Complex Lit Blog

Rule 37 Sanctions — Repeated Efforts to Interfere with and Delay Discovery, Including Disregard of Court Order Directing Testimony at Deposition = Evidence of Bad Faith Sufficient to Support Default Judgment

Steffen v. Menhise (In re Steffen), 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16329 (11th Cir. Sept. 6, 2016): Terri Steffen, proceeding pro se in these three consolidated appeals, appeals the district court's order affirming the bankruptcy court's entry of default judgment in an adversary action by the Government and the district court&# ...

Must Federal Courts Give Preclusive Effect to Unreviewed Determinations of Law Made by State Administrative Agencies? — Circuit Split — (Factual Findings Are Preclusive)

Buttaro v. City of New York, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 125965 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 15, 2016): 1.Analysis 1.1. Collateral Estoppel Defendants argue that the ALJ's "factual determinations with respect to plaintiff's misconduct are afforded preclusive effect," and that as a result, ...

Buttaro v. City of New York, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 125965 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 15, 2016): 1.Analysis 1.1. Collateral Estoppel Defendants argue that the ALJ's "factual determinations with respect to plaintiff's misconduct are afforded preclusive effect," and that as a result,…

RICO: Corp. + 2 Officers + 3 Software Consultants + PR Firm ≠ Enterprise — Outsiders Lack Common Purpose & Corp. Indistinct from Officers — Even If No Reliance Needed in Omissions Case, Prox. Cause Still Essential

Ray v. Spirit Airlines, Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16269 (11th Cir. Sept. 2, 2016): In this civil RICO case, plaintiffs seek to represent a class of customers claiming that Spirit Airlines, Inc. ("Spirit") engaged in an elaborate criminal enterprise involving the use of mail and wire fraud. The complaint specifically ...

Ray v. Spirit Airlines, Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16269 (11th Cir. Sept. 2, 2016): In this civil RICO case, plaintiffs seek to represent a class of customers claiming that Spirit Airlines, Inc. ("Spirit") engaged in an elaborate criminal enterprise …

Internet Evidence: Whois.com Printout ID’ing Website Owner Is Hearsay But OK on Summary Judgment — Right to SJ Must Be Proved Even if No Opp — Default Alone Insufficient for Default Judgment

Black Point Marine, LLC v. Black Fin Yacht Corp., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127699 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 20, 2016): Introduction The original Black Fin Yacht Corporation ("Original-BFYC") was a boat manufacturing company that dissolved and was reestablished ("Old-BFYC"). Old-BFYC had an established t ...

Black Point Marine, LLC v. Black Fin Yacht Corp., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 127699 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 20, 2016): Introduction The original Black Fin Yacht Corporation ("Original-BFYC") was a boat manufacturing company that dissolved and was reestablished ("Old-BFYC"). Old-BFYC had…

Is Harassing Conduct That Occurs Outside the Workplace Admissible to Prove a Hostile Work Environment under Title VII? — Circuit Split

Griggs v. SEPTA, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98498 (E.D. Pa. July 28, 2016): 21 Among other issues, the Court would appreciate briefing on the issue of whether allegedly harassing conduct that occurs outside the workplace (such as Diggs's alleged harassment of Plaintiff in her home) is admissible to prove [*28] hostile wor ...

Griggs v. SEPTA, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98498 (E.D. Pa. July 28, 2016): 21 Among other issues, the Court would appreciate briefing on the issue of whether allegedly harassing conduct that occurs outside the workplace (such as Diggs's alleged harassment …

Spoliation — Bad Faith Still Required for Spoliation of Tangible Evidence (3d Cir.) — Destruction of Evidence during Pendency of Case without Reference to Case and for Purpose of Avoiding Storage Costs Doesn’t Evidence Bad Faith or ≠ Spoliation

Orologio of Short Hills Inc. v. Swatch Grp. (U.S.) Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 11611 (3d Cir. June 24, 2016): Appellants Orologio of Short Hills and Orologio International Ltd. (collectively, "Orologio") seek reversal of the District Court's order (1) granting summary judgment to Appellee Swatch Group on Orologio's cl ...

