Complex Lit Blog

Retroactive vs. Prospective Application of a Judicial Decision

From Wright v. Owens Corning, 450 B.R. 541 (W.D. Pa. 2011): In Harper v. Virginia Department of Taxation, 509 U.S. 86, 113 S. Ct. 2510, 125 L. Ed. 2d 74 (1993), the Supreme Court of the United States held that [w]hen [the] Court applies a rule of federal law to the parties before it, that rule is the controlling ...

Supreme Court on Sanctions — If Plaintiff Asserts Both Frivolous and Non-Frivolous Claims, Court May Grant Attorneys’ Fees that Defendant Incurred Because of, and Only Because of, the Frivolous Claims — “But For” Causation Test

From Fox v. Vice, 131 S. Ct. 2205 (2011) (decided under Civil Rights Act attorneys' fees provision, 42 U.S.C. § 1988, but logically applicable to any sanctions provision authorizing award of “reasonable attorney's fees” — e.g., Rule 11): Federal law authorizes a court to award a reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing ...

From Fox v. Vice, 131 S. Ct. 2205 (2011) (decided under Civil Rights Act attorneys’ fees provision, 42 U.S.C. § 1988, but logically applicable to any sanctions provision authorizing award of “reasonable attorney’s fees” — e.g., Rule 11): Federal law…

Email, Text and Facebook Message Authentication

From Manuel v. State, 2011 Tex. App. LEXIS 7152 (Tex. Ct. App. Aug. 31, 2011): An e-mail is properly authenticated if its appearance, contents, substance, or other distinctive characteristics, taken in conjunction with circumstances, support a finding that the document is what its proponent claims. See Shea, 167 S.W.3d at 105; Massimo v. ...

Stock Price Data Inadmissible Where Price Drop May be Attributable to Irrelevant Causes — Rejecting Stipulations — Waiver v. Forfeiture of Objection & Plain Error Review — Double Hearsay

From United States v. Ferguson, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 15811 (2d Cir. Aug. 1, 2011): Materiality is an element of most of the charged offenses. There must have been a "substantial likelihood" that the LPT-related misstatements would be important to a reasonable investor. See Basic Inc. v. Levinson, 485 U.S. 224, 231, 108 S. Ct. 978, 99 L. ...

From United States v. Ferguson, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 15811 (2d Cir. Aug. 1, 2011): Materiality is an element of most of the charged offenses. There must have been a “substantial likelihood” that the LPT-related misstatements would be important to…

Motion to Recuse Not Only Members of Panel that Ruled against Her but also All Other, Unnamed Circuit Judges “Who Share Their Feelings” Not Only Frivolous but Appears to Comprise Malicious Disparagement of Court

From Gallop v. Cheney, 645 F.3d 519 (2d Cir. 2011) (denying rehearing of opinion excerpted in our post of June 7, 2011): While Gallop's petition for rehearing was pending before this Court, she moved, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 144 and 455(a), to disqualify the panel from consideration of that petition and any other aspect of her appeal ...

From Gallop v. Cheney, 645 F.3d 519 (2d Cir. 2011) (denying rehearing of opinion excerpted in our post of June 7, 2011): While Gallop’s petition for rehearing was pending before this Court, she moved, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 144…

Non-Waiver Clause in Arbitration Agreement Does Not Preclude Finding that Party Has Waived Right to Arbitrate by Litigating Dispute in Court

From Gray Holdco, Inc. v Cassady, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 17032 (3d Cir. Aug. 17, 2011): On November 13, 2009, Gray filed the complaint in this action in the District Court against Cassady and RWLS, asserting that Cassady breached the Option Agreement and tortiously interfered with Gray's existing contractual relationships. The complaint a ...

Literal Truth No Defense to Rule 11 Sanctions If Misleading — Reliance on Dubious Computerized Data from client’s Third-Party Vendor ≠ Reasonable Inquiry — Reliance on Client: Need Not Assume Duplicity — Uninvolved Senior Partner Not Culpable

From In re Taylor, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 17651 (3d Cir. Aug. 24, 2011): This case is an unfortunate example of the ways in which overreliance on computerized processes in a high-volume practice, as well as a failure on the part of clients and lawyers alike to take responsibility for accurate knowledge of a case, can lead to attorney misc ...

