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Burden of Proof on a Motion to Dismiss for Improper Venue

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Defendants should have the burden of proof on a motion to dismiss for improper venue. A split of authority exists on this issue. 14D Charles Alan Wright, et al., Federal Practice and Procedure § 3826, at pp. 555-62 (3d ed. 2007).  In our jurisdiction, the federal courts, unfortunately, have not ruled on the issue. See Burns v. Events & Transportation …

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Twombly/Iqbal Stay of Litigation

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Under Twombly/Iqbal pleading standards, defendants who are named in a poorly drafted lawsuit should not have to bear the expense of defending frivolous claims before the court can evaluate the plaintiff’s claims. As the Supreme Court noted in Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937 (2009), a plaintiff who fails to adequately allege a viable complaint is not entitled to “unlock …

Twombly/Iqbal Dismissal of Litigation

In Litigation & Lawsuits by Don KochersbergerLeave a Comment

The Twombly/Iqbal pleading standard can be effective in resisting frivolous claims by plaintiffs. This pleading standard demands “more than an unadorned, the-defendant-unlawfully-harmed-me accusation.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937, 1949 (2009) (citing Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007)). In applying these standards, a court considering a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss need not accept the …