v. Santander Bank, N.A. decided?

This case was decided on June 20, 2025.