March 2021 – Paul Mollica's Federal Courts Blog

Class Action Lawyer Persuades Tenth Circuit to Vacate Conditions on Rule 41(a)(2) Dismissal That Limited Him from Refiling Action

In Frank v. Crawley Petroleum Corp., No. 20-6018 (10th Cir. Mar. 29, 2021), the Tenth Circuit holds that a plaintiff’s class-action lawyer has standing to challenge restrictions on his practice that a district court imposed in a Rule 41(a)(2) voluntary dismissal. The class action, removed to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act, concernedContinue reading “Class Action Lawyer Persuades Tenth Circuit to Vacate Conditions on Rule 41(a)(2) Dismissal That Limited Him from Refiling Action”

District Court Cannot Grant Rule 12(b)(6) Motion Solely Because It Struck Plaintiff’s Brief Under Rule 11(a), Holds Seventh Circuit

In Marcure v. Lynn, No. 19-2978 (7th Cir. Mar. 25, 2021), the panel addresses two unresolved issues in the circuit, holding that (1) the striking of unsigned briefs is mandatory under Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a), but (2) even if a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim under Fed. R. Civ. P.Continue reading “District Court Cannot Grant Rule 12(b)(6) Motion Solely Because It Struck Plaintiff’s Brief Under Rule 11(a), Holds Seventh Circuit”

Sixth Circuit Holds Computer-Generated Log of Faxes Were Not Hearsay, But Were Properly Excluded for Lack of Authentication

In Lyngaas v. Curaden AG, No. 20-1199 (6th Cir. Mar. 24, 2021), a Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) class action, the court affirms the district court’s orders concerning the admissibility of a summary-report log that purportedly identified the class members who were called. The class action alleged that the defendants faxed unsolicited ads to thousandsContinue reading “Sixth Circuit Holds Computer-Generated Log of Faxes Were Not Hearsay, But Were Properly Excluded for Lack of Authentication”

Third Circuit Sanctions Lawyer for Bad Cut-and-Paste Job

In Conboy v. United States Small Business Admin., No. 20-1726 (3d Cir. Mar. 19, 2021), the Third Circuit issues a Fed. R. App. P. 38 sanction against a lawyer whose appellate brief “was essentially a copy of the one he filed in the District Court.” To underscore the point, the panel attaches a red-lined copyContinue reading “Third Circuit Sanctions Lawyer for Bad Cut-and-Paste Job”

Plaintiff That Let Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) Procedural Error Slip Forfeits Subject-Matter Jurisdiction Under Doctrine of Party Presentation, Holds Eleventh Circuit

In PDVSA US Litig. Trust v. Lukoil Pan Americas, LLC,.No. 19-10950 (11th Cir. Oct. 18, 2021), the plaintiff-appellant failed to raise its best argument on appeal – that the district court decided the central legal issue on the merits on a Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) motion to dismiss – and thus loses under theContinue reading “Plaintiff That Let Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1) Procedural Error Slip Forfeits Subject-Matter Jurisdiction Under Doctrine of Party Presentation, Holds Eleventh Circuit”

Third Circuit Holds That It Need Not Consider Plaintiff’s Standing to Hear Defendant’s Interlocutory Appeal of Arbitration Ruling

In O’Hanlon v. Uber Technologies Inc., No. 19-3891 (3d Cir. Mar. 17, 2021), the panel rejects defendant-appellee Uber’s argument that the Court of Appeals must take up a standing issue along with its interlocutory review of an arbitration decision. “We established in Griswold v. Coventry First LLC that, on interlocutory appeal from the denial ofContinue reading “Third Circuit Holds That It Need Not Consider Plaintiff’s Standing to Hear Defendant’s Interlocutory Appeal of Arbitration Ruling”

Second Circuit Reminds Courts That They Have Inherent Authority to Sanction Litigant for a Single Misrepresentation, Even If the Court Was Not Misled

In Int’l Techs. Mktg., Inc. v. Verint Sys., Ltd., No. 19-1031 (2d Cir. Mar. 16, 2021), the Second Circuit vacates and remands an order denying sanctions, reiterating that “a court need not wait until it is defrauded before it may impose monetary sanctions on a party who knowingly prosecutes a frivolous claim in bad faith.”Continue reading “Second Circuit Reminds Courts That They Have Inherent Authority to Sanction Litigant for a Single Misrepresentation, Even If the Court Was Not Misled”

Class Representative Who Won at Trial Can Still Appeal Class Decertification, Holds Second Circuit

In Jin v. Shanghai Original, Inc., No. 19-3782 (2d Cir. Mar. 9, 2021), the Second Circuit holds that although a prevailing party ordinarily does not have standing to appeal, a plaintiff who was also a class representative may nevertheless appeal the decertification of the class. Plaintiff Jin successfully moved to certify a Fed. R. Civ.Continue reading “Class Representative Who Won at Trial Can Still Appeal Class Decertification, Holds Second Circuit”

Fifth Circuit Cautions Courts and Litigants About Overbroad Sealing of District Court Files

In Le v. Exeter Finan. Corp., No. 20-10377 (5th Cir. Mar. 5, 2021), in the course of reviewing summary judgment in a contract case, the Fifth Circuit notes that the “three-quarters of [the record] is troublingly sealed from the public” and condemns the “entrenched litigation practice[]” of “stipulated sealings.” “In this case, the district courtContinue reading “Fifth Circuit Cautions Courts and Litigants About Overbroad Sealing of District Court Files”