Blaszkowski et al v. Mars Inc. et al

Filing 388

MOTION to Adopt/Join 382 MOTION to Sequence Document Production and to Limit Plaintiffs Document Requests by Mars Inc.. (Ortega, Omar)

Blaszkowski et al v. Mars Inc. et al

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Case 1:07-cv-21221-CMA

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA MIAMI DIVISION CASE NO. 07-21221-CIV-ALTONAGA/BROWN RENEE BLASZKOWSKI, et al., individually and on behalf of others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, vs. MARS, INCORPORATED, et al., Defendants. ___________________________________/ DEFENDANTS' JOINDER OF THE IAMS COMPANY'S MOTION TO SEQUENCE DOCUMENT PRODUCTION AND TO LIMIT PLAINTIFFS' DOCUMENT REQUESTS Defendants Mars, Incorporated, Mars Petcare US, Inc., Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc., Del Monte Foods, Co., Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, Nutro Products, Inc., and Natura Pet Products, Inc. (collectively, "Manufacturer Defendants") hereby join the motion filed by Defendant The Iams Company ("Iams") (D.E. # 382) requesting that the Court sequence document production in this matter in order to ensure the parties' ability to comply with the agreed-upon schedule for a hearing on class certification and to relieve the Manufacturer Defendants from extensive and burdensome discovery that may be obviated ­ or at least substantially narrowed ­ by the results of the class certification hearing. The Manufacturer Defendants, together with Iams, represent the largest manufacturers in the commercial pet food industry in the United States. As set forth in Iams' motion, Plaintiffs served on Iams and each of the Manufacturer Defendants three sets of document requests that together include 376 separate requests for the production of documents. These requests are broadly directed at virtually every aspect of the Manufacturer Defendants' businesses, from the

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creation of recipes for pet food, to the acquisition of ingredients, to the processing of ingredients into a finished product, to the marketing and sales of the finished products. Plaintiffs' document requests also seek every document relating to the Manufacturer Defendants' dealings with each other, with retailers, with consumers, with third-party businesses, such as breeders, shelters, veterinarians, and other industry groups, and with state and federal regulatory agencies. Simply put, Plaintiffs' requests would necessitate the review of practically every document and database used by the Manufacturer Defendants ­ an enormous and enormously burdensome undertaking.1 Iams' motion seeks a sequencing of discovery to ensure that Plaintiffs' motion for class certification is addressed expeditiously, with full discovery in Phase I of documents relevant to class certification, while also moving towards a resolution on the merits by providing significant discovery on overlapping class and merits issues, including merits discovery relating to the named Plaintiffs' specific allegations. The plan for sequenced discovery appropriately defers until Phase II the discovery of additional merits information that is irrelevant and unnecessary to the class certification inquiry and, because of its voluminous nature, would serve only to delay the prompt resolution of class certification as contemplated by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Manufacturer Defendants therefore join Iams' motion.

1

Iams submitted four declarations in support of its motion, detailing the enormous amount of time and expense that would be required to respond to Plaintiffs' requests absent a phased approach to discovery at this time. Should the Court determine it would be helpful for the other Manufacturer Defendants to submit similar affidavits in connection with the pending motion, the Manufacturer Defendants will promptly provide them to the Court.

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Respectfully submitted, By: /s/ Omar Ortega Omar Ortega Florida Bar Number 0095117 DORTA AND ORTEGA, P.A. Douglas Entrance 800 S. Douglas Road, Suite 149 Coral Gables, FL 33134 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Dane H. Butswinkas Philip A. Sechler Thomas G. Hentoff Juli Ann Lund Patrick J. Houlihan Amy R. Davis WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY LLP 725 Twelfth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 200005 Attorneys for Defendants Mars, Incorporated, Mars Petcare US, Inc. and Nutro Products, Inc.

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By: /s/ Benjamine Reid Benjamine Reid Florida Bar Number 183522 Ana M. Craig Florida Bar Number 091847 CARLTON FIELDS, P.A. 100 S.E. Second Street, Suite 4000 Bank of America Tower at International Place Miami, FL 33131-9101 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] James D. Arden John J. Kuster Kara L. McCall SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.

