Recently, in Moore v. Elec. Boat Corp., No. 21-1566, 2022 WL 278535 (1st Cir. Jan. 31, 2022), a government contractor-defendant successfully appealed remand based on 28 U.S.C. § 1442, the so-called Federal Officer Removal Statute.

Moore serves as a reminder – especially to asbestos defendants – that contractors acting under the direction of a branch of the military (or any U.S. agency) should determine the extent of the government’s involvement.  A fact-intensive inquiry, such evidence may be sufficient
Continue Reading Submarine Manufacturer Successfully Dives into Federal Waters with Effective Removal of Asbestos Case in the First Circuit

December 4, 2017
New Developments
Missouri Adopts Daubert: What It Means in Product Liability Cases
By Theresa Mullineaux

In March 2017, Missouri Governor Eric Greitens signed House Bill 153, which amended Mo. Rev. Stat. § 490.065, and effectively adopted Daubert standards for Missouri cases, effective in August 2017. As a result, Missouri now follows

Yesterday, March 28, 2017, Missouri Governor, Eric Greitens, signed House Bill 153. This Bill amends parts of section 490.065 of the Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo), which governs testimony of expert witness.

With the enactment of the new standards under 490.065(2), Missouri’s approach to expert testimony now aligns with that of the Federal Courts. The requirements as set out Subsection Two are identical to those of Federal Rules of Evidence 702, 703 and 705, which are the basis for the principles of the Daubert Standard as set out by the United States Supreme Court. See Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceutical, 509 U.S. 579 (1993). This consistency between Missouri and Federal Court standards is significant because it should make it easier to exclude unscientific “junk science.”Continue Reading Missouri Governor Signs Bill; State’s Approach to Expert Testimony Now Aligns with that of the Federal Courts

Husch Blackwell partner Edward Manzo is scheduled to present as part of The Federal Circuit Bar Journal’s “Interviews With The Authors” series. Edward will discuss his article The Untold Story of the First Appeal to the Federal Circuit and his personal connection with appeal no. 83-500, the first appeal to the Federal Circuit from a district court, filed on October 1, 1982, the first day of the Federal Circuit’s existence.
Continue Reading Presentation: The Untold Story of the First Appeal to the Federal Circuit

Contractual forum selection clauses—i.e., provisions selecting specific courts for subsequent related litigation—abound in technology, manufacturing, and transportation commercial agreements. Oftentimes, manufacturers, suppliers, vendors, service-providers, and the like designate particular courts to lessen the costs of future litigation, as well as the likelihood of judicial error. 
Continue Reading Must a Federal Court Enforce Your Forum Selection Clause?