Source: https://www.cosgrovelawllc.com/general-litigation-blog.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 14:27:50+00:00

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Judge Gary Fenner of the United States District Court recently granted summary judgment to insurance company Liberty Insurance Underwriters. The case against the company was brought by a sheet metal company’s former President and Executive Vice-President.
Law Firm Escapes Liability in Texas Legal Malpractice Action. Last year the Texas Court of Appeals affirmed a trial court’s granting of summary judgment in favor of two law firms and three attorneys.
PUNITIVE DAMAGES FOR NEGLIGENCE? YES.
My Former colleague, appellate judge Karen King Mitchell, issued an extremely detailed 30-page opinion last fall in the case of Tubbs, et al. v. BNSF Railway Company, WD 80749 (Mo. App. September 4, 2018). One of the two issues Judge Mitchell addresses is whether or not the plaintiffs could hold on to the jury’s $1,231,000 punitive damages award for the defendant’s negligence.
Anticipating Litigation? Make sure to Save Your Text Messages!
I recently had a client who contacted me just before he signed a severance agreement.
A citizen of St. Louis County will have her case against Charter Communications and its former employee heard by a jury in February.
Financial Adviser Terminations. It’s what we do here at Cosgrove Law Group, LLC.
On October 9, 2018, Senior Circuit Judge Richard G. Callahan ordered, adjudged and decreed in Priorities USA, et al. v. State of Missouri, et al., Case No. 18C-CC00226, Cole County Circuit Court, Missouri, that the State of Missouri is permanently enjoined from disseminating materials to the effect that a photo identification is required to vote.
If you work in Missouri and you want to sue your company for employer discrimination, you must first file a “Charge of Discrimination” affidavit with either the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR) or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Both administrative agencies cooperate with one another in the investigation of employer discrimination claims in Missouri.
Recovering Punitive Damages in the Underlying Matter in Legal Malpractice Cases: There are two distinct crossroads between legal practice claims and the issue of punitive damages.
A transaction will be considered an investment contract (and therefore subject to securities registration requirements) if it is (1) an investment of money in (2) a common enterprise with (3) an expectation of profits from the investment (4) due to the efforts of a promoter or a third party.
The rules and regulations regarding cryptocurrency are still in a state of uncertainty.
If you receive a letter demanding information and documentation from a state securities division, I hope you find this blog before you rifle off a response.
Merrill Lynch settled SEC claims for $415 million back in 2016.
Cosgrove Law Group, LLC is an advocate for people who have been victims of product failure.
St. Louis University and one of its doctors lost their appeal of a jury verdict that totaled almost $17,000,000. The overwhelming percentage of that sum was made up of punitive damages.
How Do I Find Out If I Have Earned A Whistleblower Award?
Not every claim, even if it leads to a covered action, satisfies the standards set forth by the Dodd-Frank Act.
The Court’s guidance is noteworthy as non-compete agreements are ever-more ubiquitous throughout a whole range of commercial settings.
Attorney-client privilege is one of the most basic and most important aspects of the attorney-client relationship. Without this foundation stone of the attorney-client relationship, the whole process would break down.
If you’ve invested your money or a client’s money in promissory notes sponsored by Woodbridge Wealth, you should hire an attorney.
Kokesh v. SEC, Docket No. 16-529 (oral argument date April 18, 2017) – Implications for the Statute of Limitations for Missouri State Securities Enforcement Actions. By John R. Phillips, Counsel for Cosgrove Law Group, LLC and former Director of Enforcement for the Missouri Securities Division, Office of the Secretary of State.
Embezzlement can be found at the root of both criminal and civil litigation.
Employment contracts contain some type of non-compete and/or non-solicitation agreement that places restrictions on the employee after leaving employment.
Generally, an employer may discharge an employee for any reason or no reason at all so long as doing so does not run afoul of various anti-discrimination laws.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit rejected the appeals of two former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies.
James Moscow was born at Langley Air Force Base. Both of his parents were serving on active duty at the time of his birth.
Class action investors recently won a partial victory against Dolan Company in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
After much nail-biting by many in the industry, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently released its anticipated and long-awaited final fiduciary rule.
