Complex Lit Blog

RICO: No Causation Where Harm Flowed Several Steps After the Fraudulent Acts — RICO Causation Same As Antitrust Causation

Laydon v. Cooperative Rabobank U.A, 55 F.4th 86 (2d Cir. 2022): Plaintiff Jeffrey Laydon brought this putative class action against more than twenty banks and brokers, alleging a conspiracy to manipulate two benchmark rates known as Yen-LIBOR and Euroyen TIBOR. He claimed that he was injured after purchasing and trading a Euroyen TIBOR futures contract o ...

Laydon v. Cooperative Rabobank U.A, 55 F.4th 86 (2d Cir. 2022): Plaintiff Jeffrey Laydon brought this putative class action against more than twenty banks and brokers, alleging a conspiracy to manipulate two benchmark rates known as Yen-LIBOR and Euroyen TIBOR.…

Sanctions vs. Automatic Stay: Imposition of Sanctions (Here, Inherent Power Sanctions) Is Subject to the Police Power Exception to the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy

Dial HD, Inc. v. Clearone Commc'ns, Inc., 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 30172 (11th Cir. Nov. 27, 2024) (unpub ...

Dial HD, Inc. v. Clearone Commc’ns, Inc., 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 30172 (11th Cir. Nov. 27, 2024) (unpublished): PER CURIAM: *1 Donald Bowers, the chief executive officer (“CEO”) of Dial HD, Inc., appeals the district court’s denial of his motion…

The Word “Include” May Be A Word of Limitation As Opposed to a Word of Enlargement, Depending on the Context

Surowitz v. Pontiac, 374 Mich. 597, 606 (1965): The word "include" has been used many times in the past both as a term of enlargement and of limitation, and the word of and by itself cannot determine intent to the exclusion of all other words to which it refers. ...

Surowitz v. Pontiac, 374 Mich. 597, 606 (1965): The word “include” has been used many times in the past both as a term of enlargement and of limitation, and the word of and by itself cannot determine intent to the…

RICO — Pleading Conspiracy — Plaintiffs Must Plausibly Allege That the Defendants Knowingly Joined the RICO Conspiracy — Sparse Allegations of Knowledge of Fraud Due to Participation in a Commercial Transaction Insufficient to State RICO Conspiracy Claim Where Allegations Not Inconsistent with Ordinary Commercial Behavior — While Knowledge May Be Pled “Generally” under Rule 9(b), It Cannot Be Alleged Conclusorily and Must Satisfy the Twiqbal Plausibility Standard

Douglas v. Hirshon, 63 F.4th 49 (1st Cir. 2023): Joel Douglas, Steven Fowler, and James Lewis sued twenty-six defendants, alleging several interrelated schemes to defraud the plaintiffs of real estate in Maine. Among other claims, the complaint asserts that, in connection with these schemes, a subset of the defendants participated in a conspiracy in violation of the

Depositions: Improper to Object to Form to Straightforward Questions (Not Compound, Vague, Leading or Speculative) — Lack of Foundation Objection Improper in 30(b)(6) Deposition — Improper to “Educate” Witness During Breaks of 30(b)(6) Deposition Through Witness Calls to Knowledgeable Corporate Colleagues — Magistrate Judge May Impose Financial Sanctions

Zeikos Inc. v. Walgreen Co., 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 210978 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 20, 2024) MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This matter comes before the Court on Defendant Walgreen Co.'s ("Walgreen") motion to compel Plaintiff Z ...

Zeikos Inc. v. Walgreen Co., 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 210978 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 20, 2024) MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This matter comes before the Court on Defendant Walgreen Co.’s (“Walgreen”) motion to compel Plaintiff Zeikos Inc. (“Zeikos”) to produce…

Spoliation/Sanctions: “A Party Does Not Spoliate Evidence When, Without Notice Of The Evidence’s Potential Relevance, It Destroys The Evidence According To Its Policy Or In The Normal Course Of Its Business” (Good Quote)

Meza-Perez v. Sbarro LLC, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 26503 (9th Cir. Oct. 21, 2024) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* This appeal comes from a ten-day jury tri ...

