Norwegians in American Courts:

Strangers in a Strange Land

Paul B. Klaas

Partner-in-charge (International)

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Minneapolis/London

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Norwegians in American Courts[Nordmenn i de amerikanske domstolene]

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UNITED STATES JUDICIAL

SYSTEMFEDERAL COURTS

STATE COURTS

Minneapolis

New York

Hennepin County

District Court

Hennepin County

District Court

SupremeCourts

SupremeCourts

District

Courts

District

Courts

Courts of

Appeals

Courts of

Appeals

Minnesota Court of Appeals

Minnesota Court of Appeals

Minnesota Supreme

Court

Minnesota Supreme

Court

AppellateDivisions

AppellateDivisions

Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals

Magistrate

Judges

District

Judges

Attorney General

Attorney General PTOPTO

?

?

?

?

U.S.

Senate

U.S. House of

Representative

s

United States

Supreme Court

United States

Supreme Court

Executive Branch

(President)

Executive Branch

(President)

Legislative BranchLegislative Branch

SECSEC

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PREPARATION LITIGATION

Prior Art Search?

Experts?

Infringement /

Validity Analysis?

Defensive Legal Opinion?

Design Around?

forum battle?AppealAppeal

[ $, Injunction]

Y v. X

(Declaratory Judgment)

Y v. X

(Declaratory Judgment)

TrialTrialVerdict

And Judgment

Verdict And

Judgment

Answer (denials)

or

Motions to Dismiss

Answer (denials)

or

Motions to Dismiss

SETTLEMENT

?

Expert

Discovery

Expert

Discovery

Fact Discovery

Fact Discovery

Markman Hearing

Markman Hearing

SummaryJudgmentSummaryJudgment

"Initial Disclosures"

"Initial Disclosures"

Preliminary Injunction

Preliminary Injunction

X v. Y

(Infringement)

X v. Y

(Infringement)

UNITED STATES PATENT

LITIGATION

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American Astonishments

• Notice pleading

• Class actions

• Discovery

• “Aggressive” lawyers

• Mercenary expert witnesses

• Contingent fees + rare or no fee-shifting

• Jury trials

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Notice Pleading

Fed. R. Civ. P. 8(a):

A pleading that states a claim for relief must

contain…a short and plain statement of the

claim…and a demand for the relief sought.

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Class Actions

Fed. R. Civ. P. 23

An individual suing as representative of all

others similarly situated, unless the others

“opt out”

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NUMEROSITY NUMEROSITY

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COMMONALITY

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TYPICALITY TYPICALITY

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FED. R. CIV. P. 23(B)(3)

Notice and

Opportunity to Opt Out

Common Questions Predominate

Superiority

Manageability

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Discovery

Oral depositions

Written depositions

Written interrogatories

Requests for production of documents

Physical and mental examinations

Requests for admission

Subpoenas

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Rock, Paper, Scissors[Stein, Papir, Saks]

Rock[Stein]

Paper[Papir]

Scissors[Saks]

=

=

=

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Rock, Paper, Scissors[Stein, Papir, Saks]

BREAKS

SURROUNDS

CUTS

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Depositions

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Aggressive Lawyers

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Aggressive lawyers

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Mercenary expert witnesses

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Fees

Contingent fees

Almost no fee-shifting

(“Loser pays” only by statute or contract)

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Jury trials

Criminal prosecutions

Civil actions seeking money damages

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