By Jeff Schervone, August 16, 2018

The latest Amendments to the New Jersey Court Rules effective September 1, 2018 carve out new procedural rules for the “Complex Business Litigation Program” (CBLP) which mirror much of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

As described in the Rule Amendment package: The CBLP was designed to streamline and expedite service to litigants in complex business litigation. Cases are generally assigned either to the complex commercial case type or the complex construction case type, and are individually managed by a judge with specialized training on business issues. The Supreme Court established the Program, which became effective on January 1, 2015, to resolve complex business, commercial, and construction cases.

For complex business cases with, among other factors amounts in controversy in excess of $200,000, new Rules 4:102 et seq. include: Initial Disclosures, an Initial Conference, Discovery Plan, discovery limitations on depositions, interrogatories, and discovery motion practice, as well as new rules for dispositive motion practice.

While the new CBLP Rules adopt the look and feel of civil procedure in Federal Courts, state court facilities will, sadly, continue to lag behind the plush digs of U.S. government property.

 

 

• Litigation