In M.J. v. Wisan, 2016 WL 1165669, the Utah Supreme Court recently held that a trust could be held liable for the tortious conduct of Warren Jeffs.
Deadlines and the failure to meet them are at the heart of a substantial portion of malpractice claims against lawyers.
Medical malpractice cases based upon labor and delivery events are a world unto themselves.
A primary focus of estate planning is passing one’s assets to his or her descendants.
We tend to let our guards down once we nestle in to a hotel or resort. We frequently try new adventures.
As Missouri’s population ages, financial abuse of the elderly and disabled has become an increasing concern.
In a case involving a plaintiff who is not a public figure, a prima facie case of defamation requires proof of four distinct elements.
Arbitration clauses have become increasingly prevalent in consumer contracts.
Recently, the SEC announced a whistleblower award of at least $325,000 to a former employee of an investment firm.
Ex-broker Jose Alejandro Hurtado was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a $60 million bribery scheme after pleading guilty in 2013.
In DeLaRosa v. Farmers State Bank, 2015 WL 6917407, the Missouri Court of Appeals recently held a bank liable for the misappropriation of funds from an estate.
An attorney argued to the Delaware Supreme Court that the activities of corporate directors could not be monitored by bankers giving investment advice.
In establishing trusts, trust creators commonly appoint more than one trustee - frequently an individual trustee and an institutional trustee.
The power of the False Claims Act (FCA) has been on full display, as of late.
Legal Malpractice: Are the Courts Hostile?
It isn’t pleasant or easy to bring a professional liability claim against a fellow attorney.
First, a statement of the obvious: State and federal governmental agencies do not confine their enforcement efforts to domestic entities.
A fundamental duty of any trustee is to ensure that beneficiaries are kept apprised of the status of the trust and its administration.
Trustees who faithfully and properly perform their duties are entitled to compensation.
On September 9, 2015, Deputy Atty General Sally Quillian Yates drafted a Memorandum directed to nine high ranking officials with the Department of Justice.
On July 2, 2015, the Fifth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals struck a blow against overzealous government prosecutions.
In a surprisingly unanimous decision, the Third Circuit held that the FTC could move forward on a deceptive practices claim against Wydham Worldwide Corp.
Disputes between or among corporate officers, directors and shareholders of closely-held businesses are all too common.
“Do cops lie?” was a question I heard frequently during my days as a prosecutor in the City of St. Louis.
A plaintiff’s attorney who works on a contingent matter on behalf a law firm shouldn’t expect to receive a portion of case fees after they leave the firm.
Trusts often contain provisions that seek to limit the trustee’s liability for violations of his or her duties.
Many drivers may be unaware that the ability to recover for a traffic accident caused by someone else does not begin and end with the insurance coverage of the party at fault.
Both the plaintiff and the defendants took a trial court’s key pre-trial rulings to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
With the Baby Boom generation reaching mature adulthood, more assets are being held in trusts than ever before.
Winston Churchill supposedly once uttered that a lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on.
At first blush, the prospect of recovering punitive damages in a Maryland defamation claim can seem daunting, at best.
Late last month, the Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed, in part, a set-off reduced verdict of over $1.3 million against an insurance company.
For many of us, being asked to sign contracts and other documents is something we encounter more frequently that we would prefer.
A real estate agent has a duty to communicate accurate information. See Zimmerman, 156 Ill. App. 3d at 162.
The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the tolling provision in a state Tort Claims Act would not apply in order to save a claim from the statute of limitations for state personal injury claims.
According to a variety of authorities, the fiduciary duty for registered investment advisers and their representatives includes a subset of responsibilities.
Broker-Dealer agents and Investment Adviser Representatives frequently sign a host of legal documents when they join up with a B/D or RIA.
A couple of years back, I took the deposition of a billionaire CEO. Despite almost 25 years of litigation experience, it was a pretty unusual event.
In 1958, the Judicial Conference of the United States approved the creation of the Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure.
It’s tax season and while most taxpayers get a refund from the government, some will owe money.
