News
Suicide Prevention Resources for Shooting Ranges and Retailers
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (“NSSF”) and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (“AFSP”) recently announced at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas a partnership to educate the public and industry members about suicide prevention as it relates to firearms. The partnership aims to educate firearm owners about suicide, its warning signs, risk factors and the importance…
4 Absolutely Critical Legal Issues For Mobile App Developers
With the “app economy” predicted to double by 2020 to an incredible $101 billion, and the number of new apps quickly rising, app developers (and, frankly, anyone else involved in app development from owners to investors) need to focus on critical legal issues to protect themselves and their apps. An article published by VentureBeat touts…
BREAKING NEWS: Renzulli Law Firm Achieves Major Victory In Sandy Hook Case
Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis just granted the defendants’ motion to strike all of the plaintiffs’ claims in Soto v. Bushmaster Firearms International, LLC, et al. A copy of the decision can be found here. The Soto case arose from the December 14, 2012 shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Plaintiffs filed…
Another Victory For the Second Amendment: Federal Court Strikes Down Firearm Restrictions
On September 28, 2016, in Murphey v. Guerrero, Chief Judge Ramona Manglona of the U.S. District Court for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands declared several key aspects of the Weapons Control Act and Special Act for Firearms Enforcement of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (“CNMI”) to be unconstitutional on the basis…
Federal Appeals Court Hears Challenge To Hotly Contested D.C. Conceal Carry Law
This week, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard oral arguments in two closely-watched cases challenging Washington D.C.’s strict concealed carry laws, Wrenn et al. v. District of Columbia et al., and Grace et al. v. District of Columbia et al. Both cases involve challenges to the District of…
Renzulli Law Firm, LLP in the News
Christopher Renzulli appeared before Indiana’s highest court — the Supreme Court of Indiana – on Wednesday on behalf of an Indiana firearms retailer and its owner concerning the application of an Indiana Statute, I.C. 34-12-3-3, that prohibits civil lawsuits for claims against a firearms seller for “recovery of damages resulting from the criminal or unlawful…
Keeping The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act In Focus
As the 15th Annual Firearms Import/Export Conference confirmed, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) remains dedicated to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement. The FCPA is complex and nuanced but, in a nutshell, prohibits bribes to foreign officials. In April, DOJ announced that it was in the process of dedicating significantly greater resources to the…
Protecting Your Federal Firearms License and Minimizing Violations During a Compliance Conference
Renzulli Law Firm, LLP regularly represents federal firearms licensees who receive a report of violations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) based on a compliance inspection. We recently represented federally licensed firearms dealers in the ATF’s Dallas and Houston Field Divisions with regard to reports of violations they had received at…
Federal Law Opens Door To “Ex Parte” Seizures Under Trade Secrets Act
There is a new and potentially powerful tool available to protect trade secrets – ex parte seizures. The Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA), enacted May 11, 2016, implements a federal civil cause of action for trade secret misappropriation. Among its remedies, the DTSA permits injunctive relief, the recovery of damages for misappropriation, attorney’s fees for…
U.S. Supreme Court Vacates Decision Upholding Stun Gun Ban
On March 21, 2016 the United States Supreme Court issued a per curiam (“by the Court”) opinion, without full written or oral arguments, in Caetano v. Massachusetts vacating a decision by the Supreme Court of Massachusetts that upheld the conviction of Jaime Caetano for possession of a stun gun. Ms. Caetano had possessed the stun…
Christopher Renzulli Featured In Global News & Media
On February 22, Christopher Renzulli appeared before Judge Barbara Bellis in the Fairfield Judicial District Superior Court in Bridgeport, Connecticut to argue a motion to dismiss a major firearms distributor from litigation that arises out of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 12, 2012. The manufacturer, distributor and retailer of the AR-15 rifle…
SHOT Show 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada
