Counterclaim & Crossclaim
Drafts counterclaim and/or crossclaim pleadings asserting a defendant's affirmative claims against the plaintiff or co-defendants, satisfying procedural and substantive pleading requirements.
Prerequisites
- Original complaint — full text with caption, case number, court, filing date
- Case documents — contracts, correspondence, invoices, emails, evidence
- Party information — names, roles, addresses, relationships (including co-defendants for crossclaims)
- Jurisdictional details — court, rules of civil procedure, local rules, formatting requirements
- Legal authority — statutes, regulations, case law for each cause of action
Quick Start
- Extract case identifiers and build a chronological fact timeline from provided documents
- Classify each potential claim as compulsory or permissive (FRCP 13(a)/(b) or state equivalent)
- Run the procedural compliance checklist below
- Assemble the pleading using the document structure
- Verify all element requirements per the cause of action table
Workflow
Step 1: Document Review & Fact Extraction
| Task |
Details |
| Extract identifiers |
Court, caption, case number, party designations |
| Build timeline |
Formation → performance → breach → damages → plaintiff's wrongful conduct |
| Identify counterclaim targets |
Same transaction/occurrence (compulsory) or related matters (permissive) |
| Identify crossclaim targets |
Co-defendants liable under contribution, indemnification, or independent theories |
| Catalog damages |
Specific amounts, dates, causation chain, continuing damages |
Step 2: Procedural Compliance
Step 3: Document Assembly
Structure the pleading with these sections in order:
Caption — Mirror original complaint; add Counterclaimant/Counter-Defendant/Cross-Claimant/Cross-Defendant designations; title "COUNTERCLAIM AND CROSSCLAIM" (or separate documents per local rules)
Introductory Statement — Filing party, capacity, authorizing rule (FRCP 13/state equivalent), compulsory/permissive nature; for crossclaims: co-defendant targets and legal basis
Jurisdictional Allegations — Subject matter jurisdiction, supplemental jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. § 1367) [VERIFY], amount in controversy, venue
Parties — Full identification with transaction roles; crossclaim defendants: describe liability-creating relationship
Factual Allegations (numbered paragraphs) — Incorporate admissions from complaint by reference; deny/qualify inaccurate allegations; present new facts chronologically; allege damages with specificity (nature, timing, causation, amount)
Causes of Action (separately numbered counts) — Format: "COUNT [N]: [Legal Theory] ([Counterclaim/Crossclaim] Against [Party])". Each count: incorporate factual paragraphs by reference, satisfy each element, cite controlling authority, include theory-specific allegations (fault percentage for contribution, indemnification clause for contractual indemnity)
Prayer for Relief — Compensatory damages, punitive damages (if authorized), injunctive/declaratory relief, attorney's fees (cite basis), pre/post-judgment interest, catch-all clause; separate subsections for counterclaim vs. crossclaim relief
Verification (if required) — Party declaration under penalty of perjury
Signature Block — Attorney name, bar number, firm, contact; "Attorney for Defendant/Counterclaimant/Cross-Claimant [Name]"
Certificate of Service — All parties/counsel, addresses, method, date
Cause of Action Elements
| Claim |
Required Elements |
| Breach of Contract |
Formation → terms → performance → breach → causation → damages |
| Fraud |
False statement → materiality → scienter → reliance → causation → damages (plead with particularity) |
| Contribution |
Common liability → proportionate fault → right to apportion |
| Contractual Indemnity |
Indemnification clause → triggering event → covered claims → notice |
| Common Law Indemnity |
Special relationship → passive vs. active fault → right to shift liability |
| Unjust Enrichment |
Benefit conferred → knowledge → inequity of retention |
Pitfalls & Checks
- Compulsory counterclaim waiver: Failure to assert a compulsory counterclaim typically results in waiver — flag all potentially compulsory claims
- Alternative pleading: Permitted under FRCP 8(d)(2); label "in the alternative" without conceding primary theory
- Relation back: Counterclaims generally relate back to the original filing date for limitations, but verify jurisdiction-specific rules
- Consistency: Party names, dates, amounts, and contract references must match source documents exactly
- Cross-references: Verify all internal paragraph and exhibit references; ensure exhibit labels match text
- All citations must be verified — mark uncertain citations with
[VERIFY]
- Do not fabricate facts — plead only from provided case documents
1---2name: counterclaim-crossclaim3description: Drafts court-ready counterclaims and crossclaims for commercial litigation. Analyzes case documents, classifies compulsory vs. permissive counterclaims, ensures procedural compliance with federal/state rules, and structures causes of action with proper element pleading. Use when a defendant must assert affirmative claims against the plaintiff or crossclaims against co-defendants during pleadings.4---5
6# Counterclaim & Crossclaim
7
8Drafts counterclaim and/or crossclaim pleadings asserting a defendant's affirmative claims against the plaintiff or co-defendants, satisfying procedural and substantive pleading requirements.
