As readers of this blog are aware, the most contentious battles during a lawsuit are fought during discovery. Among the various discovery battles is scheduling depositions. In many cases, parties tend to reschedule depositions, which typically drags out the length of a litigation. The worst decision a party can make is failing to appear for
Sanctions
Discovery Sanctions Alert: Failure to Include Withheld Items on Privilege Log Lands Party in Hot Water
Commercial Division Rule 11-b governs a party’s obligation to produce a log of documents withheld on the basis of privilege. Enacted in 2014, Rule 11-b substantially streamlines the privilege log process by encouraging parties, “where appropriate,” to exchange categorical privilege logs, rather than document-by-document logs. Rule 11-b instructs the parties to meet-and-confer over the issue…
Civility at Depositions: Court Orders Veteran Attorneys to Play Nice in the Sandbox
When the Court orders you to attend a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) class on civility “for the harm [you’ve] done to the [legal] profession”– not to mention issues you five-figures in sanctions – you know you’ve done something very, very wrong. And that’s exactly what happened last month when Manhattan Commercial Division Justice Andrea Masley…
Defendants Get Lit Up by the Court on the Fifth Day of Hanukkah
It’s not often that a lawsuit in the Commercial Division between sophisticated parties to an arm’s-length business transaction warrants a blistering rebuke of the parties by the Court. But on December 3, 2021, New York County Commercial Division Justice Andrew Borrok issued a scathing decision in a case entitled Extended CHAA Acquisition, LLC v Mahoney…
Think Before You Speak: Words and Actions Can Bind You Beyond The Terms of a Previously Agreed Upon Subcontract Agreement
Our parents taught us to think before we speak. That lesson is especially important when words or conduct could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars beyond what was previously agreed upon in a subcontract agreement.
In a recent case before Justice Andrea Masley, Corporate Electrical Technologies, Inc. v. Structure Tone, Inc. et al.…
Google Doesn’t “Do the Right Thing” When It Comes To Attorneys’ Eyes Only
As litigators in the Commercial Division, everyone knows that discovery can be particularly burdensome and time consuming. This is especially true when you have clients that are very protective of their information. The Commercial Division already has anticipated this by offering attorneys a model confidentiality agreement, which in some cases can be further negotiated…
Personal Jurisdiction Over Japanese Airplane Entities Does Not Fly in New York County
In a recent decision, Justice Scarpulla of the New York County Commercial Division declined to exercise personal jurisdiction over several Japanese entities, and even imposed sanctions on the plaintiff for attempting to relitigate its already-decided claims in New York.
Defendant ANA Aircraft Technics, Co., Ltd. (“ANA Technics”) maintained a fleet of airplanes owned and…
Three New Rule Amendments Proposed by the Advisory Council
One aspect of the Commercial Division that makes it a highly desirable forum for litigators and litigants alike is its focus on the efficient administration of justice. The Commercial Division Advisory Council (the “Advisory Council”), established by New York’s Chief Judge to make recommendations to improve and enhance the Commercial Division, recently proposed three amendments…