It was another successful SHOT Show for the firearms industry this year. The NSSF reports that it was the second highest attendance total ever – more than 64,000 industry professionals attended the Show. The industry sent a message to its detractors through its robust attendance that it is alive and well and flourishing and will…
Supreme Court Denies Review of Assault Weapons Ban
Supreme Court Denies Review of Assault Weapons Ban On Monday, December 7, 2015, the United States Supreme Court denied review of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuits ruling in Friedman v. City of Highland Park. The case arose out of the City of Highland Parks ordinance prohibiting possession of assault weapons…
Recent Claims in Sandy Hook Shooting Should Be Barred By Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act
January 2, 2015: On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza murdered twenty-six people and injured an additional six people at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Representatives of the estates of eight of the people he killed, and one person who was injured, filed a lawsuit in the Connecticut Superior Court on December 13, 2014. Rather than…
Renzulli Law Firm, LLP Successful on Appeal in New York Labor Law Case
January 2, 2015: Renzulli Law Firm, LLP recently obtained a complete dismissal of all claims against a premises owner and large contractor on an appeal to the New York Appellate Division, First Department. In a lawsuit titled Brown v. New York Hospital Medical Center, a case previously pending in the New York Supreme Court, County…
Renzulli Law Firm Obtains PLCAA Dismissal for Large Nationwide Firearms Dealer
March 18, 2014: Renzulli Law Firm, LLP recently obtained a complete defense judgment for a large, nationwide firearms dealer through a motion to dismiss pursuant to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (“PLCAA”). In a case brought in the Supreme Court of Ulster County New York, plaintiff’s decedent, a twenty-three year old woman,…
Renzulli Law Firm Victory in Commercial Arbitration
December 4, 2013: Renzulli Law Firm, LLP recently obtained a complete defense verdict from the American Arbitration Association in a case it arbitrated for one of its firearm industry clients. In Sabre Defence Industries LLC v. Steyr Arms, Inc., et al. the bankruptcy trustee for the company that had previously manufactured AUG rifles in the…
RLF Addresses Nation’s Best Sports
October 17, 2013: Christopher Renzulli was recently asked to speak at the Nation’s Best Sports Fall Semi-Annual Show in Fort Worth, Texas. Nation’s Best Sports, the largest sporting goods volume buying group in North America, has over 300 members which operate more than 800 retail stores, including many firearms and ammunition retailers. This recent presentation focused…
Renzulli Law Firm Victory in CT
August 9, 2013 : Attached is a short summary of a ruling we recently received for one of our firearms retailer clients in Connecticut granting summary judgment and dismissing the lawsuit against the retailer. It was a creative (yet unsuccessful) attempt by the Brady Center to revive their original case – which we were previously…
Federal District Court Grants Renzulli Law Firm’s Summary Judgment Motion & Awards Sanctions
The United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania recently granted the summary judgment motion that RLF (“RLF”) filed on behalf of its clients, a major firearms manufacturer and a firearms distributor. In addition, the Court granted RLF’s motion for monetary sanctions against the plaintiffs’ counsel and his firm pursuant to Rule 11…
John Renzulli and Christopher Renzulli Featured by Defense Research Institute (DRI)
The Defense Research Institute (DRI) featured Renzulli Law Firm’s complete dismissal of a wrongful death and negligence case in the May 2 edition of The Voice in the notable column And The Defense Wins. Renzulli Law Firm obtained a complete dismissal of the case based on the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Plaintiff’s motion…
John Renzulli and Christopher Renzulli Featured by DRI
The Defense Research Institute (DRI) featured Renzulli Law Firm’s recent appellate victory in the Massachusetts Appeals Court in the March edition of The Voice in its notable column And The Defense Wins. Renzulli Law Firm obtained summary judgment on behalf of its client in this very interesting litigation involving claims of product defect. For more…
Renzulli Law Firm Praised for Participation in WCBA 2012 Summer Intern Program
The Westchester County Bar Association Newsletter recently published an article concerning the continued success of the WCBA Diversity Committee’s Summer Intern Program. This year Renzulli Law Firm hosted Yonkers High School Senior Gabriela Tavarez. The complete article is available here.
