Complex Lit Blog

Sanctions — Court of Federal Claims Has Inherent Power, and Power under Its Rule 11, to Impose Vexatious Litigant Injunction against Recidivist Violator — No Further Motions on Subject Matter Allowed

Evans v. United States, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 24496 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 29, 2018): Appellant David O. Evans appeals an order of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims dismissing his claims for military b ...

Evans v. United States, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 24496 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 29, 2018): Appellant David O. Evans appeals an order of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims dismissing his claims for military back pay, disability retirement benefits, and…

Signature Block on Email Containing Name, Job Title, Firm Name & Contact Info Renders Email a Signed Writing for Purposes of the Statute of Fraud — Email Authentication

Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP v. Malfetti, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167150 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 27, 2018): Plaintiff Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Brei ...

Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP v. Malfetti, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 167150 (E.D.N.Y. Sept. 27, 2018): Plaintiff Meltzer, Lippe, Goldstein & Breitstone, LLP ("Meltzer Lippe") brought this action in state court against defendant James Malfetti, doing business as …

Complaint Not Sanctionable under §1927 — Failure to Settle = Client Choice, Not Attributable to Lawyer — No Bad Faith If Venue Proper, Even If Inconvenient — Saying Case “Not Worth Litigating” = Inoffensive Settlement Statement, Not Admission

Gust, Inc. v. Alphacap Ventures, LLC, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 27667 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 28, 2018): Movant Gutride Safier LLP ("Gutride"), a law firm representing AlphaCa ...

Gust, Inc. v. Alphacap Ventures, LLC, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 27667 (Fed. Cir. Sept. 28, 2018): Movant Gutride Safier LLP ("Gutride"), a law firm representing AlphaCap Ventures, LLC ("AlphaCap") in the district court litigation here, appeals the award of …

30(b)(6) Testimony = Evidentiary, Not Judicial, Admission; Can Be Explained, Corrected, Supplemented — But Sham Affidavit Rule Applies; Some Tension As to What Can Be Modified & When (Reliance, Etc.)

Snapp v. United Transp. Union, 889 F.3d 1088 (9th Cir. 2018): Plaintiff Danny Snapp brought this action against the United Transportation Union (the "Union") and his former em ...

Snapp v. United Transp. Union, 889 F.3d 1088 (9th Cir. 2018): Plaintiff Danny Snapp brought this action against the United Transportation Union (the "Union") and his former employer, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company ("BNSF"), alleging a failure to…

Rule 37(c)(1): If Exclusion=Dismissal, Must Consider Lesser Sanction But No Bad Faith Needed — No Abuse of Discretion If No Request for Lesser Sx — No Meet, Confer Duty Pre-Exclusion — Can Sanction Issue If Non-Disclosure Harmless, Justified?

Vanderberg v. Petco Animal Supplies Stores, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28101 (8th Cir. Oct. 4, 2018): The rules governing litigation in federal courts ensure fair and orderly proceedings free ...

Vanderberg v. Petco Animal Supplies Stores, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28101 (8th Cir. Oct. 4, 2018): The rules governing litigation in federal courts ensure fair and orderly proceedings free from prejudicial surprises. All litigants must disclose the identity of…

Sanctions: District Court Not Required to State Findings Or Conclusions on Every Sanctions Motion — Or Any Other Motion, under Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a)(3), Absent Specific Requirement in a Rule

Bd. of Aldermen v. Mississippi, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28032 (5th Cir. Oct. 1, 2018): PER CURIAM:* Underlying this action&# ...

Bd. of Aldermen v. Mississippi, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28032 (5th Cir. Oct. 1, 2018): PER CURIAM:* Underlying this action's being dismissed for lack of standing is the claim by the Board of Aldermen for the Town of…

RICO: Use of Industry-Standard [Condo / Lending] Form ≠ Mail, Wire Fraud — No Showing of Strong Inference to Defraud, Nor Any Explanation Why Use of the Form Is Fraudulent — Filing of False Documents in Litigation ≠ Predicate Act

Smulley v. FHFA, 2018 WL 4849667 (2d Cir. Oct. 5, 2018): UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the order of the district court is AFFIRMED. Appellant Dorothy Smulley, pro se, sued Webster Financial Corporation (“Webster”), JPMorgan Chase ...

