Complex Lit Blog

Privilege — Crime-Fraud — Materials Must Be Intended to Further C/F — Intent vs. Effect — Violation of Ethics Waives Privilege Only As to Materials Generated by Violation — Overzealous Discovery Conduct ≠ Misconduct Waiving Privilege

In re GM LLC Ignition Switch Litig., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159721 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 25, 2015): This multi-district litigation proceeding ("MDL"), familiarity with which is presumed, relates to highly publicized defects in certain General Motors branded vehicles and associated vehicle recalls. Before the Court is Plaintiffs' ...

Attorney-Client Privilege — No Adverse Inference from, Evidence of or Argument Concerning Assertion of Privilege Permitted

In re GM LLC Ignition Switch Litig., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 163255 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 3, 2015): In its Ninth Motion in Limine, New GM asks the Court to rule that evidence or argument regarding [*383] New GM's privilege assertions is inadmissible, and to enter an order governing privilege issues at trial. Plaintiff c ...

In re GM LLC Ignition Switch Litig., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 163255 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 3, 2015): In its Ninth Motion in Limine, New GM asks the Court to rule that evidence or argument regarding [*383] New GM's privilege assertions is …

RICO — No Open- or Closed-End Continuity Stated by Alleged Eight-Month Scheme with Single Victim (Good Collection of Similar Cases)

Grubbs v. Sheakley Grp., Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 21146 (6th Cir. Dec. 7, 2015): Plaintiffs Linda Grubbs and the companies she owns, Tri-Serve, Ltd.; TriServe #1, LLC; and Capital Concepts, Inc., appeal the order of the district court dismissing Plaintiffs' claims under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125, and the Racketeer Influe ...

§ 1927 Sanctions — When Does Inactivity Multiply Litigation? — Lawyers Entitled to Time to Digest New, Adverse Information — “Losing Is Part of the Lawyer’s Lot” & Not, Alone, Sanctionable (Good Quote)

Baca v. Berry, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 20830 (10th Cir. Dec. 1, 2015): This case arises out of an award of attorneys' fees imposed as a sanction on attorneys who brought a voting-rights lawsuit against the Mayor of Albuquerque. After dismissing the case, the district court found the attorneys unreasonably multiplied ...

Baca v. Berry, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 20830 (10th Cir. Dec. 1, 2015): This case arises out of an award of attorneys' fees imposed as a sanction on attorneys who brought a voting-rights lawsuit against the Mayor of Albuquerque.…

FRAP 38 Sanctions on Pro Se Require (1) Prior Judicial Warning Claims Are Frivolous and (2) Awareness by Pro Se of Ample Authority Holding Squarely against Him or Her — § 1927 Available against Pro Se?

Simmons v. Methodist Hosp. of Dallas, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 21505 (5th Cir. Dec. 10, 2015): After Methodist Hospital terminated him, Jason Simmons brought an employment discrimination lawsuit. The district court granted summary judgment, and Simmons did not appeal. Two years later, Simmons brought a second lawsuit against Methodist ...

Does Rule 15(b)(2) (Which Provides That, If An Issue Not Raised by the Pleadings Is Tried by the Parties, It Is to Be Considered As If It Had Been Pled) Apply to Summary Judgment? Circuit Split

Posey v. NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corp., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146688 (D.N.J. Oct. 29, 2015): 1 Plaintiff contends that, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(b)(2), Defendant "effectively consented by its conduct" to resolve the new theories of liability raised in the proposed amended com ...

Dual Fact/Expert Witness — Appropriate Precautions to Avoid Several Risks Associated with Dual-Role Testimony at Trial

United States v. Moralez, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 21341 (8th Cir. Dec. 10, 2015): Moralez argues that Agent Taylor's dual roles as fact and expert witness prevented effective cross-examination because attempted impeachment of his expert credentials ran the risk of eliciting, and bolstering the credibility of, otherwise inadmi ...

