New York Attorneys JHA handles range the gamut of complex financial and commercial litigation and arbitration, including securities, RICO, corporate and contract disputes, credit default swaps, derivatives, and class, mass, and derivative actions. The firm also represents law firms in major disputes.

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

New York Attorneys JHA handles range the gamut of complex financial and commercial litigation and arbitration, including securities, RICO, corporate and contract disputes, credit default swaps, derivatives, and class, mass, and derivative actions. The firm also represents law firms in major disputes.
Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Joseph Hage Aaronson

RICO: Negative Letter, Bar Complaint, Destroying Records ≠ Hobbs Act (Defs. Receive Nothing of Value That Can Be Exercised, Transferred or Sold) — Alleged Bribery of Official to Keep Quiet About His Own Misconduct Implausible (No Need to Pay)

Block v. Snohomish Cty., 2018 WL 1978954 (9th Cir. Apr. 27, 2018): In appeal No. 15-35569, Plaintiff Anne Block (“Block”) appeals the dismissal with prejudice of her second amended complaint against Snohomish County, the City of Gold Bar, and various…
Continue Reading

Rule 38 Sanctions — Timeliness — Motion Must Be Filed within Time Allotted for Attorney’s Fees Application by Local Circuit Rule (9th Cir.) — If Double Costs Sought, Bill of Costs Must Be Timely Filed under FRAP and Circuit Rule

In re Westwood Plaza N., 2018 U.S. App. Lexis 11176 (May 1, 2018) (amended opinion): PER CURIAM: The court’s October 11, 2017 order dismissed in part this appeal for lack of jurisdiction, and summarily affirmed in part the district court’s…
Continue Reading

Inherent Power Sanctions: Fee Award That “Approximated a Reasonable Rate for the Time Spent in Defending” Bad Faith Litigation Satisfies Goodyear’s Mandate That Award Can’t Exceed Actual Cost Imposed by Misconduct

Regions Bank v. Gateway Hous. Found., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 10991 (6th Cir. Apr. 30, 2018): Gateway Housing Foundation and Terry McNellis appeal the district court's award of sanctions to Regions Bank. All agree that the award should be…
Continue Reading

Hearsay: Texts Defining Scope/Terms of Conspiracy = Verbal Acts That Can Form the Requisite Non-Hearsay Evidence of Conspiracy Needed to Trigger the Exception for Other, Hearsay Texts of Conspirators

State v. Bollig, 2018 Kan. App. Unpub. LEXIS 312 (Kan. Ct. App. Apr. 27, 2018): A jury in Trego County District Court convicted Defendant Scott Robert Bollig of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder for his principal role in a …
Continue Reading

Vexatious Litigant: 3 Suits for Same Grievance, Alone, Enough — Finding Claims Colorable for In Forma Pauperis Status Doesn’t Bar Later Sanctions — Appeals: Denial of Rule 59 Motion Unappealable, Court Treats Notice as Appeal of Underlying Order

Mitchell v. Taylor, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 9651 (6th Cir. Apr. 16, 2018) (unpublished): Dwight Mitchell, a pro se litigant, appeals the district court's order granting in part and denying in part the motion of Guardian Home Care Holdings,…
Continue Reading

Inherent Power: Bankruptcy Court Power to Sanction for Violation of Order Entered under Title 11 Unaffected by Stern v. Marshall — Due Process: Hearing Required Where Factual Issue Exists As to Whether Misrepresentation Was Made

In re Reed (Critique Servs., LLC v. Reed), 2018 WL 1939732 (8th Cir. Apr. 25, 2018): *1 The bankruptcy court1 sanctioned Ross H. Briggs for contempt of an order and for misleading the court. The district court2 affirmed.…
Continue Reading

Hearsay: Texts Admissible under Coconspirator Exemption (801(d)(2)(E)) If Court Finds It Probable Declarant & Party Were Members of Conspiracy & Text Furthered It — Adoptive Admission of Third Party Texts by One Conspirator

United States v. Brown, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 67239 (D. R.I. Apr. 18, 2018): Before the Court are a series of pretrial motions filed by both the government and the defendant Devon Brown. The government has charged Mr. Brown…
Continue Reading
Previous949596979899100Next

Recent Articles

RICO: Fraudulent Concealment Must Prevent Discovery of the Injury to Toll Statute of Limitations

Rule 37 Default Judgment Sanction: (1) Abuse of Discretion Review = Legal Conclusions De Novo. Factual Findings for Clear Error — (2) Client May Be Sanctioned for Misconduct of Its Counsel, Though Here Client Was Directly Involved in Bad Faith Misbehavior — (3) Is There A Difference, Under Rule 11 As Opposed to Rule 37, Concerning Whether A Client Can Be Sanctioned for Its Counsel’s Misconduct? — (4) While Sanctions of Last Resort (Dismissal/Default) Are Apt Only If Lesser Sanctions Wouldn’t Ensure Compliance, Rule 37 Doesn’t Require the Vain Gesture of First Imposing Lessert Sanctions When It Is Clear They Would be Ineffective — (5) Court’s Reconsideration of Non-Final Orders Is Governed by Rule 54(b), And Court’s Discretion under That Rule Is Governed by the Law-of-the-Case-Doctrine

