Legal Updates

The Firm Wins Summary Judgment for Cognex Corporation

The Firm represented Cognex Corporation in successfully moving for summary judgment regarding the plaintiff’s claim for age discrimination under Chapter 151B of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.  Arvin Creef v. Cognex Corporation, Civil Action No. 05-00182 (Norfolk County Superior Court, February 1, 2007).  The Court, by the Honorable John P. Connor, Jr., granted Cognex’s Motion for Summary Judgment as well as numerous related motions including a Motion to Strike Plaintiff’s Affidavit, Motion to Strike Plaintiff’s Response to Cognex’s Statement of Undisputed Material Facts and Motion to Strike Plaintiff’s Statement of Legal Elements.

Significantly, the Court granted Cognex’s Motion to Strike portions of the Plaintiff’s Affidavit because the Plaintiff contradicted his prior deposition testimony. In granting Cognex’s Motion to Strike Plaintiff’s Response to Cognex’s Statement of Undisputed Material Facts, the Judge noted that ‘the plaintiff’s response to the defendant’s Statement of Undisputed Facts consisted of pages upon pages of detailed, rambling and often irrelevant statements.’ Also of significance, the Court granted Cognex’s Motion for Summary Judgment with respect to all three laws under which Plaintiff had pled his age claim: Chapter 151B of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Judge Connor thereby adopted the holding of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in holding that Title VII does not provide a legal basis for an age discrimination claim (while this may seem self-evident, there are few cases to support this proposition). Judge Connor awarded costs to Cognex in granting these Motions.

Sara Goldsmith Schwartz of this Firm is counsel for the Defendant, Cognex Corporation.