In re Cedar Shake & Shingle Antitrust Litigation
Trial Court Opinion
l The Honorable Marsha J. Pechman 7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 8 AT SEATTLE IN RE CEDAR SHAKE & SHINGLE No. 2:19-cv-00288-MJP ANTITRUST LITIGATION This Document Relates to: UNOPPOSED MOTION AND ll QQ ORDER GRANTING LETTERS ROGATORY RE: 12 ‘ TELEPHONE RECORDS TO ROGERS All Class Act 4 ae eens COMMUNICATIONS CANADA INC. 5 I. UNOPPOSED MOTION 16 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 28(b)(3) and 28 U.S.C. 1781(b)(2), undersigned Plaintiffs (“Plaintiffs”) move this Court for an Order issuing the attached Letters Rogatory to the appropriate authorities in British Columbia, Canada for the telephone records of certain executives and competitors of Defendants in this case. Plaintiffs seek telephone records of telephone calls made to and from executives and competitors of Defendants in Canada. > Defendants have been consulted and do not oppose this motion.
Courts have the inherent authority to issue Letters Rogatory and Letters of Request to foreign nations, and may request that the foreign nation order a witness to provide testimony that will aid in the resolution of a matter pending in the United States. See United States v. Reagan, 453 F.2d 165, 172 (6th Cir. 1971); United States v. Staples, 256 F.2d 290, 292 (9th Cir. 1958). In addition, federal statutes provide for the issuance of Letters Rogatory by a federal court. Under 28 U.S.C. § 1781(b)(2), a tribunal in the United States may directly transmit a Letter Rogatory or UNOPPOSED MOTION AND (EEE) ORDER GRANTING KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. FOR LETTERS ROGATORY RE: TELEPHONE RECORDS (19- 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200 00288-MJP) - 1 TELEPHONE, (206) 623-1900 FACSIMILE: (206) 623-3384 || request to a foreign or international tribunal. The British Columbia Evidence Act also provides || that a court outside of Canada may serve Letters Rogatory upon a Canadian court. British Columbia Evidence Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, C. 124 § 53.
4 On applications for the issuance of Letters Rogatory, the Court will not ordinarily weigh || the evidence to be elicited, nor will the Court determine whether the witnesses will be able to || provide the anticipated testimony. B&L Drilling Electronics v. Totco, 87 F.R.D. 543, 545 (W.D.
7 || Okla. 1978). Rather, “good reason” must be shown for denying the issuance of a Letter || Rogatory. Zassenhaus v. Evening Star Newspaper Co., 404 F.2d 1361, 1364 (D.C. Cir. 1968).
9 Here, Plaintiffs seek to obtain telephone records to provide further evidence to prove the || allegations in their Second Amended Complaint, namely that the alleged co-conspirators furthered the conspiracy to coordinate price fixing for cedar shakes and shingles over the phone.
12 || For example, Plaintiffs allege that Mr. Dziedzic, G & R’s Sales Manager, spoke on the phone || with some competitors, either Brooke Meeker of Anbrook Industries or Curtis Walker of Waldun || Forest Products, who asked him to raise G & R’s shake and shingle prices. Pl]. Liebo’s Second |} Amended Complaint, { 201.
16 Plaintiffs further allege Defendants Waldun and CSSB “pressure[d] Teal to raise its prices || via phone conversations.” Jd. at § 218. Plaintiffs allege that, “[o]n multiple occasions during the || last 10 years, Curtis Walker made calls to Pacific Cedar’s Vice President Kathy Klassen, in which || he told her that her company’s cedar shake and shingle prices were too low and urged her to raise || those prices to levels recommended by Mr. Walker.” Jd. at § 219. Plaintiffs allege that “[oJn || multiple occasions ... Curtis Walker made calls to Bill Maitland of Goat Lake Cedar in which he || asked Mr. Maitland to raise his company’s cedar shake and shingle prices to levels recommended || by Mr. Walker.” Jd. at § 220. Plaintiffs seek phone records of these and other calls to prove their || case.
25 Moreover, the issuing of a Letter Rogatory will not be overly burdensome. Plaintiffs seek || telephone records of only 56 telephone numbers from January 1, 2011 to the date of collection.
UNOPPOSED MOTION AND (§@RRR’ ORDER GRANTING KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. 00288-MUP) 2 ROGATORY RE: TELEPHONE RECORDS (19- ardent, WA 88 orstee FACSIMILE: (206) 623-3384 || These documents are regularly produced by Rogers Communications Canada Inc., as evidenced || by the fact that they have a policy for producing telephone records, i.e., one has to submit a filed || Court Order in order to obtain copies of records.
4 Further, Plaintiffs have volunteered to pay reasonable fees and judicial costs associated || with the requested production of telephone records. Plaintiffs have been informed by Rogers |} Communications Canada Inc. that they will produce telephone records only pursuant to a filed || court Order. Thus, it is necessary to compel production of telephone records through a Letter || Rogatory.
