Third Circuit Reserves Decision as to Whether Rule 11 Sanctions Imposed after Final Judgment Must Be Vacated under Its Supervisory Rule - Joseph Hage Aaronson

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Third Circuit Reserves Decision as to Whether Rule 11 Sanctions Imposed after Final Judgment Must Be Vacated under Its Supervisory Rule

From Pepper Hamilton, LLP v. Underwriting Members of Syndicate 53 at Lloyd's, 2010 U.S. App. LEXIS 17195 (3d Cir. Aug. 18, 2010):

[Footnote 16.] Pepper Hamilton also argues that, because the District Court imposed sanctions after it had already issued a final judgment, the sanctions must be reversed in light of the supervisory rule we announced in Pensiero. See Mary Ann Pensiero, Inc. v. Lingle, 847 F.2d 90, 99-100 (3d Cir. 1988) ("[W]e adopt as a supervisory rule for the courts in the Third Circuit a requirement that all motions requesting Rule 11 sanctions be filed in the district court before the entry of a final judgment."); see also Gary v. Braddock Cemetery, 517 F.3d 195, 202 (3d Cir. 2008) ("An obvious corollary to requiring parties to file their Rule 11 motion prior to final judgment, . . . is that district courts must resolve any issues about imposition of sanctions prior to, or contemporaneously with, entering final judgment. Requiring Rule 11 motions to be filed before final judgment is entered accomplishes nothing unless we are able to resolve any challenge to the grant or denial of Rule 11 sanctions when we rule on the merits of the final judgment."). Because we reverse the sanctions on the merits, we do not reach this issue.

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