Opinion ID: 725398
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith & Fair Dealing.

Text: 12 The prerequisite for any action for breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing is the existence of a contractual relationship. Smith v. City and County of San Francisco, 275 Cal.Rptr. 17, 23 (1990). Here, there is no contract to terminate only for cause. Plaintiff's reliance on Sheppard v. Morgan Keegan & Co., 266 Cal.Rptr. 784 (1990), is misplaced. In Sheppard, the plaintiff had moved across the country on the promise of a job which did not materialize. The court enforced the employer's promise of employment under the doctrine of promissory estoppel. In this case, there was no underlying employment agreement or detrimental reliance by Macionski. The district court properly granted summary judgment to Alaska on this claim. 13