Complex Lit Blog

Distinguishing an Appealable Modification of an Injunction from a Non-Appealable Clarification — Practical Effects Doctrine — The Legal Relationship of the Parties to the Decree Must Change

United States v. Philip Morris USA Inc., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 15528 (D.C. Cir July 27, 2012): Appellant tobacco companies seek review of a district court order clarifying an injunction requiring appellants to disclose marketing data to the government. Appellants claim that the clarification of the injunction actually effects a modificat ...

Standards for Settlement Class Laxer Than for Litigation Class — Trial Management Problems Irrelevant — Securities Fraud Plaintiffs Needn’t Enjoy Fraud on the Market Presumption to Satisfy Predominance

In re AIG Int’l Grp., Inc., Secs. Litig., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 16911 (2d Cir. Aug. 13, 2012): In this class action case, we face a rare joint appeal from a district court's order. After the parties arrived at a settlement agreement, the district court ... denied plaintiffs' motion to certify a settlement class. The court held that the ...

In re AIG Int’l Grp., Inc., Secs. Litig., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 16911 (2d Cir. Aug. 13, 2012): In this class action case, we face a rare joint appeal from a district court’s order. After the parties arrived at a…

When International Arbitration Agreement Designates a Non-Existent Forum, New York Convention and Federal Arbitration Act Mandate that District Court Compel Arbitration in Its District

Control Screening LLC v. Technological Application & Prod. Co. (TECAPRO), HCMC-Vietnam, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 15418 (3d Cir. July 26, 2012): This dispute involves New Jersey-based Control Screening, LLC and Vietnam-based Technological Application and Production Company, HCMC-Vietnam ("Tecapro"). Control Screening and Tecapro disagree abo ...

Lingering Doubt — and Circuit Split — Concerning Continued Vitality of Sliding Scale Standard for Preliminary Injunctive Relief

Holiday CVS, LLC v. Holder, 839 F. Supp. 2d 145 (D.D.C. 2012): Footnote 8. Several members of the Circuit have read the Supreme Court's decision in Winter to cast doubt on the continued validity of the sliding scale approach. See Davis, 571 F.3d at 1296 (Kavanaugh, J, joined by Henderson, J., concurring) ("[U]nder the Supr ...

Holiday CVS, LLC v. Holder, 839 F. Supp. 2d 145 (D.D.C. 2012): Footnote 8. Several members of the Circuit have read the Supreme Court’s decision in Winter to cast doubt on the continued validity of the sliding scale approach. See…

Barebones 26(a)(2)(C) Disclosure Adequate Where Supplemented by Expert’s Testing Results and His 30(b)(6) Deposition

Ira Green, Inc. v. J.L. Darling Corp., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113746 (W.D. Wash. Aug. 13, 2012): This matter comes before the court on Plaintiff Ira Green, Inc.'s Motion to Exclude Expert Witness Disclosures and Report and to Preclude Testimony. *** On July 9, 2012, Green deposed Todd Silver, co-owner of Darling, who had been ...

Ira Green, Inc. v. J.L. Darling Corp., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113746 (W.D. Wash. Aug. 13, 2012): This matter comes before the court on Plaintiff Ira Green, Inc.’s Motion to Exclude Expert Witness Disclosures and Report and to Preclude Testimony.…

Relationship between Attorney Ethics Rules and Malpractice Liability — Non-Client Has No Cause of Action under Rule 4.3, Which Creates No Duty toward Non-Clients

Rosenbaum v. White, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 17184 (7th Cir. Aug. 16, 2012): [T]he plaintiffs also argue that, even if no attorney-client relationship existed, the defendants still owed them a duty under the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct. The plaintiffs cite a number of rules that the defendants allegedly violated, most especially R ...

Inherent Power Sanction of Counsel for Bad Faith Defense of Motion Not Immediately Appealable — Rule 11 Reprimand Threatening Reputational Damage Distinguished — Rule 54(b) Jurisdiction Unachieved by Mere Recital of Standard

Square, Inc. v. REM Holdings 3, LLC, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 17257 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 14, 2012): Square brought the underlying suit in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri against REM Holdings 3, LLC (REM), seeking a correction of inventorship with regard to U.S. Patent No. 7,810,729 (the '729 Patent).

RICO — Neither Attorneys’ Fees Nor Cost of Surgeries Nor Injury to Intangible Interest in Personal Medical Information Constitute Concrete or Quantifiable Injury to Business or Property within § 1964(d) — Declaratory Relief Discretionary

Dickerson v. TLC The Laser Eye Center Institute, Inc., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 17395 (4th Cir. Aug. 15, 2012); Charles Benjamin Dickerson appeals the district court's grant of motions to dismiss the first amended complaint ("FAC") filed by Appellees TLC Lasik Centers, TLC Clinical Directors, TLC LASIK Surgeons, and TLC Management (collecti ...

