Joseph Hage Aaronson

Rule 15(b)(2) Amendment of Complaint by Implied Consent: “Notice of a Claim Is Defendant’s Entitlement, Not Defendant’s Burden” — Can’t “Superimpose New (Untried) Theory on Evidence Introduced for Other Purposes” (Good Quotes)

In re Fustolo, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 19496 (1st Cir. July 16, 2018): Following trial on The Patriot Group, LLC's ("Patriot") adversary complaint requesting denial of the discharge in bankruptcy of Steven Fustolo's ("Fustolo") debt, the bankruptcy court allowed…

Rule 37(c)(1) Sanctions: Failure to Disclose Corp. Officer Would Give Expert Testimony — Fact Adversary Knew He’d Testify Doesn’t Eliminate Prejudice — Rule 13(a): Counterclaim Is Compulsory Only If It Existed When Complaint Filed

Karum Holdings LLC v. Lowe's Cos., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 19269 (7th Cir. July 13, 2018): When Lowe's Companies, Inc. (Lowe's Inc.) expanded its retail home improvement stores into Mexico, Lowe's Companies Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. (Lowe's…

Appellate Jurisdiction — Even Though Motion to Reconsider Tolls Time to Appeal Until It’s Decided, It Does Not Extend Time If Made & Resolved before Judgment Entered — No Penalty or Benefit from Prematurely Filing Post-Judgment Motion

Havensight Capital LLC v. Nike, Inc., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 15367 (9th Cir. June 7, 2018): This appeal is the latest in an ongoing and bizarre dispute between Havensight Capital LLC (Havensight) and Nike, Inc. (Nike). Throughout these proceedings, …

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Court Can Take Judicial Notice of the Fact That Search Engines Index Web Content and Dynamically Return Relevant Search Results in Response to User-Entered Search Terms

Carter v. Oath Holdings, Inc., 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104510, 2018 WL 3067985 (N.D. Cal. June 21, 2018): Plaintiff Brian K. Carter brings this trademark infringement action against Defendant Oath Holdings, Inc. Compl., ECF 1-1. Defendant filed a motion…

§1782: Sworn Statement of Intent to File Foreign Criminal Complaint Satisfies “Foreign Tribunal” Requirement, Ability to Inject Evidence = “For Use” & Makes Movant Interested Party, As Does Circumscribed Ability to Appeal

In re Furstenberg Fin. SAS & Marc Bataillon, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 116391 (S.D.N.Y. July 12, 2018): Furstenberg Finance SAS and Marc Bataillon (together, the "petitioners") have applied, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1782, for an order for…

While Court Has Jurisdiction under §1782 over Counsel in District Holding Docs/Discovery of Foreign Client, It Is Abuse of Discretion to Order Production — Would Undermine Client/Counsel Confidentiality — Importance of Protective Orders

Kiobel v. Cravath, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 18755 (2d Cir. July 10 2018): Petitioner-Appellee Esther Kiobel filed a petition in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to subpoena documents under 28 U.S.C. § …

RICO Standing: Only the Bankruptcy Estate Has Post-Petition Standing to Assert RICO Claims That Accrued Prior to Plaintiff’s Filing Bankruptcy Proceedings

In re Beckford, 2018 WL 3323347 (2d Cir. July 6, 2018): SUMMARY ORDER Appellant Alman Beckford, pro se, filed for bankruptcy in 2013. After Appellee Bayview Loan Services, LLC (“Bayview”) moved to lift the automatic stay to continue foreclosure proceedings,…

Civil Contempt against Non-Party Immediately Appealable — “More Rigorous” Abuse of Discretion Review — Civil Contempt Factors — Compensatory Sanctions Vesting Securities in Injured Party Civil Where Offender Could Moot Them by Paying Jmt

Weston Capital Advisors, Inc. v. PT Bank Mutiara, TBK, 2018 WL 3098820 (2d Cir. June 25, 2018) (non-precedential): SUMMARY ORDER *1 Petitioner-Appellant Weston Capital Advisors, Inc., along with ten affiliated corporate Appellants (“the Weston entities”) and its principal, Appellant John…

Summary Judgment Evidence: Party Facing Objection on Admissibility Need Only Explain Admissible Form Anticipated at Trial — SJ Opponent Must Present More Than Scintilla of Evidence to Establish Genuine Issue of Material Fact

Gonzalez v. Hospitality, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 112707 (M.D. Tenn. July 6, 2018): MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Aimbridge Hospitality, LLC d/b/a Embassy Suites has filed a Motion for Summary Judgment (Docket No. 12), to which Sandy Brito Gonzalez has filed…

Rule 37(b)(2)(A) Sanctions Must Be (1) Just & (2) Specifically Related to Claim at Issue in Discovery — Court Can’t Create New Federal Law of Veil-Piercing But Can Preclude Claims/Draw Adverse Inference to Get There — If Rules Enough, No IHP

Clientron Corp. v. Devon IT, Inc., 2018 WL 3293212 (3d Cir. July 5, 2018): *1 In this unusual case, Appellant Clientron Corp. is actually the prevailing party below and holds a judgment against Appellee Devon IT, Inc. worth over $7…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Rule 15(b)(2) Amendment of Complaint by Implied Consent: “Notice of a Claim Is Defendant’s Entitlement, Not Defendant’s Burden” — Can’t “Superimpose New (Untried) Theory on Evidence Introduced for Other Purposes” (Good Quotes)

Rule 37(c)(1) Sanctions: Failure to Disclose Corp. Officer Would Give Expert Testimony — Fact Adversary Knew He’d Testify Doesn’t Eliminate Prejudice — Rule 13(a): Counterclaim Is Compulsory Only If It Existed When Complaint Filed

Appellate Jurisdiction — Even Though Motion to Reconsider Tolls Time to Appeal Until It’s Decided, It Does Not Extend Time If Made & Resolved before Judgment Entered — No Penalty or Benefit from Prematurely Filing Post-Judgment Motion

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Court Can Take Judicial Notice of the Fact That Search Engines Index Web Content and Dynamically Return Relevant Search Results in Response to User-Entered Search Terms

§1782: Sworn Statement of Intent to File Foreign Criminal Complaint Satisfies “Foreign Tribunal” Requirement, Ability to Inject Evidence = “For Use” & Makes Movant Interested Party, As Does Circumscribed Ability to Appeal

While Court Has Jurisdiction under §1782 over Counsel in District Holding Docs/Discovery of Foreign Client, It Is Abuse of Discretion to Order Production — Would Undermine Client/Counsel Confidentiality — Importance of Protective Orders

RICO Standing: Only the Bankruptcy Estate Has Post-Petition Standing to Assert RICO Claims That Accrued Prior to Plaintiff’s Filing Bankruptcy Proceedings

Civil Contempt against Non-Party Immediately Appealable — “More Rigorous” Abuse of Discretion Review — Civil Contempt Factors — Compensatory Sanctions Vesting Securities in Injured Party Civil Where Offender Could Moot Them by Paying Jmt

Summary Judgment Evidence: Party Facing Objection on Admissibility Need Only Explain Admissible Form Anticipated at Trial — SJ Opponent Must Present More Than Scintilla of Evidence to Establish Genuine Issue of Material Fact

Rule 37(b)(2)(A) Sanctions Must Be (1) Just & (2) Specifically Related to Claim at Issue in Discovery — Court Can’t Create New Federal Law of Veil-Piercing But Can Preclude Claims/Draw Adverse Inference to Get There — If Rules Enough, No IHP

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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