Smulley v. FHFA, 2018 WL 4849667 (2d Cir. Oct. 5, 2018): UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the order of the district court is AFFIRMED. Appellant Dorothy Smulley, pro se, sued Webster Financial Corporation …

Rule 11: “Later Advocating” Imposes Continuing Duty to Correct or Withdraw — Appeals: FRAP 38 & 1927 Sanctions for Advancing Factual / Legal Arguments Only in Reply Brief & Seeking Stay on Appeal without First Seeking It from District Court

Galin v. Hamada, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28091 (2d Cir. Oct. 4, 2018): UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the ...

Galin v. Hamada, 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 28091 (2d Cir. Oct. 4, 2018): UPON DUE CONSIDERATION, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the judgment of the district court is AFFIRMED. Plaintiff-appellant Reed Galin and his counsel,…

FRAP 38, 1927 & Inherent Power Sanctions — Revealing Confidential Discussions with Opposing Counsel, Mediator from Court-Ordered Mediation, Violating Local Circuit Rule, Is Sanctionable—Vaguely-Referenced Docs Integral to Complaint OK on 12(b)(6)

Cortes v. 21st Century Fox Am., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 27759, 2018 WL 4694181 (2d Cir. Oct. 1, 2018) (unpublished): *1 UPON DUE CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, IT IS HEREB ...

Cortes v. 21st Century Fox Am., 2018 U.S. App. LEXIS 27759, 2018 WL 4694181 (2d Cir. Oct. 1, 2018) (unpublished): *1 UPON DUE CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED that the judgment entered on January 11,…

Inherent Power Sanctions: Threatening Witnesses on Facebook If They Cooperate with Adversary Amounts to Witness Tampering, Is Properly Sanctioned by Award of Attorney’s Fees for Time Spent on Sanctions Issue

Emerson v. Dart, 2018 WL 3853761 (7th Cir. Aug. 14, 2018): *1 Paula Emerson is a correctional officer on leave from the Cook County Department of Corrections. She alleges that two County employees unlawfully discriminated against her during her tenure at one of the County’s detention facilities. While li ...

Commercial Litigation and Arbitration

Sanctions — Court of Federal Claims Has Inherent Power, and Power under Its Rule 11, to Impose Vexatious Litigant Injunction against Recidivist Violator — No Further Motions on Subject Matter Allowed

Signature Block on Email Containing Name, Job Title, Firm Name & Contact Info Renders Email a Signed Writing for Purposes of the Statute of Fraud — Email Authentication

Complaint Not Sanctionable under §1927 — Failure to Settle = Client Choice, Not Attributable to Lawyer — No Bad Faith If Venue Proper, Even If Inconvenient — Saying Case “Not Worth Litigating” = Inoffensive Settlement Statement, Not Admission

30(b)(6) Testimony = Evidentiary, Not Judicial, Admission; Can Be Explained, Corrected, Supplemented — But Sham Affidavit Rule Applies; Some Tension As to What Can Be Modified & When (Reliance, Etc.)

Rule 37(c)(1): If Exclusion=Dismissal, Must Consider Lesser Sanction But No Bad Faith Needed — No Abuse of Discretion If No Request for Lesser Sx — No Meet, Confer Duty Pre-Exclusion — Can Sanction Issue If Non-Disclosure Harmless, Justified?

Sanctions: District Court Not Required to State Findings Or Conclusions on Every Sanctions Motion — Or Any Other Motion, under Fed. R. Civ. P. 52(a)(3), Absent Specific Requirement in a Rule

RICO: Use of Industry-Standard [Condo / Lending] Form ≠ Mail, Wire Fraud — No Showing of Strong Inference to Defraud, Nor Any Explanation Why Use of the Form Is Fraudulent — Filing of False Documents in Litigation ≠ Predicate Act

Rule 11: “Later Advocating” Imposes Continuing Duty to Correct or Withdraw — Appeals: FRAP 38 & 1927 Sanctions for Advancing Factual / Legal Arguments Only in Reply Brief & Seeking Stay on Appeal without First Seeking It from District Court

FRAP 38, 1927 & Inherent Power Sanctions — Revealing Confidential Discussions with Opposing Counsel, Mediator from Court-Ordered Mediation, Violating Local Circuit Rule, Is Sanctionable—Vaguely-Referenced Docs Integral to Complaint OK on 12(b)(6)

Inherent Power Sanctions: Threatening Witnesses on Facebook If They Cooperate with Adversary Amounts to Witness Tampering, Is Properly Sanctioned by Award of Attorney’s Fees for Time Spent on Sanctions Issue

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