5th Circuit Case Commentaries

Affirmation of Discovery Sanctions and Clarification on Cost Awards Under FRCP 37 and 54(d) – Ste v. Moore

Date: Nov 13, 2013

Affirmation of Discovery Sanctions and Clarification on Cost Awards Under FRCP 37 and 54(d) – Ste v. Moore Introduction In Ste v. Moore, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit...

Affirmation of Disability Proof Requirements under ADAAA: Neely v. PSEG Texas

Date: Nov 7, 2013

Affirmation of Disability Proof Requirements under ADAAA: Neely v. PSEG Texas Introduction In Jeffrey Neely v. PSEG Texas, Limited Partnership; Public Service Enterprise Group, Incorporated, 735 F.3d...

Affirmation of Standards for Amending Pleadings Post-Deadline Under Rule 16(b)(4) in Filgueira v. US Bank

Date: Nov 2, 2013

Affirmation of Standards for Amending Pleadings Post-Deadline Under Rule 16(b)(4) in Filgueira v. US Bank Introduction In the case of Sebastian Filgueira v. US Bank National Association, the United...

Reinagel v. Deutsche Bank: Standing to Challenge Mortgage Assignments and the Validity of 'Robo-Signing' under Texas Law

Date: Oct 30, 2013

Reinagel v. Deutsche Bank: Standing to Challenge Mortgage Assignments and the Validity of 'Robo-Signing' under Texas Law Introduction Reinagel v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, 735 F.3d 220...

Collateral Estoppel in USERRA Claims: Bradberry v. Jefferson County, Texas

Date: Oct 18, 2013

Collateral Estoppel in USERRA Claims: Bradberry v. Jefferson County, Texas Introduction In Joel Bradberry v. Jefferson County, Texas, 732 F.3d 540 (5th Cir. 2013), the United States Court of Appeals...

Ensuring Proper Application of the IN RE BASS Six-Factor Balancing Test in Trade Secret Cases: A Commentary on Heil Trailer International Co. v. Troxell Company

Date: Oct 17, 2013

Ensuring Proper Application of the IN RE BASS Six-Factor Balancing Test in Trade Secret Cases: A Commentary on Heil Trailer International Co. v. Troxell Company Introduction The case of Heil Trailer...

Enhancing Free Speech: 5th Circuit Rules Texas Election Code's Restrictions on Corporate Contributions Unconstitutional

Date: Oct 17, 2013

Enhancing Free Speech: 5th Circuit Rules Texas Election Code's Restrictions on Corporate Contributions Unconstitutional Introduction The case Texans for Free Enterprise (TFE) v. Texas Ethics...

SettlePou v. Black: Fifth Circuit Clarifies Fluctuating Workweek Method in FLSA Misclassification Cases

Date: Oct 12, 2013

SettlePou v. Black: Fifth Circuit Clarifies Fluctuating Workweek Method in FLSA Misclassification Cases Introduction In the landmark case of Betty Black, Plaintiff–Appellant v. SettlePou, P.C.,...

5th Circuit Upholds Qualified Immunity in Prison Strip Search Case: McCreary v. Richardson

Date: Oct 10, 2013

5th Circuit Upholds Qualified Immunity in Prison Strip Search Case: McCreary v. Richardson Introduction In the case of James McCreary v. Jeffery Richardson, Captain, the United States Court of...

Federal Power Act Preempts State Tort Claims for Property Damage in FERC-Licensed Projects

Date: Oct 10, 2013

Federal Power Act Preempts State Tort Claims for Property Damage in FERC-Licensed Projects Introduction In the landmark case of Jeff Simmons et al. v. Sabine River Authority et al., the United States...

Upholding §922(g)(1) and Sentencing Enhancement Under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B): A Comprehensive Analysis of United States v. Alcantar

Date: Oct 8, 2013

Upholding §922(g)(1) and Sentencing Enhancement Under U.S.S.G. § 2K2.1(b)(6)(B): A Comprehensive Analysis of United States v. Alcantar Introduction The case of United States of America v. Guadalupe...

Time-Barred Claims and Procedural Missteps: An Analysis of Carter v. Target Corporation

Date: Oct 5, 2013

Time-Barred Claims and Procedural Missteps: An Analysis of Carter v. Target Corporation Introduction In the case of Barbara A. Carter v. Target Corporation (541 F. App'x 413), the United States Court...

Affirmation of Reasonable Suspicion and Bruton Doctrine in UNITED STATES v. BOOKER Powell (5th Cir. 2013)

Date: Oct 4, 2013

Affirmation of Reasonable Suspicion and the Bruton Doctrine in UNITED STATES v. BOOKER Powell (5th Cir. 2013) Introduction The case United States of America v. Booker Anderson–Jay Powell; April Marie...

Fifth Circuit Upholds Texas Voter Registration Regulations: Implications for First Amendment and NVRA

Date: Oct 4, 2013

Fifth Circuit Upholds Texas Voter Registration Regulations: Implications for First Amendment and NVRA Introduction The case of Voting for America, Inc. et al. v. John Steen (732 F.3d 382, 5th Cir....

Boh Brothers Construction: Establishing Precedent for Same-Sex Harassment Claims Based on Gender Stereotyping

Date: Sep 28, 2013

Boh Brothers Construction: Establishing Precedent for Same-Sex Harassment Claims Based on Gender Stereotyping Introduction In Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Boh Brothers Construction...

No Prima Facie Case of Age Discrimination: Affirming Apple's Summary Judgment in Maestas v. Apple, Inc.

Date: Sep 28, 2013

No Prima Facie Case of Age Discrimination: Affirming Apple's Summary Judgment in Maestas v. Apple, Inc. Introduction In the case of Rodney Maestas v. Apple, Incorporated (546 F. App'x 422, 2013), the...

FMLA Retaliation and Mixed-Motive Analysis: Chevron USA Inc. v. Todd W. Ion - A Comprehensive Commentary

Date: Sep 27, 2013

FMLA Retaliation and Mixed-Motive Analysis: Chevron USA Inc. v. Todd W. Ion - A Comprehensive Commentary Introduction The case of Todd W. Ion v. Chevron USA, Incorporated (731 F.3d 379) adjudicated...

Enhanced Standards for Age Discrimination Claims in Federal Employment Under the ADEA

Date: Sep 27, 2013

Enhanced Standards for Age Discrimination Claims in Federal Employment Under the ADEA Introduction In the landmark case George Leal and John M. Lozano v. John McHugh, Secretary, Department of the...

Rule 60(b)(6) Relief Standards Affirmed in Diaz v. Stephens: Changes in Habeas Law Insufficient to Establish Extraordinary Circumstances

Date: Sep 26, 2013

Rule 60(b)(6) Relief Standards Affirmed in Diaz v. Stephens: Changes in Habeas Law Insufficient to Establish Extraordinary Circumstances Introduction Arturo Diaz, a petitioner facing the death...

Exclusive Remedy under Texas Workers' Compensation Act Affirmed for Government Contractors in Willoughby v. United States

Date: Sep 18, 2013

Exclusive Remedy under Texas Workers' Compensation Act Affirmed for Government Contractors in Willoughby v. United States Introduction In John E. Willoughby; Wendy Willoughby v. United States of...