Franchisor's Non-Compete Upheld In New Jersey
June 26, 2008
A franchisor of tax preparation franchises was entitled to a 24-month injunction beginning from the time of the former franchisee's compliance with a non-competition covenant. <i>Jackson Hewitt Inc. v. Childress</i>, Bus. Franchise Guide (CCH) ' 13,849 (D. N.J., Jan. 22, 2008). The permanent injunction was ordered when the court granted the plaintiff franchisor's motion for summary judgment.
ANDA Litigation Discovery
May 29, 2008
Patent infringement litigation based on an Abbreviated New Drug Application ('ANDA') presents certain unique challenges to the discovery process. Unlike ordinary patent litigation, little if any information helpful to the patent owner is publicly available. Instead, the patent owner must rely on a well thought out discovery plan to obtain certain information from the ANDA applicant. Suggestions for designing such a plan are presented below.
He Who Steals My Trash Pays Cash?
May 29, 2008
In this rather odd sentencing case, the Eighth Circuit trashed the restitution order that had been imposed by the District Court for the District of North Dakota on janitorial supervisor James A. Chalupnik. <i>United States v. Chalupnik,</i> 2008 WL 268997 (8th Cir. Feb. 1, 2008). Here's a discussion of the case.
Key Pre-emption Ruling in Third Circuit
May 28, 2008
On April 8, 2008, the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a significant decision concerning the authority of federal regulatory agencies to pre-empt state tort claims, <i>Colacicco v. Apotex Inc.</i>, No. 6-5148.
Federal Officer Removal Jurisdiction Upheld in Agent Orange Cases
May 27, 2008
In this article, we discuss the issue of federal officer removal, <i>i.e.</i>, the removal of a state action to federal court on the ground that the government had such control over the defendant that the defendant was essentially acting as a federal officer.
Practice Tip: Coordination of Mass Torts in NY State Court
May 27, 2008
Part One of this series discussed the advantages of coordinating state and federal mass torts cases, and specifically addressed New York law. The conclusion describes the process of applying for coordination in New York State.