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May 24, 2023
Published by Michael Berman at May 24, 2023
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The Maryland Standing Committee on Rules of Practice & Procedure (“Rules Committee”) met on May 19, 2023, and recommended a number of changes to the Maryland Rules. This blog is limited to proposed changes related to formal and informal discovery. MARYLAND IS ONE-STEP CLOSER TO ABANDONING THE “SAFE HARBOR” Maryland is one […]
February 4, 2023
Published by Michael Berman at February 4, 2023
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The January 30, 2023, 214th Report of the Standing Committee on Rules and Practice proposes an important update of Rule 1-104 regarding unreported opinions. It deletes the provision that, with very limited exceptions, prohibits their citation as precedential or persuasive in any court. If the proposal is approved by the Supreme Court […]
December 14, 2022
Published by Michael Berman at December 14, 2022
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I am pleased to report my selection by Thomsen Reuters for the fifth consecutive year as a Maryland Super Lawyer.
November 9, 2022
Published by Michael Berman at November 9, 2022
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A new ABA Ethics Opinion addresses the “reply all” conundrum. The issue arises when sending counsel copies their client on an email and receiving counsel replies to all persons on the email. That is a communication by receiving counsel to sending counsel’s represented client. ABA Formal Opinion 503 states that, when sending counsel […]
November 8, 2022
Published by Michael Berman at November 8, 2022
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UPDATED Nov. 11, 2022 The Maryland State Bar Association published a white paper, Michael D. Berman, “It is Time to Replace Maryland’s ‘Safe Harbor’ Rule” (Oct. 2022). A download link is provided below. In the paper, I argue that Maryland’s 2008 “safe harbor” rule, Rule 2-433(b), is obsolete. It was patterned on […]
February 6, 2022
Published by Michael Berman at February 6, 2022
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The Maryland Court of Appeals recently considered a proposed amendment of the voluntary dismissal rule. In rejecting the proposal, the State’s highest Court quoted my opposition to it and also quoted my suggested language for any needed clarification. The Court’s discussion begins at 1:55:29 of the video recording. Rule 2-506(a) currently permits […]
February 4, 2022
Published by Michael Berman at February 4, 2022
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With the excellent attorneys and staff of Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC, I was lead counsel in the defense of a redistricting lawsuit in Harford County, MD. The firm press release states: “RWL was pleased to represent the Harford County Council and its members in the above matter. The statement below was just […]
August 17, 2021
Published by Michael Berman at August 17, 2021
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Back in the days of paper-based litigation, it was rare to argue over the definition of a “document.”[1] Usually, it was clear where a letter, memo, or contract began and ended. But, ESI is much different than paper and recent cases bring that issue to the forefront. In Sandoz v. Un. Therapeutics […]
December 26, 2020
Published by Michael Berman at December 26, 2020
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Several recent decisions from the District of Maryland address the question of when a spoliation motion should be filed and decided. Eller v. Prince George’s Co. Public Schools, et al., 2020 WL 7336730 (D. Md. Dec. 14, 2020); Shackelford v. Vivint Solar Developer, LLC, 2020 WL 5203340 (D. Md. September 1, 2020); […]
May 12, 2020
Published by Michael Berman at May 12, 2020
Categories
I am pleased to announce the publication by the Maryland State Bar Association of M. Berman, et al., eds., ELECTRONICALLY STORED INFORMATION IN THE MARYLAND COURTS (2020). This book is intended as a practitioner’s handbook addressing primarily – but not exclusively – how ESI is addressed in Maryland State courts, comparing and […]
May 12, 2020
Published by Michael Berman at May 12, 2020
Categories
In State v Sample, __ Md. __, 2020 WL 2316709 at *3 (May 11, 2020), the Court of Appeals of Maryland concluded that “that the standard of proof for authenticating social media evidence is the preponderance of evidence standard, i.e., there must be sufficient circumstantial evidence for a reasonable juror to find […]