Gibbons Law Alert

Gibbons Law Alert

Author: Gibbons P.C.

New Jersey Supreme Court Says Hypothetical Questions Can’t Save Expert Opinions that Contradict Uncontroverted Facts in Evidence

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Posted in General Litigation

On March 23, 2015

In Townsend v. Pierre, the New Jersey Supreme Court clarified that the net opinion rule bars expert testimony that contradicts uncontroverted factual evidence and further held that the use of hypothetical questions at trial cannot be used to salvage such an opinion. While the net opinion rule is usually formulated as “forbid[ding] the admission into evidence of an expert’s conclusions that are not supported by factual evidence or other data,” Polzo v. Cnty. of Essex, 196 N.J. 569, 583 (2008), the Court definitively stated that the rule also operates to bar expert testimony where the expert rejected as “mistaken” uncontroverted facts in evidence.

Award of Preliminary Injunction to Declaratory Judgment Defendant in the District of Delaware Offers Cautionary Tale in Opposition Strategy

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Posted in Patent

On March 19, 2015

District Court Judge Sue L. Robinson, U.S.D.J., of the United States District Court for the District of Delaware granted a rare preliminary injunction to the declaratory judgment defendant in a patent infringement action, highlighting the importance of presenting infringement arguments under both parties’ claim constructions and expert analysis that supports invalidity. CryoLife Inc. v. C.R. Bard Inc. et al., No. 14-559, Dkt. Entry No. 116, Mem. Order. The injunction bars sales of PerClot Topical, CryoLife’s blood-clotting powder product.

NLRB Rules that Attack on Safety of Employer’s Products is Protected Employee Concerted Activity

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Posted in Labor

On March 19, 2015

As previously discussed on the Employment Law Alert, the National Labor Relations Board has taken several pro-union actions and issued many pro-union decisions over the last few years that impact union and non-union businesses alike, which recently include issuing the latest “quickie” election rule and increasing protections afforded to union-related communications made through companies’ e-mail systems. In MikLin Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Jimmy John’s, the Board rendered another pro-union decision, a decision which serves to remind all employers to be mindful of the NLRB when considering employee discipline for disloyalty when the allegedly disloyal acts relate to employee dissatisfaction with working conditions.

NLRB General Counsel Issues Memorandum Addressing New Arbitral Deference Standard

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Posted in Labor

On March 17, 2015

The National Labor Relations Board’s General Counsel recently issued a memorandum providing guidance regarding the amount of deference the Board should afford arbitrations and settlements resolving unfair labor practice (ULP) allegations under sections 8(a)(1) and 8(a)(3) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). These sections prohibit interference with employees’ rights to engage in protected concerted activities (8(a)(1)) and discrimination against employees for union affiliation (8(a)(3)). The General Counsel’s memorandum was issued to provide guidance in light of the NLRB’s recent decision in Babcock & Wilcox Constr. Co. — a decision that altered decades’ old law by giving the Board greater discretion (1) to initially decide these types of ULP allegations, which had previously been subject to arbitration in the first instance, and (2) to review arbitration decisions concerning such ULP charges. Companies that are negotiating collective bargaining agreements or have such agreements in place and that prefer to arbitrate ULP claims rather than litigate them before the NLRB, should carefully review the General’s Counsel’s memorandum—as should companies settling ULP allegations, as the memorandum deals with settlements as well.

DOL Extends FMLA Spousal Care Leave Rights to Same-Sex Spouses

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Posted in Family Leave

On March 16, 2015

The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) recently issued a Final Rule revising the definition of “spouse” under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”) to include same-sex spouses for purposes of FMLA leave, regardless of the couple’s state of residence. Under the prior FMLA regulations, whether or not an employee had a “spouse” was determined by the law of the state where the employee resided. Notably, however, the Final Rule does not expand the definition of “spouse” to include domestic partners. Rather, only employees who are legally married are covered under the new regulations. The Final Rule takes effect on March 27, 2015.

Short and Concise Release Agreement Saves the Day for Employer According to NY Federal District Court

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Posted in Discrimination

On March 9, 2015

On February 24, 2015, in Brewer v. GEM Industrial Inc., the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York found a two-plus page separation agreement sufficient to dismiss the plaintiff’s court complaint because it was short, understandable by a lay person and included a provision notifying the employee of the right to seek counsel before signing it. The plaintiff, Samuel Brewer, sued his employer claiming discrimination in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 related to his termination. Before filing his discrimination lawsuit, he executed a separation agreement containing a release of claims. His employer moved to dismiss the lawsuit based on the release in the separation agreement.

Court Finds Lack of Standing in Medical Data Breach Case

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Posted in Privacy and Data Security

On February 23, 2015

In Peters v. St. Joseph Servs. Corp., the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas recently dismissed a class action complaint seeking damages arising out of a data incursion. The Court dismissed the complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) for lack of standing without leave to amend, while granting the plaintiff 30 days to raise her state and common law claims in state court.

Recent Damages Award for Wrongful Seizure Under the Lanham Act

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Posted in Trademark Counterfeiting / Trademarks

On February 19, 2015

Judge Preska of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York recently awarded attorneys’ fees, damages, and prejudgment interest on damages, but not fees to defendants, in a trademark counterfeiting case. In Prince of Peace Enterprises, Inc. v. Top Quality Food Market, LLC, Judge Preska adopted in part a report and recommendation of Magistrate Judge Maas, ending an eight-year litigation surrounding ex parte seizures of herbal supplements which took place in 2007.

David E. De Lorenzi – Gibbons IP Department Chair – Named Among Top 25 IP Attorneys Nationwide by General Counsel & Other In-House Counsel

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Posted in Intellectual Property

On February 12, 2015

David E. De Lorenzi, Chair of the Intellectual Property Department at Gibbons P.C., has been named among only 25 intellectual property attorneys nationwide by the BTI Consulting Group in its 2015 BTI Client Service All-Stars Report. The newly released report is the comprehensive result of interviews with more than 300 senior legal officers and other executives overseeing the provision of legal services at companies with revenues of $1 billion or more.

Florida is the Latest State to Allow Attorneys to Advise Clients About the Removal of Social Media Posts and Pictures

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Posted in E-Discovery: Legal Decisions and Court Rules / Litigation Preparedness and Strategies

On February 10, 2015

On January 23, 2015, the Professional Ethics Committee of the Florida Bar issued an advisory opinion holding that before litigation commences, and absent any other preservation obligation, an attorney may advise a client to: (1) remove information from social media pages and (2) change privacy settings from public to private, as long as the client retains a record of any deleted information or data. In so holding, the Florida ethics committee joined panels from New York, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina that have issued similar guidance.

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