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

The 4 Major Changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Effective Dec. 1, 2015

Gregory P. Joseph* Narrower Scope of Discovery.  Discovery is confined to matters (i) “relevant to any party’s claim or defense” and (ii) “proportional to the needs of the case.”  (Rule 26(b)(1))   Reasonably-Calculated Language Deleted.  The sentence formerly ...
Gregory P. Joseph* Narrower Scope of Discovery.  Discovery is confined to matters (i) “relevant to any party’s claim or defense” and (ii) “proportional to the needs of the case.”  (Rule 26(b)(1))   Reasonably-Calculated Language Deleted.  The sentence formerly providing that “Relevant…
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Disqualification — Movants Who Are Not Present or Former Clients Lack Standing to Seek Disqualification of Opposing Law Firm (Advocate-Witness Grounds)

Blacktail Mountain Ranch Co., LLC v. Jonas, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 13316 (9th Cir. July 30, 2015): Appellants Edwin Jonas (Jonas) and his company, Blacktail Mountain Ranch Co. (Blacktail Mountain) (collectively, [*2]  Plaintiffs), appeal from the district court's dismissal of their action against Jonas' former ...
Blacktail Mountain Ranch Co., LLC v. Jonas, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 13316 (9th Cir. July 30, 2015): Appellants Edwin Jonas (Jonas) and his company, Blacktail Mountain Ranch Co. (Blacktail Mountain) (collectively, [*2]  Plaintiffs), appeal from the district court's dismissal of…
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Judicial Notice of Internet Evidence — Amazon.com Website

Multi Time Machine, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 792 F.3d 1070 (9th Cir. 2015): We are called upon to determine whether the operation of a retailer's website infringes a trademark because of the manner in which it responds to a shopper's search request for the trademarked goods. What the website's response st ...
Multi Time Machine, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., 792 F.3d 1070 (9th Cir. 2015): We are called upon to determine whether the operation of a retailer's website infringes a trademark because of the manner in which it responds to a shopper's …
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Inherent Power & § 1927 — Issuance of Overbroad Subpoena by Criminal Defense Counsel on Counsel for Co-Defendant Seeking Communications with Prosecutor Not Sanctionable — Recklessness-Plus Required for § 1927 Sanctions in 9th Circuit

United States v. Rico, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 13123 (9th Cir. July 28, 2015): *** (3) Rico finally claims that we should reverse because the [*7]  district court erred when it quashed a subpoena directed by his counsel to the counsel for a co-defendant. The subpoena sought materials and testimony with which to impeach th ...
United States v. Rico, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 13123 (9th Cir. July 28, 2015): *** (3) Rico finally claims that we should reverse because the [*7]  district court erred when it quashed a subpoena directed by his counsel to the …
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Text Messages: Offer of Gun to Defendant = Non-Hearsay Verbal Act; Picture Retrieved from Cell Sufficiently Authenticated by Fact It Showed Same Make and Model Offered to & Recovered from Him — Photo Is Not Hearsay

People v. Mota, 2015 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 7216 (Cal. Ct. App. Oct. 8, 2015): Jose J. Mota and Karen Garcia were convicted of possession of a firearm after police observed Mota pass the gun to Garcia on a street in Los Angeles and recovered from Mota's cell phone a photograph of the gun. On appeal, Mota contends the photo ...
People v. Mota, 2015 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 7216 (Cal. Ct. App. Oct. 8, 2015): Jose J. Mota and Karen Garcia were convicted of possession of a firearm after police observed Mota pass the gun to Garcia on a street …
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RICO — Associated-in-Fact Enterprise — Linchpin Is Ongoing Nature of Association — No Purpose Needed Other Than Committing Racketeering Activity