RICO: (1) Special Pleading Requirements? — (2) Although Enterprise Must Be More Than a Summation of the Predicate Acts, The Predicate Acts Can Demonstrate the Existence of the Enterprise — (3) Requirement That Association-in-Fact Exist For Purposes Other Than Just to Commit Predicate Acts Merely Requires Continuity — (4) To State an Association-in-Fact Enterprise Consisting of One Natural Person and Collection of Legal Fictions Requires Factual Detail As to How They Acted Together — (5) “A § 1962(c) Enterprise Must Be More Than An Association of Individuals Or Entities Conducting the Normal Affairs of a Defendant Corporation” (Good Quote)

RICO: (1) Fee Award May Exceed Amount Recovered — Strict Proportionality Not Required — (2) Nonmonetary Benefits and Injunctive Relief Recovered Also Relevant Factors — (3) Loss on Some Claims Need Not Result in Lowered Fees, Especially When Both Arise Out of The Same Nucleus of Operative Facts

RICO: Indirect Purchasers (Car Buyers/Renters) Lack Standing to Sue Manufacturers for RICO Violations Even Though Intermediaries (Auto Dealer Direct Purchasers) Lack Any Damages

RICO: Statutory Requirement that RICO Be Liberally Construed Does Not Establish a More Liberal Pleading Standard for RICO Claims — “To Be Sure, Adequately Pleading a RICO Claim Can Be Challenging” (Good Quote) — Court May Dismiss Action Pursuant to Rule 41(b) Absent A Motion

Electronic Spoliation/Rule 37(e): (1) Finding of Recklessness But Neither Gross Negligence Nor Willfulness in Loss of Video Evidence Precludes Rule 37(e)(2)’s Severest Sanctions Because (i) No Intent to Deprive and (ii) Rule 37(e)(2) Displaces District Court’s Power to Invoke Inherent Power to Impose Those Sanctions — (2) Appellate Review = Abuse of Discretion, With The Caveat That Whether The District Court Applied The Correct Legal Standards Is Reviewed De Novo — (3) Inherent Power Is Often Available As An Alternate Source of Sanctioning Power But Can Be Limited by Rule or Statute, Something Which Courts Do Not Lightly Presume — (4) The Text of Rule 37(e)(2), As Confirmed by the Advisory Committee Note, Displaces Inherent Power to Impose the Sanctions Specified in the Rule or Any More Severe Sanctions — (5) “Intent to Deprive” in Rule 37(e)(2) = “The Willful Destruction Of Evidence With The Purpose Of Avoiding Its Discovery By An Adverse Party” — (6) Appellate Standing Conferred by Virtue of Issuance of Sanctions Regardless of Merits Outcome — (7) Value of Advisory Committee Notes in Interpreting Rules Enacted without Change Despite General Reticence to Rely on Legislative History

RICO: (1) Plaintiff Need Not Suffer Injury from Each Predicate Act to Establish Standing, And The Pattern May Include Predicates As to Which No Plaintiff Has Standing — (2) 7 Elements of a Civil RICO Claim (2d Circuit Articulation) Which Must Be Established As to Each Defendant — (3) Requirements of an Association-in-Fact Enterprise — (4) Each Defendant Must Personally Commit 2 or More Predicate Acts — (5) Pattern of Racketeering Activity: Horizontal and Vertical Elements — (6) No Requirement That All Members of a RICO Enterprise Joined at Inception — Can Join Over Time/Others Can Quit — (7) Cannot Charge 2 Predicate Acts Where One Action Violates Two Statutes — (8) A Footnote to Consider for Briefs: “Unless Otherwise Noted, When Quoting Judicial Decisions This Order Accepts All Alterations And Omits All Citations, Footnotes, And Internal Quotation Marks.”

For An Appeal to Be Timely, A Motion for Reconsideration in The District Court (A Rule 59(e) Motion) Must Be Filed, And Not Just Served within 30 Days of The Decision, to Toll The 30-Day Period for Filing An Appeal

There Is No Good-Faith Defense For Issuing An Overly Burdensome Subpoena

Archives
New York Attorneys JHA handles range the gamut of complex financial and commercial litigation and arbitration, including securities, RICO, corporate and contract disputes, credit default swaps, derivatives, and class, mass, and derivative actions. The firm also represents law firms in major disputes.
New York Attorneys JHA handles range the gamut of complex financial and commercial litigation and arbitration, including securities, RICO, corporate and contract disputes, credit default swaps, derivatives, and class, mass, and derivative actions. The firm also represents law firms in major disputes.

New York Office

© 2024 Joseph Hage Aaronson LLC  
Disclaimer | Attorney Advertising Notice | Legal Notice