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

Pro Se Litigant Subject to Inherent Power Sanctions for Maintaining Identical Legal Position Rejected in Earlier Case without Reasonable Arguments to Justify Reiteration

Palmer v. Comm’r of Internal Revenue, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 24293 (10th Cir. Nov. 27, 2012): The Commissioner asks that we impose $8,000 in sanctions on Palmer for maintaining a frivolous appeal. According to the Commissioner, we have already rejected Palmer's arguments as frivolous in his prior proceeding before this court, and furthe ...
Palmer v. Comm’r of Internal Revenue, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 24293 (10th Cir. Nov. 27, 2012): The Commissioner asks that we impose $8,000 in sanctions on Palmer for maintaining a frivolous appeal. According to the Commissioner, we have already rejected…
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Sanctions — Pro Se Litigants Must File Separate Motion and Provide 21-Day Safe Harbor — Lawyer as Pro Se Litigant Held to Higher Standard — Post-Dismissal, Court Retains Jurisdiction to Sanction

Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Kalenevitch, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 22262 (3d Cir. Oct. 26, 2012): In 2010, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company ("MetLife") filed a complaint seeking a declaratory judgment that would identify the party entitled to the remaining balance of proceeds (approximately $24,094.13) under an annuity contract. MetLife conte ...
Metro. Life Ins. Co. v. Kalenevitch, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 22262 (3d Cir. Oct. 26, 2012): In 2010, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”) filed a complaint seeking a declaratory judgment that would identify the party entitled to the remaining balance…
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Class Action Fairness Act Jurisdiction — Circuit Split as to How to Determine Whether a State Is a Real Party in Interest in a Parens Patriae Action — Claim-by-Claim vs. Wholesale Approach to Reading Complaint

Myinfoguard v. Sorrell, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161070 (D. Vt. Nov. 9, 2012): With respect to both section 1332(a) and CAFA, federal courts are in general agreement that "a crucial distinction must be made between a plaintiff who sues solely in his capacity as an agent, on the one hand, and, on the other, a plaintiff who sues ...
Myinfoguard v. Sorrell, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161070 (D. Vt. Nov. 9, 2012): With respect to both section 1332(a) and CAFA, federal courts are in general agreement that “a crucial distinction must be made between a plaintiff who sues solely…
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Confronting Argument That Binding Supreme Court Decision Is Wrong: “Whether or Not the Supreme Court Is Infallible, It Is Final,” and “It Belongs to That Court … to Decide Whether to Revisit Its Precedent” — Good Quotes

Woolsey v. Citibank, N.A., 696 F.3d 1266 (10th Cir. 2012): Before us, though, the Woolseys don't just shrink from, they repudiate the only possible winning argument they may have had. They choose to pursue instead and exclusively a line of attack long foreclosed by Supreme Court precedent. To be sure, the Woolseys argue vigorously and w ...
Woolsey v. Citibank, N.A., 696 F.3d 1266 (10th Cir. 2012): Before us, though, the Woolseys don’t just shrink from, they repudiate the only possible winning argument they may have had. They choose to pursue instead and exclusively a line of…
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RICO — 9(b) Standards Relaxed Where Fraud Entails Concealing Identity of Speakers — RICO Conspiracy Claim Fails Absent Allegation That Defendants Knew the Alleged Acts Were Part of a Pattern of Racketeering

Grant v. Turner, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 24316 (3d Cir. Nov. 27, 2012): In May 2009, a group of putative class action Plaintiffs brought suit against various individual and corporate Defendants, alleging that those Defendants were involved in creating and perpetuating fraudulent travel clubs ("Travel Club Defendants"). Plaintiffs alleged t ...
Grant v. Turner, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 24316 (3d Cir. Nov. 27, 2012): In May 2009, a group of putative class action Plaintiffs brought suit against various individual and corporate Defendants, alleging that those Defendants were involved in creating and…
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Failure to Appeal Magistrate Judge’s Decision to District Court in Timely Fashion Waives Objections

Shell’s Disposal & Recycling, Inc. v. City of Lancaster, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 23549 (3d Cir. Nov. 16, 2012): Footnote 9. To the extent that Shell's Disposal challenges Judge Wells's authority to issue the January 15, 2010 order closing the case, that claim is also unavailing. The Company had the right to appeal or file objections ...
Shell’s Disposal & Recycling, Inc. v. City of Lancaster, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 23549 (3d Cir. Nov. 16, 2012): Footnote 9. To the extent that Shell’s Disposal challenges Judge Wells’s authority to issue the January 15, 2010 order closing the…
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Circuit Split as to Proper Standard of Review — De Novo or Abuse of Discretion — to Determine Whether Evidence Falls within Rule 404(b); Factors Guiding 404(b) Determination

Pierce v. Virga, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 166663 (E.D. Cal. Nov. 21, 2012): There is a split among the circuit courts as to the proper standard of review, de novo or abuse of discretion, to be applied to the question of whether evidence falls within the scope of Rule 404(b). The Ninth Circuit applies a de novo standard, [United ...
Pierce v. Virga, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 166663 (E.D. Cal. Nov. 21, 2012): There is a split among the circuit courts as to the proper standard of review, de novo or abuse of discretion, to be applied to the question…
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Consulting Expert Retained by Client Prior to Anticipation of Litigation Not Immune from Discovery — Rule 26(b)(4)(D) Inapplicable

