United States Third Circuit

In a class action brought by a doctor and medical practice against an HMO alleging underpayment for services provided to policyholders, sanctions orders entered against defendants, law firms, and counsel are vacated in part where: 1) the district court's order of June 13, 2008 which dismissed all claims against all parties with prejudice, rendered final the orders appealed from because it ended the litigation on the merits and left nothing for the court to do but execute the judgment: 2) the doctrine of finality and mootness did not deprive this court of jurisdiction over this appeal: 3) although the sanctions were well supported by trial judge's findings of fact and credibility determinations, some sanctions are vacated against all appellants because the parties have settled the matter of the attorneys' fees: 4) another sanction order is vacated as the trial judge's ruling that the magistrate judge's admonishment was a sanction was not a sound exercise of his discretion.

Appellate Information

• Argued 07/09/2009
• Decided 09/01/2009
• Published 09/01/2009

Judges

• Before SLOVITER, AMBRO, and JORDAN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Malcolm J. Gross, Kimberly G. Krupka, Gross, McGinley, LaBarre & Eaton, Allentown, PA, Timothy D. Katsiff, Matthew J. Siembieda, (Argued), Blank Rome Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Capital Blue Cross, Nos. 08-3073/3074/3075/3076/3077, Keystone Health Plan Central, Inc., Nos. 08-3073/3074/3075/3076/3077., Kevin M. Passerini, Jeremy A. Rist, Blank Rome, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Capital Blue Cross and Keystone Health Plan Central, Inc., No. 08-3073., Errol C. Deans, Jr., Gross, McGinley, LaBarre & Eaton, Allentown, PA, Norman E. Greenspan, Blank Rome Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Capital Blue Cross, Nos. 08-3074/3075/3076/3077, Keystone Health Plan Central, Inc., Nos. 08-3074/3075/3076/3077., Barbara W. Mather, (Argued), Alison A. Gross, Jan P. Levine, Pepper Hamilton, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellants Hangley, Aronchick, Segal & Pudlin & John S. Summers, No. 08-3075, Hangley, Aronchick, Segal & Pudlin, Nos. 08-3073, 80-3074/3075/3076/3077., Lawrence J. Fox, (Argued), Elizabeth Y. McCuskey, William M. McSwain, Drinker, Biddle & Reath, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellants Stevens & Lee, P.C., Daniel B. Huyett, Jeffrey D. Bukowski, Nos. 08-3073/3074/3075/3076/3077., Michael D. O'Mara, (Argued), C. Clark Hodgson, Jr., Neal R. Troum, Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Sandra A. Girifalco, Esq. & Appellant Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, No. 08-3077., Sandra A. Girifalco, Reed Smith, Pittsburgh, PA, for Appellant Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, Nos. 08-3073/3074/3075/3076., Thomas B. Fiddler, White & Williams, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant James M. Mead, Nos. 08-3074/3075/3076/3077., Malcolm J. Gross, Kimberly G. Krupka, Gross, McGinley, LaBarre & Eaton Allentown, PA, Patrick J. O'Connor, Matthew J. Siegel, Cozen & O'Connor, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant James M. Mead, Nos. 08-3073/3074/3075/3076/3077., Norman E. Greenspan, Blank Rome, Philadelphia, PA, Malcolm J. Gross, Gross, McGinley, LaBarre & Eaton, Allentown, PA, Timothy D. Katsiff Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellant Joseph Pfister, Nos. 08-3073/08-3074/3075/3076/3077., Joseph B.G. Fay, Marc J. Sonnenfeld, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Philadelphia, PA, Robert C. Heim, Dechert, Philadelphia, PA, for Amicus Curiae Appellant Philadelphia Bar Association, Nos. 08-3073/3074/3075/3076/3077.


• For Appellees:
  
• Daniel I. Booker, Donna M. Doblick, (Argued), James C. Martin, Colin E. Wrabley, Reed Smith, Pittsburgh, PA, for Defendant-Appellee Highmark, Inc., Nos. 08-3073/3075/3076/3077, Highmark, Inc., No. 08-3074., Anthony J. Bocchino, (Argued), Haines & Associates Philadelphia, PA, Francis J. Farina, Devon, PA, Timothy M. Fraser, Ellen Meriwether, Michael J. Willner, Cafferty Faucher, Philadelphia, PA, Kenneth A. Jacobsen, Wallingford, PA, Joseph A. O'Keefe, O'Keefe & Sher Kutztown, PA, for Appellee Natalie M. Grider, Nos. 08-3073/3074/3075/3076/3077 & Appellee Kutztown Family Medicine, P.C., Nos. 08-3073 /3074/3075/3076/3077., Daniel I. Booker, Jeremy D. Feinstein, Sandra Girifalco, Mary J. Hackett, William T. Mandia, Mark L. Tamburri, Dianna C. Wyrick, Reed Smith, Pittsburgh, PA, for Appellee John S. Brouse, No. 08-3073,John S. Brouse, Nos. 08-3074/3075/3076/3077.