Joseph Hage Aaronson

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 …

YouTube Video Admissible Based on Contents + Testimony a YouTube Video Was Made — Hearsay: Offering a Product for Sale Is a Verbal Act — Experts/Daubert: Judge Not Factfinder, Credibility Assessor (Good Quotes) — Survey Admissibility

Carucel Invs. LP v. Novatel Wireless, Inc., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50855 (S.D. Cal. April 3, 2017): *** Background On May 27, 2015, Plaintiff Carucel Investments, L.P. filed a complaint for patent infringement in the United States District Court for…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

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

YouTube Video Admissible Based on Contents + Testimony a YouTube Video Was Made — Hearsay: Offering a Product for Sale Is a Verbal Act — Experts/Daubert: Judge Not Factfinder, Credibility Assessor (Good Quotes) — Survey Admissibility

Recent Articles

§ 1927 Sanctions — Must A Lawyer Who Unreasonably and Vexatiously Multiplies Federal Court Proceedings Be Acting “As An Attorney” When Committing the Misconduct To Be Subject to Sanction under § 1927?

Rule 37 Sanctions — Unfamiliarity With Litigation Process Does Not Excuse Intentional Disregard of Court Order — Also Affirming Rule 26(g) Sanctions on Clients and Counsel for False Representations That All Responsive Documents Had Been Produced

Supreme Court: Notice of Appeal Filed After The Original Deadline But Before Reopening by The District Court Is Timely — It Relates Forward to The Date of The Order Making The Appeal Possible — Second Notice of Appeal After Reopening Unnecessary

Rule 37 Default Judgment: Second Circuit’s Four-Factor Test for Imposing Defaults and Three-Factor Test for Lifting Them

RICO: Cover-Up Within Limitations Period of Untimely RICO Violation “Was Merely A Continuation” Of The Original Injury And Could Not Be Used “As A ‘Bootstrap’ To Salvage [The] Time-Barred Claims–Declining to Apply Pinkerton Doctrine to Civil RICO Claims

Inherent Power — Circumstantial Evidence — Fact That Bad Faith May Be Shown by Establishing That Conduct Was So Egregious It Was Necessarily Committed in Bad Faith Does Not Mean That Bad Faith Must Be The Sole Explanation for The Bad Conduct

RICO Causation: Testing Labs’ Misstatements As to Alcohol Tests’ Efficacy Not Communicated to Plaintiffs’ Employers Did Not Cause Plaintiffs’ Professional Harm

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

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