Allstate Ins. Co. v. Plambeck, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16571 (5th Cir. Sept. 17, 2015): Allstate Insurance Company ("Allstate") sued a consortium of telemarketing companies, chiropractic clinics, and affiliated law offices spanning several states, contending that they had violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizati ...
Allstate Ins. Co. v. Plambeck, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16571 (5th Cir. Sept. 17, 2015): Allstate Insurance Company ("Allstate") sued a consortium of telemarketing companies, chiropractic clinics, and affiliated law offices spanning several states, contending that they had violated the…
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Rule 37(c) Sanctions — Failure to Timely Amend Contention Interrogatory Can Bar Theory of Liability — Factors Guiding Discovery Sanctions (2d Circuit) — Dismissal for 26(e) Failure to Supplement as Abuse of Discretion

TNS Media Research, LLC v. Tivo Research & Analytics, Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16517 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 16, 2015): Tivo Research and Analytics, Inc. dba TRA, Inc. ("TRA") appeals a judgment of the district court granting summary judgment in favor of TNS Media Research, LLC dba Kantar Media Audiences and Cavendish Square Hold ...
TNS Media Research, LLC v. Tivo Research & Analytics, Inc., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16517 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 16, 2015): Tivo Research and Analytics, Inc. dba TRA, Inc. ("TRA") appeals a judgment of the district court granting summary judgment in…
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When Does Attorney-Client Privilege Attach to Advice for a Response to the Media? — Caselaw Split — Factors for Determining When Counsel for Adverse Party May Be Deposed (Shelton Approach)

Alomari v Ohio Dep’t of Public Safety, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16237 (6th Cir. Sept. 9, 2015): Omar Alomari ("Plaintiff") filed suit against the Ohio Department of Public Safety ("ODPS"), ODPS Director Thomas Charles, former ODPS Director Thomas Stickrath, and former Ohio Homeland Security ("OHS") Director ...
Alomari v Ohio Dep’t of Public Safety, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16237 (6th Cir. Sept. 9, 2015): Omar Alomari ("Plaintiff") filed suit against the Ohio Department of Public Safety ("ODPS"), ODPS Director Thomas Charles, former ODPS Director Thomas Stickrath, and…
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Rule 26(a)(1) Disclosure Violation — Exclusion Is the Usual Remedy, But There Are Many Alternatives — Honest Mistake as Defense to Sanctions — 6th Circuit Adopts 4th Circuit’s 5-Factor Test for Substantial Justification / Harmless Error

Howe v. City of Akron, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16529 (6th Cir. Sept. 17, 2015): In 2004, Defendant-Appellant City of Akron administered promotional examinations for firefighters for the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain. The Plaintiffs-Appellees [*2]  are Akron firefighters who took the examinations, but were not promoted. They filed this ...
Howe v. City of Akron, 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 16529 (6th Cir. Sept. 17, 2015): In 2004, Defendant-Appellant City of Akron administered promotional examinations for firefighters for the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain. The Plaintiffs-Appellees [*2]  are Akron firefighters who…
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Hearsay — Emails from Military Personnel to NTSB at NTSB’s Formal Request, Verified as True by Declarations That Subject Authors to Court Martial in Addition to Normal Perjury Penalties, Satisfy Residual Exception (Rule 807)

Brokaw v. Boeing Co., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137074 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 5, 2015): The plaintiffs in these five consolidated cases--Elizabeth Brokaw, as personal representative of the estate of Jamie L. Brokaw, William Thompson, as personal representative of the estate of Jeremy P. Lipka, Rajnit Virdi, as personal representative of the esta ...
Brokaw v. Boeing Co., 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137074 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 5, 2015): The plaintiffs in these five consolidated cases–Elizabeth Brokaw, as personal representative of the estate of Jamie L. Brokaw, William Thompson, as personal representative of the estate…
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Recent Posts

Rule 37 Default Judgment Sanction: (1) Default Judgment Appropriate Only As a Last Resort, When Less Drastic Sanctions Would Not Ensure Compliance with the Court’s Orders — (2) Default Judgment Sanction Requires Willful or Bad Faith Failure to Obey Discovery Order — (3) Fugitive Defendant’s Failure to Appear at Court-Ordered, Remote Deposition Despite Court Warning That Sanctions Could Follow Disobedience Warrants Default Judgment — (4) District Court Afforded Wide Discretion in Interpreting Its Own Orders — (5) Filing a Notice of Appeal from a Non-Appealable Order (Here, a Discovery Order) Does Not Deprive the District Court of Jurisdiction over the Case

