Category Archives: Litigation

New Title! Employment Discrimination:  A Practitioner’s Deskbook

PLI Press is proud to announce the publication of the new comprehensive resource Employment Discrimination: A Practitioner’s Deskbook.

This book serves as a valuable ref­erence for employment law practitioners and individuals interested in helping their organizations effectively navigate employment discrimina­tion-related investigations, mediations, litigations, and jury trials.  Presented in a straightforward, comprehensible manner, it provides the reader with information relating to the full range of employment discrimination litigation from an active practitioner’s perspective.

Notably, the book covers the following important areas:

  • Responding to employment discrimination and harassment complaints (see Chapter 1)
  • Discovery tools (see Chapter 3)
  • Motion practice before and at trial (see Chapter 5)
  • Jury selection (see Chapter 7)
  • Questioning witnesses (see Chapter 8)
  • Addressing the jury (see Chapter 9)
  • Handling matters before government agencies (see Chapter 10)

Additionally, it answers the following questions:

  1. Does failing to “officially” respond to an unofficial “off-the-record” complaint create risk?
  2. What are the best strategies for conducting effective and thorough investigations remotely?
  3. What are tried and true discovery strategies and the best ways to participate in motion practice?
  4. What should lawyers consider when picking a jury and how do they make compelling arguments at trial? 

We are excited to share this new title with you!

PLUS Subscribers can access this title with their subscription.

Order a print copy today.

 Is your library interested in subscribing to PLI’s Standing Order Plan (SOP)? SOP subscribers automatically receive print copies of new titles to review upon release.  If you decide to keep the title, you will receive a discount up to 25% off the title and all future supplements. Call 877.900.5291 or email libraryrelations@pli.edu to learn more.

May’s Free Legal Form of the Month

PLI PLUS offers unlimited electronic access to more than 4,500 downloadable, searchable, and editable legal forms ready for use in your practice. In an effort to highlight this unique content type, we’ve selected one form per month and made it available for anyone to download for free – no subscription required.

May’s free form:

Memorandum to Employees Advising Them of Investigation

More information about Legal Forms & Checklists:

  • Forms & Checklists Flyer – This flyer provides an overview of the forms & checklists on PLI PLUS and highlights a handful of popular examples.
  •  Popular PLUS Forms – This flyer provides a list of the top five most downloaded forms in prominent practice areas on PLI PLUS.

Send us an email at plus@pli.edu to learn more.

New Edition! Federal Bail and Detention Handbook 2023

PLI Press is proud to announce the publication of the new edition of the Federal Bail and Detention Handbook.

This helpful resource provides on-point answers to all aspects of federal bail and detention law — especially those involving critical provisions of the Bail Reform Act of 1984. Through discussions told from grounded judicial perspectives, the book presents helpful practice pointers when confronting common Bail Reform Act problems. It also showcases an extensive series of forms, sample orders, and sample motions that defense counsel and assistant U.S. attorneys can reference.

Some of the recent developments reflected in this new edition include:

  • Weight of Evidence: Coverage of the United States v. Zhang case in which the Second Circuit ruled on whether the Bail Reform Act provides guidance on the relative weight the court should give the various section 3142(g) factors in deciding questions of release and detention (see Section 4:3).
  • Least Restrictive Possible Conditions: An update on a case arising from the January 6, 2021, invasion of the Capitol about whether the D.C. Circuit Court upheld or reversed the district court’s denial of the defendant’s request to travel abroad for three weeks for an educational opportunity (see Section 5:3).
  • Conditions in Every Bond: New discussion of a Third Circuit ruling regarding whether the “no crimes while on bond” condition prohibits the possession or use of marijuana in a state where marijuana is legal and in a situation in which the defendant has a “medical marijuana” authorization from a physician for its use (see Section 5:4).
  • Detention or Release Pending Competency Examination: New information about a Ninth Circuit case which considered whether a lack of an available bed at an appropriate facility relieves the Attorney General of the duty to attempt to rehabilitate the defendant within a brief period (see Section 14:10).

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PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Treatise Update –Sack on Defamation: Libel, Slander, and Related Problems (Fifth Edition)

Sack on Defamation—widely cited by U.S. courts including the U.S. Supreme Court, academics, and attorneys—offers strategic guidance for both plaintiffs’ and defense attorneys and fully covers the basic elements of a defamation claim. The treatise pinpoints how to identify practical legal issues such as when “truth” is not a defense, insults and name-calling that cross the line into defamation, how “public disclosure of private facts” becomes actionable, why statements of “opinion” are not protected, and when defamatory communications are privileged. It also integrates coverage of Internet and social media issues.

Highlights of the new release include developments covering the following topics:

  • Statements held to be nonactionable: Discussion of a Delaware case in which the court considered the issue of whether a letter to an employer calling an employee’s outside actions “racist” is constitutionally protected (see section 4:3.5).
  • Standard of conduct: public plaintiffs: The list of “vortex” public figures has been expanded (see section 5:3.5).
  • Standard of conduct: private plaintiffs: Coverage of a case about whether the 2020 amendments to New York’s anti-SLAPP statute are retroactive (see section 6:4).
  • Absolute privilege and government agencies: Summary of an unusual case from Oregon concerning false statements entered into a patient’s medical record by physicians who worked for a public corporation health system (see section 8:2.4[A]).
  • Invited defamation: Spotlights a case from the Second Circuit in which former U.S. Senate candidate and Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore accused comedian Sacha Baron Cohen of defamation for falsely portraying Moore as a pedophile in a mock interview for Cohen’s television program (see section 8:2.8).

