Free Letter - District Court of Delaware - Delaware

Case 1 :07-cv-00156-JJF Document 27 Filed 08/22/2007 Page 1 of 2
Youno CONAWAY STARGATT & TAYLOR, LLP
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August 22, 2007
VIA ELECTRONIC FILING AND HAND DELIVERY
The Honorable Mary Pat Thynge
United States District Court
844 North King Street
Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Re: PDL Biopharma, Inc. v. Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
C.A. No. 07-156 (***)
Dear Magistrate Judge Thynge:
I write on behalf of Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Alexion") in response to Mr.
Blumenfeld’s letter of August 21, 2007 (D.l. 26), bringing the recent decision by the Federal
Circuit in the case of In re Seagate Technology LLC to Your Hon0r’s attention.
As referenced in that letter, Alexion will move for bifurcation and stay of
discovery and trial on the issues of damages and willfulness prior to the September 6, 2007
deadline set during the Rule 16 teleconference. (D.I. 23). The Seagate decision overturned the
duty of care standard for willfulness, and replaced it with an "obj ective recklessness" standard.
The Seagate ruling makes a defendant’s decision as to whether to rely on advice of counsel more
difficult and complex. We believe, and will fully show in our motion papers, that after Seagate,
a decision to bifurcate makes even more sense, in that it will promote efficiency, reduce jury
confusion, and avoid prejudice to Alexion.
Accordingly, Alexion requests that the Court consider A1exion’s bifurcation
motion prior to setting a date as to when Alexion must disclose whether or not it will rely on
I DE02;619s16s.1 0661811001

Case 1 :07-cv-00156-JJF Document 27 Filed 08/22/2007 Page 2 of 2
YOUNG CoNAwAY STARGATT & TAYLOR, LLP
The Honorable Mary Pat Thynge
August 22, 2007
Page 2
advice of counsel. Should Alexion’s motion be granted, the disputed timing of such disclosure
will be moot} V
Respectfully submitted,
Josy W. Ingersoll (No. 1088)
J W lzsmf
cc: Jack B. Blumenfeld, Esquire (via electronic filing)
‘ Gerald J. Flattmann, Jr., Esquire (via electronic filing)
1 We also note that the date of February 15, 2008, proposed by the Plaintiff falls four and a half months prior to
the cut—off for fact discovery and three and a half months prior to the suggested May 30, 2008, hearing on claim
construction. This is far earlier than that normally set in other patent cases in this District, which in our
experience is usually no more than 4 to 6 weeks prior to the discovery cut—off. (This allows defendants to make
a more fully informed decision as to whether to rely on advice of counsel, while at the same time giving
plaintiffs adequate time to take discovery on that subject.) lf the Court chooses to set a date for disclosure of
advice of counsel prior to considering Alexion’s bifurcation motion, Alexion accordingly requests that such
date be no earlier than 4 to 6 weeks prior to the cut-off.
DB02:619816s.1 0661811001