Court committee tries again on ‘nullity rule’

Boyd-Graves rejects change in punitive damages limit

By Peter Vieth
Published: November 1, 2012
Tags: Boyd-Graves Conference, Civil Procedure

HOT SPRINGS – Despite sentiment for increasing the $350,000 cap on punitive damages in Virginia civil cases, the Boyd-Graves Conference rejected proposals for reform of the state’s punitive damages statute. A proposal to boost the cap to $500,000 failed to reach a consensus at the group’s meeting Oct. 26, as did a proposal to eliminate [...]

Boyd Graves: ‘What’s up with mandatory arbitration?’

By Deborah Elkins
Published: November 7, 2011
Tags: ADR, Boyd-Graves Conference

ALEXANDRIA—Plaintiff’s lawyers have complained about mandatory arbitration clauses in consumer contracts for years, but it’s a little unusual to hear defense lawyers take up the charge. That’s what happened at the Oct. 28 annual meeting of the Boyd Graves Conference. Norfolk lawyer Wiley F. Mitchell Jr., who chairs a Boyd Graves committee studying Virginia’s arbitration [...]

Bills would increase GDC claim limits

By Peter Vieth
Published: January 6, 2011
Tags: Boyd-Graves Conference, General Assembly, General District Courts, Gov. Bob McDonnell, Personal Injury, Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Virginia Trial Lawyers Association

Plaintiffs with minor personal injury claims and other civil litigators with small-scale claims may have greater access to Virginia general district courts under a pending legislative proposal. But not everyone thinks that’s a good idea. The plan, contained in two similar bills, would expand the jurisdiction of general district court cases to permit civil cases [...]

Waiver proposal leads bill of fare at Boyd-Graves

By Alan Cooper
Published: October 27, 2010
Tags: Boyd-Graves Conference

Waivers of personal jurisdiction are supposed to be “knowing and intentional.” But Virginia circuit courts do not follow a uniform practice in applying that standard, according to members of the Boyd-Graves Conference. Some courts have held that a defendant has waived jurisdiction when he or an attorney merely shows up at a hearing, McLean lawyer [...]