RENZULLI LAW FIRM VICTORY LAUDED BY FFLGUARD
Renzulli Law Firm and Partner Christopher Renzulli were again in the spotlight for the widely-watched Gilland v. Sportsmen’s Outpost, Inc. case in Hartford, Connecticut. On July 1, 2011 FFLGuard lauded Renzulli Law Firm and Christopher Renzulli for obtaining a complete dismissal on behalf of defendants in the case. Below is an excerpt from FFLGuard’s publication:
Renzulli Law Firm Wins Complete Dismissals For Firearms Retailer And Manufacturer
Renzulli Law Firm recently posted victories in two separate widely-watched cases, Gilland v. Sportsmen’s Outpost, Inc. and Williams v. Beemiller. Gilland v. Sportsmen’s Outpost, Inc. Led by Partner Christopher Renzulli, Renzulli Law Firm recently obtained a complete dismissal of a firearms retailer in the widely-publicized case, Gilland v. Sportsmen’s Outpost, Inc. in Hartford, Connecticut. The case…
Michael Patrick Quoted In NBC Chicago’s “How to Learn From Groupon’s Legal Scrapes”
NBC’s popular how-to blog, Inc. Well, recently quoted Renzulli Law Firm’s Michael Patrick in an article, How to Learn From Groupon’s Legal Scrapes. The article addresses the relationship between outside counsel and small businesses in light of recent headlines involving several of Groupon’s deals. While Inc. Well is dedicated to serving the Chicago business community, many of…
Press Quotes Christopher Renzulli in Another PLCAA Case
Renzulli Law Firm Partner Christopher Renzulli was again quoted in the news in connection with litigation involving the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) in Connecticut. In the case, Christopher Renzulli leads the defense of a Connecticut firearms retailer. Renzulli Law Firm moved to dismiss the case against the retailer on PLCAA grounds. An oral argument on…
Christopher Renzulli and John Tait Featured in the New York Law Journal
Christopher Renzulli and John Tait’s Court’s Struggle to Corral Scaffold Law’s ‘Runner’ was prominently featured in the December 10, 2010 issue of the New York Law Journal. Renzulli and Tait’s article has attracted attention in the legal community, and was discussed in a February 10, 2011 article in the New York Law Journal (subscription required).…
Defense Research Institute (DRI) Lauds Another Major Renzulli Law Firm Victory
AND THE DEFENSE WINS! The Defense Research Institute (DRI) featured Renzulli Law Firm’s recent summary judgment victory in Los Angeles Superior Court in the November edition of The Voice in its notable column And the Defense Wins. The victory has been covered by major media outlets across the country and specifically in California. Summary judgement was obtained on…
Renzulli Law Firm Joins The Defense Association of New York
Renzulli Law Firm is pleased to announce that it has joined the ranks of the prestigious Defense Association of New York (“DANY”). For decades, DANY has been committed to improving legal services for the defense by promoting education, cooperation and the exchange of information amongst defense attorneys practicing throughout the State of New York. DANY…
Renzulli Law Firm Featured in IPFrontline Magazine
An article by Michael Patrick and John Renzulli, Sellers Beware: New Breed of Aggressive Plaintiffs Hunt Expired Patent Numbers on Products and Product Literature; Demand Billions, was featured in the leading on-line intellectual property publication IPFrontline Magazine. IPFrontline Magazine is widely considered the premiere on-line magazine for intellectual property and technology in the United States.
$10 Million Defamation Action Brought by Pet Cemetery Against Pet Owner Successfully Dismissed by Renzulli Law Firm
This matter was commenced by a well-known pet cemetery in Westchester County which had removed and disposed of the remains of a dog belonging to our client, without her knowledge. In early January of 2000, arrangements were made for the interment of our client’s pet at a pet cemetery located in Hartsdale, New York. Unbeknownst to…
Renzulli Law Firm Obtains Summary Judgment In Highly Publicized California Products Liability Case
Renzulli Law Firm recently obtained summary judgment on behalf of Glock, Inc. and Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club (LAPRAC) in a significant products liability action in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles. This action was based on an incident that occurred on July 11, 2006 in Anaheim,…
Renzulli Law Firm Obtains Summary Judgment for Product Manufacturer in New York
Renzulli Law Firm recently obtained summary judgment for a major firearms manufacturer. The plaintiff, a Westchester County (NY) police officer, was injured when he was shot in the leg by a fellow officer. Reports following the incident indicated that the fellow officer attempted to activate an accessory tactical light mounted underneath the barrel of his…
Renzulli Law Firm Represents Purchaser in Acquisition of Magnum Research, Inc.’s Assets
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHITE PLAINS, NY – Renzulli Law Firm has announced that it represented a purchaser in the acquisition of Magnum Research, Inc.’s assets. Magnum Research, Inc., which is based in Minnesota, was the owner and manufacturer of the well-known DESERT EAGLE pistol. Saeilo Enterprises, Inc. is the parent corporation of the purchaser and…
National Shooting Sports Foundation Spotlights Victory at the U.S. Supreme Court
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE INDUSTRY LAUDS DENIAL OF CERTIORARI BY THE U.S. SUPREME COURT IN ILETO v. GLOCK, INC.; RENZULLI LAW FIRM CITED FOR VICTORY The National Shooting Sports Foundation today highlighted the U.S. Supreme Court’s refusal to hear an appeal of Ileto v. Glock, Inc. as a featured item in its well-known Bullet Points publication. The feature quotes Renzulli Law Firm’s Christopher Renzulli, who was one of the principal attorneys for Glock,…
Supreme Court Denies Plaintiff’s Petition for Certiorari in Ileto v. Glock, Inc.
