Opinion ID: 2997196
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Motion for Leave to Amend

Text: Bressner’s final argument is that the district court erred when it failed to grant his motion for leave to amend his complaint a third time. Bressner sought to amend his complaint to argue that Amzo was no more than Dennis’s corporate alter ego. The motion was made after the district court had dismissed Bressner’s second amended complaint with prejudice and had entered an order terminating the case. We review a district court’s denial of a motion for leave to amend for an abuse of discretion. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(a) presumes that, in most cases, motions for leave to amend be liberally granted. This court has recognized, however, that this presumption is reversed in cases, such as here, where a plaintiff seeks to amend a complaint after judgment has been entered and a case has been dismissed. First Nat’l Bank v. Continental Ill. Nat’l Bank, 933 F.2d 466, 468 (7th Cir. 1991) (citing 6 Charles Alan Wright, Arthur R. Miller & Mary Kay Kane, Federal Practice and Procedure § 1489 (2d ed. 1990)); see also Doe v. Howe Military School, 227 F.3d 981, 989 (7th Cir. 2000) (recognizing that although motions for leave to amend are to be liberally granted “ ‘justice may require something less in post-judgment situations than in pre-judgment situations’ ”) (quoting Twohy v. First Nat’l Bank, 758 F.2d 1185, 1196 (7th Cir. 1985)). Leaving aside the fact that both parties neglected to discuss the standard of review for this issue, see Fed. R. App. P. 28(a)(9)(B) & 28(b)(5), Bressner did not offer the district court, and does not offer this court, any reason he should be permitted to amend his complaint after a judgment has already been entered. Illinois Conf. of Teamsters and Employers Welfare Fund v. Steve Gilbert Trucking, 71 F.3d 1361, 1368 (7th Cir. 1995) (“A party seeking amendment at that stage of the proceedings must provide the district court with a good reason to grant its motion.”); Harris v. City of Auburn, 27 F.3d 1284, 1287 (7th Cir. 1994) (“At this juncture [after a No. 03-2768 11 judgment has been entered], the party making a Rule 59(e) motion so that it can amend its complaint had better provide the district court with a good reason to grant its motion.”); First Nat’l Bank, 933 F.2d at 468 (“First National had to have a good reason for so belated an amendment. It had none.”). Without offering the district court, or this court, any reason (never mind a good reason) an amendment should have been permitted so late in the game, we cannot say the district court abused its discretion. Cf. Doe, 227 F.3d at 990 (“[P]leading is not like playing darts: a plaintiff can’t keep throwing claims at the board until she gets one that hits the mark.”).