City of Winter Haven v. Cleveland Indians Baseball Company Limited Partnership

Filing 681

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA ORLANDO DIVISION IN RE: Seroquel Products Liability Litigation MDL DOCKET NO. 1769 (ALL CASES) ________________________________________ ASTRAZENECA'S MEMORANDUM REGARDING ALLOCATION OF SPECIAL MASTER BALL'S FEES As indicated at the October 30, 2007 Status Conference, AstraZeneca hereby submits its memorandum regarding an appropriate allocation of the fees of Special Master Craig Ball. For the reasons set forth below, AstraZeneca believes that the fees of the Special Master should be split equally between itself and the plaintiffs. The parties have met and conferred and Plaintiffs disagree. AstraZeneca understands plaintiffs' position to be that they should be responsible for payment of none of the Special Master's fees. It is clear from the Court's orders that the central purpose underlying the employment of Special Master Ball was forward looking ­ intended to help "the parties" (plural) work through disputes involving a number of complex, technical issues engendered by the plaintiffs' discovery requests and AstraZeneca's efforts to comply. In its Order of September 27, 2007 appointing Special Master Ball (Doc. 511), the Court outlined briefly his "primary duty," to wit: "to assist and, when necessary, direct the parties in completing required discovery of electronically stored information with reasonable dispatch and efficiency" (p. 2). The Court noted that while this primary duty would be "forward looking," it necessarily

would "include so me review of the discovery to date to provide reasonable assurance of completeness" (p. 3). Eight days later, the Court issued its Order setting forth Special Master Ball's duties with more specificity (Doc. 546). It began by re-emphasizing that the "primary dut y of this Special Master ...is to assist and, when necessary, direct the parties in completing required discovery of electronically stored information with reasonable dispatch and efficiency" (p. 1). Consistent with its prior order, the Court indicated that the Special Master should "determine whether past discovery is reasonably complete and, if not, what steps are needed to make it so ... [including] assist[ing] the parties in reaching cost effective solutions [to technical issues]" (p. 3). The Court also noted that Special Master Ball should "review with the parties on-going discovery requests involving ESI to determine where such information is stored and how it can most effectively be accessed and made available," which could include "participat[ing] in the parties `meet and confer' sessions ... [and] resolv[ing] issues as to search terms and protocols, formatting and other technical matters" (Id.). Given these directives, it is clear that the employment and work of the Special Master was intended to benefit both sides, not just AstraZeneca. Indeed, as this Court noted in its Order of appointment, "all parties have stated their awareness of and desire to adhere to The Sedona Principles ... [and] Mr. Ball will be able to assist the parties in accomplishing that goal ..." (Doc. 511, p. 2). Indeed, Special Master Ball's appointment works to the benefit of both plaintiffs and AstraZeneca by assisting in making information requested by plaintiffs available to them in a faster, more useable form, with fewer issues than occurred in the past. Moreover, Mr. Ball

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serves an additional, important function in mediating disputes between both parties relating to such matters as whether plaintiffs truly need all the information they seek, or would otherwise seek. Given these benefits, an equal allocation between plaintiffs and AstraZeneca of the fees associated with Mr. Ball's appointment is fair and appropriate. Accordingly, AstraZeneca submits that the Court's order allocating Special Master Ball's fees should call for an even split between Plaintiffs and AstraZeneca.

Respect fully submitted, /s/ Stephen J. McConnell Stephen J. McConnell DECHERT LLP 2929 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] [e-mail] Counsel for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP and AstraZeneca LP

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that, on November 14, 2007, I electronically filed the foregoing with the Clerk of the Court by using the CM/ECF system through which all participating parties are deemed served. I further certify that, by using the CM/ECF, the foregoing has been served on plaintiffs' liaison counsel, who is charged with serving any non-CM/ECF participants on the attached Service List. /s/ Shane T. Prince

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SERVICE LIST In Re: Seroquel Products Liability Litigation MDL Docket No. 1769 Paul J. Pennock, Esq. Michael E. Pederson, Esq. Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C. 180 Maiden Lane - 17th Floor New York, NY 10038 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m [e-mail] Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel Larry Roth, Esq. Law Offices of Larry M. Roth, P.A. Post Office Box 547637 Orlando, FL 32854-7637 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel Matthew F. Pawa, Esq. Law Offices of Matthew F. Pawa, P.C. 1280 Centre St., Suite 230 Newton Centre, MA 02459 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m Keith M. Jensen, Esq. Jensen, Belew & Gonzalez, PLLC 1024 North Main Fort Worth, TX 76106 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] Matthew E. Lundy, Esq. Lundy & Davis, LLP 333 North Sam Houston Parkway East Suite 375 Houston, TX 77060 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m Camp Bailey, Esq. Michael W. Perrin, Esq. Fletcher Trammell, Esq. Bailey Perrin Bailey LLP The Lyric Centre 440 Louisiana, Suite 2100 Houston, TX 77002 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] [e-mail] Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel Tommy Fibich, Esq. Fibich, Hampton & Leebron, L.L.P. 1401 McKinney, Suite 1800 Five Houston Center Houston, TX 77010 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] Robert L. Salim, Esq. Robert L. Salim Attorney at Law PO Box 2069 Natchitoches, LA 71457-2069 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] Scott Allen, Esq. Cruse, Scott, Henderson & Allen, L.L.P. 2777 Allen Parkway, 7th Floor Houston, Texas 77019 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] E. Ashley Cranford What ley Drake & Callas 2001 Park Place North, Suite 1000 Birmingham, AL 35203 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail]

