Complex Lit Blog

RICO — Allegedly Inflated Cost of Appraisal in Mortgage Transaction Does Not Constitute Concrete Financial Loss Absent Factual Allegations Demonstrating It Exceeded Market Price or Was Not Independent, as Billed

Gomez v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 7370 (8th Cir. April 12, 2012): Grant A. Gomez and Lanie L. Gomez (the Gomezes) sought to establish a nationwide class of thousands of borrowers who allegedly paid inflated appraisal fees in connection with real estate transactions financed by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (Wells Fargo). ** ...

Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) Printouts Received in Evidence on Preliminary Injunction Motion Evidently without Further Authentication — Courts Warming to Reliability

Keystone Retaining Wall Sys., Inc. v. Basalite Concrete Prods., LLC, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145545 (D. Minn. Dec. 19, 2011): As evidence, Basalite relies on printouts of Keystone's website dated 2006 and retrieved from the Internet Archive (or "Wayback Machine"); both patents were filed on November 7, 2008, so an anticipatory reference f ...

Keystone Retaining Wall Sys., Inc. v. Basalite Concrete Prods., LLC, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 145545 (D. Minn. Dec. 19, 2011): As evidence, Basalite relies on printouts of Keystone’s website dated 2006 and retrieved from the Internet Archive (or “Wayback Machine”);…

Disqualification: While Prior Representation of Adversary’s Predecessor in Interest May Warrant Disqualification, Representation of Assignor of Rights Does Not — Burden of Proving Specific Confidential Information Posses

My First Shades v. Baby Blanket Suncare, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19881 (E.D.N.Y. Feb. 16, 2012): Plaintiffs My First Shades ("MFS") and Venetian Holdings, LLC ("Venetian") brought this action against defendants Baby Blanket Suncare and the Mercer Group, Ltd. ("Mercer"), claiming that defendants have committed, and are continuing to commit ...

My First Shades v. Baby Blanket Suncare, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 19881 (E.D.N.Y. Feb. 16, 2012): Plaintiffs My First Shades (“MFS”) and Venetian Holdings, LLC (“Venetian”) brought this action against defendants Baby Blanket Suncare and the Mercer Group, Ltd. (“Mercer”),…

Limits on Equitable Tolling — Exceptions to Client Responsibility for Lawyer Negligence — Gross Negligence vs. Negligence (Good Quote)

Hutchinson v. Florida, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 7960 (11th Cir. April 19, 2012): A petitioner has the burden of establishing his right — if "right" is not too strong a word in the area of equity — to equitable tolling. He must plead or proffer enough facts that, if true, would justify an evidentiary hearing on the issue. Chave ...

Hutchinson v. Florida, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 7960 (11th Cir. April 19, 2012): A petitioner has the burden of establishing his right — if “right” is not too strong a word in the area of equity — to equitable tolling.…

Spoliation — Unsuccessful Applicant’s Emails Asking Why She Was Not Hired Insufficient to Trigger Duty to Preserve — Sixth Circuit Applies Residential Funding Standard — Destruction in Ordinary Course

Perryman v. Postmaster General, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 7328 (6th Cir. April 11, 2012): Perryman's ADEA claim stems from USPS's denial of Perryman's application for the position of customer services supervisor at the Chagrin Falls, Ohio Post Office, the same position that she held at the South Euclid, Ohio Post Office. Perryman applied ...

Perryman v. Postmaster General, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 7328 (6th Cir. April 11, 2012): Perryman’s ADEA claim stems from USPS’s denial of Perryman’s application for the position of customer services supervisor at the Chagrin Falls, Ohio Post Office, the same…

Settlement Negotiations Are Not Privileged — Circuit Split — Utility of Rule 26 — Heightened Standard for Discovery

In re MSTG, Inc., 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 7092 (Fed. Cir. April 9, 2012): This [mandamus] petition arises out of an order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois compelling MSTG, Inc. ("MSTG") to produce documents related to license negotiation discussions between MSTG and six other companies, including pr ...