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By: /s/ Carol A. Licko Carol A. Licko Florida Bar Number 435872 HOGAN & HARTSON L.L.P. Mellon Financial Center 1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1900 Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Craig A. Hoover Miranda L. Berge HOGAN & HARTSON L.L.P. 555 13TH Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Robert C. Troyer HOGAN & HARTSON L.L.P. 1200 17th Street One Tabor Center, suite 1500 Denver, Colorado 80202 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Nestlé Purina Petcare Company

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By: /s/ Sherril M. Colombo Sherril M. Colombo Florida Bar Number 948799 COZEN O'CONNOR Wachovia Center, Suite 4410 200 South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Richard Fama COZEN O'CONNOR 45 Broadway New York, New York 10006 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Julie Negovan COZEN O'CONNOR 1900 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Del Monte Foods, Co.

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By: /s/ Kristen E. Caverly Jeffrey S. York Florida Bar Number 987069 McGUIRE WOODS LLP 50 N. Laura Street, Suite 3300 Jacksonville, FL 32202 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Kristen E. Caverly Tony F. Farmani HENDERSON & CAVERLY LLP P.O. Box 9144 16236 San Dieguito Road, Suite 4-13 Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067-9144 Attorneys for Defendant Natura Pet Products, Inc.

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I HEREBY CERTIFY that on May 20, 2008, I electronically filed the foregoing with the Clerk of the Court by using the CM/ECF system which will send a notice of electronic filing to the counsel so indicated on the attached Service List. By: /s/ Omar Ortega Omar Ortega

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RENEE BLASZKOWSKI, ET AL. vs. MARS, INCORPORATED, ET AL. Case No. 07-21221-CIV-ALTONAGA/BROWN SERVICE LIST Catherine J. MacIvor E-mail: [e-mail] Jeffrey Eric Foreman E-mail: [e-mail] Jeffrey Bradford Maltzman E-mail: [e-mail] Darren W. Friedman E-mail: [e-mail] Bjorg Eikeland E-mail: [e-mail] MALTZMAN FOREMAN PA One Biscayne Tower 2 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 2300 Miami, FL 33131-1803 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Plaintiffs Rolando Andres Diaz E-Mail: [e-mail] Maria Kayanan E-mail: [e-mail] KUBICKI DRAPER 25 W. Flagler Street Penthouse Miami, FL 33130-1712 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Pet Supermarket, Inc. Amy W. Schulman E-mail: [e-mail] Alexander Shaknes E-mail: [e-mail] DLA PIPER US LLP 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10020 Attorneys for Defendants Menu Foods, Inc. and Menu Foods Income Fund John B.T. Murray, Jr. E-mail: [e-mail] SQUIRE, SANDERS & DEMPSEY L.L.P. 1900 Phillips Point West 777 South Flagler Drive West Palm Beach, FL 33401-6198 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendants PETCO Animal Supplies Stores, Inc., PetSmart, Inc., Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Target Corporation

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Lonnie L. Simpson E-mail: [e-mail] S. Douglas Knox E-mail: [e-mail] DLA PIPER US LLP 101 East Kennedy Boulevard Suite 2000 Tampa, FL 33602-5149 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendants Menu Foods, Inc. and Menu Foods Income Fund Omar Ortega E-mail: [e-mail] DORTA AND ORTEGA, P.A. Douglas Entrance 800 S. Douglas Road, Suite 149 Coral Gables, FL 33134 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendants Mars, Incorporated, Mars Petcare US, Inc. and Nutro Products, Inc.

Hugh J. Turner, Jr. E-mail: [e-mail] AKERMAN SENTERFITT 350 E. Las Olas Boulevard Suite 1600 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2229 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Publix Super Markets, Inc

Dane H. Butswinkas E-mail: [e-mail] Philip A. Sechler E-mail: [e-mail] Thomas G. Hentoff E-mail: [e-mail] Patrick J. Houlihan E-mail: [e-mail] Juli Ann Lund E-mail: [e-mail] Amy R. Davis E-mail: [e-mail] WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY LLP 725 Twelfth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 200005 Attorneys for Defendants Mars, Incorporated, Mars Petcare US, Inc. and Nutro Products, Inc.

