Greg Joseph

Good Faith Reliance on Information Received from In-House Counsel, Verified After Challenge Raised, Defeats Rule 11 Sanction Sought for Misrepresenting Corporate Status

Huang v. Mediatek USA, Inc.815 Fed.Appx. 521 (Fed. Cir. 2020): This appeal arises from an action for patent infringement. Xiaohua Huang accused MediaTek USA Inc., formerly known as Nephos Inc., of infringing certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,744,653 and…

Appeals: FRAP 38 Sanctions Apt If Appeal Is Wholly without Merit, There Is No Reasonable Expectation of Success — § 1927 Sanctions If Lawyer Reasonably Should Have Known Claim Is Frivolous

T.V.S. v. Akron City Sch. Dist. Bd. of Educ., 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 25457 (6th Cir. Aug. 11, 2020): ¶¶ ORDER Akron City School District Board of Education, Akron City School District, and its employees David W. James, Philomena Vincente,…

Rule 11 Sanctions Apt Where All Claims Barred by Statute of Limitations & Res Judicata [Even Though These Are Affirmative Defenses]

Whitted v. Jordan, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 24942 (9th Cir. Aug. 5, 2020) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* Stephen Whitted appeals the adverse summary judgment ruling on his claims of intentional interference with a parent-child relationship, civil conspiracy, abuse of process, constitutional…

Rule 11 Sanctions Are Generally Reserved for Rare and Exceptional Cases (Good Quote)

Eurosesmillas, S.A. v. Uttarwar, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 25578 (9th Cir. Aug. 10, 2020) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* Eurosesmillas, S.A. v. Uttarwar, 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 25578 (9th Cir. Aug. 10, 2020) (unpublished): Mohan Uttarwar and Piyush Gupta appeal from the…

Bankruptcy: Presumptive Sanction for Breach of § 329(a) (Fee Agreements) Is Loss of All Fees —Not Least Severe Sanction — Rule 11 Inapt — Mitigating Circumstances Must Be Compelling

SE Prop. Holdings, LLC v. Stewart (In re Stewart), 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 25882 (10th Cir. Aug. 14, 2020): Attorney Ruston Welch received $348,404.41 in fees for representing David and Terry Stewart in their Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings. This appeal …

Inherent Power Sanctions for Ethical Rule Violations: Insulting Counsel, Mediator, Court Rptr; Physical Threat — Reprimand As Serious SX — Bad Faith Needed Only for Fees — Due Process: Notice of Type, Severity of Possible SX Critical

Golden v. Clear Advantage Mktg., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 88130,2020 WL 2516671 (S.D. Iowa Mar. 30, 2020): *1 The issues now before the court present a pure credibility dispute, although not concerning the merits of the underlying copyright and…

Spoliation Sanctions: Preclusion for Failing to Preserve Most Data-Filled Form of ESI — Alt’ve Not Reasonably Usable — Preclusion ¹ Dispositive (MJ) If Other Evid. Exists — 2d Cir. Disc’y Sxs Factors (Pro, Con)—Client Sx’d for Atty Error

Joint Stock Co. "Channel One Russ. Worldwide" v. Infomir LLC, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63099 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 26, 2020): Plaintiffs, a group of Russian television broadcasters, commenced this action on February 19, 2016 against various Defendants, [*3] including Infomir LLC …

Facebook Authentication: FB Certification of Identity of Page Owner + Circumstantial Evidence Explaining Why S/he’d Defriend 2nd ID’ed FB Subscriber Authenticatse Defriending — Rule 901(a) Test: Could Reasonable Juror Could Find Auth. by Preponderance

State v. Sample, 2020 WL 2316709 (Md. Ct. App. May 11, 2020): *1 It is axiomatic that for a trial court to admit evidence, there must be sufficient indicia that the evidence is authentic—i.e., that the evidence “is what its…

Supreme Court: Party May Assert Defense in 2nd Action, Even If It Could Have Been Asserted in 1st Action, Unless It Would Violate Traditional Res Judicata Principles — Issue Or Claim Preclusion (Merger Or Bar)

Lucky Brand Dungarees v. Marcel Fashions Group, 2020 U.S. LEXIS 2642 (U.S. May 14, 2020): This case arises from protracted litigation between petitioners Lucky Brand Dungarees, Inc., and others (collectively Lucky Brand) and respondent Marcel Fashions Group, Inc. (Marcel). In …

