Joseph Hage Aaronson

Supreme Court: Inherent Power Sanctions — Only Attorney’s Fees and Costs Incurred As a Result of the Misconduct Are Awardable — But-For Test — Substantial Discretion to Do “Rough Justice”

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. v. Haeger, 2017 U.S. LEXIS 2613 (U.S. April 18, 2017): In this case, we consider a federal court's inherent authority to sanction a litigant for bad-faith conduct by ordering it to pay the other side's …

Rule 37 Sanctions: How Mandatory Is the Mandate That the Court Must Order a Party Who Violates a Discovery Order to Pay the Fees and Expenses Incurred by the Other Side? — Sixth Circuit Splits on Issue

Lim v. Terumo Corp., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 23233 (6th Cir. April 2, 2015): Chang Lim, proceeding pro se, appeals the district court's grant of summary judgment in favor of the defendants in his action raising claims under Title VII…

Spoliation of Tangible Evidence — 11th Circuit Factors (Unchanged Post-37(e)), Available Sanctions — State Law Guidance — Ignoring Opponent’s Request to Inspect + Failing to Preserve on While Notice of Claim = Bad Faith

Oil Equipment Co., Inc. v. Modern Welding Co., Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 17632 (11th Cir. Sept. 29, 2016): PER CURIAM: This is a products-liability case about an allegedly defective underground storage tank that began to leak. Plaintiff-Appellant Oil Equipment…

What Is Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Bar within FRAP 46(b)(1)(B)? — Standards — Factors Relevant to Deciding Whether Sanctions Apt — Range of Sanctions (Discipline) Available — The Vice of Misrepresentation to the Court

Greene v. Exec. Coach & Carriage, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 23218 (9th Cir. July 22, 2015): JUDGES: Before: Peter L. Shaw, Appellate Commissioner. OPINION ORDER On February 12, 2015, the court identified a false statement in the answering brief of …

§ 1927 Sanctions Require More Than Negligence, Not Bad Faith (Circuit Split) — Repeating on Rule 59 Motion Args Previously Rejected Sanctionable — Discretion Means Range of Choices — That Other Courts Decided Differenrtly Irrelevant

U.S. ex rel. Hirt v. Walgreen Co., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 5245 (6th Cir. Mar. 23, 2017): PER CURIAM. After losing his qui tam lawsuit at the district court, Andrew Hirt, owner of Andy's Pharmacies, filed a Rule 59 motion …

Pleading: May a Complaint Rely on Allegations in Another Complaint That Has Been Dismissed, Settled or Otherwise Not Resolved? — Case Law Split — (Does It Matter If the Govt. Filed It?) — Settlement Suggests Position at Least Colorable

In re Forcefield Energy Sec. Litig., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54606, *29-30 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 29, 2017): This putative securities class action is brought by shareholders of ForceField Energy Inc. ("ForceField") alleging violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities…

Sanctions: Knowingly Pursuing Frivolous Claim = Bad Faith — Inherent Power OK If Rule 11 Procedurally Barred — No Due Process If Fee Records Kept under Seal, Away from Offender — Disqualification Appeal Fails If Substitute Counsel Equally Good

Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Fla. v. Cypress, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 7519 (11th Cir. April 28, 2017): PER CURIAM: Appellees Guy A. Lewis, Michael R. Tein, and their law firm, Lewis Tein P.L., move to correct our panel opinion,…

Rooker-Feldman Bars Federal Claim If Relief Sought Is Vacatur of State Court Judgment (Here, Claim RICO Fraud Perpetrated on State Court) — There Must Be Independent Injury — Dismissal Must Be without Prejudice (No Jurisdiction)

Mains v. Citibank, N.A., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 5429 (7th Cir. Mar. 29, 2017): Eric Mains has been battling the impending foreclosure of his home for quite some time. Most recently, he brought an action in federal court raising various…

RICO — Shareholder Lacks Standing to Sue If Losses Are Derivative of Corporation’s — Officer Who Signs Fraudulently-Induced Loan Documents Has No Claim Where Misrepresentations Made to Induce Corp. to Borrow

Blixeth v. Cushman & Wakefield of Colo., Inc., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 1943 (10th Cir. Feb. 3, 2017): * This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral…

