# In re Cedar Shake & Shingle Antitrust Litigation

> District Court, W.D. Washington · December 10, 2019

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10700059

## Case

- **Court:** District Court, W.D. Washington
- **Decided:** December 10, 2019
- **Opinion:** 100trialcourt
- **Cited by:** 0 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10700059

## Opinion text

l The Honorable Marsha J. Pechman
2
3
4
5
6
7 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON
8 AT SEATTLE
IN RE CEDAR SHAKE & SHINGLE No. 2:19-cv-00288-MJP
10 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.

14
5 I. UNOPPOSED MOTION

16 Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 28(b)(3) and 28 U.S.C. 1781(b)(2),
7 undersigned Plaintiffs (“Plaintiffs”) move this Court for an Order issuing the attached Letters

18 Rogatory to the appropriate authorities in British Columbia, Canada for the telephone records of

19 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

73 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,
35 453 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

1 || request to a foreign or international tribunal. The British Columbia Evidence Act also provides
2 || that a court outside of Canada may serve Letters Rogatory upon a Canadian court. British
3 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
5 || the evidence to be elicited, nor will the Court determine whether the witnesses will be able to
6 || 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
8 || 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
10 || 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
13 || with some competitors, either Brooke Meeker of Anbrook Industries or Curtis Walker of Waldun
14 || Forest Products, who asked him to raise G & R’s shake and shingle prices. Pl]. Liebo’s Second
15 |} Amended Complaint, { 201.
16 Plaintiffs further allege Defendants Waldun and CSSB “pressure[d] Teal to raise its prices
17 || via phone conversations.” Jd. at § 218. Plaintiffs allege that, “[o]n multiple occasions during the
18 || last 10 years, Curtis Walker made calls to Pacific Cedar’s Vice President Kathy Klassen, in which
19 || he told her that her company’s cedar shake and shingle prices were too low and urged her to raise
20 || those prices to levels recommended by Mr. Walker.” Jd. at § 219. Plaintiffs allege that “[oJn
21 || multiple occasions ... Curtis Walker made calls to Bill Maitland of Goat Lake Cedar in which he
22 || asked Mr. Maitland to raise his company’s cedar shake and shingle prices to levels recommended
23 || by Mr. Walker.” Jd. at § 220. Plaintiffs seek phone records of these and other calls to prove their
24 || case.
25 Moreover, the issuing of a Letter Rogatory will not be overly burdensome. Plaintiffs seek
26 || 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

1 || These documents are regularly produced by Rogers Communications Canada Inc., as evidenced
2 || by the fact that they have a policy for producing telephone records, i.e., one has to submit a filed
3 || Court Order in order to obtain copies of records.
4 Further, Plaintiffs have volunteered to pay reasonable fees and judicial costs associated
5 || with the requested production of telephone records. Plaintiffs have been informed by Rogers
6 |} Communications Canada Inc. that they will produce telephone records only pursuant to a filed
7 || court Order. Thus, it is necessary to compel production of telephone records through a Letter
8 || Rogatory.
9 Defendants do not oppose the issuance of Letters Rogatory compelling the phone records
10 || of the executives of defendants in this case listed in the attached Exhibit A. Defendants’ non-
11 || opposition is made without prejudice to its right to oppose the introduction of any documents or
12 || information obtained from Rogers Communications Canada Inc. based on any objection allowed
13 || by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or other applicable law. Defendants expressly reserve
14 || all evidentiary and trial objections. Defendants further reserve the right to obtain from Plaintiffs
15 || copies of all documents obtained from Rogers Communications Canada Inc. pursuant to the
16 || Letters Rogatory.
17
DATED this 3rd day of December, 2019.
18 KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P.
19
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 meriffin@kellerrohrback.com
rfarrow@kellerrohrback.com
25 kswope@kellerrohrback.com
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)
100 Washington Avenue S., Suite 2200
4 Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 339-6900
5 Fax: (612) 339-0981
wjbruckner@locklaw.com
6 erodette@locklaw.com
7 bdclark@locklaw.com
aswagner@locklaw.com
8
Co-Lead Counsel for the Proposed End User
9 Plaintiff Classes
10
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
600 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 ghollon@menaul.com kpowell@tousley.com
kstephens@tousley.com
16 Liaison Counsel for the Proposed Reseller —_ calvord@tousley.com
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
ccormier@burnscharest.com bsweeney@hausfeld.com
21 sstein@hausfeld.com
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 wburns@burnscharest.com Phone: (202) 540-7200
scox@burnscharest.com jpizzirusso@hausfeld.com
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 wthompson@burnscharest.com ngiddings@hausfeld.com
_ pgallagher@hausfeld.com
2 BURNS CHAREST LLP
3 Lydia A Wright Co-Lead Counsel for the Proposed Direct
365 Canal Street, Suite 1170 Purchaser Plaintiff Class
4 New Orleans, LA 70130 Lo.
Phone: (504) 799-2845
5 lwright@burnscharest.com
STOLL BERNE LOKTING &
4 SHLACHETER PC
Keith Dubanevich
8 209 SW Oak Street, Suite 500
Portland, OR 97204
9 Phone: (503) 227-1600
10 kdubanevich@stollberne.com .
ll Co-Lead Counsel for the Proposed Indirect
Purchaser Plaintiff Classes
12
3 I. cate ORDER
14 Upon consideration of the pleadings, declarations, and orders filed to date in this case, the
15 || 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
18 || being fully informed, GRANTS Plaintiffs’ Unopposed Motion and Proposed Order For Letters
19 || 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
24
25
26

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

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/10700059. Public record. Not legal advice.