§1927 Liability Can Be Joint/Several with Client Who Is Otherwise Sanctioned for Same Acts — Colorable Claims Can Be Pursued Vexatiously — Bad Faith Not Required in 10th Cir. — Reckless Indifference to Duties to Court Enough

Snyder v. Acord Corp., 2020 U.S. App. LEXIS 12889 (10th Cir. April 22, 2020) ORDER AND JUDGMENT* Seventeen Colorado homeowners (“Plaintiffs”) brought an action raising federal-and state-law claims against insurance companies, trade associations, and consulting firms (“Defendants”). The district…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Good Faith Reliance on Information Received from In-House Counsel, Verified After Challenge Raised, Defeats Rule 11 Sanction Sought for Misrepresenting Corporate Status

Appeals: FRAP 38 Sanctions Apt If Appeal Is Wholly without Merit, There Is No Reasonable Expectation of Success — § 1927 Sanctions If Lawyer Reasonably Should Have Known Claim Is Frivolous

Rule 11 Sanctions Apt Where All Claims Barred by Statute of Limitations & Res Judicata [Even Though These Are Affirmative Defenses]

Rule 11 Sanctions Are Generally Reserved for Rare and Exceptional Cases (Good Quote)

Bankruptcy: Presumptive Sanction for Breach of § 329(a) (Fee Agreements) Is Loss of All Fees —Not Least Severe Sanction — Rule 11 Inapt — Mitigating Circumstances Must Be Compelling

Inherent Power Sanctions for Ethical Rule Violations: Insulting Counsel, Mediator, Court Rptr; Physical Threat — Reprimand As Serious SX — Bad Faith Needed Only for Fees — Due Process: Notice of Type, Severity of Possible SX Critical

Spoliation Sanctions: Preclusion for Failing to Preserve Most Data-Filled Form of ESI — Alt’ve Not Reasonably Usable — Preclusion ¹ Dispositive (MJ) If Other Evid. Exists — 2d Cir. Disc’y Sxs Factors (Pro, Con)—Client Sx’d for Atty Error

Facebook Authentication: FB Certification of Identity of Page Owner + Circumstantial Evidence Explaining Why S/he’d Defriend 2nd ID’ed FB Subscriber Authenticatse Defriending — Rule 901(a) Test: Could Reasonable Juror Could Find Auth. by Preponderance

Supreme Court: Party May Assert Defense in 2nd Action, Even If It Could Have Been Asserted in 1st Action, Unless It Would Violate Traditional Res Judicata Principles — Issue Or Claim Preclusion (Merger Or Bar)

§1927 Liability Can Be Joint/Several with Client Who Is Otherwise Sanctioned for Same Acts — Colorable Claims Can Be Pursued Vexatiously — Bad Faith Not Required in 10th Cir. — Reckless Indifference to Duties to Court Enough

Recent Articles

Practice of Seeking Leave to Amend after The Case Is Dismissed Is Discouraged

RICO: Release Executed After Alleged RICO Violations Extinguishes RICO Claim — Eighth Circuit Declines to Address Enforceability of A Release “That Is An Integral Part of An Alleged RICO Scheme Or That Immunizes Future RICO Conduct

Pleading — “Civil pleadings are supposed to mark the boundaries for discovery; discovery is not supposed to substitute for definite pleading” (Good Quote) — Shotgun Pleadings (11th Circuit): Four Categories/Types

Rule 37(c)(1) Exclusion of Untimely Expert Report: Failure to Argue Harmlessness Essentially Waives Issue

Rule 37(b) Sanctions — Exclusion of Supplemental Expert Report for Advancing New Opinions — Third Circuit Exclusion Factors — “Importance of Excluded Evidence:” If, As Proponent Argues, There Is Nothing New, Then Exclusion Doesn’t Harm Proponent; If There Is, It Harms Opponent

RICO Pleading: Generic Allegations of Fraud (Failing Even to Set Forth Any False Representation) And Extortion (Failing to Describe Actual Threats) Too Conclusory to State a Claim

RICO Pleading: Statutory Directive That RICO Be Liberally Construed Does Not Extend to More Liberal Pleading Requirements

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