FI FTH DI VI SI ON
BA RNES, P. J.

, M CFA DDEN, P. J.

, and SENI OR A PPELLA TE JUDGE PHI PPS

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

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D ecem ber 6, 2021



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A2 1 A1 72 6

, A 2 1 A1 7 2 9

. PERRY et al

. v

. PAUL HASTINGS, LLP

et al .; an d v i ce v ers a.

M C F A D D E N , Pres id i n g J u d g e.

E g b ert Perry an d In t eg ral Dev el o p m en t, LLC bro u g h t t h i s act i o n ag ai n s t l aw

fi rm Pau l Has t i n gs , LLP an d t wo o f i ts at t o rn ey s , as s e r t i n g a cl ai m o f ab u s i v e

l i ti g at i o n i n co nn ect i on wi t h a p ri or l aws u i t

. O n M arch 3

, 2 02 0

, t h e t ri al co u rt d en i ed

t h e d efen d an t s ’ m o ti o n to d i s m i s s t h e act i o n fo r fai l u re t o s t at e a cl ai m , an d t h i s co u rt

d ecl i ned t o g ran t i nt erl o cu t o ry ap p el l at e rev i ew of t hat ru li n g

. Th e fo ll o wi n g y ear, o n

Feb ru ary 2 6, 2 0 2 1

, t h e t ri al co u rt g ran t ed t he d efen d an ts ’ m o ti o n fo r ju d g m en t o n t h e

p l ead i n g s

.

Th i s co u rt g ran t ed th e p l ai n ti ffs t wo ex t en s io n s o f t i m e t o fi l e t h e i r n o t i ce o f

ap p eal fro m t h e o rd er g ran t i n g ju d g m en t on t h e p l ead i n g s

— t h e fi rs t ex t en d i n g t h et i m e fo r fi l i n g u n ti l Ap ri l 26

, 2 0 2 1

, an d t h e seco n d ex t en d in g t h e t i m e fo r fi l i n g u n t i l

M ay 2 6

, 2 0 2 1

. On May 2 5, 2 0 2 1

, t h e p l ai n t i ff s f i l e d a n o t i ce o f ap p eal (Cas e No

.

A2 1 A1 72 6 ). Th e d efen d an t s m ov ed t o d i s m i s s t h at ap p eal

, arg u i n g t h at t h e n o t i ce o f

ap p eal was u n t i m el y . An d o n J u n e 4 , 2 0 2 1 , t h ey fi l ed a n o ti ce of cro s s -ap p eal fro m

t h e o rd er d en y i n g t h ei r m o t io n t o d is m i s s (Cas e No . A2 1 A 1 7 29 ).

W e l ack ju ri s d i ct i o n t o co n s i der t h es e ap peal s

. “ Th e pro p er an d t i m el y fi l i n g

o f t he no t i ce o f ap p eal i s an ab s o l u t e req ui rem en t t o co n fer ju ri s di ct i o n u p o n t h e

ap p el l at e c o u r t .” Co d

y v. S t a t e , 2 7 7 Ga. 5 53 (5 92 SE2 d 4 1 9 ) (2 0 0 4 ) (ci t at i o n an d

em ph as i s o m it t ed ). Ou r Ap p el l a t e P r a c t i c e Act req u i res th e n ot i ce o f ap p eal t o “ b e

fi led wi t h i n 30 d ay s aft er en t ry o f t h e ap p eal ab le d eci s i o n o r j u d g m en t co m p l ai n ed

o f[,] ” ex cep t in cert ai n ci rcu m s t an ces n ot ap p l i cab le h ere. O C G A § 5 -6 -3 8 (a).

Al t h o u g h “ OCGA § 5 -6 -3 9 (a) (1 ) g iv es co u rt s t h e au t ho ri t y t o g ran t an ex t en s i o n o f

t i m e t o fi l e a n ot i ce o f ap p eal [, t ] h i s au th o ri t y i s l i m i t ed

. . . b y s u b s ect i o n (c) wh i ch

p ro v id es t h at o nl y o n e ex t en s io n o f ti m e s h al l b e g ran ted fo r fi l i n g a n o ti ce o f ap p eal

an d t h e ex t en s i o n s h al l n o t ex ceed t h e 3 0 d ay s al l o wed fo r t h e i n i t i al f i l i n g o f t h e

n o t i ce.” Leg a r e v. S t a t e , 2 6 9 Ga. 4 6 8 , 4 6 8 -4 6 9 (4 9 9 SE2 d 6 4 0 ) (1 9 9 8 ).

