Complex Lit Blog

Sanctions — Inherent Power Extends to Misconduct before Court-Supervised Settlement Program, Apt to Punish Ethics Violations — Factors in Selecting Sanction — Loosely Formulated, Imprecise Objection Doesn’t Preserve Error (Good Quote)

In re Deepwater Horizon, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 10069 (5th Cir. June 2, 2016): Glen Lerner and Jonathan Andry appeal the district court's sanction order disqualifying them from further participation in the Court-Supervised Settlement Program related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and Andry Lerner, L.L.C. appeals the den ...

In re Deepwater Horizon, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 10069 (5th Cir. June 2, 2016): Glen Lerner and Jonathan Andry appeal the district court's sanction order disqualifying them from further participation in the Court-Supervised Settlement Program related to the Deepwater Horizon …

Does Rule 15(b)(2) — Amendment of Complaint by Trial of the Issue on Express or Implied Consent — Apply at the Summary Judgment Stage? — Circuit Split

Cedar Valley Exteriors, Inc. v. Professional Exteriors, Inc., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84868 (D. Minn. June 29, 2016): Plaintiff Cedar Valley Exteriors, Inc. ("Cedar Valley") brought this action against defendant Professional Exteriors, Inc. ("Professional Exteriors"), alleging that Professional Exteriors infringed tw ...

Removal: Pre-Suit Discovery Proceedings Are Removable Under the Removal Clarification Act of 2011, As Are Other Previously Unremovable Proceedings

Estate of Wisler, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8690 (S.D. Ind. Jan. 25, 2016): In 2011, Congress passed the Removal Clarification Act of 2011 in response to "recent Federal court cases that reflect an inter- and intra-circuit split as to whether State 'pre-suit discovery' laws qualify as civil actions or criminal prosecutions th ...

RICO: Threat to File Suit against Government, Even If Made in Bad Faith & Supported by False Affidavits, Isn’t “Wrongful” within Hobbs Act — Where Citizen May Request Records Anonymously, Using Fake Identity ≠ Mail Fraud

Town of Gulfstream v. O’Boyle, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 11183 (11th Cir. June 21, 2016): The Town of Gulf Stream, Florida ("Gulf Stream" or the "town") and its contractor Wantman Group, Inc. ("Wantman") (collectively the "plaintiffs") appeal the dismissal of their class action complaint1

Spoliation — Elements of Substantive Spoliation Cause of Action under Ohio Law

Newberry v. Silverman, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 8904 (6th Cir. May 29, 2015): 3. Because Newberry's [*23] complaint against Silverman was not disrupted by the allegedly destroyed dental records, the spoliation claim cannot stand Finally, the district court correctly determined that Newberry& ...

Newberry v. Silverman, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 8904 (6th Cir. May 29, 2015): 3. Because Newberry's [*23] complaint against Silverman was not disrupted by the allegedly destroyed dental records, the spoliation claim cannot stand Finally, the district court correctly determined…

§ 1927 and FRAP 38 Sanctions — Appeal Is Frivolous If Obviously without Merit and Vexatious If Prosecuted for Delay, Harassment or Other Improper Purpose

U.S. ex rel. Jacobs v. Lambda Research, Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 7308 (6th Cir. May 1, 2015): A. We review the district court's grant of summary judgment de novo. Bultema v. United States, 359 F.3d 379, 382 (6th Cir. 2004). To prevail on a claim under the FCA, a plaintiff must show that the defen ...

Attorney-Client Privilege — Talks with Law Firm GC Privileged — No Current Client Exception — Privilege Intact Even If RPC Violated, Intent to Disclose Exists — Reliance on Privileged Matter Sine Qua Non of At-Issue Waiver (Good Quotes)

Stock v. Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, 2016 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5082 (1st Dept. June 30, 2016): The primary issue on this appeal is whether attorneys who have sought the advice of their law firm's in-house general counsel on their ethical obligations in representing a firm client may successfully invoke attorney-cl ...