9 Defendants do not oppose the issuance of Letters Rogatory compelling the phone records || of the executives of defendants in this case listed in the attached Exhibit A. Defendants’ non- || opposition is made without prejudice to its right to oppose the introduction of any documents or || information obtained from Rogers Communications Canada Inc. based on any objection allowed || by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or other applicable law. Defendants expressly reserve || all evidentiary and trial objections. Defendants further reserve the right to obtain from Plaintiffs || copies of all documents obtained from Rogers Communications Canada Inc. pursuant to the || Letters Rogatory.
DATED this 3rd day of December, 2019.
18 KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. By: /s/Karin B. Swope 20 Mark A. Griffin, WSBA #16296 Raymond J. Farrow, WSBA #31782 21 Karin B. Swope, WSBA #24015 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200 22 Seattle, WA 98101 %3 Phone: (206) 623-1900 Fax: (206) 623-3384 94 [email protected] [email protected] 25 [email protected] 26 LOCKRIDGE GRINDAL NAUEN P.L.L.P. UNOPPOSED MOTION AND (QE ORDER GRANTING KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. FOR LETTERS ROGATORY RE: TELEPHONE RECORDS (19- 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200 00288-MIP) - 3 TELERHONE. (206) 623-1900 FACSIMILE: (206) 623-3384 | W. Joseph Bruckner (MN#0147758) Elizabeth R. Odette (MN#0340698) 2 Brian D. Clark (MN#00390069) 3 Arielle S. Wagner (MN#00398332) Washington Avenue S., Suite 2200 4 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Phone: (612) 339-6900 5 Fax: (612) 339-0981 [email protected] 6 [email protected] 7 [email protected] [email protected] Co-Lead Counsel for the Proposed End User 9 Plaintiff Classes ll MCNAUL EBEL NAWROT & TOUSLEY BRAIN STEPHENS HELGREN PLLC Kaleigh N.B. Powell, WSBA #52684 12 Gregory J Hollon, WSBA #26311 Kim D. Stephens, WSBA #11984 University Street, Suite 2700 Chase C. Alvord, WSBA #26080 13 Seattle, WA 98101-3143 1700 Seventh Avenue, Suite 22200 14 Phone: (206) 467-1816 Seattle, WA 98101 Fax: (206) 624-5128 Phone: (206) 682-5600 15 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 16 Liaison Counsel for the Proposed Reseller —_ [email protected] Indirect Purchaser Plaintiff Classes YW HAUSFELD LLP 18 BURNS CHAREST LLP Bonney Sweeney Christopher J Cormier Samantha Stein 19 5290 Denver Tech Center Pkway, Suite 150 600 Montgomery Street, Suite3200 Greenwood Village, CO 80111 San Francisco, CA 94111 20 Phone: (720) 630-2092 Phone: (415) 633-1908 [email protected] [email protected] 21 [email protected] BURNS CHAREST LLP Warren T. Burns HAUSFELD LLP 23 Spencer M Cox James J. Pizzirusso William B. Thompson Nathaniel C. Giddings 24 900 Jackson Street, Suite 500 Paul Gallagher Dallas, TX 75202 1700 K Street NW, Suite 650 Phone: (469) 904-4550 Washington, DC 20006 6 [email protected] Phone: (202) 540-7200 [email protected] [email protected] UNOPPOSED MOTION AND (RR ORDER GRANTING KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. FOR LETTERS ROGATORY RE: TELEPHONE RECORDS (19- 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200 00288-MJP) - 4 TELEPHONE” (208) 623-1900 FACSIMILE: (206) 623-3384 1 [email protected] [email protected] _ [email protected] 2 BURNS CHAREST LLP 3 Lydia A Wright Co-Lead Counsel for the Proposed Direct Canal Street, Suite 1170 Purchaser Plaintiff Class 4 New Orleans, LA 70130 Lo.
Phone: (504) 799-2845 5 [email protected] STOLL BERNE LOKTING & 4 SHLACHETER PC Keith Dubanevich 8 209 SW Oak Street, Suite 500 Portland, OR 97204 9 Phone: (503) 227-1600 10 [email protected] . ll Co-Lead Counsel for the Proposed Indirect Purchaser Plaintiff Classes 3 I. cate ORDER 14 Upon consideration of the pleadings, declarations, and orders filed to date in this case, the || Court finds and orders as follows: 16 IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED, AND DECREED THAT: 17 The Court, having reviewed the submitted material and relevant authority, and therefore || being fully informed, GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion and Proposed Order For Letters || Rogatory Re Telephone Records and will execute the Letters Rogatory without delay.
20 IT IS SO ORDERED.
21 || DATED this 6 day of December 2019. Yi 99 □□□ 34 Honorable Marsha {. Pechman United States District Court Judge UNOPPOSED MOTION ANTM ORDER GRANTING KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. FOR LETTERS ROGATORY RE: TELEPHONE RECORDS (19- 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200 00288-MJP) - 5 TELEOHONE, (208) 629-1900 FACSIMILE: (206) 623-3384
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.