Philip Morris told us the notion of litigation serving as deterrent to others is laughable.
In holding that dozens of federal laws providing for such "fee-shifting" do not apply in the absence of an actual courtroom victory or court-approved settlement, the opinion by Chief Justice William Rehnquist rejected the notion that plaintiffs are entitled to fees if their litigation served as a "catalyst" for a change in policy.
The litigation process has served the useful purpose of airing the rationalizations for discriminating against homosexuals.
Being involved in any litigation related to their spinal disorder (i.e., worker's compensation, disability, or other litigation) also served as a risk factor for disagreement.
He was active in the American Bar Association and was one of the founders of its Litigation Section, serving as chairman of the section during 1980 through 1981.
He sued Major League Baseball, the players' union and the Yankees' team physician, heightening acrimony between himself and the team, then dropped the litigation and served the penalty.
It instructs judges to consider whether placing the cases in the same courtroom would result in conserving judicial resources, allow more efficient litigation or serve the convenience of the various parties.
With a bachelor's from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from Tulane, he set off on a successful career in criminal defense and civil rights litigation, eventually serving as a magistrate judge for 7 years.
Litigation that only serves as a "catalyst" for a policy change, without producing a legal ruling, does not qualify for reimbursement of fees, the majority said in an opinion by Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist.
A17 Ruling on Legal Fees The Supreme Court dealt a setback to civil rights and environmental plaintiffs, ruling, 5 to 4, that litigation that only serves as a "catalyst" for a change in policy without producing a legal ruling does not qualify for reimbursement of legal fees.