United States v. Moralez, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 21341 (8th Cir. Dec. 10, 2015): Moralez argues that Agent Taylor's dual roles as fact and expert witness prevented effective cross-examination because attempted impeachment of his expert credentials ran the risk of …

Diversity — Are Attorney’s Fees That Are Anticipated But Not Yet Accrued at the Time of Removal Considered in Determining the Amount in Controversy? — Caselaw Split

Sevilla v. Life Care Ctrs. of Am., Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153459 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 12, 2015): 1 Moreover, Courts in the Ninth Circuit are split as to whether attorneys' fees which are anticipated but have not yet accrued at the time of removal should be calculated in determining amount in controversy. S ...

Sevilla v. Life Care Ctrs. of Am., Inc., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 153459 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 12, 2015): 1 Moreover, Courts in the Ninth Circuit are split as to whether attorneys' fees which are anticipated but have not yet accrued …

Attorney’s Violation of Ethical Rules in Disclosing Privileged Communications Is Irrelevant to the Communications’ Admissibility — Advice-of-Counsel Defense Waives Privilege Even If Defense Is Invalid

Am. Plastics Techs., Inc. v. Dymond Pharmcare Indus., Ltd., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162716 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 4, 2015): Plaintiffs/Counter-Defendants American Plastics Technologies, Inc. and Rao Murukurthy ("Murukurthy") (collectively [*4] "Plaintiffs"), and Defendants/Counter-Plaintiffs Dymond Pharmc ...

Am. Plastics Techs., Inc. v. Dymond Pharmcare Indus., Ltd., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162716 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 4, 2015): Plaintiffs/Counter-Defendants American Plastics Technologies, Inc. and Rao Murukurthy ("Murukurthy") (collectively [*4] "Plaintiffs"), and Defendants/Counter-Plaintiffs Dymond Pharmcare Industries, Ltd. ("Dymond") and Obong…

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Document Posted on a Foreign or Domestic Official Website Is Presumptively Authentic If Government Sponsorship Can Be Verified by Visiting Website — Voluminous Length May Require Additional Proffer

Berry Plastics Corp. v. Intertape Polymer Corp., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 162609 (S.D. Ind. Dec. 4, 2015): Plaintiff, Berry Plastics Corporation, requests that the court take judicial notice of the European Patent Office ("EPO") patent opposition prosecution history of European Patent No. 1,056,584 pursuant to Federal Rules of ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Privilege — Crime-Fraud — Materials Must Be Intended to Further C/F — Intent vs. Effect — Violation of Ethics Waives Privilege Only As to Materials Generated by Violation — Overzealous Discovery Conduct ≠ Misconduct Waiving Privilege

Attorney-Client Privilege — No Adverse Inference from, Evidence of or Argument Concerning Assertion of Privilege Permitted

RICO — No Open- or Closed-End Continuity Stated by Alleged Eight-Month Scheme with Single Victim (Good Collection of Similar Cases)

§ 1927 Sanctions — When Does Inactivity Multiply Litigation? — Lawyers Entitled to Time to Digest New, Adverse Information — “Losing Is Part of the Lawyer’s Lot” & Not, Alone, Sanctionable (Good Quote)

FRAP 38 Sanctions on Pro Se Require (1) Prior Judicial Warning Claims Are Frivolous and (2) Awareness by Pro Se of Ample Authority Holding Squarely against Him or Her — § 1927 Available against Pro Se?

Does Rule 15(b)(2) (Which Provides That, If An Issue Not Raised by the Pleadings Is Tried by the Parties, It Is to Be Considered As If It Had Been Pled) Apply to Summary Judgment? Circuit Split

Dual Fact/Expert Witness — Appropriate Precautions to Avoid Several Risks Associated with Dual-Role Testimony at Trial

Diversity — Are Attorney’s Fees That Are Anticipated But Not Yet Accrued at the Time of Removal Considered in Determining the Amount in Controversy? — Caselaw Split

Attorney’s Violation of Ethical Rules in Disclosing Privileged Communications Is Irrelevant to the Communications’ Admissibility — Advice-of-Counsel Defense Waives Privilege Even If Defense Is Invalid

Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Document Posted on a Foreign or Domestic Official Website Is Presumptively Authentic If Government Sponsorship Can Be Verified by Visiting Website — Voluminous Length May Require Additional Proffer

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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