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

Complex Lit Blog

RICO Injury: Prisoner’s Vested Property Interest in Proper Conditions at Prison Is a Non-Actionable Intangible Property Interest and Not Requisite Concrete Financial Loss

Dippolito v. United States, 2017 WL 3429053 (3d Cir. Aug. 4, 2017): *1 Frank Dippolito appeals pro se from the District Court’s order awarding summary judgment in this Bivens action. We will affirm. I. Dippolito initiated this action in 2013 against the United States, the Bureau of Priso ...
Dippolito v. United States, 2017 WL 3429053 (3d Cir. Aug. 4, 2017): *1 Frank Dippolito appeals pro se from the District Court’s order awarding summary judgment in this Bivens action. We will affirm. I. Dippolito initiated this action in 2013 …
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Rule 11: Voluntary Dismissal of Def. b/c Her Role Was “Minimal at Best” ≠ Concession of Frivolousness — Basing Claim on Statute Not Creating Right of Action “Not Inescapably” Frivolous—Good Cause under Rule 4(m) for Not Serving w/in 90 Days

Lostutter v. Olsen, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136280 (M.D.N.C. Aug. 24, 2017): Deric James Lostutter, proceeding pro se, claims that Defendants, all residents of different States, defamed him, principally through their use of the unauthorized eponymous website www.DericLostutter.org ...
Lostutter v. Olsen, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136280 (M.D.N.C. Aug. 24, 2017): Deric James Lostutter, proceeding pro se, claims that Defendants, all residents of different States, defamed him, principally through their use of the unauthorized eponymous website www.DericLostutter.org. In…
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Judicial Notice (JN) on 12(b)(6) Motion — JN of Wayback Machine Results OK, But Lack of Wayback Watermark on One Exhibit and Incongruity between Dates on Other Exhibits & on Request for JN Warrant Denial

Prime Healthcare Servs. v. Harris, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130853 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 16, 2017): Before the Court is Defendants Kamala D. Harris ("Defendant" or "Harris") and Attorney General of California Xavier Becerra's1 ("Defendant's" or " ...
Prime Healthcare Servs. v. Harris, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 130853 (S.D. Cal. Aug. 16, 2017): Before the Court is Defendants Kamala D. Harris ("Defendant" or "Harris") and Attorney General of California Xavier Becerra's1 ("Defendant's" or "Becerra's") (collectively, "Defendants'") motion…
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Inherent Power Sanctions — Poor Record-Keeping May Give Rise to an Adverse Inference by Analogy to Spoliation

McMunn v. Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 16103 (3d Cir. Aug. 23, 2017): Plaintiffs assert that they developed cancer1 after being exposed to excessive radiation emissions from the Nuclear Material and Equipment Company ("NUMEC") facility in Apollo, Pennsylvania (the "Apoll ...
McMunn v. Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group, Inc., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 16103 (3d Cir. Aug. 23, 2017): Plaintiffs assert that they developed cancer1 after being exposed to excessive radiation emissions from the Nuclear Material and Equipment Company ("NUMEC")…
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Federal Jurisdiction — Probate Exception Doesn’t Apply to Case Seeking in Personam Judgment, Not Seeking to Reach a Res in the State Court, Nor to Fiduciary Duty Claims — Lists of Actions over Which Federal Jurisdiction Exists

Osborn v. Griffin, 865 F.3d 417 (6th Cir. 2017): Defendants John M. Griffin, the Estate of Dennis B. Griffin, the Dennis B. Griffin Revocable Trust, and Martom Properties, LLC (“Defendants”), appeal from the judgment entered by the district court on April 26, 2016, requiring Defendants to pay roughly $584 million in wrongful profi ...
Osborn v. Griffin, 865 F.3d 417 (6th Cir. 2017): Defendants John M. Griffin, the Estate of Dennis B. Griffin, the Dennis B. Griffin Revocable Trust, and Martom Properties, LLC (“Defendants”), appeal from the judgment entered by the district court on…
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Inherent Power Sanctions: Counsel’s Belated Assertion of Fifth Amendment, Even If in Good Faith, as Reason for Not Complying with Court Order Doesn’t Undercut Bad Faith Finding—Fifth Must Be Timely Asserted [Then Adverse Inference Drawn]

