Law Commons^™

Business Associations, Crystal J. Clark, Kristi K. North

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys notable cases in the areas of corporate, limited liability company, partnership, agency, and joint-venture law decided between June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2014 by the Georgia Supreme Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the United States district courts located in Georgia.

Wills, Trusts, Guardianships, And Fiduciary Administration, Mary F. Radford

Mercer Law Review

This Article describes selected cases and significant legislation from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014 pertaining to Georgia fiduciary law and estate planning.

Trial Practice And Procedure, Brandon L. Peak, Tedra C. Hobson, Mary K. Weeks, Anna W. Howard, Morgan E. Duncan, Joseph M. Colwell

Mercer Law Review

This Article addresses several significant cases and legislation of interest to the Georgia civil trial practitioner that occurred during the survey period of this publication.

Criminal Law, Bernadette C. Crucilla

Mercer Law Review

In this year's criminal law survey, I have taken a cue from my colleagues of past years and included only the most significant cases and statutory amendments. A body of law born from resolving the inherent conflicts between prosecutors and defenders is necessarily in a constant state of change. It is, therefore, impossible to comment on every development within a specific time period. To that end, this Survey limits the discussion to those legal developments with the widest application to Georgia criminal law practitioners for the time period from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014.

Administrative Law, Martin M. Wilson, Jennifer A. Blackburn, Courtney E. Ferrell, Erin G. Watstein

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys cases from the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals from June 1, 2013 through May 31, 2014 in which principles of administrative law were a central focus of the case. The Article begins with a discussion of cases on exhaustion of administrative remedies, followed by a series of cases discussing statutory construction. The next topic discussed will be the standard of review of an agency decision, with a review of sovereign immunity cases to follow, and the Article concludes with a brief review of enactments from the 2014 regular session of the Georgia General …

Construction Law, Frank O. Brown Jr.

Mercer Law Review

This Article focuses on noteworthy opinions issued by Georgia appellate courts between June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2014 that are relevant to the practice of construction law. Because condominium projects often result in construction-defect litigation, this Article also briefly discusses an amendment to section 44-3-106(h) of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.), part of the Georgia Condominium Act, which became effective July 1, 2014.

Death Penalty, Josh D. Moore

Mercer Law Review

The Georgia Supreme Court addressed two death sentences on direct appeal in this survey period, affirming both of them, and addressed four more death penalty cases at various stages of collateral review, leaving death sentences intact in all but one case. Claims of ineffective assistance of counsel frequently dominated the court's discussion of these cases, playing a central role in all but two of them. The court, however, also addressed some important issues touching on mental-health evaluations and evidence, lethal injection, death qualification, and victim-impact testimony

Insurance, Stephen L. Cotter, Stephen M. Schatz, Bradley S. Wolff

Mercer Law Review

No dramatic reversal of direction or case of first impression occurred this survey period. Rather, the courts continued to clarify and refine the fine lines of Georgia insurance law. Multiple opinions help carriers to better handle time-limit demands and to effectively reserve rights to known coverage issues. After decades of confusing opinions, it was finally made crystal-clear that an "occurrence" can exist where the damage is to the insured's work. The Great Recession brought Georgia an abundance of insurance rulings related to the risks encountered by financial institutions.

Labor And Employment Law, W. Melvin Haas Iii, William M. Clifton Iii, W. Jonathan Martin Ii, Alyssa K. Peters

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys revisions to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) and decisions interpreting Georgia law from June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014 that affect labor and employment relations for Georgia employers.

Local Government Law, Kirk Fjelstul

Mercer Law Review

This Article reviews Georgia appellate decisions presenting new or instructive issues related to local government law during the survey period from June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014.

Torts, Phillip Comer Griffeth, Cash V. Morris

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys recent developments in Georgia tort law between June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2014. During this survey period, the Georgia Supreme Court decided several cases of significance in the medical malpractice arena, and a seven-judge panel of the Georgia Court of Appeals was called upon to decide a slip-and-fall case. Some might argue that a few of these cases were victories for the plaintiff's bar. However, a close reading of the opinions reflects some well-reasoned and impressive legal arguments concerning the gross negligence and summary judgment standards applied by Georgia's appellate jurists. These opinions will be cited …

Workers' Compensation, H. Michael Bagley, J. Benson Ward

Mercer Law Review

While there was no legislation impacting the Workers' Compensation Act during the 2013-2014 survey period, the period featured notable decisions of the appellate courts involving core issues of the Act, including notice, average weekly wage, return to work, and change in condition.

