No. 22-172

Swisher International, Inc. v. Trendsettah USA, Inc., et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2022-08-24
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (1) Experienced Counsel
Tags: appellate-jurisdiction article-iii article-three civil-procedure final-judgment-rule interlocutory-appeal mandamus microsoft-v-baker voluntary-dismissal
Key Terms:
Arbitration Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri ClassAction
Latest Conference: 2022-12-02
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does an appellate court have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and Article III when a plaintiff voluntarily dismisses its claims with prejudice in order to obtain review of an interlocutory ruling?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED In Microsoft Corp. v. Baker, this Court held that federal appellate courts do not “have jurisdiction under [28 U.S.C.] § 1291 ... to review an order denying class certification ... after the named plaintiffs have voluntarily dismissed their claims with prejudice.” 1378. Ct. 1702, 1712 (2017). The Court reasoned that this “dismissal tactic’—in which plaintiffs abandon their claims in order to manufacture immediate appellate “undercut[ ]” a “discretionary regime” governing interlocutory appeals. Id. at 1714. Three Justices concurred in the judgment on the ground that appellate jurisdiction was lacking under Article III. 7d. at 1715-17 (Thomas, J., concurring in the judgment). In this case, the district court granted defendant relief from judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60 and ordered a new trial. The district court certified that ruling for interlocutory review under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), but the Ninth Circuit declined to hear the appeal and also denied plaintiffs’ subsequent petition for a writ of mandamus. Dissatisfied with the Ninth Circuit’s refusal to permit an interlocutory appeal, plaintiffs then voluntarily dismissed their claims with prejudice for the express purpose of filing an immediate appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Construing Microsoft as limited to appeals of orders concerning class certification, the Ninth Circuit held that it possessed jurisdiction over the appeal. The question presented is: Does an appellate court have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and Article III when a plaintiff voluntarily dismisses its claims with prejudice in order to obtain review of an interlocutory ruling?

Docket Entries

2022-12-05
Petition DENIED.
2022-11-09
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 12/2/2022.
2022-11-08
2022-10-21
Brief of respondents Trendsettah USA, Inc., et al. in opposition filed.
2022-09-22
2022-09-13
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including October 21, 2022.
2022-09-12
Motion to extend the time to file a response from September 23, 2022 to October 21, 2022, submitted to The Clerk.
2022-08-22
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 23, 2022)

Attorneys

Swisher International, Inc.
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Petitioner
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Petitioner
Trendsettah USA, Inc., et al.
Eric F. CitronGoldstein & Russell, P.C., Respondent
Eric F. CitronGoldstein & Russell, P.C., Respondent
Washington Legal Foundation
John Mercer Masslon IIWashington Legal Foundation, Amicus
John Mercer Masslon IIWashington Legal Foundation, Amicus