Armstead v. Allstate Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 2017 WL 2992071 (11th Cir. July 14, 2017): *1 Attorney Sandra Finch represented Elaine Armstead in Armstead’s lawsuit against Allstate Property & Casualty Insurance Company. In the weeks leading up to trial, Finch, on Armstead’s behalf, filed a motion in limine to exclud ...
Armstead v. Allstate Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 2017 WL 2992071 (11th Cir. July 14, 2017): *1 Attorney Sandra Finch represented Elaine Armstead in Armstead’s lawsuit against Allstate Property & Casualty Insurance Company. In the weeks leading up to trial,…
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YouTube: Video Authenticated by Witness Who Recognized Person (Who Admitted Being in Recent Video) — Wit. Needn’t Know Circs of Recording — Viewer May Assume Items in Non-Prof’l Video Are Real, Not Props—Under 403, Only Still Photos Admitted

United States v. Washington, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136220 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 21, 2017): The United States of America (the "Government") has charged Defendant Darrius Washington with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. [See 1.] Before the Court are the Government's consolidated motions in limine
United States v. Washington, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136220 (N.D. Ill. Aug. 21, 2017): The United States of America (the "Government") has charged Defendant Darrius Washington with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. [See 1.]…
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Joint Defense/Common Interest Privilege: Direct Communications among Clients Unprivileged unless Purpose Is to Solicit or Communicate Legal Advice — One Client’s Reporting His or Her Research to Another Not Protected

United States v. Krug, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 15643 (2d Cir. Aug. 18, 2017): Appeal from the December 10, 2016 order of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York (Skretny, J.) precluding the government from introducing at trial certain testimony by a co-defendant turned government witness on the basi ...
United States v. Krug, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 15643 (2d Cir. Aug. 18, 2017): Appeal from the December 10, 2016 order of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York (Skretny, J.) precluding the government from…
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Rule 68 vs. Sanctions: While Unaccepted Offer of Full Judgment under Either R. 67 or 68 Does Not Moot a Claim, Refusal to Accept the Offer May Be Sanctionable under § 1927, the Inherent Power or Even Rule 11

Conrad v. Boiron, Inc., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 16180 (7th Cir. Aug. 24, 2017): Chad Conrad filed a class action against Boiron for deceptive marketing, but he was left with only his individual claim after the district court refused to certify his proposed class. About a year later Boiron offered Conrad $5,025, more than he coul ...
Conrad v. Boiron, Inc., 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 16180 (7th Cir. Aug. 24, 2017): Chad Conrad filed a class action against Boiron for deceptive marketing, but he was left with only his individual claim after the district court refused to …
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Disqualification in Federal Court Is Decided under Ethics Rules of State in Which Court Sits (Rule 1.9), Not under a Federal Standard — What Is “Substantially Related” — Implications of Passage of Time — Court May Rely on Commentary to Rules

Watkins v. Trans Union, LLC, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 16016 (7th Cir. Aug. 22, 2017): Plaintiff Richard Watkins has sued Trans Union for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The merits of his claims are not the subject of this appeal. The issue here is whether attorney John Cento should be disqualified from representing Watkin ...
Watkins v. Trans Union, LLC, 2017 U.S. App. LEXIS 16016 (7th Cir. Aug. 22, 2017): Plaintiff Richard Watkins has sued Trans Union for violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The merits of his claims are not the subject of this …
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Recent Posts

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

Purposes of Rule 37 and Section 1927 Sanctions

While Rule 11 Doesn’t Apply to Appellate Proceedings (Unless It Has Been Incorporated in Local Appellate Rules), Rule 11 Caselaw Is Looked to for Guidance in Interpreting Applicable Sanctions Powers on Appeal

Rule 11 Sanctions & Appellate Review: Abuse of Discretion Standard Applies Unless Sanctions Are Based Solely (Not Just in Part) on Legal Issues, in Which Case Review Is De Novo

Rule 37(b)(2)(A) Sanctions for Altering Expert’s 26(a)(2)(B) Report — Without the Expert’s Knowledge or Approval — by Converting It from PDF to Word, Changing Headings and Other Formatting, and Omitting a Page of Relevant Text and Appendices, Even Though Expert Testified That The Overall Substance of the Report Was Unchanged — Rule 37(b)(2)(A) Sanctions May Be Reversed If Failure to Comply with Discovery Order Was Due to Misunderstanding or Inability to Comply

Spoliation: Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(e) Imposes a Higher Standard — Intent — Than Fourth Circuit Law Previously Applied to Spoliation of Electronically-Stored Information (And Still Does As to Non-ESI) — Willfulness vs. Intent

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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.

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