Joseph Hage Aaronson

Rule 37 Sanctions — If Preclusion of Evidence in Practice Amounts to Dismissal of Claim, Willfulness, Bad Faith or Fault, and Other Prerequisites to Dismissal, Must Be Found

Toyrrific v. Karapetian, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 9170 (9th Cir. June 2, 2015): 2. However, the district court erred as a matter of law by excluding the damages evidence under Rule 37(c)(1). See R & R Sails, 673 F.3d at…

Inherent Power/§ 1927 Sanctions for Refusal to Sign Settlement & Prolonging Case — Attorney’s Fees Not Barred by Contract Provision — Abuse of Discretion (10th Cir.) — Good Quotes (Incl. Party’s “Diatribe”) — No Recusal for Judge’s Anger

Farmer v. Banco Popular of N. Am., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 11273 (10th Cir. June 30, 2015): This matter was previously before the Court on Plaintiff George Farmer's appeal from a district court order, in the nature of a mandatory …

Rule 11 — Suspension from Practice = “Nonmonetary” Sanction within 11(c)(4) — Bankruptcy Court Can Suspend — “Typical Federal Court Disposes of Hundreds of Cases Each Year—A Bankruptcy Court Disposes of Thousands” — Honesty Essential

In re Young (Young v Young), 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 10158 (8th Cir. June 17, 2015): The bankruptcy court sanctioned attorney Kathy Cruz under Rule 9011 of the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure during her representation of a client, Jonathan …

Sanctions — Sloppy Argument and Overstatement ≠ Misrepresentation or Litigation Misconduct Punishable under Rule 11 and Form No Basis for Finding Patent Case Not Exceptional within 35 U.S.C. § 285

Gaymar Indus., Inc. v. Cincinnati Sub-Zero Prods., Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 10736 (Fed. Cir. June 25, 2015): Cincinnati Sub-Zero Products, Inc. ("CSZ"), the prevailing party in this patent infringement case, appeals the district court's denial of attorney's fees under…

Linked In Admissibility — Hearsay — Defendant’s Self-Description of Title on Own LinkedIn Page when Offered by Plaintiff Admitted Insofar As It Reflects Defendant’s Description of Role But Not for Truth That Defendant Actually Held Position

Music Grp. Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd. v. Foote, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 81415 (N.D. Cal. June 22, 2015): This case arises out of a cyber attack on the global computer network and communication systems of Plaintiff Music Group Macao Commercial …

Rule 11 & Ethical Precepts — Rhode Island Bars Anonymous Ghostwriting of Pleadings But Permits Representation Limited to Disclosed Assistance with Express Statement That Lawyer Is Not Appearing in the Action

FIA Card Servs., N.A. v. Pichette, 2015 R.I. LEXIS 79 (RI S.Ct. June 8, 2015): The appeals before us emanate from the activities of three attorneys who authored pleadings, but did not disclose their respective identities, on behalf of pro …

Spoliation Sanctions — Three-Part Test for Adverse Inference Instruction in Tenth Circuit: Duty to Preserve, Prejudice, Bad Faith (Electronic Records Lost, Tangible Records Destroyed)

McCauley v. Board of Comm’rs for Bernalillo Cnty., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 3361 (10th Cir. Mar. 2, 2015): John R. McCauley appeals the district court's grant of summary judgment to the Board of Commissioners of Bernalillo County (Bernalillo County or …

RICO Continuity — Mail Fraud Can Be Predicate But Mailings Don’t Create Continuity unless They’re False — At Least 1 Year Needed for Closed-End Continuity in 8th Circuit — Good Quotes on RICO Not Apt for Ordinary Commerical Fraud

Stonebridge Collection, Inc. v. Carmichael, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 10840 (8th Cir. June 26, 2015): The Stonebridge Collection, Inc., an engraver of promotional pocket knives, sued (1) former distributor Cutting-Edge USA, LLC and its members, Keith and Glenna Carmichael; (2)…

Sanctions: Court May Dismiss with Prejudice Even after Voluntarily Dismissal without Prejudice under Rule 41 — Mortgage with Bank ≠ Grounds to Recuse — Judges Not Obliged to Make Greater Financial Disclosure Than Statute Requires

Zow v. Regions Fin’l Corp., 2014 U.S. App. LEXIS 23321 (11th Cir. Dec. 11, 2014): James Allen Zow, Sr. and Veronica Zow appeal the dismissal of their case with prejudice as a sanction for being in contempt of a discovery…

Sanctions — Supreme Court Indicates Bankruptcy Courts May Be Empowered to Issue Inherent Power Sanctions — No Question That They May Sanction under § 1927

Dahiya v. Kramer (In re Khan), 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 1792 (2d Cir. Feb. 5, 2015): Dahiya argues as a threshold matter that the bankruptcy court lacked the authority to sanction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1927 and its inherent…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Rule 37 Sanctions — If Preclusion of Evidence in Practice Amounts to Dismissal of Claim, Willfulness, Bad Faith or Fault, and Other Prerequisites to Dismissal, Must Be Found

Inherent Power/§ 1927 Sanctions for Refusal to Sign Settlement & Prolonging Case — Attorney’s Fees Not Barred by Contract Provision — Abuse of Discretion (10th Cir.) — Good Quotes (Incl. Party’s “Diatribe”) — No Recusal for Judge’s Anger

Rule 11 — Suspension from Practice = “Nonmonetary” Sanction within 11(c)(4) — Bankruptcy Court Can Suspend — “Typical Federal Court Disposes of Hundreds of Cases Each Year—A Bankruptcy Court Disposes of Thousands” — Honesty Essential

Sanctions — Sloppy Argument and Overstatement ≠ Misrepresentation or Litigation Misconduct Punishable under Rule 11 and Form No Basis for Finding Patent Case Not Exceptional within 35 U.S.C. § 285

Linked In Admissibility — Hearsay — Defendant’s Self-Description of Title on Own LinkedIn Page when Offered by Plaintiff Admitted Insofar As It Reflects Defendant’s Description of Role But Not for Truth That Defendant Actually Held Position

Rule 11 & Ethical Precepts — Rhode Island Bars Anonymous Ghostwriting of Pleadings But Permits Representation Limited to Disclosed Assistance with Express Statement That Lawyer Is Not Appearing in the Action

Spoliation Sanctions — Three-Part Test for Adverse Inference Instruction in Tenth Circuit: Duty to Preserve, Prejudice, Bad Faith (Electronic Records Lost, Tangible Records Destroyed)

RICO Continuity — Mail Fraud Can Be Predicate But Mailings Don’t Create Continuity unless They’re False — At Least 1 Year Needed for Closed-End Continuity in 8th Circuit — Good Quotes on RICO Not Apt for Ordinary Commerical Fraud

Sanctions: Court May Dismiss with Prejudice Even after Voluntarily Dismissal without Prejudice under Rule 41 — Mortgage with Bank ≠ Grounds to Recuse — Judges Not Obliged to Make Greater Financial Disclosure Than Statute Requires

Sanctions — Supreme Court Indicates Bankruptcy Courts May Be Empowered to Issue Inherent Power Sanctions — No Question That They May Sanction under § 1927

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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