Stock v. Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, 2016 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5082 (1st Dept. June 30, 2016): The primary issue on this appeal is whether attorneys who have sought the advice of their law firm's in-house general counsel …

Facebook Admissibility: Photos Authenticated by Witness Familiar with Page Owner’s Appearance — Posts by Fact They Emanated from Owner’s User Name and Were Obtained via Search Warrant for His Account

People v. Johnson, 2016 Mich. App. LEXIS 1256 (Mich. Ct. App. June 28, 2016): Defendant, Timothy Noel Johnson, was convicted by a jury of first-degree premeditated murder, MCL 750.316(1)(a), possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (felony firearm), MCL 750.227b, and felon in possession of a ...

People v. Johnson, 2016 Mich. App. LEXIS 1256 (Mich. Ct. App. June 28, 2016): Defendant, Timothy Noel Johnson, was convicted by a jury of first-degree premeditated murder, MCL 750.316(1)(a), possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (felony …

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence: Party’s Filings with State, Local Governments — Pending Appeal, District Court Retains Jurisdiction to Modify Injunction But May Not Materially Alter the Status of the Case on Appeal or Change the Core Issues

Nat’l Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry v. Calif. State Grange, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53038 (E.D. Cal. April 20, 2016): Plaintiff National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry brought this action against defendant California State Grange for trademark infringement and unfair competition under the Lanham Act. Present ...

Facebook Messages Authenticated by Recipient: She and Sender Used a Code Known Only to Them, She Recognized “the Way He Said Things” and the Subject Matter Was Known Only to Them — Recipient’s Messages Received for Context ≠ Hearsay

Bullman v. State, 2016 Tex. App. LEXIS 3775 (Tex. Ct. App. Apr. 13, 2016): In four issues, appellant, Curtis Nathaniel Bullman, challenges his conviction for continuous sexual abuse of a young child. See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 21.02 (West Supp. 2015). Bullman contends the trial court abused its discretion in admitti ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Sanctions — Inherent Power Extends to Misconduct before Court-Supervised Settlement Program, Apt to Punish Ethics Violations — Factors in Selecting Sanction — Loosely Formulated, Imprecise Objection Doesn’t Preserve Error (Good Quote)

Does Rule 15(b)(2) — Amendment of Complaint by Trial of the Issue on Express or Implied Consent — Apply at the Summary Judgment Stage? — Circuit Split

Removal: Pre-Suit Discovery Proceedings Are Removable Under the Removal Clarification Act of 2011, As Are Other Previously Unremovable Proceedings

RICO: Threat to File Suit against Government, Even If Made in Bad Faith & Supported by False Affidavits, Isn’t “Wrongful” within Hobbs Act — Where Citizen May Request Records Anonymously, Using Fake Identity ≠ Mail Fraud

Spoliation — Elements of Substantive Spoliation Cause of Action under Ohio Law

§ 1927 and FRAP 38 Sanctions — Appeal Is Frivolous If Obviously without Merit and Vexatious If Prosecuted for Delay, Harassment or Other Improper Purpose

Attorney-Client Privilege — Talks with Law Firm GC Privileged — No Current Client Exception — Privilege Intact Even If RPC Violated, Intent to Disclose Exists — Reliance on Privileged Matter Sine Qua Non of At-Issue Waiver (Good Quotes)

Facebook Admissibility: Photos Authenticated by Witness Familiar with Page Owner’s Appearance — Posts by Fact They Emanated from Owner’s User Name and Were Obtained via Search Warrant for His Account

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence: Party’s Filings with State, Local Governments — Pending Appeal, District Court Retains Jurisdiction to Modify Injunction But May Not Materially Alter the Status of the Case on Appeal or Change the Core Issues

Facebook Messages Authenticated by Recipient: She and Sender Used a Code Known Only to Them, She Recognized “the Way He Said Things” and the Subject Matter Was Known Only to Them — Recipient’s Messages Received for Context ≠ Hearsay

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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