Meza-Perez v. Sbarro LLC, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 26503 (9th Cir. Oct. 21, 2024) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* This appeal comes from a ten-day jury trial where Plaintiff-Appellant Sandra Meza-Perez [*2] (“Perez”) sued her supervisor, Defendant-Appellee Zachary Ceballes (“Ceballes”), for…

RICO: Fraud on Government Entities Causing Plaintiffs to Pay More for Inmate Calls Actionable on Bridge v. Phoenix Bond Analysis — Fact That Governments Had Separate Injuries As Part of the Scheme (from Reduced Commissions) Irrelevant — Plaintiffs’ Injuries Not Derivative of Governments’ — The Fraud on the Governments Was Not Too Distinct From Plaintiffs’ Injuries But Rather Necessary to Injure Plaintiffs — No Risk of Duplicative Recoveries and No Plaintiff Better Situated to Sue for Plaintiffs’ Injuries

Albert v. Global Tel*Link, 68 F.4th 906 (4th Cir. 2023): *908 Plaintiffs Ashley Albert, Ashley Baxter, Karina Jakeway, and Melinda Jabbie appeal the district court’s dismissal, under

Albert v. Global Tel*Link, 68 F.4th 906 (4th Cir. 2023): *908 Plaintiffs Ashley Albert, Ashley Baxter, Karina Jakeway, and Melinda Jabbie appeal the district court’s dismissal, under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), of their Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt…

Inherent Power Sanctions — Dismissal for Threatening Defendant and Magistrate Judge — No First Amendment Right to Threaten Violence

Czajkowski v. Richardson, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 27067 (10th Cir. Oct. 25, 2024) (unpublished): ...

Czajkowski v. Richardson, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 27067 (10th Cir. Oct. 25, 2024) (unpublished): ORDER AND JUDGMENT* Conrad J. Czajkowski appeals the district court’s dismissal with prejudice of his pro se action as a sanction for his abusive and …

RICO: Domestic Injury — Delivery of Fraudulently Non-Conforming Goods FOB Los Angeles for Shipment to China Means Injury Arose Domestically When Purchaser Took Title —Other Relevant Factors Include That The Non-Conforming Goods Were Sourced and Made in the U.S. and The Racketeering Activity (Mail/Wire Fraud) Occurred in, and Was Directed from, the United States — Irrelevant to Domestic Injury Inquiry Whether Property Is Tangible or Intangible — 7th Circuit’s “Injury-Felt” Test of Domestic Injury Rejected by Supreme Court — RICO Standing Requires Concrete Financial Loss, Not Merely Injury to Valuable Intangible Property Interest (9th Circuit)

Global Master Int’l Grp., Inc. v. Esmond Natural, Inc., 76 F.4th 1266 (9th Cir. 2023): Global Master Corporation, a Chinese company, seeks relief under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act for allegedly defective products purchased from California-based Esmond Natural, Inc. The district court held that Global Master Corporation failed to satisfy statu ...

RICO Causation: Parents of Children with Disabilities Deprived In-Person Education and Services during the Pandemic Were Not Causally Injured by Teachers’ False Assurances to Federal Authorities That IDEA-Complaint Policies Were in Place, Which Caused Funds to Issue But Not to the Benefit of the Disabled Children — Damages Too Indirect — Proper Plaintiff Is U.S. Government — Private Injunctive Relief Under RICO Uncertain in Third Circuit

Carmona v. N.J. Dep't of Educ., 2023 WL 5814677 (3d Cir. Sept. 8, 2023) (unpublished): OPINION* Plaintiff-Appellants are parents of children with disabilities in New Jersey who sued Def ...

Carmona v. N.J. Dep’t of Educ., 2023 WL 5814677 (3d Cir. Sept. 8, 2023) (unpublished): OPINION* Plaintiff-Appellants are parents of children with disabilities in New Jersey who sued Defendant-Appellees—the New Jersey Department of Education (“NJDOE”), the NJDOE Commissioner,…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

RICO: No Causation Where Harm Flowed Several Steps After the Fraudulent Acts — RICO Causation Same As Antitrust Causation

Sanctions vs. Automatic Stay: Imposition of Sanctions (Here, Inherent Power Sanctions) Is Subject to the Police Power Exception to the Automatic Stay in Bankruptcy

The Word “Include” May Be A Word of Limitation As Opposed to a Word of Enlargement, Depending on the Context

Spoliation/Sanctions: “A Party Does Not Spoliate Evidence When, Without Notice Of The Evidence’s Potential Relevance, It Destroys The Evidence According To Its Policy Or In The Normal Course Of Its Business” (Good Quote)

Inherent Power Sanctions — Dismissal for Threatening Defendant and Magistrate Judge — No First Amendment Right to Threaten Violence

Recent Posts

RICO Statute of Limitations — Storm Warnings, Not Thunder and Lightning (Good Quote)

Rule 37 Discovery Sanctions: Ninth Circuit’s Five-Factor Test for Gauging Appropriateness of Dismissal — The Limited Utility of Rule 12(f) Motions to Strike

Inherent Power Sanction of Dismissal — Preponderance of the Evidence Burden of Proof, Not Clear and Convincing Evidence (7th Circuit)

§ 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

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