In addition, the Table of Cases, the Defendant-Plaintiff Table, and the Index have been updated.

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PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Treatise Update – Patent Litigation (Third Edition)

Patent Litigation (Third Edition) enhances every patent litigator’s ability to prevail at trial while helping to cut the costs and complexity of litigation. Written by leading patent litigators, the treatise provides guidance on various infringement actions and their respective burdens of proof.  It also offers pointers on conducting comprehensive pre-suit investigations; developing potent case themes; assembling strong litigation teams; developing smart litigation budgets; maximizing the persuasive impact of documents, exhibits, and witnesses; and making savvy use of computers, jury consultants, and litigation support vendors.

The new release covers many important developments, such as:

  • Corporate disclosures under Rule 7.1 and the hotly debated issue of whether recent court-imposed disclosure requirements are justified or permissible (see new section 3:7).
  • Two cases from district courts on the standard for assessing com­munications between the buyer and seller and licensor/licensee of patent rights made before the transactions closed (see section 5:4.2).
  • Case law from the federal circuit regarding an overly broad in­junctive relief in the design patent context (see section 10:5.1).
  • Case law involving Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine and Moderna’s claim that it is shielded from an infringement lawsuit in district court because of its agreement to supply the vaccine to the federal government (see section 14:2.2).
  • The PTAB’s clarification on its guidance for discretionary denial of IPR due to the advanced state of a parallel proceeding under Fintiv and the implications for the global defense strategy of re­spondents in ITC proceedings (see sections 14:4.9 and 15:3).
  • Circulation judge pool review, the PTO’s new internal procedure designed to improve overall quality of PTAB final written deci­sions (see new section 15:8.3).

For additional recent developments in patent litigation, check out this recent PLI Chronicle article, Patent Antibody Case Law Continues to Mature.

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PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

Treatise Updates – Kane on Trademark Law: A Practitioner’s Guide (Seventh Edition) and Likelihood of Confusion in Trademark Law (Second Edition)

PLI Press is pleased to announce updates to two of our Trademark treatises – Kane on Trademark Law: A Practitioner’s Guide (Seventh Edition) and Likelihood of Confusion in Trademark Law (Second Edition). 

Kane on Trademark Law deals with trademark law on the whole, providing court-tested practical suggestions on how to quickly spot potential conflicts and save time on searches, overcome common descriptiveness rejections, amend registrations, and prepare witnesses for depositions. 

Likelihood of Confusion in Trademark Law focuses specifically on a major factor for determining whether a trademark has been infringed – the probability that consumers will mistake the alleged infringing mark for the original.  It illuminates the pivotal multiple-factor test, providing a strong grasp of the key elements used by the courts to determine if likelihood of confusion exists.

Updated topics from Kane on Trademark Law include:

  • Trademark selection: Chapter 2 now incorporates the USPTO’s new examination guidelines related to genericness rejections (see section 2:1.2) and decisions from the Federal Circuit regarding the registration of .SUCKS (see section 2:5.3) and book titles and characters as trademarks (see section 2:8).
  • Proving a statutory cause of action: Coverage of Meenaxi Enterprise, Inc. v. Coca-Cola Co., regarding the elements the claimant must prove to maintain a statutory cause of action under the Lanham Act for activities solely conducted outside the United States (see sections 19:4.5[D] and 22:5).

Highlights from the new information in Likelihood of Confusion in Trademark Law include:

  • New color illustration of trademark and trade dress infringement cases: An illustration from Sabhnani v. Mirage Brands, LLC (Perfumes & Cologne, see Appendix A49) has been added to Appendix A.
  • Consumers and their degree of care: New commentary in section 6:2 analyzes how empirical research into actual consumer behavior compares with old assumptions and new constructs of consumer behavior.

Order print copies of Kane on Trademark Law and Likelihood of Confusion in Trademark Law today.

PLI PLUS subscribers can access these titles through their subscription.

Treatise Update – Doing Business Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (Second Edition)

Doing Business Under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (Second Edition) highlights recent enforcement actions under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and guides readers on developing internal compliance programs that detect and prevent illegalities, drafting compliant business agreements and contracts, satisfying the FCPA’s complicated accounting standards, and avoiding RICO violations, wire and mail fraud, and other legal missteps. It is an invaluable resource for corporate counsel, corporate executives and managers, and anyone who is responsible for business relationships with overseas partners or customers.

