In 2017, Iowa enacted a statute that aimed to dismiss meritless medical malpractice actions early in the case. The statute, Iowa Code § 147.140, requires that a plaintiff provide a certificate of merit signed by an expert within 60 days of the defendants’ answer. The certificate must address the standard of care and the defendant’s alleged breach of that standard. If the plaintiff fails to provide such a certificate, the [...]
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently held that a provision of the Federal Aviation Act, 49 U.S.C. § 44112, preempted state law negligence and strict liability claims brought against a former owner of an aircraft by the heirs of people who died in a plane crash. See J.A.G.P. v. Aerolineas Damojh, S.A. de C.V., No. 1:19-CV-02552, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24858 (N.D. Ill. Feb. [...]
In July 2021, the Nebraska Supreme Court decided an important case on the Nebraska sales and use tax and how it is applied to aircraft. In the case, Big Blue Express, Inc. v. Neb. Dep’t of Rev., 309 Neb. 838 (2021), the supreme court concluded that the “sale for resale” exemption found at Neb. Rev. Stat. § 77-2701.34 did not exempt an aircraft from sales and use taxes when the [...]
The long arm of personal jurisdiction. As our nation’s economy becomes increasingly interconnected, the concept of personal jurisdiction—which governs when a court can constitutionally bind a defendant with a judgment—has become all the more important. This is especially true in an era of litigation tourism where the venue in which a case has been filed can significantly impact the quality of justice the parties receive. In the past decade, the [...]
Last month, the United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in Iancu v. Brunetti, 18-302, a fascinating case examining the intersection of the First Amendment and federal trademark law. At issue is whether Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act’s prohibition on the federal registration of “immoral” or “scandalous” trademarks is facially unconstitutional under the First Amendment. To understand the implications for Iancu, a little background is necessary. First, trademarks. Trademarks [...]