Rule 11 Sanctions for Continuing to Assert Claims after Evidence Disproved Them — Avoiding Chilling Civil Rights Litigation Is a Valid Concern — So Is the Corrosive Effect of Frivolous Suits on Legitimate Civil Rights Cases — Good Quotes

Aldridge v. City of Warren, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 5085 (6th Cir. Mar. 20, 2017): This case involves the grant of summary judgment for defendants and the imposition of sanctions against plaintiff Joshua Aldridge arising out of a complaint that …

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Supreme Court: Inherent Power Sanctions — Only Attorney’s Fees and Costs Incurred As a Result of the Misconduct Are Awardable — But-For Test — Substantial Discretion to Do “Rough Justice”

Rule 37 Sanctions: How Mandatory Is the Mandate That the Court Must Order a Party Who Violates a Discovery Order to Pay the Fees and Expenses Incurred by the Other Side? — Sixth Circuit Splits on Issue

Spoliation of Tangible Evidence — 11th Circuit Factors (Unchanged Post-37(e)), Available Sanctions — State Law Guidance — Ignoring Opponent’s Request to Inspect + Failing to Preserve on While Notice of Claim = Bad Faith

What Is Conduct Unbecoming a Member of the Bar within FRAP 46(b)(1)(B)? — Standards — Factors Relevant to Deciding Whether Sanctions Apt — Range of Sanctions (Discipline) Available — The Vice of Misrepresentation to the Court

§ 1927 Sanctions Require More Than Negligence, Not Bad Faith (Circuit Split) — Repeating on Rule 59 Motion Args Previously Rejected Sanctionable — Discretion Means Range of Choices — That Other Courts Decided Differenrtly Irrelevant

Pleading: May a Complaint Rely on Allegations in Another Complaint That Has Been Dismissed, Settled or Otherwise Not Resolved? — Case Law Split — (Does It Matter If the Govt. Filed It?) — Settlement Suggests Position at Least Colorable

Sanctions: Knowingly Pursuing Frivolous Claim = Bad Faith — Inherent Power OK If Rule 11 Procedurally Barred — No Due Process If Fee Records Kept under Seal, Away from Offender — Disqualification Appeal Fails If Substitute Counsel Equally Good

Rooker-Feldman Bars Federal Claim If Relief Sought Is Vacatur of State Court Judgment (Here, Claim RICO Fraud Perpetrated on State Court) — There Must Be Independent Injury — Dismissal Must Be without Prejudice (No Jurisdiction)

RICO — Shareholder Lacks Standing to Sue If Losses Are Derivative of Corporation’s — Officer Who Signs Fraudulently-Induced Loan Documents Has No Claim Where Misrepresentations Made to Induce Corp. to Borrow

Rule 11 Sanctions for Continuing to Assert Claims after Evidence Disproved Them — Avoiding Chilling Civil Rights Litigation Is a Valid Concern — So Is the Corrosive Effect of Frivolous Suits on Legitimate Civil Rights Cases — Good Quotes

Recent Articles

Rule 37(d) Sanctions — For Failure to Serve Answers, Objections, Or Written Response to Discovery Requests — Are Not Limited to Intentional Misconduct; Even Innocent Mistakes May Be Covered

Sanctions: (1) Rule 11 Does Not Apply to Litigation Papers Initially Filed in State Court — Only Reaffirmance in Federal Court Post-Removal Is Subject to Sanction — (2) “The Fact That A Legal Theory Is A Long-Shot Does Not Necessarily Mean It Is Sanctionable” (Good Quote)

Supreme Court: Relief under Rule 60(b)(6) Requires Extraordinary Circumstances Even If It Is Invoked to Allow Amendment of The Complaint–Rule 15’s Liberal Approach to Amendment Does Not Change That (Reversing Second Circuit)

FRAP 38 Sanctions — Eleventh Circuit Generally Does Not Impose FRAP 38 Sanctions on Pro Se Litigants, But May Do So If They Have Persisted Despite Judicial Warnings of Frivolousness

Inherent Power Sanctions: No Dismissal with Prejudice If Lesser Sanctions Will Suffice — The Liberal Pleading Standard of Swierkiewicz “Is Still Good Law”

Statements in Briefs As Judicial Admissions

Supreme Court: TRO As Appealable Order — And District Court Inaction As Tantamount to Refusing An Injunction And Thus Appealable

“Slow-Playing Discovery” in Response to Court Order, Prejudicing Opponent, Violates Rule 37(b)(2)(A)

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