Amended Complaint that Fundamentally Changes the Shape of a Case Revives Defendant’s Right to Compel Arbitration — Here, Vastly Augmented Class Definition

From Krinsk v. Suntrust Banks, Inc., 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 18521 (11th Cir. Sept. 7, 2011): Defendant SunTrust Bank ("SunTrust") appeals the district court's order denying its motion to compel plaintiff Sara Krinsk to submit her claims to arbitration pursuant to an arbitration agreement governed by the Federal Arbitration Act ("FAA"), 9 ...

From Krinsk v. Suntrust Banks, Inc., 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 18521 (11th Cir. Sept. 7, 2011): Defendant SunTrust Bank (“SunTrust”) appeals the district court’s order denying its motion to compel plaintiff Sara Krinsk to submit her claims to arbitration pursuant…

Responsive Internet Pages that Party Intends to Introduce Must Be Produced in Discovery — No Defense that They Haven’t Been Printed Out — Someone Other Than Trial Counsel Should Authenticate — Non-Hearsay Uses of Internet Evidence

From Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc. v. Scurmont LLC, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89727 (D.S.C. Aug. 11, 2011): I: Internet Printouts of Alleged Third Party Use Firehouse seeks to preclude Calli Baker's from introducing a substantial number of printouts from various Internet websites purporting to identify businesses that use the ter ...

From Firehouse Restaurant Group, Inc. v. Scurmont LLC, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 89727 (D.S.C. Aug. 11, 2011): I: Internet Printouts of Alleged Third Party Use Firehouse seeks to preclude Calli Baker’s from introducing a substantial number of printouts from various…

Permissible and Impermissible Supplemental Closing Arguments in Criminal Trial — Distinguishing Coercive from Non-Coercive — Importance of Not Polling Jurors as to Areas of Disagreement

From United States v. Della Porta, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 16341 (9th Cir. Aug. 8, 2011): In [United States v. Evanston, No. 10-10159, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 13647, 2011 WL 2619277, at *1 (9th Cir. July 5, 2011)], we addressed, as a matter of first impression in this circuit, the use of supplemental closing arguments to assist a deadlocked j ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Retroactive vs. Prospective Application of a Judicial Decision

Supreme Court on Sanctions — If Plaintiff Asserts Both Frivolous and Non-Frivolous Claims, Court May Grant Attorneys’ Fees that Defendant Incurred Because of, and Only Because of, the Frivolous Claims — “But For” Causation Test

Email, Text and Facebook Message Authentication

Stock Price Data Inadmissible Where Price Drop May be Attributable to Irrelevant Causes — Rejecting Stipulations — Waiver v. Forfeiture of Objection & Plain Error Review — Double Hearsay

Motion to Recuse Not Only Members of Panel that Ruled against Her but also All Other, Unnamed Circuit Judges “Who Share Their Feelings” Not Only Frivolous but Appears to Comprise Malicious Disparagement of Court

Non-Waiver Clause in Arbitration Agreement Does Not Preclude Finding that Party Has Waived Right to Arbitrate by Litigating Dispute in Court

Literal Truth No Defense to Rule 11 Sanctions If Misleading — Reliance on Dubious Computerized Data from client’s Third-Party Vendor ≠ Reasonable Inquiry — Reliance on Client: Need Not Assume Duplicity — Uninvolved Senior Partner Not Culpable

Amended Complaint that Fundamentally Changes the Shape of a Case Revives Defendant’s Right to Compel Arbitration — Here, Vastly Augmented Class Definition

Responsive Internet Pages that Party Intends to Introduce Must Be Produced in Discovery — No Defense that They Haven’t Been Printed Out — Someone Other Than Trial Counsel Should Authenticate — Non-Hearsay Uses of Internet Evidence

Permissible and Impermissible Supplemental Closing Arguments in Criminal Trial — Distinguishing Coercive from Non-Coercive — Importance of Not Polling Jurors as to Areas of Disagreement

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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