Filing a motion for sanctions under Rule 37(e) requires a strong evidentiary foundation. But there's another factor that's just as critical — timing. Courts have broad discretion in how they handle sanctions, and...more
As the volume of electronically stored information, or ESI, subject to discovery has exploded, allegations of spoliation have multiplied. Before the 2015 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, courts relied on...more
The extent to which a loss scene can be altered before adversaries can legitimately cry spoliation has long been a mysterious battleground in the world of subrogation. In the case of In re Xterra Constr., LLC, No....more
On August 1, 2018, Judge Beetlestone (E.D. Pa.) granted Defendants’ motion for sanctions based upon unequivocal evidence that Plaintiffs manipulated and fabricated emails material to the litigation. Although the Court...more
On January 23, 2018, the Northern District of Indiana issued a decision that clarifies what constitutes spoliation of evidence under Indiana law. In Arcelormittal Ind. Harbor LLC v. Amex Nooter, LLC, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS...more
A recent case in the Middle District of Tennessee highlights the scope and limits of spoliation sanctions under amended Rule 37(e). In Benefield v. MStreet Entertainment, LLC, 2016 WL 374568 (M.D. Tenn., Feb. 1, 2016), the...more
Whenever e-discovery and healthcare litigation and investigations come up, you can almost always count on the topic to include a discussion of sanctions. That’s not an accident. There has been an uptick in both the volume of...more