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

Rule 37(b) Sanctions: Striking of Answer, Default Judgment, Civil Contempt and Piercing Corporate Veil for Deliberate Disregard of Multiple Orders to Produce — Finding of Deliberate Disregard of Court Order Is Factual, Triggering Clear Error Review — Discretion Narrows When Default Sanction Involved — Fourth Circuit Factors for Rule 37 Default Sanction Are Different Than Those for Inherent Power Dismissal Sanction — Continued Defiance of Court Orders And Millions in Unpaid Judgments And Tax Liens Render Lesser Sanctions Futile

Smith v. Devine, 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 1118 (4th Cir. Jan. 17, 2025): Appellants Ronald C. Devine; Brenda S. Devine; the Randall Devine 2010 Irrevocable Trust; the Christopher Devine 2010 Irrevocable Trust; the Benjamin Devin ...
Smith v. Devine, 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 1118 (4th Cir. Jan. 17, 2025): Appellants Ronald C. Devine; Brenda S. Devine; the Randall Devine 2010 Irrevocable Trust; the Christopher Devine 2010 Irrevocable Trust; the Benjamin Devine 2010 Irrevocable Trust; BRC Loans, …
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RICO: No Causation for Company Harmed by Governmental Customers Shunning It After Employee Publishes Book Admitting He Bribed Governmental Officials — Harm Too Indirect, Not from Bribery (Predicate Act) But from Customers’ Decisions to Shun and Publication of Book (Both Lawful) — Customers Injured by Bribery of Their Officials Are More Direct Plaintiffs

Government App Solutions, Inc. v. City of New Haven, 2024 WL 1299993 (9th Cir. Mar. 27, 2024) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* Government App Solutions appeals from the district court’s judgment dismissing its lawsuit bringing claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (“RICO”) Act and various st ...
Government App Solutions, Inc. v. City of New Haven, 2024 WL 1299993 (9th Cir. Mar. 27, 2024) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* Government App Solutions appeals from the district court’s judgment dismissing its lawsuit bringing claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt…
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FRAP 38 Sanctions for Frivolous Opposition to Arbitration

Rezios v. Epic Sys. Corp., 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 1593 (7th Cir. Jan. 24, 2025):  Epic Systems fired Caroline Retzios after she refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19. She filed this suit under Title VII o ...
Rezios v. Epic Sys. Corp., 2025 U.S. App. LEXIS 1593 (7th Cir. Jan. 24, 2025):  Epic Systems fired Caroline Retzios after she refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19. She filed this suit under Title VII of the Civil Rights…
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Extrinsic Fraud Exception to Rooker-Feldman — Where Defendants’ Perjury, False Evidence, Flawed Legal Arguments Prevented Plaintiffs from Presenting Their Claim in State Court

Boudette v. Oskerson, 2024 WL 1342613 (9th Cir. Mar. 29, 2024) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* Plaintiff Daniel Boudette appeals from the district court’s order dismissing this case for lack of jurisdiction under
Boudette v. Oskerson, 2024 WL 1342613 (9th Cir. Mar. 29, 2024) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* Plaintiff Daniel Boudette appeals from the district court’s order dismissing this case for lack of jurisdiction under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and, alternatively, for…
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Federal Jurisdiction: Party Can Waive Subject Matter Jurisdiction — While Federal Courts Must Ensure They Do Not Lack Subject Matter Jurisdiction, There Is No Duty to Find and Exercise It

Behrens v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 96 F.4th 202 (2d Cir. 2024): Five former customers (“Plaintiffs”) of Peregrine Financial Group, Inc. (“Peregrine”), the defunct futures commission merchant, appeal the dismissal of their putative class action by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Broderick, J.).
Behrens v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 96 F.4th 202 (2d Cir. 2024): Five former customers (“Plaintiffs”) of Peregrine Financial Group, Inc. (“Peregrine”), the defunct futures commission merchant, appeal the dismissal of their putative class action by the United States District…
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“RICO Is a Judge’s Nightmare” — “The Requisite RICO Pleading Standards Are Far From Explicit, And The RICO Jurisprudence Offers Courts (And Plaintiffs) Little Guidance” (Good Quotes) — Common Elements of § 1962(a), (c) and (d)-Based Claims — Closed-End Continuity: Duration > 1 Year = Substantial Period of Time — Continuity: Courts Skeptical If Number of Victims and Schemes Is Limited — Untargeted Persons Who Suffer Derivative Injury Do Not Add to the Number of Victims Considered for Continuity Purposes — Open Ended Continuity Can Be Established by Showing Defendant Commits Predicate Acts As “Regular Way of Doing Business” — Citing the Existence of Other Lawsuits Alleging Similar Predicates ≠ Pleading Facts Demonstrating Defendant’s Commission of Similar Predicates Against Others

D&T Partners, L.L.C. v. Baymark Partners Mgmt., LLC, 94 F.4th 198 (5th Cir. 2024): A group of individuals allegedly sought to steal the assets and trade secrets of an e-commerce company. They did so with shell entities, corrupt lending practices, and a fraudulent bankruptcy. The question in this case is whether the scheme, as alleged, violates the Racketeer Influenced and Co ...
D&T Partners, L.L.C. v. Baymark Partners Mgmt., LLC, 94 F.4th 198 (5th Cir. 2024): A group of individuals allegedly sought to steal the assets and trade secrets of an e-commerce company. They did so with shell entities, corrupt lending practices,…
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Practice of Seeking Leave to Amend after The Case Is Dismissed Is Discouraged

