What may trigger sanctions under Rule 11?

• A. Misrepresentations
• B. Delays
• C. Negotiations
• D. Dismissals

Answer: (A)

Rule 11 sanctions flow from the attorney’s certification that a filing is not being used for an improper purpose and that its factual and legal contentions have evidentiary support or a reasonable basis in law. Misrepresentations, meaning false or misleading statements of fact or law in the pleading, directly violate that certification. When a lawyer signs a paper, they’re telling the court that they have conducted reasonable inquiry and that the filing isn’t frivolous. If those factual statements are knowingly false or legally unsupported, sanctions may be imposed because the filing itself breaches that duty of accuracy and honesty.

Delays, negotiations, or dismissals aren’t the kinds of conduct Rule 11 targets in the same way. They can occur during litigation for many reasons, but Rule 11 sanctions focus on the integrity of the filing—specifically, whether it is grounded in fact and law and not submitted for improper purposes.