Domestic Relations, Barry B. Mcgough, Elinor H. Hitt, Katherine S. Cornwell

Mercer Law Review

This Article addresses significant case law that arose during the survey period. There were no extensive statutory changes specific to domestic relations during this period, though legislation was passed by the Georgia General Assembly providing limitations on personal information allowed in court filings.

Evidence, John E. Hall Jr., W. Scott Henwood, Jacque Smith Clarke

Mercer Law Review

This year represents the first full survey period' in which the "new" Georgia Evidence Code, title 24 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.), takes effect. These new rules took effect on January 1, 2013. The rules conform in large part to the Federal Rules of Evidence and have continued to change the face of evidence law in Georgia. Appellate cases are now providing guidance and direction on the courts' interpretation of the rules, and these cases affect litigants' strategies. This Survey highlights cases decided by the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Georgia Supreme Court between June 1, …

Real Property, Linda S. Finley

Mercer Law Review

Any survey of Real Property Law will certainly include a report of the "usual suspects" including boundaries, easements, zoning, and the like, but today's real estate practitioner is expected to be knowledgeable about other related topics such as the unauthorized practice of law, taxation, the rights of consumers in foreclosure, and other varied topics. No survey can discuss every relevant case or topic, but the purpose here is to provide the reader with a broad understanding of "hot" topics and, perhaps, lead the reader to more specific research and debate about these topics.

An Emerging Liability: Managing Flsa Exposure From Internship Programs In The Private Sector, Chris J. Perniciaro

Mercer Law Review

According to the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor (DOL), unpaid internships in private for-profit businesses are illegal under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA or the Act) except for very narrow circumstances. Consistent with the WHD's position, civil litigation against employers providing unpaid internships has significantly increased via the private right of action contained in the statute. Over twenty lawsuits have been filed by unpaid interns alleging violations of federal and state minimum wage laws. A major force behind these new lawsuits is Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures Inc., a June 2013 decision from …

Open Chambers: Demystifying The Inner Workings And Culture Of The Georgia Court Of Appeals, Stephen Louis A. Dillard

Mercer Law Review

I vividly remember the day I learned of my appointment to the Georgia Court of Appeals. I was sitting in my cluttered but comfortable office, preparing for what would ultimately be my last hearing as a lawyer, when the phone rang. On the other end of the line was Governor Sonny Perdue's executive assistant: "Mr. Dillard, do you have time to speak with the governor?" I did, of course. And less than two weeks after that brief but life-changing conversation with Governor Perdue, I was one of Georgia's two newly appointed appellate judges (and the seventy-third judge to serve on …

Antitrust, Jeffrey S. Cashdan, Christine A. Hopkinson

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys substantive antitrust decisions issued between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013, by the United States Supreme Court for cases that originated in the Eleventh Circuit, by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and by the United States district courts within the Eleventh Circuit.

Bankruptcy, John T. Laney Iii, Daniel Taylor

Mercer Law Review

This Article focuses on bankruptcy opinions issued in 2013 by the Supreme Court of the United States and courts within the Eleventh Circuit. The topics range from the legality of "ghostwriting" to the definition of "defalcation" under section 523(a)(4) of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

Constitutional Criminal Procedure, Charles E. Cox Jr.

Mercer Law Review

Each year the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issue numerous decisions concerning the rights afforded to criminal defendants by the United States Constitution. This Article surveys selected Eleventh Circuit and Supreme Court decisions issued in 2013 that will likely be of interest to criminal law practitioners.

Employment Discrimination, Peter Reed Corbin, John E. Duvall

Mercer Law Review

Following a relatively quiet and uneventful 2012 survey period, the United States Supreme Court stepped up its activity significantly in the area of employment discrimination during the 2013 survey period. The Supreme Court handed down several significant rulings. In University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar, the Court established a "but-for" rule of causation for purposes of Title VII retaliation cases. In Vance v. Ball State University, the Supreme Court determined the parameters of who qualifies as a "supervisor" for purposes of establishing vicarious liability in workplace harassment actions under Title VII.