“ In t h is cas e, th e o n ly au t h o ri zed ex t en s io n o f t i m e wo ul d h av e ex p i red o n

[Ap ri l 2 6

, 2 0 2 1 ] .” Leg a re , 2 6 9 Ga. at 4 6 9

. So th e p lai n t i ffs ’ n o t i ce o f ap p eal

, fi l ed o n

2M ay 2 5

, 2 0 2 1

, was un t i m el y ; an d w e are wi th o u t ju ri sd i ct i o n o v er t h e p l ai n t i ffs ’

ap p eal

. See i d

. T h is i s th e cas e ev en t h o u g h we gran t ed a s eco n d

, u n au t h o ri zed

ex t en s i o n

. See Ro ckd

a l e Co u n t y v. W a ter Ri gh t s Co mmi t t ee , 1 8 9 G a. Ap p. 8 7 3

, 8 7 4

(3 7 7 SE2 d 7 3 0 ) (1 9 8 9 ) (o rd er g ran t in g ex ten s i o n t o fi l e n o ti ce o f ap peal t h at was n ot

au t h o ri zed b y OCGA § 5 -6 -3 9 “ was an i n effect i v e nu l l i t y [an d ] th e p art i es can n o t rel y

o n [t hat ] o rd er as au t h o ri t y fo r ex t en d i n g t h e t im e fo r fi l i ng t h ei r n ot i ces o f ap p eal ”)

(ci t at i o n an d p u n c t u at i o n o m i tt ed ). Th e “ ri g h t t o ap p eal

. . . d ep en d s o n st at u t o ry

au t h o ri t y [,] ” Jo n es v. Pea ch Tr a d er , 3 0 2 Ga. 5 04

, 5 1 1 (III) (8 0 7 SE2 d 8 4 0 ) (2 0 1 7 ),

an d wh ere t h e st at u t o ry req u i rem en t s fo r an ap p eal are n o t m et

, w e can n o t ex erci s e

ju ri s d i ct i o n

. See Leg ar e , 2 6 9 Ga. at 4 6 9

. Se e g en eral l y S ea ls v. S t a t e , 31 1 Ga. 7 3 9,

7 4 8 (3 ) (b ) (8 6 0 SE2 d 4 1 9 ) (2 0 2 1 ) (“ W e do n o t h av e t h e p o wer t o i g no re t h e m ean i n g

o f wo rd s, n o r d o w e hav e t he p o wer t o rewri t e st at ut es t o b e t t e r s u i t t h e p ercei v ed

n eed s o f co u rt s o r p art ies

. ”).

Th ere i s n o i nd ep en d en t ju ri s di ct i o n al b as is fo r t h e d efen d an t s ’ cro s s -ap p eal

fro m t h e o rd er d en y i n g t hei r m o t i o n t o d i s m is s

. Th at i n t erl o cu t o ry o rd er was n ot

d i rect l y ap p eal ab le u n d er OCGA § 5 -6 -3 4 (a) o r an y o t h er s tat u to ry p ro vi s i o n , an d

we d en ie d t h e d efen d an t s ’ ap p l i cat i o n fo r i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p el l at e rev i ew.

Co n s eq u en t l y , b ecau s e we l ack ju ri s d i ct io n o v er th e p l ai n t i ffs ’ ap p eal

, we al s o l ack

3ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er t h e d efen d an t s ’ cro s s -ap p eal

. See Cl a r k v. A t l a n t a In d

ep en d en t

S ch oo l S ys t em , 3 1 1 Ga. Ap p

. 2 5 5

, 2 5 9 (7 1 5 SE2 d 6 6 8) (2 0 11 ); F o r es t Ci t y Gu n Cl u b

v. Ch a t ha m Co u n t

y , 2 80 Ga. Ap p . 2 1 9

, 2 2 2 (6 33 SE2 d 6 2 3 ) (2 0 0 6 ).

Ap p ea l s d i s mi s sed

. B ar n es
, P. J., a n d S en i o r A p p el l a t e Ju d

g e H er b er t E.

Ph i p ps co n cu r

.

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