Mediation

Although mediation is generally considered to be less expensive than litigation, this assumes that the mediation is successful. An unsuccessful mediation can be pretty costly and then fail to save any litigation costs. Mediation can be expensive because the parties often need to pay for the mediator’s time in reviewing the mediation statements, preparing for the mediation, and attending the mediation. And parties also need to pay for the costs of their attorneys to draft the mediation statements, and prepare and attend the mediation.

More Steps Involved in Making a Document Production

Litigation in Dubai

Each of the seven emirates maintain the right to choose either to participate in the Federal Judiciary or to maintain its own local judicial system. The emirates of Sharjah, Ajman Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain follow the federal judicial system.

Comments on Recent Cases: December 2020

A major issue that I see frequently is the confusion between contract claims and fraud claims. It is normal for a party to a breach of contract action to feel defrauded when another party does not perform. But New York courts generally dismiss fraud claims when they arise out of a broken promise of future conduct instead of a false statement of present fact.

Drafting Interrogatories

Interrogatories may also be useful to define what an adversary’s claims or defenses are. To that end, a party may ask an opponent to identify each fact that supports its claims or each instance of misconduct that it alleges. Although a party may be able to ask the same questions to a party at a deposition, an interrogatory is more likely to get a useful response and less likely to get an “I don’t know offhand” or some other incomplete answer.

Responding to Document Requests

Often, parties will make compromises in discovery to avoid the expense and uncertainty of going to court. For example, if a party believes it is entitled to all of a company’s financial records and the recipient believes it is entitled to none, the two may compromise and the recipient may agree to produce some specific financial records.

Litigation in Brazil

If there are disputed technical issues in a lawsuit in Brazil, the parties may ask the judge to appoint an expert. In that case, the parties write questions to this expert, who prepares a report giving his opinion on the matter and answering the parties’ questions.

Comments on Recent Cases: November 2020

Plaintiffs often allege fraud when really their complaint is for breach of contract. People naturally feel like they were the victim of a fraud when they perform an agreement but their counterparty does not. But New York courts distinguish between a failure to live up to a future promise and a false statement of fact.

Enforcement of Judgments

If a defendant does not voluntarily pay a judgment, the plaintiff must find assets that belong to the defendant and collect them. This process may be easy for some defendants if they have well-known assets or if details about their bank accounts were shared in discovery. But for others, plaintiffs may need to hire an investigator or use public records (like property records or vehicle registrations) to find assets.

Discovery to Aid Litigation Outside of the United States

The American legal system allows litigants to compel the production of far more evidence before trial than many other systems. And it does not limit this power to proceedings taking place within the United States. Instead, pursuant to statutes like 28 U.S.C. §  1782 or CPLR 3102(e), litigants can ask American courts to compel discovery for use in proceedings abroad.

Intellectual Property Litigation

Disputes regarding intellectual property can range from interpreting a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement, to stopping infringement, to seeking damages for infringement, to exploring potential business opportunities with an infringer, or a combination thereof.

Employment Discrimination and Harassment Claims

When determining whether to settle, it can be difficult for employees and employers to calculate an appropriate amount for the employer to pay. Unlike a contract dispute, where an agreement can set forth an amount due, there is no natural number that can compensate an employee for discrimination.