Put Away that Midnight Oil: New Rule in the District of Delaware

On October 2, 2014, Chief Judge Leonard Stark of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware announced a new deadline of 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time for all filings other than initial pleadings. As of October 16, 2014, “[a]side from initial pleadings, all electronic transmissions of documents (including, but not limited to, motions, briefs, appendices, and discovery responses) must be completed by 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time, in order to be considered timely filed and served that day.” Initial pleadings which are filed before midnight will still be considered timely.

Chief Judge Stark’s standing order modifies section (F) of the Court’s Revised Administrative Procedures Governing Filing and Service by Electronic Means and presents a significant change from the familiar practice of filing up until 11:59 p.m. The new rule applies to pending as well as future matters. The District of Delaware is second only to the Eastern District of Texas in the number of patent cases filed; both of which have nearly three times the number of patent cases as the third busiest district, the Central District of California. Accounting for over 40% of the patent cases filed in the United States, Texas and Delaware have become favorites of plaintiff-patent holders due to, among other things, the jurisdictions’ streamlined pre-trial processes and skilled judges. Given Delaware’s ranking as the second most active district court in number of filings (788 to date for 2014) and parties (2395 to date for 2014), the nationwide patent litigators who represent clients in the District of Delaware should ensure that their Delaware counsel are provided pleadings and discovery materials sufficiently in advance of the new deadline to ensure timely filing and service.

Gibbons will continue to monitor other district courts’ local rules to see if other courts adopt a similar rule.

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