On May 24, 2010, the United States Supreme Court denied plaintiff Lilian S. Ileto’s petition for a writ of certiorari, bringing this decade-long case to a close. The Ileto case arose from Bufford Furrow’s shooting of several children at the North Valley Jewish Community Center and subsequent murder of U.S. postal worker Joseph S. Ileto…
New York Courts Apply the Expanded Fireman’s Rule
On April 13, 2010, the Appellate Division, First Department, vacated an earlier decision it had issued in Ferriolo v. City of New York, and upon reconsideration, found that the Fireman’s Rule bars a negligence action brought by a police officer who was shot by a fellow officer while he was changing into his uniform in…
New York Court of Appeals Expands Scope of Scaffold Law
The New York Court of Appeals recently extended the scope of New York labor law in an interesting decision titled Runner v. New York Stock Exchange. This action was commenced in Federal Court by an electrician, Victor Runner, to recover damages for injuries he sustained while engaged in a major rehabilitation project at the New…
Recent Supreme Court Decision on Political Speech by Corporations
On January 21, 2010, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. This decision struck down the prohibition contained in the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (also known as the McCain-Feingold Act) that barred corporations from using general treasury funds to engage in an “electioneering communication,” which…
Oral Argument Before the Supreme Court in Historic Second Amendment Case of McDonald v. Chicago
On March 2, 2010, oral argument was held before the United States Supreme Court in the McDonald v. Chicago case. A transcript of the argument is here. On June 26, 2008, the Supreme Court issued its decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, holding that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and…
Press Quotes Christopher Renzulli In Major Firearms Case
Renzulli Law Firm’s victory in Ileto v. Glock, Inc. was one of the major defense victories of 2009. Ileto v. Glock, Inc., et al., 565 F.3d 1126 (2009) was a significant test of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The case itself was highly publicized in media…
Renzulli Law Firm Wins Another Complete Dismissal
Renzulli Law Firm successfully won a complete dismissal in Werner v. Pars & Strikes, a case previously pending in the New York Supreme Court, County of Richmond. Our firm represented the defendant in the litigation.This matter was commenced by Stephanie Werner, a teenager, and her mother against a recreational facility. Among the many attractions at the…
Firm Saves Retail Dealer’s Federal Firearms License From Revocation by Federal Authorities
Renzulli Law Firm, LLP recently represented a retail firearms dealer in New York in connection with a proceeding the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) had commenced to revoke its federal firearms license because of various record keeping discrepancies. By working with the ATF, we were able to prevent the revocation of the…
Firm Defeats Wrongful Termination Claim in Mississippi
NEW YORK-NY—On December 17, 2009, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi granted a motion for summary judgment filed by Renzulli Law Firm, LLP and dismissed the complaint against its client in its entirety. Plaintiff was terminated for poor performance in August 2006. He responded by suing his former employer claiming…
John Renzulli Leads High Profile Defense
John Renzulli leads the defense team in a high profile case covered by news outlets throughout the United States. (John Renzulli at trial)
New York Law Journal Features John Renzulli in “Top Cases”
John Renzulli represented several high profile defendants, including GLOCK, Inc., in one of the most publicized and contentious cases waging war against the firearms industry as a whole. A copy of the article from New York Law Journal Magazine is available below.
