In a much anticipated decision, the Supreme Court held today in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, No. 13-1339, that alleging a “bare procedural violation” of a federal statute may not be enough to confer a plaintiff with standing to sue. On the other hand, the Court’s 6-2 opinion, authored by Justice Alito, indicated that “the violation […]
Spokeo “Standing” Ruling Not Cast In Concrete Read More »
Lawrence S. Ebner filed in the U.S. Supreme Court a certiorari-stage amicus curiae brief on behalf of DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar in FCA US LLC v. The Center For Auto Safety, No. 15-1211, urging the Court to establish a nationally uniform “good cause” standard for averting the unsealing of court-filed discovery documents containing confidential business
Every first-year law student learns the taxonomy of federal preemption principles: Although the Supreme Court’s Supremacy Clause cases frequently rely on this preemption lexicon, the Court long ago indicated that these categories are not “rigidly distinct.” English v. Gen. Elec. Co., 496 U.S. 72, 79 n.5 (1990). The Court’s April 19, 2016 opinion in Hughes
Is It Express? Is It Implied? Is It Preempted? Read More »
On April 19, 2016, Larry Ebner, along with Robin Conrad, Averil Rothrock, and M.C. Sungaila, presented a Strafford webinar on amiucs brief strategy, preparation, and procedures in the U.S. Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, and state appellate courts.
Strategic Use of Amicus Briefs in Appellate Advocacy Read More »
DRI-The Voice of the Defense Bar is a frequently sought-after amicus curiae in Supreme Court cases that implicate civil justice issues. Click here to read more.
DRI – The Defense Bar’s Voice In the U.S. Supreme Court Read More »
In United States ex rel. Beauchamp v. ACADEMI Training Center, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently vacated dismissal of a False Claims Act (FCA) qui tam suit on the ground that the trial court improperly applied the Supreme Court’s holding in Rockwell International Corp. v. United States, 549 US 457 (2007).
Fourth Circuit Refines Rockwell Public-Disclosure Bar Analysis Read More »
Federal preemption aficionados will find today’s seemingly ho-hum Supreme Court decision in Gobielle v. Liberty Mutual Ins. Co. to be of considerable interest. The Court held that ERISA expressly preempts a Vermont statute requiring disclosure of ERISA-regulated health care plan payment information. According to Justice Thomas’ concurring opinion, ERISA “contains what may be the most
Can Congress Go Too Far in Preempting State Law ? Read More »
The attached article discusses best practices that in-house counsel should follow in conducting an attorney-client privileged internal investigation of possible regulatory violations.
Tips for Conducting Attorney-Client Privileged Internal Investigations Read More »
For almost 70 years, coal tar-derived creosote has been federally registered for use as a wood preservative. During the past 40 years, the risks and benefits of creosote, like those of other major industrial wood preservatives, have been reevaluated by U.S. EPA in three successive and comprehensive review processes—Special Review, Reregistration Review, and currently, Registration
Four Decades of U.S. EPA Review and Continuous Federal Registration of Creosote Read More »
In a 6-3 decision issued on January 20, the Supreme Court affirmed in Campbell-Ewald Co. v. Gomez, No. 14-857, that federal government contractors are immune from litigation and liability if their work complies with federal directions. The Court rejected, however, unqualified immunity based on the federal government’s sovereign immunity (i.e., “derivative sovereign immunity”). Campbell-Ewald is
Supreme Court Affirms Government Contractors’ Qualified Immunity Read More »