RICO and Injunctions: (1) State Court Actions Designed to Perpetuate and Monetize a RICO Violation Are Enjoinable under RICO, Even Though They Are Not Themselves Alleged to Be Predicate Acts [Note: Noerr Pennington Applies in RICO Actions] — (2) Although Civil RICO’s Text and Legislative History Fail to Reveal Any Intent to Override the Provisions of the Federal Arbitration Act, Arbitrations Are Enjoinable Under the “Effective Vindication” Doctrine Where They Operate As a Prospective Waiver of a Party’s Right to Pursue Statutory RICO Remedies — (3) Arbitration Findings May Be Given Collateral Estoppel Effect in a Civil RICO Action — (4) Injunction of Non-Corrupt State Court Litigations That Furthers a RICO Violation Are Enjoinable Under the Anti-Injunction Act’s “Expressly Authorized” Exception — (5) “The Irreparable Harm Requirement Is The Single Most Important Prerequisite For The Issuance Of A Preliminary Injunction” (Good Quote) — (6) When Injunction Is Based on “Serious Questions on the Merits” Rather Than “Likelihood of Success,” Court May Rely on Unverified Pleadings and Attached Exhibits to Assess the Merits, Unless the Opponent Has Raised Substantial Questions (Here, the Opponent Failed to Request an Evidentiary Hearing) — (7) Whether Amended Pleading Moots An Appeal Turns on Whether It Materially Changes the Substantive Basis for the Appeal — (8) Meaning of “In That” (“Used To Introduce A Statement That Explains Or Gives More Specific Information” About A Prior Statement)

RICO: Fraudulent Concealment Must Prevent Discovery of the Injury to Toll Statute of Limitations

Rule 37 Default Judgment Sanction: (1) Abuse of Discretion Review = Legal Conclusions De Novo. Factual Findings for Clear Error — (2) Client May Be Sanctioned for Misconduct of Its Counsel, Though Here Client Was Directly Involved in Bad Faith Misbehavior — (3) Is There A Difference, Under Rule 11 As Opposed to Rule 37, Concerning Whether A Client Can Be Sanctioned for Its Counsel’s Misconduct? — (4) While Sanctions of Last Resort (Dismissal/Default) Are Apt Only If Lesser Sanctions Wouldn’t Ensure Compliance, Rule 37 Doesn’t Require the Vain Gesture of First Imposing Lessert Sanctions When It Is Clear They Would be Ineffective — (5) Court’s Reconsideration of Non-Final Orders Is Governed by Rule 54(b), And Court’s Discretion under That Rule Is Governed by the Law-of-the-Case-Doctrine

RICO: (1) Special Pleading Requirements? — (2) Although Enterprise Must Be More Than a Summation of the Predicate Acts, The Predicate Acts Can Demonstrate the Existence of the Enterprise — (3) Requirement That Association-in-Fact Exist For Purposes Other Than Just to Commit Predicate Acts Merely Requires Continuity — (4) To State an Association-in-Fact Enterprise Consisting of One Natural Person and Collection of Legal Fictions Requires Factual Detail As to How They Acted Together — (5) “A § 1962(c) Enterprise Must Be More Than An Association of Individuals Or Entities Conducting the Normal Affairs of a Defendant Corporation” (Good Quote)

RICO: (1) Fee Award May Exceed Amount Recovered — Strict Proportionality Not Required — (2) Nonmonetary Benefits and Injunctive Relief Recovered Also Relevant Factors — (3) Loss on Some Claims Need Not Result in Lowered Fees, Especially When Both Arise Out of The Same Nucleus of Operative Facts

RICO: Indirect Purchasers (Car Buyers/Renters) Lack Standing to Sue Manufacturers for RICO Violations Even Though Intermediaries (Auto Dealer Direct Purchasers) Lack Any Damages

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.”

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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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