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Robert L. Ciotti, Esq. Carlton Fields, P.A. 4221 W. Boy Scout Boulevard Suite 1000 Tampa, FL 33607-5736 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] Attorney for Defendants AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP, and AstraZeneca LP Randy Niemeyer 22442 Pike 309 Bowling Green, MO 63334-5209 Pro Se Catherine Solomon 3100 N.E. 83 Gladstone, MO 64119 Pro Se Aaron C. Johnson, Esq. Summers & Johnson 717 Thomas Weston, MO 64098 Telephone: [phone] firm@summersandjo hnson.co m Todd S. Hageman, Esq. Simo n and Passanante, PC 701 Market St., Suite 1450 St. Louis, MO 63101 Telephone: [phone] thageman@spst l-law.com Thomas F. Campion, Esq. Heidi E. Hilgendorff, Esq. Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP 500 Campus Drive Florham Park, New Jersey 07932-1047 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] [e-mail] Attorneys for Defendants Janssen Pharmaceutical Products and Johnson & Johnson Co.

Gregory P. Forney, Esq. Shaffer Lombardo Shurin 911 Main Street, Suite 2000 Kansas City, MO 64105 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m [e-mail] Attorney for Defendant, Marguerite Devon French Eric B. Milliken, Esq. 3 Sir Barton Ct. Newark, DE 19702 Pro Se Louisiana Wholesale Drug Co. Inc. C/O Gayle R. White Registered Agent Highway 167N Sunset, LA 70584 Pro Se Robert A. Schwartz, Esq. Bailey & Galyen 18333 Egret Bay Blvd., Suite 120 Houston, TX 77058 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m Mark P. Robinson, Jr., Esq. Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson 620 Newport Center Drive, 7th Floor Newport Beach, CA 92660 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] Michael Davis, Esq. James Mizgala, Esq. Sidley Aust in LLP One South Dearborn Chicago, IL 60603 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] [e-mail] Attorneys for Defendants AstraZeneca LP and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP

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Elizabeth Raines, Esq. Baker, Sterchi, Cowden & Rice, LLC 2400 Pershing Road, Suite 500 Kansas City, MO 64108 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] Kenneth W. Bean, Esq. Sandberg, Phoenix & von Gontard One City Centre 15th Floor St. Louis, MO 63101-1880 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] Attorney for Defendant Dr. Asif Habib Aaron K. Dickey, Esq. Goldenberg and Heller, PC P.O. Box 959 2227 S. State Road 157 Edwardsville, IL 62025 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m Just in Witkin, Esq. Ken Smith, Esq. Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz 803 N. Palafox St. Pensaco la, FL 32501 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] [e-mail] m ksmit [e-mail] noverho [e-mail] m Howard Nations Lori A. Siler Howard L. Nations Attorney At Law 4515 Yoakum Blvd. Houston, TX 77006-5895 Telephone: [phone] nat [e-mail] Salvatore M. Machi Ted Machi & Associates PC 18333 Egret Bay Blvd., Suite 120 Houston, TX 77058 Telephone: [phone]

Timothy Reese Balducci, Esq. The Langston Law Firm, PA P.O. Box 787 100 South Main Street Booneville, MS 38829-0787 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] John Driscoll, Esq. Brown & Crouppen, PC 720 Olive St. St. Louis, MO 63101 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] asmit [e-mail] m [e-mail] m Matthew J. Hamilton, Esq. Pepper Hamilton 3000 Two Logan Square 18th & Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] David P. Matthews, Esq. Lizy Sant iago, Esq. Matthews & Associates 2905 Sackett Street Houston, TX 77098 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m lsantiago @thematthewslawfirm.co m [e-mail] Mary B. Cotton John D. Giddens, P.A. 226 North President Street P.O. Box 22546 Jackson, MS 39225-2546 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] m Jona R. Hefner, Esq. 3441 W. Memorial, Suite 4 Oklaho ma City, OK 73134-7000 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail]

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David Dickens Miller & Associates 105 North Alfred Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3010 [phone] [e-mail] Fred T. Magaziner Marjorie Shiekman A. Elizabeth Balakhani Shane T. Prince Eben S. Flaster DECHERT LLP Cira Centre 2929 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 [phone] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] [e-mail] Scott Burdine, Esq. Hagans Burdine Montgomery Rustay & Winchester, P.C. 3200 Travis, Fourth Floor Houston, TX 77006 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail]

Pete Schneider, Esq. Grady, Schneider & Newman, L.L.P. 801 Congress, 4th Floor Houston, TX 77002 [phone] [e-mail] m Lawrence J. Gornick, Esq. William A. Levin, Esq. Dennis J. Canty, Esq. Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick LLP 44 Montgomery Street, 36th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104 Telephone: [phone] [e-mail] dcant [e-mail] m [e-mail] m [e-mail] m [e-mail] m [e-mail] m [e-mail] [e-mail] m

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