Contempt & Sanctions

By: Derek Hawkins//July 25, 2016//

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7^th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: Lightspeed Media Corporation v. Anthony Smith, et al

Case No.: 15-2440; 15-2682

Officials: WOOD, Chief Judge, and KANNE and SYKES, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Contempt & Sanctions

District court acted within discretion in imposing discovery sanctions

“Steele complains that the amount of the discovery sanction is “grossly excessive.” He argues that the costs for work be‐ fore his January 30 communication to JPMorgan cannot be justified, as they were not tied to his obstructive conduct. The district court explained its conclusion to the contrary by noting that “[t]hese expenses were incurred as a direct result of Lightspeed’s counsel’s refusal to pay the original sanctions or‐ der and false assertions of insolvency related thereto. Steele and Duffy used a variety of measures to obstruct the January 2014 discovery efforts (and the March 2014 discovery efforts).” “

Dismissed in Part

Affirmed in Part

Vacated in Part

Full Text

Attorney Derek A. Hawkins is the managing partner at Hawkins Law Offices LLC, where he heads up the firm’s startup law practice. He specializes in business formation, corporate governance, intellectual property protection, private equity and venture capital funding and mergers & acquisitions. Check out the website at www.hawkins-lawoffices.com or contact them at 262-737-8825.

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