Legal Definitions - satellite litigation

Definition: Satellite litigation refers to one or more lawsuits that are related to a major piece of litigation that is being conducted in another court. It can also refer to peripheral skirmishes involved in the prosecution of a lawsuit.

Example 1: During a high-profile court case, several other lawsuits were filed in different courts that were related to the main case. These lawsuits were considered satellite litigation because they were connected to the main case but were being handled separately.

Example 2: In the course of a lawsuit, there may be peripheral issues that arise that are not directly related to the main case. These issues can become the subject of satellite litigation, as the parties involved argue over how they should be resolved.

Both examples illustrate how satellite litigation can arise in the context of a larger legal case. In the first example, the satellite litigation is related to the main case but is being handled separately. In the second example, the satellite litigation involves peripheral issues that are not directly related to the main case but are still being litigated.