9
10## Prerequisites
11
121. **Original complaint** — full text with caption, case number, court, filing date
132. **Case documents** — contracts, correspondence, invoices, emails, evidence
143. **Party information** — names, roles, addresses, relationships (including co-defendants for crossclaims)
154. **Jurisdictional details** — court, rules of civil procedure, local rules, formatting requirements
165. **Legal authority** — statutes, regulations, case law for each cause of action
17
18## Quick Start
19
201. Extract case identifiers and build a chronological fact timeline from provided documents
212. Classify each potential claim as compulsory or permissive (FRCP 13(a)/(b) or state equivalent)
223. Run the procedural compliance checklist below
234. Assemble the pleading using the document structure
245. Verify all element requirements per the cause of action table
25
26## Workflow
27
28### Step 1: Document Review & Fact Extraction
29
30| Task | Details |
31|------|---------|
32| Extract identifiers | Court, caption, case number, party designations |
33| Build timeline | Formation → performance → breach → damages → plaintiff's wrongful conduct |
34| Identify counterclaim targets | Same transaction/occurrence (compulsory) or related matters (permissive) |
35| Identify crossclaim targets | Co-defendants liable under contribution, indemnification, or independent theories |
36| Catalog damages | Specific amounts, dates, causation chain, continuing damages |
37
38### Step 2: Procedural Compliance
39
40- [ ] Compulsory vs. permissive status (FRCP 13(a)/(b) or state equivalent)
41- [ ] Crossclaim from same transaction/occurrence (FRCP 13(g) or state equivalent)
42- [ ] Statute of limitations for each cause of action
43- [ ] Jurisdictional basis: supplemental for counterclaims; independent or supplemental for crossclaims
44- [ ] Local rules: caption format, margins, font, spacing, page limits, e-filing
45- [ ] Verification requirement (party vs. attorney)
46- [ ] Heightened pleading (FRCP 9(b) for fraud: who, what, when, where, how)
47
48### Step 3: Document Assembly
49
50Structure the pleading with these sections in order:
51
52**Caption** — Mirror original complaint; add Counterclaimant/Counter-Defendant/Cross-Claimant/Cross-Defendant designations; title "COUNTERCLAIM AND CROSSCLAIM" (or separate documents per local rules)
53
54**Introductory Statement** — Filing party, capacity, authorizing rule (FRCP 13/state equivalent), compulsory/permissive nature; for crossclaims: co-defendant targets and legal basis
55
56**Jurisdictional Allegations** — Subject matter jurisdiction, supplemental jurisdiction (28 U.S.C. § 1367) `[VERIFY]`, amount in controversy, venue
57
58**Parties** — Full identification with transaction roles; crossclaim defendants: describe liability-creating relationship
59
60**Factual Allegations** (numbered paragraphs) — Incorporate admissions from complaint by reference; deny/qualify inaccurate allegations; present new facts chronologically; allege damages with specificity (nature, timing, causation, amount)
61
62**Causes of Action** (separately numbered counts) — Format: "COUNT [N]: [Legal Theory] ([Counterclaim/Crossclaim] Against [Party])". Each count: incorporate factual paragraphs by reference, satisfy each element, cite controlling authority, include theory-specific allegations (fault percentage for contribution, indemnification clause for contractual indemnity)
63
64**Prayer for Relief** — Compensatory damages, punitive damages (if authorized), injunctive/declaratory relief, attorney's fees (cite basis), pre/post-judgment interest, catch-all clause; separate subsections for counterclaim vs. crossclaim relief
65
66**Verification** (if required) — Party declaration under penalty of perjury
67
68**Signature Block** — Attorney name, bar number, firm, contact; "Attorney for Defendant/Counterclaimant/Cross-Claimant [Name]"
69
70**Certificate of Service** — All parties/counsel, addresses, method, date
71
72## Cause of Action Elements
73
74| Claim | Required Elements |
75|-------|-------------------|
76| Breach of Contract | Formation → terms → performance → breach → causation → damages |
77| Fraud | False statement → materiality → scienter → reliance → causation → damages (plead with particularity) |
78| Contribution | Common liability → proportionate fault → right to apportion |
79| Contractual Indemnity | Indemnification clause → triggering event → covered claims → notice |
80| Common Law Indemnity | Special relationship → passive vs. active fault → right to shift liability |
81| Unjust Enrichment | Benefit conferred → knowledge → inequity of retention |
82
83## Pitfalls & Checks
84
85- **Compulsory counterclaim waiver**: Failure to assert a compulsory counterclaim typically results in waiver — flag all potentially compulsory claims
86- **Alternative pleading**: Permitted under FRCP 8(d)(2); label "in the alternative" without conceding primary theory
87- **Relation back**: Counterclaims generally relate back to the original filing date for limitations, but verify jurisdiction-specific rules
88- **Consistency**: Party names, dates, amounts, and contract references must match source documents exactly
89- **Cross-references**: Verify all internal paragraph and exhibit references; ensure exhibit labels match text
90- **All citations must be verified** — mark uncertain citations with `[VERIFY]`
91- **Do not fabricate facts** — plead only from provided case documents
CaseMark