Forum
U.S. Supreme Court
Case Status
Decided
Docket Number
Term
Cert. Denied
Lower Court Opinion
Questions Presented
Whether, under Sprint Communications, Inc. v. Jacobs, 571 U.S. 69 (2013), a federal court must consider the specific characteristics of an underlying state-court civil proceeding to determine whether it is sufficiently “akin to a criminal prosecution” to warrant abstention under Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971), as eight courts of appeals have held, or whether abstention is warranted whenever “the state proceeding falls within the general class” of state enforcement actions, App.7a, as the Ninth Circuit held in this case.
Case Updates
Cert. petition denied
June 21, 2021
U.S. Chamber files coalition amicus brief arguing against applying Younger abstention to an unfair or deceptive practices lawsuit dreamed up by contingency-fee lawyers with no independent pre-suit investigation by the State
March 24, 2021
Click here to view the amicus brief filed jointly by the U.S. Chamber and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Douglas Hallward-Driemeier, Chimso Okoji, and Samuel Pokross of Ropes & Gray LLP and the U.S. Chamber’s Litigation Center served as co-counsel for the U.S. Chamber.
Case Documents
- Ninth Circuit Opinion -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Connors (Ninth Circuit).pdf
- U.S. Chamber Coalition Amicus Brief -- Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Connors (U.S. Supreme Court).pdf