Denial of Venue Allegations in Answer Preserves Defendant's Venue Challenge​

The court ordered additional briefing on defendant's motion for judgment on the pleadings of improper venue but found that defendant did not waive its venue defense. "Defendant sufficiently contested and preserved its objection to venue in its Answer. Defendant specifically stated in its answer regarding venue: '[Defendant] denies the allegations of paragraph 10 [referring to paragraph in Complaint asserting proper venue] of the Complaint.' The Magistrate Judge also noted a venue dispute in the Initial Case Management Order. . . . Whether certain acts or omissions operate as a waiver of venue accorded by the general venue statutes also waive venue conferred by the special venue statutes may depend upon the policy behind the specific venue provisions, such as the provision fixing the venue of patent-infringement actions. . . . Courts . . . deviate as to what conduct, even when a venue-challenge is initially raised in an answer, amounts to waiver. . . . In the instant case, the Court finds Defendant sufficiently objected to venue in its Answer and that Defendant took no actions thereafter that would constitute waiver."

JPW Industries, Inc. v. Olympia Tools International Inc., 3-16-cv-03153 (TNMD July 19, 2017, Order) (McCalla, USDJ)