Quality Time, Inc. v. West Bend Mutual Ins. Co., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161703 (D. Kan. Nov. 13, 2012): Rule 26(b)(4)(B) states that "Rules 26(b)(3)(A) and (B) protect drafts of any report or disclosure required under Rule 26(a)(2), regardless of the form in which the draft is recorded." The rule does not otherwise protect expert reports ...
Quality Time, Inc. v. West Bend Mutual Ins. Co., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 161703 (D. Kan. Nov. 13, 2012): Rule 26(b)(4)(B) states that “Rules 26(b)(3)(A) and (B) protect drafts of any report or disclosure required under Rule 26(a)(2), regardless of…
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Denial of Rule 54(b) Certification Order Is Not Immediately Appealable — Unsupported Dicta in Prior Decision That Would Create Circuit Split on Issue Construed Away

Lewis v. Sheriff's Department Bossier Parish, 478 Fed. Appx. 809 (5th Cir. 2012): Although we have not squarely addressed the question of whether a denial of a Rule 54(b) certification motion is immediately appealable, our sister circuits have repeatedly held that the denial of a Rule 54(b) certification is not appealable. See ...
Lewis v. Sheriff’s Department Bossier Parish, 478 Fed. Appx. 809 (5th Cir. 2012): Although we have not squarely addressed the question of whether a denial of a Rule 54(b) certification motion is immediately appealable, our sister circuits have repeatedly held…
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Sanctions — Substantive Differences between Rule 11 and 35 U.S.C. § 285 — Different Standards of Appellate Review — Inaptness of Deferential Review for Huge Attorneys’ Fees Award — No Deference on Issue of Objective Reasonableness under § 285

Highmark, Inc. v. Allcare Health Mgmt. Sys., Inc., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 25054 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 6, 2012) (Dyk, J., concurring): Judge Moore, Judge Reyna, and Judge Mayer in his panel dissent, urge that both this decision and Bard are inconsistent with our prior authority. This is incorrect. More fundamentally, they assert that the de ...
Highmark, Inc. v. Allcare Health Mgmt. Sys., Inc., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 25054 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 6, 2012) (Dyk, J., concurring): Judge Moore, Judge Reyna, and Judge Mayer in his panel dissent, urge that both this decision and Bard are…
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Recent Posts

Supreme Court: (1) Fraudulent Inducement Theory of Mail Fraud: Statute Violated If Victim Is Tricked into Parting with Money Or Property, Even If Victim Suffers No Pecuniary Loss — (2) “A Fraud Is Complete When The Defendant Has Induced The Deprivation Of Money Or Property Under Materially False Pretenses” — (3) The Old Soil Principle of Statutory Construction Applies Only to the Extent That a Common-Law Term Has Accumulated a Settled Meaning — (4) Rescission for Fraud Does Not Require Economic Loss; Sufficient If Property of A Different Character Or Condition Provided — i.e, If Victim Tricked into A Bargain Materially Different from The One Promised — (5) “At The Right Level Of Specificity, Anything Can Be Described As ‘Unique’ Or ‘Different From’ Something Else” (Good Quote) — (6) “Materiality Look[s] To The Effect On The Likely Or Actual Behavior Of The Recipient Of The Alleged Misrepresentation” (Good Quote)

Statements in Briefs As Judicial Admissions

Supreme Court: TRO As Appealable Order — And District Court Inaction As Tantamount to Refusing An Injunction And Thus Appealable

“Slow-Playing Discovery” in Response to Court Order, Prejudicing Opponent, Violates Rule 37(b)(2)(A)

RICO Pattern: No Closed-Ended Continuity If Racketeering Activity Lasted Less Than One Year (11th Circuit) — Conspiracy Allegations Governed by Rule 8(a), Not 9(b) — Two Paths to Establishing A RICO Conspiracy: Agreement to Objective Or to Commit 2 Predicate Acts — Plaintiff Need Not Show Reliance When The Predicate Acts Are Wire Fraud — In Dicta, 11th Circuit Intimates That Even If The Primary RICO Violation Allegations Fail, The RICO Conspiracy Allegations Might Survive, But Is Probably Talking About A Conspiracy to Commit The Predicate Acts

United States Trinity Energy Servs., L.L.C. v. Se. Directional Drilling, L.L.C., 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 10178 (5th Cir. Apr. 28, 2025): FRAP 38 Separate Motion Requirement FRAP 38 Sanctions Properly Denied for Want of Separate Motion — Request in Brief Insufficient — “Manifest Disregard” Is Not A Freestanding Ground for Vacatur of Arbitration Award in Fifth Circuit (Or First, Eighth Or Eleventh)

§ 1927 Sanctions Apt for Failing to Withdraw Claim Until Summary Judgment Hearing, Requiring Opponent and Court to Prepare for An Abandoned Argument — Bad Faith Established by False and Misleading Statements to Court — Raising New Argument for First Time in Reply Brief Does Not Warrant § 1927 Sanctions

RICO: Mail and Wire Fraud: Act of Emailing Transcript of Court Proceedings Containing Allegedly False Statements Made in Court ≠ Wire Fraud — Mailing (Serving on Opposing Party) Declarations Allegedly Containing False Statements ≠ Mail Fraud

Supreme Court: (1) Rule 11 Sanctions Available Where Affirmative Defense “Obviously Applies” and Plaintiff/Plaintiff’s Counsel “Lack A Good Faith Basis to Believe Otherwise” — (2) If Affirmative Defense Pled, Court May Require Plaintiff to File a Reply to the Answer Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 7(a) Setting forth “Specific, Nonconclusory Factual Allegations” Showing That The Affirmative Defense Does Not Apply — (3) The Title of a Statute And The Heading of a Section May Properly Be Used to Interpret the Text

FRAP 38 Sanctions — Sixth Circuit Usually Declines to Impose FRAP 38 Sanctions Unless An Improper Purpose Was Behind the Appeal

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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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