RICO: Agreeing to Bribe Blagojevich Has Natural Ending Point, No Continuity — Mere Association with Him ≠ Bigger Conspiracy — Good Quotes (“Jury Was Entitled to Put 2 & 2 Together”) — Adverse Inference for Asserting 5th Even If Later Testify

Empress Casino Joliet Corp. v. Balmoral Racing Club, Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 14057 (7th Cir. Aug. 2, 2016): This appeal pits casinos against racetracks in our circuit's latest encounter with the Blagojevich corruption scandal in Illinois. In 2008, John Johnston, a horse racetrack executive, promised a $100,000 campaign ...

Empress Casino Joliet Corp. v. Balmoral Racing Club, Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 14057 (7th Cir. Aug. 2, 2016): This appeal pits casinos against racetracks in our circuit's latest encounter with the Blagojevich corruption scandal in Illinois. In 2008, John …

Error to Take Judicial Notice of Wikipedia Page — RICO: Can’t Infer Fraudulent Intent from Plaintiff’s Sending Defendants Expert Report Saying Defendants Were Committing Fraud & They Continued — Efficacy of Attaching Expert Report to Complaint

Bitton v. Gencor Nutrientes, Inc., 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 11822 (9th Cir. June 28, 016): Michael Bitton, Brian O'Toole, and Robert Sokolove (collectively, "Plaintiffs") appeal the dismissal with prejudice of their putative class action complaint against Gencor Nutrients, Inc., and GE Nutrients, Inc. ("Gencor"); D ...

Best Practices for Authenticating Digital Evidence

Download associated file: Best Practices for Authenticating Digital Evidence.pdf Above is a link t the manual that Judge Paul Grimm, Professor Dan Capra and I put together identifying Best Practices for Authenticating Digital Evidence. It is reprinted with permissi ...

Disqualification: “More Than Tangentially Related” = “Substantially Related” — Inhouse Counsel’s Knowledge Imputed to Colleagues, Outside Counsel — Good Quotes (“Not Subborning the Disloyalty of Attorneys”)

Dynamic 3D Geosolutions LLC v. Schlumberger Limited, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 16645 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 12, 2016): Dynamic 3D Geosolutions LLC ("Dynamic 3D"), along with Acacia Research Corporation and Acacia Research Group LLC (collectively, "Acacia"), appeal from the decision of the United States District Court for the ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Rule 37 Sanctions — Repeated Efforts to Interfere with and Delay Discovery, Including Disregard of Court Order Directing Testimony at Deposition = Evidence of Bad Faith Sufficient to Support Default Judgment

Must Federal Courts Give Preclusive Effect to Unreviewed Determinations of Law Made by State Administrative Agencies? — Circuit Split — (Factual Findings Are Preclusive)

RICO: Corp. + 2 Officers + 3 Software Consultants + PR Firm ≠ Enterprise — Outsiders Lack Common Purpose & Corp. Indistinct from Officers — Even If No Reliance Needed in Omissions Case, Prox. Cause Still Essential

Internet Evidence: Whois.com Printout ID’ing Website Owner Is Hearsay But OK on Summary Judgment — Right to SJ Must Be Proved Even if No Opp — Default Alone Insufficient for Default Judgment

Is Harassing Conduct That Occurs Outside the Workplace Admissible to Prove a Hostile Work Environment under Title VII? — Circuit Split

Spoliation — Bad Faith Still Required for Spoliation of Tangible Evidence (3d Cir.) — Destruction of Evidence during Pendency of Case without Reference to Case and for Purpose of Avoiding Storage Costs Doesn’t Evidence Bad Faith or ≠ Spoliation

RICO: Agreeing to Bribe Blagojevich Has Natural Ending Point, No Continuity — Mere Association with Him ≠ Bigger Conspiracy — Good Quotes (“Jury Was Entitled to Put 2 & 2 Together”) — Adverse Inference for Asserting 5th Even If Later Testify

Error to Take Judicial Notice of Wikipedia Page — RICO: Can’t Infer Fraudulent Intent from Plaintiff’s Sending Defendants Expert Report Saying Defendants Were Committing Fraud & They Continued — Efficacy of Attaching Expert Report to Complaint

Best Practices for Authenticating Digital Evidence

Disqualification: “More Than Tangentially Related” = “Substantially Related” — Inhouse Counsel’s Knowledge Imputed to Colleagues, Outside Counsel — Good Quotes (“Not Subborning the Disloyalty of Attorneys”)

Recent Posts

RICO: Indirect Injury Unrecoverable — Indirect Purchaser Rule Imported from Antitrust

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)

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