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Benjamine Reid E-mail: [e-mail] Olga M. Vieira E-mail: [e-mail] Ana M. Craig E-mail: [e-mail] CARLTON FIELDS, P.A. 100 S.E. Second Street, Suite 4000 Bank of America Tower at International Place Miami, FL 33131-9101 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. Kara L. McCall E-mail: [e-mail] SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP One South Dearborn Chicago, Illinois 60603 Telephone: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. Richard Fama E-mail: [e-mail] John J. McDonough E-mail: [e-mail] COZEN O'CONNOR 45 Broadway New York, New York 10006 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Del Monte Foods

John J. Kuster E-mail: [e-mail] James D. Arden E-mail: [e-mail] SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP 787 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.

Sherril M. Colombo E-mail: [e-mail] COZEN O'CONNOR Wachovia Center, Suite 4410 200 South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Del Monte Foods, Co. John F. Mullen E-mail: [e-mail] Julie Negovan E-mail: [e-mail] COZEN O'CONNOR 1900 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Del Monte Foods, Co.

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Carol A. Licko E-mail: [e-mail] HOGAN & HARTSON L.L.P. Mellon Financial Center 1111 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1900 Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Nestlé Purina Petcare Company Craig A. Hoover E-mail: [e-mail] Miranda L. Berge E-mail: [e-mail] HOGAN & HARTSON L.L.P. 555 13TH Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Nestlé Purina Petcare Company Alan G. Greer E-mail: [e-mail] RICHMAN GREER, P.A. Miami Center ­ Suite 1000 201 South Biscayne Boulevard Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant The Iams Company

Robert C. Troyer E-mail: [e-mail] HOGAN & HARTSON L.L.P. 1200 17th Street One Tabor Center, suite 1500 Denver, Colorado 80202 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Nestlé Purina Petcare Company James K. Reuss E-mail: [e-mail] LANE ALTON & HORST, LLC Two Miranova Place Suite 500 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant The Kroger Co. of Ohio

D. Jeffrey Ireland E-mail: [e-mail] Brian D. Wright E-mail: [e-mail] Laura A. Sanom E-mail: [e-mail] FARUKI IRELAND & COX P.L.L. 500 Courthouse Plaza, S.W. 10 North Ludlow Street Dayton, Ohio 45402 Attorneys for Defendant The Iams Company

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Robin L. Hanger E-mail: [e-mail] SQUIRE, SANDERS & DEMPSEY L.L.P. 200 S. Biscayne Boulevard 40th Floor Miami, FL 33131-2398 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendants PETCO Animal Supplies Stores, Inc.

Ralph G. Patino E-mail: [e-mail] Dominick V. Tamarazzo E-mail: [e-mail] Carlos B. Salup E-mail: [e-mail] PATINO & ASSOCIATES, P.A. 225 Alcazar Avenue Coral Gables, FL 33134 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendants Pet Supplies "Plus" and Pet Supplies Plus/USA, Inc.

C. Richard Fulmer, Jr. E-mail: [e-mail] FULMER, LeROY, ALBEE, BAUMANN & GLASS, PLC 2866 East Oakland Park Boulevard Fort Lauderdale, FL 33306 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant The Kroger Co. of Ohio

Craig P. Kalil E-mail: [e-mail] Joshua D. Poyer E-mail: [e-mail] ABALLI, MILNE, KALIL & ESCAGEDO, P.A. 2250 Sun Trust International Center One Southeast Third Avenue Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant New Albertson's Inc. and Albertson's LLC

W. Randolph Teslik, P.C. E-mail: [e-mail] Andrew Dober E-mail: [e-mail] AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD LLP 1333 New Hampshire Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendants New Albertson's Inc. and Albertson's LLC

Jeffrey S. York E-mail: [e-mail] Michael M. Giel E-mail: [e-mail] McGUIRE WOODS LLP 50 N. Laura Street, Suite 3300 Jacksonville, FL 32202 Telephone: [phone] Facsimile: [phone] Attorneys for Defendant Natura Pet Products, Inc.

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Kristen E. Caverly E-mail: [e-mail] Tony F. Farmani E-mail: [e-mail] HENDERSON & CAVERLY LLP P.O. Box 9144 16236 San Dieguito Road, Suite 4-13 Rancho Santa Fe, California 92067-9144 Attorneys for Defendant Natura Pet Products, Inc.

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