Complex Lit Blog

Circuit Split: Can Defendant Moot Class Action by Offering Full Individual Relief before Certification Motion Filed? — Impact of Supreme Court’s 2013 Genesis Decision — “Inherently Transitory” Rationale Inapt

Keim v. ADF Midatlantic, LLC, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98373 (S.D. Fla. July 12, 2013): "To allow a case, not certified as a class action and with no motion for class certification even pending, to continue in federal court when the sole plaintiff no longer maintains a personal stake defies the limits on federal jurisdiction expressed ...

Keim v. ADF Midatlantic, LLC, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98373 (S.D. Fla. July 12, 2013): “To allow a case, not certified as a class action and with no motion for class certification even pending, to continue in federal court when…

RICO — Enterprise Consisting of Corporate President, His Assistant and His Off-the-Books Wholly-Owned Entity Satisfies Distinctiveness Requirement of § 1962(c) Where All 3 Are Also Defendants

Mega Concrete, Inc. v. Smith, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 98660 (E.D. Pa. July 15, 2013): This lawsuit involves allegations that two former employees of the plaintiff construction companies, defendants Michael Smith and Kimberly Lawson, conspired and collaborated with others to steal the plaintiffs' resources, manpower, business opportunities ...

Standards for Dismissal under Rules 37 and 41(b) — Rule 37 Factors Not Exhaustive — Each Need Not Be Satisfied If Order Is “Just” — Pro Se Must Be Warned before Sanction of Dismissal Imposed — 41(b) Dismissal May Be Sua Sponte

Manigaulte v. C.W. Post of Long Island Univ., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 14096 (2d Cir. July 12, 2013): While "dismissal with prejudice is a harsh remedy to be used only in extreme situations, and then only when a court finds willfulness, bad faith, or any fault by the non-compliant litigant," Agiwal, 555 F.3d at 302 (internal quotat ...

Manigaulte v. C.W. Post of Long Island Univ., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 14096 (2d Cir. July 12, 2013): While “dismissal with prejudice is a harsh remedy to be used only in extreme situations, and then only when a court finds…

Governmental Entity (Municipal Corporation) Cannot Be Sued under RICO Because Treble Damage Remedy Is Primarily Punitive

Tengood v. City of Philadelphia, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 12151 (3d Cir. June 17, 2013): Appellant challenges the district court's entry of summary judgment in favor of the City on Counts 1 and 2 of the Complaint, alleging it was error to conclude that the City cannot be subject to RICO liability. This argument is foreclosed by our decision ...

Tengood v. City of Philadelphia, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 12151 (3d Cir. June 17, 2013): Appellant challenges the district court’s entry of summary judgment in favor of the City on Counts 1 and 2 of the Complaint, alleging it was…

Duty Imposed by Contract Clause Requiring “Best Efforts” — Good Faith and Fair Dealing Claim Redundant of Breach of Contract Claim

Cruz v. FXDirectDealer, LLC, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 12448 (2d Cir. June 19, 2013): C. Breach of Contract Claim Cruz claims that FXDD breached the Agreement by failing to use its "best efforts" to execute customer trade orders. FXDD responds that Cruz's breach of contract claim fails because the Agreement warns that FXDD ma ...

Cruz v. FXDirectDealer, LLC, 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 12448 (2d Cir. June 19, 2013): C. Breach of Contract Claim Cruz claims that FXDD breached the Agreement by failing to use its “best efforts” to execute customer trade orders. FXDD responds…

While Intra-Circuit Splits Ordinarily May Be Resolved Only En Banc, a Three-Judge Panel May Overrule One Line of Cases Clearly Irreconcilable with Intervening Supreme Court Decision

United States ex rel. Air Control Techs., Inc. v. Pre Con Indus., Inc., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 13314 (9th Cir. June 28, 2013): Ordinarily, intra-circuit splits may only be resolved by an en banc panel. Atonio v. Wards Cove Packing Co., Inc., 810 F.2d 1477, 1478-79 (9th Cir. 1987) (en banc). But when intervening higher authori ...