MO adopted Section 551 of the Restatement Torts that under some circumstances a person’s failure to disclose info constitutes a positive misrepresentation.
Plaintiff filed suit against Cook County, IL and doctors for failure to perform prenatal tests to detect/diagnose anatomical abnormalities in unborn child.
Assisted living facilities confront a broad spectrum of legal issues in the normal course of their business.
In September of 2007, Dalton Johnson was admitted to the Braintree Manor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
The survivors of those who died tragically have netted mixed results in courts around the nation over the last few weeks.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals awarded $1,450,000 in punitive damages despite the jury assessing comparative fault of 25% against the Estate’s decedent.
In September, the United States Sentencing Commission issued its most recent edition of the Guidelines Manual for the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
An increasing number of businesses are hiring independent contractors to perform services, a relationship attractive to many companies for various reasons.
This is a general overview of the dozens of state statutes specifically applicable to the retail sale of precious metals.
Employment contracts often contain types of non-compete and/or non-solicitation agreements that place restrictions on employees after leaving employment.
This article will discuss how damages are determined once the proper parties are in place.
If a family member died due to the fault of another, how can one determine who can bring an action against the party liable for the family member’s death?
When a seller of a property makes representations of the property’s value, a buyer typically discounts those statements.
The music finally stopped last week, and the dancers parted way.
Missouri law sets forth specific requirements that must be met before an individual can obtain expungement of his or her arrest records.
If parties to a lawsuit dispute whether a valid settlement agreement was entered into, the party purporting that an agreement was made may file a motion to enforce the agreement with the court.
Let’s start this off-beat blog post with a confession: I am a Type-A+ attorney.
Congress enacted I.R.C. § 4958 to provide for intermediate sanctions in lieu of harsher penalty of revoking tax-exempt status of non-profit organizations.
Last year marked a record setting year for the Justice Department’s (“DOJ”) recovery from companies that filed false claims against the government.
In Between a Rock and a Hard Place – State Courts’ Public Policy v. the United States Supreme Court’s strict interpretation of the FAA.
Since its creation in December 1997, the Benistar 419 Plan, has brought much scrutiny to the tax interpretation of 419 plans.
Drafting a petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court in a case we have against Fisher Investments, Inc.
The stock of silver producer Silvercorp Metals, Inc. (“Silvercorp”) trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges.
Missouri Supreme Court found, in a 5-2 decision, that a hospital employee who broke her pelvis while making coffee is not covered by workers’ compensation.
It seems like every week I read an article that offers tips about how business professionals should use (or not use) social media.
Mark May was the sole director and president of Maranatha Financial Group, a financial advisory firm in Dayton, Ohio.
When is a limited liability company member liable for the tortuous conduct of the limited liability company?
Defamation is a false statement, communicated to others, that gives a negative impression of a person, group, or entity.
A judge in the federal court in St. Louis found herself ordering signatures, hearings and discovery in a wrongful death case that had already been settled.
Interested in Historical parallels between the alleged causes and political responses to the economic crises of 1929 – 1934 and 2008 – 2012?
The idea behind the Missouri workers’ compensation statute is to create a no-fault compensation system.
Deputy Scott J. Beine (“Beine”) worked for the St. Charles County Sheriff’s Department (“Employer”) from 1997 until July 7, 2008.
According to the Certified Financial Planner’s website, the CFP Board opened 1,472 disciplinary cases in 2010.
Mold is a type of fungi that reproduces by releasing tiny spores which travel through indoor or outdoor air.
It is important to understand the nature of a warranty and the difference between a warranty and any other type of contractual representation or promise.
In Missouri, defendants almost always seek to preclude evidence of prior incidents involving the defendant on the basis that such evidence is irrelevant and prejudicial.
At the core of most law suits is one common element: money.
Did the Other Company Breach an Express Warranty in an Illinois Contract?
It is well-established in Illinois that a movant is entitled to summary judgment if no genuine issue of material fact exists and the moving party establishes a right to judgment as a matter of law.
It has been one month since the Missouri Supreme Court began its pilot for electronic filing.

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