Opinion ID: 2734199
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Reviewability of the July 11 Orders

Text: As a threshold matter, we must determine whether review of the District Court’s July 11, 2013 orders denying the Haydens’ Motion to Join DRS and Motion to Amend (the “July 11 orders”) is proper. Westfield contends that the Haydens waived any right to review the July 11 orders because the Haydens included only the order issued on October 25, 2013 (the “October 25 order”), in their Notice of Appeal. We disagree. Although Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 3(c) states that a notice of appeal must “designate the judgment, order or part thereof appealed from,” Fed. R. App. P. 3(c), we “liberally construe the requirements of Rule 3(c),” Pacitti v. Macy’s, 193 F.3d 766, 777 (3d Cir. 1999) (citing Drinkwater v. Union Carbide Corp., 904 F.2d 853, 858 (3d Cir. 1990); Williams v. Guzzardi, 875 F.2d 46, 49-50 (3d Cir. 1989)). Accordingly, we have held review of orders not specified in the notice of appeal is appropriate where: “(1) there is a connection between the specified and unspecified order, (2) the intention to appeal the unspecified order is apparent, and (3) the opposing party is not prejudiced and has a full opportunity to brief the issues.” Pacitti, 193 F.3d at 777 (citing Polonski v. 6 Trump Taj Mahal Assocs., 137 F.3d 139, 144 (3d Cir. 1998); Tabron v. Grace, 6 F.3d 147, 153 n.2 (3d Cir. 1993)). Each of these criteria is satisfied here. First, although Westfield argues that the July 11 orders were not connected to the October 25 order, the motions denied in each order were the means by which the Haydens sought to achieve the same end: pursuing claims against both Westfield and DRS in one forum. Had the District Court granted the Haydens’ Motion to Join DRS and Motion to Amend, it is doubtful the Haydens would have filed their Motion to Dismiss.4 The District Court recognized this, describing the three motions as part of a “daisy chain” of filings stretching back to the Haydens’ first failed motion for joinder, all of which had the apparent goal of defeating federal jurisdiction. App. 10 n.2. Whether or not that was the goal, there is a connection between the specified and unspecified orders. Second, the Haydens’ intent to appeal the July 11 orders is apparent from their opening brief. See Pacitti, 193 F.3d at 777 (finding sufficient intent to appeal a discovery order from plaintiffs’ notice of appeal from summary judgment order and arguments in plaintiffs’ opening appellate brief); Polonski, 137 F.3d at 144 (finding that “the appellate proceedings clearly manifest an intent to appeal”). And third, Westfield evidently had a full opportunity to brief the issues and does not argue that it was prejudiced. Therefore, review of the July 11 orders is appropriate. 4 This is especially true because, as discussed below, the District Court would have had to remand the case to state court if it had joined DRS as a defendant. 7