Joseph Hage Aaronson

Unless D.Ct. Conclusively Precludes Proof of Required Element of Claim, Order Unappealable — Striking Preferred Damages Approach, Making Case Unprofitable Not Enough — Sanctions & Attorney’s Fees Rulings Almost Always Interlocutory

Princeton Digital Image Corp. v. Office Depot Inc., 2019 WL 272836 (Fed. Cir. Jan. 22, 2019): *1 The parties appeal and cross appeal from various rulings by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in a patent and…

Class Actions: American Pipe Doesn’t Protect Named Plaintiffs or Their Entities — No Tolling Where It “Would Result in an Abuse of Am. Pipe ”— Circuit Reviews D.Ct. Application of Own Rules for Abuse of Discretion

Weitzner v. Sanofi Pasteur Inc., 2018 WL 6175580 (3d Cir. Nov. 27, 2018): *1 Plaintiffs Dr. Ari Weitzner and his professional corporation, Ari Weitzner M.D. P.C., challenge the District Court’s conclusion on summary judgment that their claims under the Telephone…

Even Though Recipient Couldn’t Remember Context of Each Text, All Authenticated by Her Testimony She Often Texted with Sender, That Texts Were to/from His No., & by Contents — Hearsay: Sender’s Texts = Admissions; Recipient’s OK for Context

State v. Williams, 2018 Ohio App. LEXIS 4914 (Ohio Ct. App. Nov. 15, 2018): [*P1] [**P1] Defendant-appellant, Reginald D. Williams, appeals from his convictions following a jury trial. He raises the following assignments of error for review: 1. The …

§1927 Sanctions for Refiling Twice-Dismissed Claims, Ignoring Discovery Orders, Initiating Similar Proceedings in State and Bankruptcy Courts [Extrajudicial Misconduct] & Filing Meritless Motions & Appeals

Eruchalu v. United States Bank, 2019 WL 244850 (9th Cir. Jan. 17, 2019) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* *1 In these consolidated appeals, Godson Eruchalu appeals pro se from the district court’s order granting defendant First Option Mortgage’s amended motion for attorney’s…

Court Has “Broad Fact-Finding Powers with Respect to Sanctions & Its Findings Warrant Great Deference” / Inh. Power “Sanctions Should Be Reserved for The Rare & Exceptional Case” (Good Quotes)

Johnson v. Johnson (In re Johnson), 2019 U.S. App. LEXIS 537 (9th Cir. Jan. 9, 2019): MEMORANDUM* Defendants-Appellants appeal the district court's affirmance of the bankruptcy court's denial of their motion for attorneys' fees. We affirm. 1.…

The Line Between Lay/Expert Opinion Depends on Basis, Not Subject Matter, of Testimony (Good Quote) — Where Jury Not Instructed as to How to Assess Specific Testimony, Real Possibility of Jury Confusion Requires Reversal

United States v. Sarkissian, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 31710 (9th Cir. Nov. 8, 2018) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* Karen ("Gary") Sarkissian appeals from the judgment of conviction sentencing him to 57 months of imprisonment after a jury found him guilty …

Rule 26(g) Sanctions Are Mandatory and “Particularly Appropriate when an Attorney Submits a Forged Discovery Document” — “Erroneous Assessment of the Evidence” = Abuse of Discretion

SPV-LS, LLC v. TransAm. Life Ins. Co., 2019 WL 124211 (8th Cir. Jan. 8, 2019): *1 The Estate of Nancy Bergman (the Estate), through its personal representative, appeals a district court order denying its motion for reconsideration of an adverse…

Supreme Court: Arbitration Agreement Must Fall Outside the Exclusions of FAA §1 before Court May Stay Litigation & Compel Arb. Under §§3 and 4 — Parties Cannot Delegate §1 Issue to Arbitrator

New Prime, Inc. v. Oliveira, 2019 U.S. LEXIS 724 (U.S. Jan. 15, 2019): The Federal Arbitration Act requires courts to enforce private arbitration agreements. But like most laws, this one bears its qualifications. Among other things, §1 says that …

§ 1782 Application Not Moot, Even If Foreign Evidentiary Record Closed, If Appellate Court Might Receive New Evid. in Some Circs. — Is Magistrate Judge R&R Reviewed De Novo or for Clear Error / Contrary to Law? — Case Law Split

Application of Qualcomm Inc., 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5716 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 11, 2019): On August 20, 2018, applicant Qualcomm Incorporated ("Qualcomm") filed an Ex Parte Application for discovery pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782. After Magistrate Judge…

§ 1782 Application Is Moot If Foreign Evidentiary Record Is Closed, Even If Appeal Is Pending & Reversal Possible — Court’s 1782 Jurisdiction Is Limited to the Foreign Proceeding Listed in the Application

In re Fuhr, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6468 (Jan. 11, 2019): [*1] REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION This matter is before this Court on Motion of Credit Suisse AG to Dismiss Petition as Moot filed on October 29, 2018. ECF No.…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Unless D.Ct. Conclusively Precludes Proof of Required Element of Claim, Order Unappealable — Striking Preferred Damages Approach, Making Case Unprofitable Not Enough — Sanctions & Attorney’s Fees Rulings Almost Always Interlocutory

Class Actions: American Pipe Doesn’t Protect Named Plaintiffs or Their Entities — No Tolling Where It “Would Result in an Abuse of Am. Pipe ”— Circuit Reviews D.Ct. Application of Own Rules for Abuse of Discretion

Even Though Recipient Couldn’t Remember Context of Each Text, All Authenticated by Her Testimony She Often Texted with Sender, That Texts Were to/from His No., & by Contents — Hearsay: Sender’s Texts = Admissions; Recipient’s OK for Context

§1927 Sanctions for Refiling Twice-Dismissed Claims, Ignoring Discovery Orders, Initiating Similar Proceedings in State and Bankruptcy Courts [Extrajudicial Misconduct] & Filing Meritless Motions & Appeals

Court Has “Broad Fact-Finding Powers with Respect to Sanctions & Its Findings Warrant Great Deference” / Inh. Power “Sanctions Should Be Reserved for The Rare & Exceptional Case” (Good Quotes)

The Line Between Lay/Expert Opinion Depends on Basis, Not Subject Matter, of Testimony (Good Quote) — Where Jury Not Instructed as to How to Assess Specific Testimony, Real Possibility of Jury Confusion Requires Reversal

Rule 26(g) Sanctions Are Mandatory and “Particularly Appropriate when an Attorney Submits a Forged Discovery Document” — “Erroneous Assessment of the Evidence” = Abuse of Discretion

Supreme Court: Arbitration Agreement Must Fall Outside the Exclusions of FAA §1 before Court May Stay Litigation & Compel Arb. Under §§3 and 4 — Parties Cannot Delegate §1 Issue to Arbitrator

§ 1782 Application Not Moot, Even If Foreign Evidentiary Record Closed, If Appellate Court Might Receive New Evid. in Some Circs. — Is Magistrate Judge R&R Reviewed De Novo or for Clear Error / Contrary to Law? — Case Law Split

§ 1782 Application Is Moot If Foreign Evidentiary Record Is Closed, Even If Appeal Is Pending & Reversal Possible — Court’s 1782 Jurisdiction Is Limited to the Foreign Proceeding Listed in the Application

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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