Triple Play for Steptoe's Appellate Practice

The week of August 30, Steptoe won three appeals in three federal circuits. In the Ninth Circuit, Steptoe established that there was no tribal jurisdiction over a case that had been pending against our client in tribal court for 14 years. The case was argued on Monday, August 30 and decided unanimously in our client's favor four days later. Town Pump, Inc. v. LaPlante, No. 10-35090 (9th Cir. Sept. 3, 2010).

In the Seventh Circuit, Steptoe obtained a unanimous decision in favor of our client, La Cafetiere, Inc., in a trade dress dispute. The three judges wrote separate opinions on how foreign law should be proved, but all agreed that Steptoe had proved that foreign law supported its outcome. Bodum USA, Inc. v. La Cafetiere, No. 09-1892 (7th Cir. Sept. 2, 2010).

In the Sixth Circuit, the court of appeals held that the rules under Section 363 of the Bankruptcy Code would apply to the sale of property in which nondebtors held an undivided interest along with the debtors. In re Nashville Senior Living, LLC, No. 09-5817 (6th Cir. Sept 3., 2010). This was the first such ruling by a court of appeals. Thus, the week's opinions ranged from Indian law, to foreign law, to bankruptcy law.