Dickerson v. TLC The Laser Eye Center Institute, Inc., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 17395 (4th Cir. Aug. 15, 2012); Charles Benjamin Dickerson appeals the district court’s grant of motions to dismiss the first amended complaint (“FAC”) filed by Appellees TLC…

While Motion to Compel Arbitration Should Reference §3 or §4 of the FAA, Absence Does Not Preclude Appellate Jurisdiction under § 16 — Party Does Not Default on Right to Arbitrate by Delay and Participation, Alone — Actual Prejudice Essential

Wheeling Hosp., Inc. v. The Health Plan of the Upper Ohio Valley, Inc., 683 F.3d 577 (4th Cir. 2012): Appellees Wheeling Hospital and Belmont Hospital***, along with other medical providers, commenced this putative class action in West Virginia state court on May 19, 2010, against the Ohio Valley Health Services and Education Corporation ...

Appealability — Failure to Appeal Sanction in Name of Counsel Does Not Deprive Circuit of Jurisdiction Where Body of Notice Recites That Sanction Imposed on Counsel Is Appealed

Guckenberger v. Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 13881 (2d Cir. July 9, 2012): [W]e conclude that we have jurisdiction over the claim on appeal that the district court improperly sanctioned Guckenberger's counsel pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Rule 11. "Where an award of sanctions runs only against the attor ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Distinguishing an Appealable Modification of an Injunction from a Non-Appealable Clarification — Practical Effects Doctrine — The Legal Relationship of the Parties to the Decree Must Change

Standards for Settlement Class Laxer Than for Litigation Class — Trial Management Problems Irrelevant — Securities Fraud Plaintiffs Needn’t Enjoy Fraud on the Market Presumption to Satisfy Predominance

When International Arbitration Agreement Designates a Non-Existent Forum, New York Convention and Federal Arbitration Act Mandate that District Court Compel Arbitration in Its District

Lingering Doubt — and Circuit Split — Concerning Continued Vitality of Sliding Scale Standard for Preliminary Injunctive Relief

Barebones 26(a)(2)(C) Disclosure Adequate Where Supplemented by Expert’s Testing Results and His 30(b)(6) Deposition

Relationship between Attorney Ethics Rules and Malpractice Liability — Non-Client Has No Cause of Action under Rule 4.3, Which Creates No Duty toward Non-Clients

Inherent Power Sanction of Counsel for Bad Faith Defense of Motion Not Immediately Appealable — Rule 11 Reprimand Threatening Reputational Damage Distinguished — Rule 54(b) Jurisdiction Unachieved by Mere Recital of Standard

RICO — Neither Attorneys’ Fees Nor Cost of Surgeries Nor Injury to Intangible Interest in Personal Medical Information Constitute Concrete or Quantifiable Injury to Business or Property within § 1964(d) — Declaratory Relief Discretionary

While Motion to Compel Arbitration Should Reference §3 or §4 of the FAA, Absence Does Not Preclude Appellate Jurisdiction under § 16 — Party Does Not Default on Right to Arbitrate by Delay and Participation, Alone — Actual Prejudice Essential

Appealability — Failure to Appeal Sanction in Name of Counsel Does Not Deprive Circuit of Jurisdiction Where Body of Notice Recites That Sanction Imposed on Counsel Is Appealed

Recent Posts

Practice of Seeking Leave to Amend after The Case Is Dismissed Is Discouraged

RICO: Release Executed After Alleged RICO Violations Extinguishes RICO Claim — Eighth Circuit Declines to Address Enforceability of A Release “That Is An Integral Part of An Alleged RICO Scheme Or That Immunizes Future RICO Conduct

Pleading — “Civil pleadings are supposed to mark the boundaries for discovery; discovery is not supposed to substitute for definite pleading” (Good Quote) — Shotgun Pleadings (11th Circuit): Four Categories/Types

Rule 37(c)(1) Exclusion of Untimely Expert Report: Failure to Argue Harmlessness Essentially Waives Issue

Rule 37(b) Sanctions — Exclusion of Supplemental Expert Report for Advancing New Opinions — Third Circuit Exclusion Factors — “Importance of Excluded Evidence:” If, As Proponent Argues, There Is Nothing New, Then Exclusion Doesn’t Harm Proponent; If There Is, It Harms Opponent

RICO Pleading: Generic Allegations of Fraud (Failing Even to Set Forth Any False Representation) And Extortion (Failing to Describe Actual Threats) Too Conclusory to State a Claim

RICO Pleading: Statutory Directive That RICO Be Liberally Construed Does Not Extend to More Liberal Pleading Requirements

FRAP 38 Sanctions Imposed Due to the “Striking Legal Emptiness” of Brief/Appeal, “A Legal Nothingburger” — Bad Faith Not Required: An Appeal “May Also Be Frivolous If It Is Filed Out Of Sheer Obstinacy” (Good Quotes)

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