At the circuit level, the …

Environmental Law, Travis M. Trimble

Mercer Law Review

In 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected a challenge to the Navy's Undersea Warfare Training Range (Range) off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, based on potential impacts the Range could have to the endangered North Atlantic Right Whale and other endangered species. The court held that the Navy and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) had met their obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA as amended and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA as amended thus far in the project. The court also decided two cases under the Clean …

Evidence, W. Randall Bassett, Simon A. Rodell, Dmitry M. Epstein

Mercer Law Review

The 2013 term of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit saw a number of precedential opinions dealing with a wide variety of evidentiary issues. Of particular interest to prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys are two Eleventh Circuit decisions applying the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause and a unanimous United States Supreme Court decision dealing with the Fifth Amendment's' right against self-incrimination as applied to psychiatric evidence. A number of published Eleventh Circuit decisions involved non-constitutional issues under the Federal Rules of Evidence, including balancing probative value against prejudicial effect under Rule 403, authentication of audio and video …

Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Rosemary Cakmis

Mercer Law Review

In recent years, the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG, or the Guidelines) for offenses involving drugs, immigration, fraud and theft, and firearms have consistently been applied more frequently at federal sentencings than any other primary offense guidelines. The Guidelines allow for consequential enhancements, many related to victims and criminal history. These Guidelines, especially the enhancements, dominated the precedential guideline decisions of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 2013. This Article focuses on the recurring issues in those decisions.

Healthcare, Terri K. Benton

Mercer Law Review

This Article offers a review of recent healthcare law developments in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The cases discussed below span topics from disclosure of protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), arbitration agreements and their interplay in wrongful death suits, and the reduction of medical care provided through the Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP).

Intellectual Property, Laurence P. Colton

Mercer Law Review

This Article surveys legal developments in the area of intellectual property relevant to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit during the 2013 calendar year, particularly as decided by the United States federal court system, because intellectual property law primarily is determined under federal law. The past year, 2013, was relatively unusual in that the United States Supreme Court ruled on several cases across the intellectual property spectrum, and the last remaining provisions of the federal America Invents Act (AIA) came into effect. Therefore, this year's Article is unique in that it focuses on law that not …

Securities Regulation, David K. Brown, Derek B. Swanson

Mercer Law Review

This Article examines significant cases originating in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit during 2012 and 2013 under the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act or 1933 Act), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act or 1934 Act), and the rules promulgated thereunder. In particular, Part I of this Article addresses a recent decision involving alleged material misstatements in connection with an initial public offering. Part II analyzes a recent case addressing the loss-causation element of a claim of fraud under United States securities law, namely, under § 10(b)r of the Exchange Act …

Trial Practice And Procedure, John O'Shea Sullivan, Ashby K. Fox, Tala Amirfazli

Mercer Law Review

The 2013 survey period yielded noteworthy decisions relating to federal trial practice and procedure in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, several of which involved issues of first impression. This Article analyzes recent developments in the Eleventh Circuit, including significant rulings in the areas of statutory interpretation, subject matter jurisdiction, arbitration, and civil procedure.

Confirming The Enforceability Of The Guaranty Agreement After Non-Judicial Foreclosure In Georgia, Dianna Lee

Mercer Law Review

Between 2008 and 2011, Georgia experienced seventy-four bank failures, the highest number of failures in the nation. Of these seventy-four banks, sixty-nine were small banks (banks with less than $1 billion in assets), five were "medium-size" banks (banks with assets between $1 billion and $10 billion), and none were large banks (banks with more than $10 billion in assets). The majority of bank failures in Georgia were therefore comprised of small banks with less than $1 billion in assets. Unfortunately, the failures of these community banks "were largely driven by credit losses on commercial real estate ... loans." ...

Part …

Immigration, Charles H. Kuck, Keith N. Jensen

Mercer Law Review

During the January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013 survey period, courts in the Eleventh Circuit decided hundreds of cases affecting immigration law. The following is a discussion of some of those decisions that clarified important issues pertaining to immigration law in the Eleventh Circuit.