Complex Lit Blog

May State Gov’t Assert Attorney-Client Privilege against Fed. Grand Jury Subpoena? — Circuit Split — 1st Cir. Says Yes; Maybe Not If State Official Subject of Criminal Inquiry — Appellate Jurisdiction: Advisory vs. Traditional Mandamus

In re Grand Jury Subpoena, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 32961 (1st Cir. Nov. 21, 2018): Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training ("Department") petitions us for a writ of advisor ...

In re Grand Jury Subpoena, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 32961 (1st Cir. Nov. 21, 2018): Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training ("Department") petitions us for a writ of advisory mandamus to answer the following question: May a state…

Federal Jurisdiction—Class Actions: No Ancillary Jurisdiction over Fee Dispute Where Court Lacks Control over Funds (Distributed) & Dispute Has No Impact on Timing Or Substance of Relief in Underlying Action

In re Cmty. Bank, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 35841 (3d Cir. Dec. 20, 2018)): R. Bruce Carlson was co-lead counsel representing the plaintiffs in In re Community Bank of Northern Virginia M ...

In re Cmty. Bank, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 35841 (3d Cir. Dec. 20, 2018)): R. Bruce Carlson was co-lead counsel representing the plaintiffs in In re Community Bank of Northern Virginia Mortgage Lending Practices Litigation, MDL No. 1674 ("In …

Rule 11 Sanctions: Failure to Heed Dismissal of Case for Lack of Diversity, and Refiling in New District with Additional Defendant, Is Frivolous — Even If New Def. Is the Real-Party-in-Interest, Every Party’s Citizenship Counts

Zausa v. Zausa, 2018 WL 5734265 (7th Cir. Nov. 1, 2018): *1 Attorney Maurice James Salem believes that if he files a lawsuit in an Illinois federal district court, which dismisses the case for lack of federal subject-matter jurisdiction, he can cure the jurisdictional problem by filing the same case in a feder ...

Texts/Hearsay — Adoptive Admissions (Factors) — Unique Nature of Texts (“Truncated, Raw & Immediate”) — Deflection vs. Acquiescence — Jury Must Be Instructed It Can’t Consider the Statements Unless It Finds Adoptive Admission Factors Satisfied

State v. Hill, 2018 Wash. App. LEXIS 2837 (Wash. Ct. App. Dec. 17, 2018): An out-of-court statement is not hearsay if the party has manifested an adoption or belief in its truth ...

State v. Hill, 2018 Wash. App. LEXIS 2837 (Wash. Ct. App. Dec. 17, 2018): An out-of-court statement is not hearsay if the party has manifested an adoption or belief in its truth." ER 801(d)(2)(ii). A jury convicted Frederick …

RICO: Loss of Unvested Work Comp Benefits ≠ Injury to Business or Property — In California, That Right Is Wholly Statutory and Not Vested until Reduced to Final Judgment

Black v. Corvel Enter. Comp, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 35309 (9th Cir. Dec. 17, 2018) (unpublished): The district court dismissed Appellants' claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO"), 18 U.S.C. § 1962, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6). The district court concluded Appellants ...

Sanctions: “Dismissal Must Be a Sanction of Last, Not First, Resort” (Good Quote) — Disregard of Scheduling Order, Even with Warning, Not Enough without Consideration of Lesser Sanctions and Other (3d Circuit) Factors

Rawls v. Gibbs, 741 Fed. Appx. 108, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 31014, 2018 WL 5734259 (3d Cir. Nov. 1, 2018): (unpublished): OPINION*< ...

Rawls v. Gibbs, 741 Fed. Appx. 108, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 31014, 2018 WL 5734259 (3d Cir. Nov. 1, 2018): (unpublished): OPINION* PER CURIAM Pro se appellant Sameech Rawls appeals the District Court's dismissal of his complaint for…

Summary Judgment: Evidentiary Issues Reviewed for Abuse of Discretion — Unsigned Dep. OK on SJ If No Inaccuracies Shown — Affidavit from Undisclosed Person Harmless Where Others Disclosed to Say Same Thing & No Deps Taken

PNC Equipment Finance v. Mariani, 2018 WL 6584123 (6th Cir. Dec. 13, 2018): Harry Carr (“Carr”) appeals the decision of the district court to grant the Motion for Summary Judgment (“Motion”) filed by Plaintiff PNC Equipment Finance, LLC (“PNCEF”) and to deny Carr’s Motion to Amend, Stay, or Vacate the district judge’s ...