Where Testifying Expert Is Salaried Employee, Compensation Disclosure Requirement of Rule 26(a)(2)(B) Does Not Apply unless Salary Is Tied to or Dependent on Opinions — Full-Time Employee Status Alone Sufficient to Show Bias

Securities and Exchange Commission v. Nadel, , 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 53173 (E.D.N.Y. April 16, 2012): Dr. Porter is an Assistant Professor of Finance at Iowa State University who is currently serving at the SEC's Division of Risk, Strategy and Financial Innovation pursuant to an Intergovernmental Personnel Act agreement awarded in June 2 ...

Class Actions — Superiority — Circuit Split as to Whether, Where Predominance Is Lacking, Court May Certify Sub-Issues for Class Adjudication Even Though Claim as a Whole Does Not Satisfy Predominance — Does This Split Survive Dukes?

Oakley v. Verizon Commc’ns, Inc., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 12975 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 1, 2012): Where predominance is lacking, a Court may certify sub-issues for class adjudication; in Nassau County [In re Nassau County Strip Search Cases, 461 F.3d 219 (2d Cir. 2006),] the Second Circuit acknowledged a split in Circuit caselaw, but sided wi ...

Is a Court Officer Entitled to Absolute Quasi-Judicial Immunity — or Only Qualified Immunity — When Using Excessive Force to Remove a Person from the Courtroom pursuant to a Judge’s Order? Circuit Split

Ingram v. Township of Deptford, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34031 (D.N.J. Mar. 13, 2012): A Circuit split exists with respect to whether a court officer is entitled to absolute quasi-judicial immunity when the officer allegedly uses excessive force to remove a person from a courtroom pursuant to a judge's order. The Third Circuit has not addr ...

A Post-Trial Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law under Rule 50(b) May Only be Made on the Same Specific Grounds as the Pre-Verdict Motion under Rule 50(a)

Lore v. City of Syracuse, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 1954 (2d Cir. Feb. 2, 2012): Rule 50 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides in part that "[a] motion for judgment as a matter of law may be made at any time before the case is submitted to the jury." Fed. R. Civ. P. 50(a)(2). The principal purpose of the requirement that any such ...

Lore v. City of Syracuse, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 1954 (2d Cir. Feb. 2, 2012): Rule 50 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides in part that “[a] motion for judgment as a matter of law may be made…

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

RICO — Allegedly Inflated Cost of Appraisal in Mortgage Transaction Does Not Constitute Concrete Financial Loss Absent Factual Allegations Demonstrating It Exceeded Market Price or Was Not Independent, as Billed

Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) Printouts Received in Evidence on Preliminary Injunction Motion Evidently without Further Authentication — Courts Warming to Reliability

Disqualification: While Prior Representation of Adversary’s Predecessor in Interest May Warrant Disqualification, Representation of Assignor of Rights Does Not — Burden of Proving Specific Confidential Information Posses

Limits on Equitable Tolling — Exceptions to Client Responsibility for Lawyer Negligence — Gross Negligence vs. Negligence (Good Quote)

Spoliation — Unsuccessful Applicant’s Emails Asking Why She Was Not Hired Insufficient to Trigger Duty to Preserve — Sixth Circuit Applies Residential Funding Standard — Destruction in Ordinary Course

Settlement Negotiations Are Not Privileged — Circuit Split — Utility of Rule 26 — Heightened Standard for Discovery

Where Testifying Expert Is Salaried Employee, Compensation Disclosure Requirement of Rule 26(a)(2)(B) Does Not Apply unless Salary Is Tied to or Dependent on Opinions — Full-Time Employee Status Alone Sufficient to Show Bias

Class Actions — Superiority — Circuit Split as to Whether, Where Predominance Is Lacking, Court May Certify Sub-Issues for Class Adjudication Even Though Claim as a Whole Does Not Satisfy Predominance — Does This Split Survive Dukes?

Is a Court Officer Entitled to Absolute Quasi-Judicial Immunity — or Only Qualified Immunity — When Using Excessive Force to Remove a Person from the Courtroom pursuant to a Judge’s Order? Circuit Split

A Post-Trial Motion for Judgment as a Matter of Law under Rule 50(b) May Only be Made on the Same Specific Grounds as the Pre-Verdict Motion under Rule 50(a)

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)

Archives

New York Office