diff --git a/eyecite/find.py b/eyecite/find.py
index 1fbfbd9..c3cc4c3 100644
--- a/eyecite/find.py
+++ b/eyecite/find.py
@@ -131,44 +131,46 @@ def _extract_reference_citations(
 
     :param citation: the full case citation found
     :param plain_text: the text
-    :return: Pincite reference citations
+    :return: Pin cite reference citations
     """
-    if not isinstance(citation, FullCaseCitation):
-        # Skip if not case law citation
+    if len(plain_text) <= citation.span()[-1]:
         return []
-    if not citation.metadata.defendant:
-        # Skip if no defendant exists
+    if not isinstance(citation, FullCaseCitation):
         return []
-    plaintiff_regex = (
-        rf"(?P<plaintiff>{re.escape(citation.metadata.plaintiff)})"
-        if citation.metadata.plaintiff
-        else ""
-    )
-    defendant_regex = (
-        rf"(?P<defendant>{re.escape(citation.metadata.defendant)})"
-        if citation.metadata.defendant
-        else ""
-    )
 
-    # Combine the components if they are not empty
-    combined_regex_parts = "|".join(
-        filter(None, [plaintiff_regex, defendant_regex])
-    )
-    pin_cite_regex = (
-        rf"\b(?:{combined_regex_parts})\s+at\s+(?P<page>\d{{1,5}})\b"
-    )
+    def is_valid_name(name: str) -> bool:
+        """Validate name isnt a regex issue
 
-    pin_cite_pattern = re.compile(pin_cite_regex)
-    reference_citations = []
-    if len(plain_text) <= citation.span()[-1]:
-        return []
+        Excludes strings like Co., numbers or lower case strs
+
+        :param name: The name to check
+        :return: True if usable, false if not
+        """
+        return (
+            isinstance(name, str)
+            and len(name) > 2
+            and name[0].isupper()
+            and not name.endswith(".")
+            and not name.isdigit()
+        )
 
+    regexes = [
+        rf"(?P<{key}>{re.escape(value)})"
+        for key in ["plaintiff", "defendant"]
+        if (value := getattr(citation.metadata, key, None))
+        and is_valid_name(value)
+    ]
+    if not regexes:
+        return []
+    pin_cite_re = (
+        rf"\b(?:{'|'.join(regexes)})\s+at\s+(?P<pin_cite>\d{{1,5}})\b"
+    )
+    reference_citations = []
     remaining_text = plain_text[citation.span()[-1] :]
     offset = citation.span()[-1]
-    for match in pin_cite_pattern.finditer(remaining_text):
+    for match in re.compile(pin_cite_re).finditer(remaining_text):
         start, end = match.span()
         matched_text = match.group(0)
-
         reference = ReferenceCitation(
             token=CaseReferenceToken(
                 data=matched_text, start=start + offset, end=end + offset
@@ -178,15 +180,7 @@ def _extract_reference_citations(
             full_span_start=start + offset,
             full_span_end=end + offset,
             index=0,
-            metadata={
-                "plaintiff": (
-                    match.group("plaintiff")
-                    if "plaintiff" in match.groupdict()
-                    else None
-                ),
-                "defendant": match.group("defendant"),
-                "pin_cite": match.group("page"),
-            },
+            metadata=match.groupdict(),
         )
         reference_citations.append(reference)
     return reference_citations
diff --git a/eyecite/helpers.py b/eyecite/helpers.py
index c3ab843..c5ccfc6 100644
--- a/eyecite/helpers.py
+++ b/eyecite/helpers.py
@@ -133,9 +133,11 @@ def add_defendant(citation: CaseCitation, words: Tokens) -> None:
             break
     if start_index:
         citation.full_span_start = citation.span()[0] - offset
-        citation.metadata.defendant = "".join(
+        defendant = "".join(
             str(w) for w in words[start_index : citation.index]
         ).strip(", ")
+        if defendant.strip():
+            citation.metadata.defendant = defendant
 
 
 def add_law_metadata(citation: FullLawCitation, words: Tokens) -> None:
@@ -310,7 +312,7 @@ def disambiguate_reporters(
 def filter_citations(citations: List[CitationBase]) -> List[CitationBase]:
     """Filter and order citations that may have reference cites out of order
 
-    :param citations: List of citation`
+    :param citations: List of citations
     :return: Sorted and filtered citations
     """
     filtered_citations: List[CitationBase] = []
diff --git a/eyecite/models.py b/eyecite/models.py
index 8160922..c0fc5e2 100644
--- a/eyecite/models.py
+++ b/eyecite/models.py
@@ -315,7 +315,9 @@ def is_parallel_citation(self, preceding: CitationBase):
             and isinstance(preceding, FullCaseCitation)
         )
         if is_parallel:
-            # if parallel merge plaintiff/defendant data
+            # if parallel get plaintiff/defendant data from
+            # the earlier citation, since it won't be on the
+            # parallel one.
             self.metadata.defendant = preceding.metadata.defendant
             self.metadata.plaintiff = preceding.metadata.plaintiff
 
diff --git a/tests/test_FindTest.py b/tests/test_FindTest.py
index fbfc678..b1b8124 100644
--- a/tests/test_FindTest.py
+++ b/tests/test_FindTest.py
@@ -441,6 +441,38 @@ def test_find_citations(self):
              [],),
             ('lorem 111 N. W. 12th St.',
              [],),
+            # Eyecite has issue with linebreaks when identifying defendants and
+            # previously could store defendant as only whitespace
+            ('<em>\n   rt. denied,\n  </em>\n \n  541 U.S. 1085 (2004);\n  <em>\n',
+             [case_citation(
+                 page='1085',
+                 volume="541",
+                 reporter="U.S.",
+                 year=2004,
+                 metadata={'plaintiff': None,
+                           'defendant': None,
+                           'court': 'scotus'
+                   }
+                )],
+             {'clean': ['html', 'inline_whitespace']}),
+            # Test filtering overlapping citations - this finds four citations
+            # but should filter down to three
+            ("Miles v. Smith 1 Ga. 1; asdfasdf asd Something v. Else, 1 Miles 3; 1 Miles at 10",
+            [case_citation(page='1',
+                           volume="1",
+                           reporter="Ga.",
+                           metadata={'plaintiff': 'Miles',
+                                     'defendant': 'Smith',
+                                     }),
+             case_citation(page='3',
+                           volume="1",
+                           reporter="Miles",
+                           metadata={'plaintiff': 'Something',
+                                     'defendant': 'Else'}
+                           ),
+             case_citation(volume="1", page='10', reporter='Miles',
+                           short=True,
+                           metadata={'pin_cite': '10'})]),
             ('General Casualty cites as compelling Amick v. Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., 455 A.2d 793 (R.I. 1983). In that case ... Stats, do. See Amick at 795',
              [case_citation(page='793',
                             volume="455",