The federal courts have been divided regarding how to handle motions to enforce contractual forum selection provisions. Some courts have held that the plaintiff’s choice of a forum other than the one provided by contract makes venue improper in the chosen district, and thus the defendant should move to dismiss or transfer the action pursuant … Continue Reading
In state and Federal courts throughout the country, the defense and plaintiffs’ bars are debating the application of the United States Supreme Court’s landmark 2011 decision in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, in which the Court made it significantly easier to enforce waivers of class arbitration in most consumer contracts. My post about Parisi, a new decision … Continue Reading
In Riverisland Cold Storage, Inc., v. Fresno-Madera Prod. Credit Ass., S190581, the unanimous California Supreme Court recently overturned the widely criticized Pendergrass rule, thus restoring the full breadth of the fraud exception to the parol evidence rule. In 1935, the Court limited the fraud exception to the parole evidence rule – holding that evidence of a promise that … Continue Reading
In the first three weeks of November, we’ve already seen two major decisions on the economic loss rule from two state Supreme Courts. The economic loss rule provides in most states that a plaintiff cannot sue in tort for disappointed commercial expectations, regardless of whether he had a contractual agreement with the defendants. On November 4, a … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court has granted review to again address preemption, this time in the timely area of consumer protection and banking. In Parks v. MBNA American Bank, the Court of Appeal reversed a judgment on the pleadings, finding that Civil Code § 1748.9, a state consumer protection law which mandates specific notice requirements regarding the … Continue Reading
In late March, I blogged on an important new case from the Tenth Circuit reaffirming the economic loss rule. Last week, the Indiana Supreme Court handed down a major decision in a construction case, reaffirming this important principle of business law. According to the economic loss rule, where a plaintiff has suffered merely economic loss – … Continue Reading
Demonstrating the potential significance and broad implications of the California Supreme Court’s deliberations in Loeffler v. Target Corporation, so far a total of nine amicus briefs have been filed on behalf of sixteen entities addressing the issue of whether a taxpayer can directly bring suit against a retailer who allegedly charged a sales tax on … Continue Reading
[UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 1, 2010] Commercially Reasonable Sales Upon Repossession. Did the evidence establish that the sale of repossessed vehicles were commercially reasonable under the Uniform Commercial Code § 9.610. Regal Finance v. Tex Star Motors, No. 08 0148, formerly 246 S.W.3d 745 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2008), review granted 03/27/09.… Continue Reading