Inherent Power & 41(b) Sanctions: Dismissal with Prejudice upon Disregard of An Order Generally OK If Party Forewarned — Finding Lesser Sanctions Wouldn’t Suffice May Be Implicit

Novero v. Duke Energy, 2018 WL 5013823 (11th Cir. Oct. 16, 2018): PER CURIAM: In this employment action, Plaintiff Primo C. Novero appeals the district court’s dismissal of his Complaint for failure to comply with

Facebook Posts, Photos Authenticated by Messages betw Defendant (D) & Known Assocs, Contents of Posts, Witness Testimony That He Set Meetings with D by FB and D Came, Selfies, Birthday Message Posted on D’s Birthday, No Evidence Anything Planted

People v. Delgado, 2018 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 8357 (Cal. Ct. App. Dec. 11, 2018): I. Introduction Defendant Alejandro Ernesto Hernandez-Delgado appeals ...

People v. Delgado, 2018 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 8357 (Cal. Ct. App. Dec. 11, 2018): I. Introduction Defendant Alejandro Ernesto Hernandez-Delgado appeals after a jury convicted him of first degree murder (Pen. Code, 187, subd. (a))[1] and …

§1927 Sanctions Unreviewable, Even Though Notice of Appeal Stated That Review of §1927 Award Was Its Purpose, Where Appeal Filed in Name of Client and Counsel Was Not Named as Appellant

King v. Burr, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 34702 (3d Cir. Dec. 10, 2018) (unpublished): OPINION* AMBRO, Circuit Judge ...

King v. Burr, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 34702 (3d Cir. Dec. 10, 2018) (unpublished): OPINION* AMBRO, Circuit Judge This is the second appeal filed in this case. See King v. Burr et al., 728 F. App'x 83 …

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

May State Gov’t Assert Attorney-Client Privilege against Fed. Grand Jury Subpoena? — Circuit Split — 1st Cir. Says Yes; Maybe Not If State Official Subject of Criminal Inquiry — Appellate Jurisdiction: Advisory vs. Traditional Mandamus

Federal Jurisdiction—Class Actions: No Ancillary Jurisdiction over Fee Dispute Where Court Lacks Control over Funds (Distributed) & Dispute Has No Impact on Timing Or Substance of Relief in Underlying Action

Rule 11 Sanctions: Failure to Heed Dismissal of Case for Lack of Diversity, and Refiling in New District with Additional Defendant, Is Frivolous — Even If New Def. Is the Real-Party-in-Interest, Every Party’s Citizenship Counts

Texts/Hearsay — Adoptive Admissions (Factors) — Unique Nature of Texts (“Truncated, Raw & Immediate”) — Deflection vs. Acquiescence — Jury Must Be Instructed It Can’t Consider the Statements Unless It Finds Adoptive Admission Factors Satisfied

RICO: Loss of Unvested Work Comp Benefits ≠ Injury to Business or Property — In California, That Right Is Wholly Statutory and Not Vested until Reduced to Final Judgment

Sanctions: “Dismissal Must Be a Sanction of Last, Not First, Resort” (Good Quote) — Disregard of Scheduling Order, Even with Warning, Not Enough without Consideration of Lesser Sanctions and Other (3d Circuit) Factors

Summary Judgment: Evidentiary Issues Reviewed for Abuse of Discretion — Unsigned Dep. OK on SJ If No Inaccuracies Shown — Affidavit from Undisclosed Person Harmless Where Others Disclosed to Say Same Thing & No Deps Taken

Inherent Power & 41(b) Sanctions: Dismissal with Prejudice upon Disregard of An Order Generally OK If Party Forewarned — Finding Lesser Sanctions Wouldn’t Suffice May Be Implicit

Facebook Posts, Photos Authenticated by Messages betw Defendant (D) & Known Assocs, Contents of Posts, Witness Testimony That He Set Meetings with D by FB and D Came, Selfies, Birthday Message Posted on D’s Birthday, No Evidence Anything Planted

§1927 Sanctions Unreviewable, Even Though Notice of Appeal Stated That Review of §1927 Award Was Its Purpose, Where Appeal Filed in Name of Client and Counsel Was Not Named as Appellant

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)

Archives

New York Office