Humana Inc. v. Biogen, Inc., 2025 WL 227530 (1st Cir. Jan. 17, 2025): *1 Humana, a major health insurance company and Medicare Part C and Part D sponsor, filed suit in the District of Massachusetts on September 24, 2021 against the drug manufacturer Biogen and a specialty pharmacy, Advanced Care Scripts, Inc. (“ACS”), alleging that each defendant engaged in ...
Humana Inc. v. Biogen, Inc., 2025 WL 227530 (1st Cir. Jan. 17, 2025): *1 Humana, a major health insurance company and Medicare Part C and Part D sponsor, filed suit in the District of Massachusetts on September 24, 2021 against…
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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

SBFO Operator No. 3 v. Onex Corp., 101 F.4th 551 (8th Cir. 2024): This appeal involves a catastrophic series of investments in the Missouri-based discount grocery chain Save-A-Lot and its independent licensee program. The Owner-Operators1 of ten licensed grocery stores and their related company, Anchor Mobile Food Markets, ...
SBFO Operator No. 3 v. Onex Corp., 101 F.4th 551 (8th Cir. 2024): This appeal involves a catastrophic series of investments in the Missouri-based discount grocery chain Save-A-Lot and its independent licensee program. The Owner-Operators1 of ten licensed grocery…
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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

Dvoinik v. Rolff, 2024 WL 2974475 (11th Cir. June 13, 2024): PER CURIAM: *1 Plaintiffs-Appellants Elena Dvoinik and Boris Zavadovsky, pro se, appeal the dismissal of their complaint against Defendants-Appellees Elke Rolff and Dale Webner—without prejudice and without leave to amend—as an impermissible shotgun pleading. Plaintiffs argue that t ...
Dvoinik v. Rolff, 2024 WL 2974475 (11th Cir. June 13, 2024): PER CURIAM: *1 Plaintiffs-Appellants Elena Dvoinik and Boris Zavadovsky, pro se, appeal the dismissal of their complaint against Defendants-Appellees Elke Rolff and Dale Webner—without prejudice and without leave to…
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Rule 37(c)(1) Exclusion of Untimely Expert Report: Failure to Argue Harmlessness Essentially Waives Issue

Randolph v. Best, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 32416 (9th Cir. Dec. 19 2024) (unpublished):  Rule 37(c)(1) Exclusion of Untimely Expert Report:  Failure to Argue Harmlessness Essentially Waives Issue   Randolph v. Best, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 32416 (9th Cir. Dec. 19 2024) (unpublished): MEMORANDUM* < ...
Randolph v. Best, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 32416 (9th Cir. Dec. 19 2024) (unpublished):  Rule 37(c)(1) Exclusion of Untimely Expert Report:  Failure to Argue Harmlessness Essentially Waives Issue   Randolph v. Best, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 32416 (9th Cir. Dec.…
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Recent Posts

RICO Statute of Limitations — Storm Warnings, Not Thunder and Lightning (Good Quote)

Rule 37 Discovery Sanctions: Ninth Circuit’s Five-Factor Test for Gauging Appropriateness of Dismissal — The Limited Utility of Rule 12(f) Motions to Strike

RICO: Employer Suffered Harm to Business or Property When Kickbacks Paid to Employees in Real Estate Transactions Done for Employer — Expert Testimony Sufficient to Prove Harm — Proof That Employer Paid Above-Market Prices Not Essential — Non-Disclosure of Certain Damages in Initial Disclosures Cured by Expert Report, Which Also Rendered Initial Non-Disclosure Harmless

Spoliation: Dismissal Under Rule 37(e)(2) and Monetary Sanctions Under Rule 37(e)(1), Implicitly Reading The “Or” Between 37(e)(1) and 37(e)(2) As Conjunctive, Not Disjunctive — Clear Error Standard of Review for District Court’s Intent (= Bad Faith) Finding under 37(e)(2)(C) — Additional Monetary Sanctions Imposed on Claimants under 28 U.S.C. § 1927 and Rule 37(a)(5) — No Right to Jury Determination of Intent under Rule 37(e)(2) — “Substantially Justified” in Rule 37(a)(5) Has Same Meaning As In Equal Access to Justice Act and Thus Rule 11 — Meaning of “Unreasonable and Vexatious” in 7th Circuit

Inherent Power Sanction of Dismissal — Preponderance of the Evidence Burden of Proof, Not Clear and Convincing Evidence (7th Circuit)

§ 1927 Sanctions — Must A Lawyer Who Unreasonably and Vexatiously Multiplies Federal Court Proceedings Be Acting “As An Attorney” When Committing the Misconduct To Be Subject to Sanction under § 1927?

Rule 37 Sanctions — Unfamiliarity With Litigation Process Does Not Excuse Intentional Disregard of Court Order — Also Affirming Rule 26(g) Sanctions on Clients and Counsel for False Representations That All Responsive Documents Had Been Produced

Supreme Court: Notice of Appeal Filed After The Original Deadline But Before Reopening by The District Court Is Timely — It Relates Forward to The Date of The Order Making The Appeal Possible — Second Notice of Appeal After Reopening Unnecessary

Rule 37 Default Judgment: Second Circuit’s Four-Factor Test for Imposing Defaults and Three-Factor Test for Lifting Them

Rule 37 Default Judgment — Tenth Circuit Multifactor Test Is Not Exhaustive But a Non-Exclusive List of “Sometimes-Helpful Criteria Or Guide Posts”— Appeal from Preliminary Injunction Mooted by Entry of Permanent Injunction — Difficulty in Collecting Damages Award May Equal Irreparable Injury — A Monetary Award For Past Conduct Does Not Preclude A Permanent Injunction Against Similar Wrongful Conduct Likely To Occur In The Future

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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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