Expert Testimony That Defendant Evaded and Avoided Taxes Excluded as Prejudicial ​

The court granted defendant's motion to strike the opinions of plaintiff's damages expert that defendant engaged in tax evasion and avoidance as unduly prejudicial under FRE 403. "[Plaintiff's expert] has offered opinions that [defendant] 'has structured its organization and business operations in an effort to attempt to avoid U.S. income taxes and reduce the contribution it makes to the U.S. Treasury.'. . . [Plaintiff] argues that [defendant's] taxation strategy rebuts [its] position that its sales occur outside of the United States. . . . The motivation of [defendant's] business model is not the issue. Plaintiff is free to discuss the way [defendant] conducts its business without getting into the tax consequences of those actions. The Court finds that any slight probative value of discussing [defendant's] taxation strategy at trial would be substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice to [defendant]."

Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 v. Broadcom Limited et al, 2-16-cv-00134 (TXED May 19, 2017, Order) (Payne, MJ)