Defense Research Institute Lauds Renzulli Law Firm for Major Victory
In October 2009, Defense Research Institute (DRI) selected Renzulli Law Firm’s victory in Ileto v. Glock, Inc. as one of the major defense victories of the month. Ileto v. Glock, Inc., et al., 565 F.3d 1126 (2009) was a significant test of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) in the Ninth Circuit…
Renzulli Law Firm Wins Complete Dismissal for Shotgun Manufacturer
On June 22, 2009, the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Appellate District in Portage County, Ohio issued a decision affirming an order granting summary judgment in favor of O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. and Maverick Arms, Inc. and dismissing the complaint against them in its entirety. On December 26, 2002, Plaintiff, Nathan Gay, then…
Preventative Product Liability: Warnings and Instructions
Manufacturers have a duty to provide consumers with reasonable warnings and instructions regarding the risks associated with their products. Courts examine several factors in determining whether a manufacturer has a duty to warn consumers of a particular risk. Included amongst these factors are the gravity of the risks posed by the product, the likelihood that…
Sports Law: Assumption of Risk and Judicial Review of Torts in Athletics
The majority of U.S. jurisdictions hold that voluntary participants in athletic contests owe no duty of care to each other to reduce or eliminate the risks of harm that are inherent in the sport itself. Knight v. Jewett, 3 Cal. 4th 296, 316-20 (1992); Gauvin v. Clark, 537 N.E.2d 94, 97 (Mass. 1989). The rationale…
RENZULLI LAW FIRM WINS COMPLETE DISMISSAL
Renzulli Law Firm successful won a complete dismissal in Werner v. Pars & Strikes, a case previously pending in the New York Supreme Court, County of Richmond. Our firm represented the defendant in the litigation. This matter was commenced by Stephanie Werner, a teenager, and her mother against a recreational facility. Among the many attractions at…
John Renzulli Speaks at Major Seminar on Selecting a Jury in a Hostile Environment
John Renzulli presented a lecture to guests at the Damages Seminar presented by the Defense Research Institute (DRI) in Las Vegas in March 2009. Mr. Renzulli’s lecture focused on one of the most difficult variables in litigation — where defense counsel is litigating far from home in an unfamiliar jurisdiction, often in the plaintiff’s backyard. Mr. Renzulli’s lecture was borne from experience…
On Gun Suits Against Out-of Towners, Mayor Finds an Opponent in the City
As mayors across the nation link arms with Mayor Bloomberg in his campaign against illegal guns, another battle is just heating up in Brooklyn Federal Court. Seven of the 15 out-of-state gun dealers targeted by a lawsuit filed by the city in May have pledged to fight City Hall’s charges that they were a nuisance…
DOJ Reinforces Focus On Financial Fraud
The Department of Justice has hired a ‘rock star’ to lead the Department’s Criminal Fraud section. Denis McInerney, a former partner at Davis Polk, has a long history of litigating white collar cases, including assisting in the Whitewater investigation and defending Arthur Andersen during the Enron meltdown. It had long been rumored that DOJ was seeking…
General Contractor Obtains Summary Judgment in New York Labor Law Case
We recently obtained a dismissal of an interesting lawsuit that was pending in the New York Supreme Court, County of Queens. Our firm represented the defendant general contractor in the litigation. This case was brought by an electrician who fell off a ladder during the construction of a restaurant in the food court of the…
U.S. District Court Judge Dismisses Entire Case Against Firearms Manufacturer
In August we successfully obtained a complete dismissal of all causes of action alleged against a well-recognized domestic firearm manufacturer in a complaint brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana. The plaintiffs alleged that the manufacturer’s pistol unexpectedly discharged causing severe injuries. Plaintiffs claimed substantial damages under theories of negligence,…
Supreme Court to Review Business Method Patents
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to decide whether business method patents, such as many software patents, are valid. The high court will answer two questions: (1) whether the Federal Circuit erred in its holding that a process must be tied to a particular machine or apparatus, or that it must transform a particular article…