RICO — Enterprise of 2 Companies and Personnel Fails — Acts Were Taken by Members Conducting Their Own Affairs, Not Enterprise’s — Mere Violation of Predicate Acts Insufficient — Good Quotes

United Food And Commercial Workers Unions And Employers Midwest Health Benefits Fund v. Walgreen Co., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 13711 (7th Cir. July 8, 2013): The United Food and Commercial Workers Unions and Employers Midwest Health Benefits Fund (the Fund), an employee benefit plan that provides healthcare benefits to its participants, is ...

Failure to Raise Spoliation Issue at Summary Judgment Stage — Not until Post-Trial Motions — Is Untimely and Bars Appellate Review

Smith v. BP Am., Inc., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 13656 (11th Cir. July 5, 2013): D. Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment "The only grounds for granting [a Rule 59] motion are newly-discovered evidence or manifest errors of law or fact." In re Kellogg, 197 F.3d 1116, 1119 (11th Cir. 1999). "[A] Rule 59(e) motion [cannot be u ...

Smith v. BP Am., Inc., 2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 13656 (11th Cir. July 5, 2013): D. Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment “The only grounds for granting [a Rule 59] motion are newly-discovered evidence or manifest errors of law or…

Arbitration — Current State of the Circuit Split on Manifest Disregard — What “Manifest Disregard” Requires, If It Does Survive: Knowing, Intentional, Explicit Refusal to Apply the Law

Bartlett Grain Co. v. Sunburst Farms P’ship, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 94140 (D. Kan. July 5, 2013): In the wake of Hall Street, the circuits have split as to whether manifest disregard of the law is still a viable ground on which to overturn an arbitration award. According to the Second, Sixth (in an unpublished decision) and Ninth C ...

7th Circuit OKs Juror Questions — How Long a Trial Can a Juror Comprehend? — Party Need Not Disclose Opposing Expert per Rule 26(a)(2)(A) — Invited Error — State of Mind Attack & Hearsay — Once Expert Disclosed, Can’t Become Consulting Expert

SEC v. Koenig, 557 F.3d 736 (7th Cir. 2009): Waste Management, Inc., grew at an average annual rate of 26% from 1979 through 1991. When growth fell off, James Koenig, its Chief Financial Officer, decided to improve appearances. He devised several accounting strategies that a jury found to be fraudulent. The district judge imposed a civi ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Circuit Split: Can Defendant Moot Class Action by Offering Full Individual Relief before Certification Motion Filed? — Impact of Supreme Court’s 2013 Genesis Decision — “Inherently Transitory” Rationale Inapt

RICO — Enterprise Consisting of Corporate President, His Assistant and His Off-the-Books Wholly-Owned Entity Satisfies Distinctiveness Requirement of § 1962(c) Where All 3 Are Also Defendants

Standards for Dismissal under Rules 37 and 41(b) — Rule 37 Factors Not Exhaustive — Each Need Not Be Satisfied If Order Is “Just” — Pro Se Must Be Warned before Sanction of Dismissal Imposed — 41(b) Dismissal May Be Sua Sponte

Governmental Entity (Municipal Corporation) Cannot Be Sued under RICO Because Treble Damage Remedy Is Primarily Punitive

Duty Imposed by Contract Clause Requiring “Best Efforts” — Good Faith and Fair Dealing Claim Redundant of Breach of Contract Claim

While Intra-Circuit Splits Ordinarily May Be Resolved Only En Banc, a Three-Judge Panel May Overrule One Line of Cases Clearly Irreconcilable with Intervening Supreme Court Decision

RICO — Enterprise of 2 Companies and Personnel Fails — Acts Were Taken by Members Conducting Their Own Affairs, Not Enterprise’s — Mere Violation of Predicate Acts Insufficient — Good Quotes

Failure to Raise Spoliation Issue at Summary Judgment Stage — Not until Post-Trial Motions — Is Untimely and Bars Appellate Review

Arbitration — Current State of the Circuit Split on Manifest Disregard — What “Manifest Disregard” Requires, If It Does Survive: Knowing, Intentional, Explicit Refusal to Apply the Law

7th Circuit OKs Juror Questions — How Long a Trial Can a Juror Comprehend? — Party Need Not Disclose Opposing Expert per Rule 26(a)(2)(A) — Invited Error — State of Mind Attack & Hearsay — Once Expert Disclosed, Can’t Become Consulting Expert

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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