New Jersey law recognizes that the voluntary arbitration of civil disputes is generally favored, subject to certain exceptions. One exception occurs when a party to a contract containing an arbitration waives its right to...more
I remember listening to Justice Frank Cleckley of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, my professor for Evidence, open his first lecture with a discussion of Federal Rule of Evidence 103. As a young law student, I was...more
Senate Bill 999 has passed the Senate and been reported out of the Civil Subcommittee from the House Courts of Justice Committee. The bill, if passed by the House and signed by the Governor, would have two important...more
Ever had to explain to a client why a sweet win in the lower courts doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to dig in and eat? In City of Martinsville, VA v. Express Scripts, a Fourth Circuit majority opinion used a...more
Attorneys love rules. And our adversarial legal system functions best when both sides understand and follow common rules. So one Maryland appellate rule has always confounded me because it is routinely construed as meaning...more
The Arizona Court of Appeals recently held that in a deposition, a party must answer any relevant, non-harassing question, unless the answer is privileged. Attorneys are on notice that sanctions are fair game if they instruct...more
The Civil Procedure Rules (“CPR”) have been amended to reflect the Court of Appeal decision in Churchill v Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council [2023] EWCA Civ. 141. The courts in England and Wales can now order parties to...more
The English High Court offers limited routes to bring “opt-out” group claims but, in recent years, funded claimants have attempted to bring representative actions under CPR 19.8 at a notable rate. The rule has been available,...more
Fourth Circuit decision highlights the wide discretion federal district courts have to manage their calendars. The timing of litigation in federal courts is case-specific and hard to predict, but data from North Carolina...more
In a less-than-thousand-word opinion, the Fourth District Court of Appeal of Florida put foreclosure cases across Florida in jeopardy. Namely, in all foreclosure cases in which a borrower is deceased, unless the legal...more
Judges and jurists alike champion the notion that rehearings should be used sparingly and only when the conditions are just right. A lesser known concept is that sometimes a motion for rehearing is absolutely necessary to...more
A recent ruling confirms judicial discretion to stay proceedings and instruct parties to seek non-court-based alternatives to litigation. The UK Court of Appeal has ruled that the court has the authority to stay...more
First Appellate Decision. In In re Troy S. Poe Trust, a co-trustee of a trust filed suit to modify the trust to increase the number of trustees and change the method for trustees to vote on issues as well as other...more
In reversing nearly $700,000 in post-judgment interest, the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District clarified that post-judgment interest can be recovered only after the trial court enters a final judgment....more
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit recently adopted amendments to its Local Appellate Rules, creating a new L.A.R. 26.1 and modifying L.A.R. Misc. 113.3(c). The amended rules now create a uniform 5:00...more
The legal aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic will be surfacing for years to come. But for those waiting for pendent-appellate jurisdiction and Rule 54(b) sightings, a recent Court of Appeal opinion combines appellate...more
United Arab Emirates has made its mark as the go-to jurisdiction for commercial trade for countries all across the globe. While there is no doubt that UAE is the preferred destination for setting up new businesses, opening up...more
September 6, 2022 Every appellate attorney’s dream is a well-developed record on appeal without any unpreserved errors. But that is not always possible. The recent amendment to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.530(a), issued...more
1.510 Summary Judgment Update: Florida Courts of Appeal Continue to Clarify Florida’s New Summary Judgment Standard On May 1, 2021, the Florida Supreme Court overhauled its summary judgment standard by amending Florida...more
On May 3, 2022, the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued a large batch of opinions. By my count, twenty-two were published and thirty were unpublished. While history may prove me wrong, none of the published opinions...more
In Article VI of the Constitution of Virginia, the judicial power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Virginia Supreme Court and in “other courts of original or appellate jurisdiction subordinate to the Supreme Court as the...more
Evans v. Evans has rightly received attention for its helpful discussion of when notice by publication is permitted. Less prominently featured, but as important for appellate practitioners, is the Supreme Court’s discussion...more
In U.S. v. Jenkins, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit handed down an opinion with an interesting wrinkle for appellate practitioners. It took up the question of when an appellate record that’s incomplete, on...more
Legal Alert for Community Associations: Community associations should take notice that Virginia recently became the final state to allow civil litigants a right to appeal a circuit court ruling. ...more
Q: What does it mean when my case has been appealed? A: If your case is appealed, it can mean different things depending on the venue and stage of litigation....more