A former Williams & Connolly LLP employee who filed for disability benefits because of the “chronic stress” she experienced while working at the law firm, lost her appeal against Unum Life Insurance Co.
Unum reasonably concluded that Lisa Holden’s alleged inability to carry out her accounting work was specific to her situation at Williams & Connolly and did not prevent her from working elsewhere, the U.S. Sixth District Court of Appeals said. According to Holden’s own reports, her symptoms came from “low accounting staff and the resulting excessive hourly and workload” and from problems with coworkers, which she described as “bullying, abuse and harassment,” the court said.
“In fact, almost every report by Holden’s doctors treating him revolves around Holden’s work; There is no evidence that Holden’s alleged disability is caused, exacerbated, or related to anything other than Williams & Connolly, ”the court said.
Judge Bernice Bouie Donald drafted the unpublished opinion, which Judge Julia Smith Gibbons endorsed. Senior Judge Deborah L. Cook filed for approval, saying the long majority opinion examined Unum’s conduct more closely than necessary given the honorable standard of judicial review that goes into the company’s decision-making.
Holden joined Williams & Connolly in 1997 and became assistant finance director. She left the company in 2015 after telling doctors that she felt “sick and anxious” about her work situation, which allegedly included excessive working hours, arguments with colleagues, bullying, harassment and alienation from others.
Holden also filed a lawsuit against Williams & Connolly in 2019 alleging violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act. She dropped that case in April and said she wanted to “get on with her life”.
Robert Wilson of Chattanooga, Tennessee, represents Holden in her case against Unum. Miller & Martin represents Unum.
The case is Holden versus Unum Life Ins. Co., 6th Cir., No. 20-6318, unpublished report 7/8/21.
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