Avaya v. Telecom Labs — civil / antitrust — reversal — Jordan

In an appeal that pitted a former Solicitor General against a former president of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, a divided Third Circuit today held that a district court erred by granting a mid-trial motion for judgment as a matter of law in this gigantic antitrust and civil suit. The majority slip opinion runs 118 pages. The dissent, another 15 pages, argues in part that the majority should not reverse based on an argument first made in the reply brief.

Jordan was joined by Greenaway; Hardiman dissented. Superstar arguing counsel were Seth Waxman for the appellant and James Martin for the appellees. (Argument audio here.)