Key updates in the new release include:

  • “Agency” Under the FCPA: The scope of the term “agent” as applied to a foreign national has received a lot of attention in recent cases such as United States v. Hoskins and United States v. Rafoi-Bleuler. See chapter 4 and chapter 11 for discussion of the reach of the FCPA with respect to foreign nationals operating outside the territory of the United States.
  • ALJ Adjudications in FCPA Cases: In Jarkesy v. SEC, the Fifth Circuit held that the practice of imposing civil monetary penalties in administrative proceedings is unconstitutional. While not an FCPA enforcement action, the decision directly challenges the SEC’s reliance on ALJ adjudications in FCPA cases. See chapter 8.

In addition, the updated treatise offers information on the latest cases, enforcement actions, and settlements and provides several adaptable forms and templates (see the Related Items tab under “Forms”).

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PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.

New Edition! COVID-19 and Other Pandemics: Business and Legal Challenges (2022)

PLI Press is proud to announce the publication of the new edition of COVID-19 and Other Pandemics: Business and Legal Challenges.

Originally published in 2020, the book was featured on Above the Law which cited it as “[t]he first publication to address the complex, evolving [legal] issues” arising from the pandemic.  The treatise has since been fully updated to keep pace with the rapidly evolving situation surrounding COVID-19. Maintaining its results-oriented approach, the book combines practical advice, the latest scientific research, and guidance from key government agencies to provide readers with the answers they need on workplace liability and best practices; employment and labor issues; contracts and frustration defenses; and more.

Some of the highlights from the new edition include:

  • Governors’ Authority: Updated answers regarding whether 1) governors possess the power to shut down business to reduce COVID-19 spread (see §3.1); 2) governors have the authority to issue emergency health orders (see §6:3); and 3) governors may ban gatherings during the time of the health emergency (see §8:1).
  • OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard: Added discussion of OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard and what it covers (see Ch. 4, §8:5, and §14:8).
  • COVID-19 Statistics: Updated to reflect U.S. COVID-19 cases as of May 2022 and Global Health Statistics as of early 2022 (see Ch. 1).

To download a complimentary chapter from the original publication of COVID-19 and Other Pandemics: Business and Legal Challenges, click here.

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Treatise Update – Sinclair on Federal Civil Practice (Fifth Edition)

Sinclair on Federal Civil Practice gives quick and authoritative answers for issues arising in federal civil litigation and serves as a guide to the principal rules and tactical considerations guiding lawsuits in the federal courts. This two-volume treatise explains the layout of the court system and the nature of its key personnel, jurisdiction and venue principles, and the sequence of litigation.  It also provides insight into the rationale of the rules by citing the key interpretive cases and offering court-tested practice tips.

Highlights of the new release include:

  • Chapter 15: Significant expansion of discussion regarding jury instructions, including the respective roles of the judge and counsel; due process limits on jury discretion; the plain error standard; objections to instructions; timing of instructions, requests and actions on requests; jury instruction drafting principles; and review of preserved and unpreserved instruction errors.  
  • Chapter 18: In-depth analysis of the harmless error rule, including of Supreme Court jurisprudence on the issue and the Court’s differentiation between three classes of errors that can have an adverse impact on a litigant’s substantial rights during trial: (1) non-constitutional errors; (2) “trial errors”; and (3) “structural defects.”
  • Chapter 19: Discussion of recent amendments to Rule 3 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure addressing how an appeal of right is taken, and specifically affecting the content of the notice of appeal that is required, with important clarifications regarding the scope of the judgment or appealable order designated in the notice of appeal.

In addition, numerous recent law review articles are added to the Additional Resources section of many chapters, and the chronological circuit-by-circuit Compendium of Recent Cases (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2) is updated.

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Treatise Update – Fragomen on Immigration Fundamentals: A Guide to Law and Practice (Fifth Edition) 

Fragomen on Immigration Fundamentals provides in-depth coverage of the rules, policies, and procedures related to key facets of immigration law in the United States. Throughout, the authors supplement analysis of recent cases, policies, and rules with practical guidance for both general practitioners and experienced immigration attorneys.

Some of the important recent developments discussed in this release include:

  • PERM Recruitment: §2:2.4[D][6] discusses how an August 2021 DOJ settlement agreement in a U.S. worker discrimination lawsuit against Facebook impacts government enforcement of the PERM program.
  • COVID-19: §2:10.3[A][3] and §3:4.1[C] reveal a new COVID-19 related requirement that green card applicants must satisfy in order to be deemed eligible for permanent residence. The new requirement is in­cluded in the routine medical examinations for both adjustment of status applicants in the United States and immigrant visa applicants applying at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
  • Work authorization for spouses: §5:6.3[B] and 10:3.4[N] cover a November 2021 announcement by the USCIS regarding the work authorization process for certain E, L-2, and H-4 spouses in response to a lawsuit that challenged the lengthy processing delays of EAD applications for dependents.
  • T nonimmigrants: In October 2021, USCIS issued comprehensive guidance in its Policy Manual regarding the adjudication of T nonimmigrant status applications for victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons (see §5:28.1[A]).
  • H-2B changing employers: §10:3.4[M] explains how a provision of a January 2022 DHS rule providing a cap increase for FY 2022 gives greater job flexibility to H-2B workers already in the United States.

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PLI PLUS subscribers can access this title through their subscription.