No. 19-1125

Steven Menzies v. Seyfarth Shaw LLP, et al.

Lower Court: Seventh Circuit
Docketed: 2020-03-13
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: civil-procedure civil-rights continuity continuity-analysis due-process flexible-approach mail-fraud pleading-requirements racketeering racketeering-activity rico-pattern rico-pattern-of-racketeering tax-shelter wire-fraud
Key Terms:
Environmental SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2020-04-17
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit failed to apply this Court's
mandated flexible approach to RICO's pattern of
racketeering activity, by rigidly focusing solely on
the particularity of the factual allegations regarding
other victims of a fraudulent scheme.

2. Whether the pleading requirements of Federal Rule
of Civil Procedure 9(b) require that the specific
contents of allegedly privileged communications
in a fraudulent scheme be pleaded with particularity
to establish a RICO claim where the underlying
predicate offenses are mail or wire fraud which do
not require proof that the other defendants were
actually deceived.

3. Whether a scheme's threat of continuity is
evaluated at the time the racketeering activity
occurred, or can subsequent, fortuitous events be
considered to defeat the threat of continuity.

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit failed to apply this Court's mandated flexible approach to RICO's pattern of racketeering activity

Docket Entries

2020-04-20
Petition DENIED.
2020-04-01
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/17/2020.
2020-03-23
Waiver of right of respondents Seyfarth Shaw LLP, et al. to respond filed.
2020-03-23
Waiver of right of respondents Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Graham Taylor to respond filed.
2020-03-23
Waiver of right of respondents Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, as successor-by-merger to Christiana Bank & Trust Company to respond filed.
2020-03-23
Waiver of right of respondent Northern Trust Corporation to respond filed.
2020-03-10
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 13, 2020)

Attorneys

Northern Trust Corporation
H. Nicholas BerberianNeal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP, Respondent
Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Graham Taylor
Matthew J. GehringerPerkins Coie, LLP, Respondent
Seyfarth Shaw LLP, et al.
Eric B. WolffPerkins Coie LLP, Respondent
Steven Menzies
Robert J. HarrisHarris Winick Harris LLP, Petitioner
Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, as successor-by-merger to Christiana Bank & Trust Company
Gary M. EldenShook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., Respondent