Free Letter - District Court of Delaware - Delaware

Case 1:07-cv-00038-SLR

Document 26

Filed 08/24/2007

Page 1 of 2

YOUNG CONAWAY STARGATT & TAYLOR, LLP
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STVARTB. YOUNG EDWARD B . MAXWELL, 2ND

OF CO UNSEL

August 24, 2007

BY CM/ECF AND HAND DELIVERY

The Honorable Sue L. Robinson United States District Court 844 North King Street Wilmington, DE 19801 Re: Syngenta Biotechnology , Inc. et al. v. DeKalb Genetics Corp., et al., C.A. No. 07-38-SLR

Dear Judge Robinson : Plaintiffs (collectively referred to as "Syngenta Biotechnology") submit this letter in response to Monsanto/DeKalb's (referred to as "Monsanto") letter of August 23, 2007, which cites Time Yijarner Cable, Inc. v. GPNE Corp., 2007 WL 2070237 (D. Del. July 20, 2007), a case not addressed in the parties' briefing on the transfer issue. Monsanto argues that Time Warner supports the transfer of this case to Missouri. Syngenta Biotechnology disagrees. In Time l3'arner, this Court found that jurisdiction was "proper in both the Eastern District of Texas and Delaware." Id. at * 1. The Court specifically stated that "[t]he Eastern District of Texas has personal jurisdiction over the defendants, including TWC [the party opposing transfer]." Id. Here, the Eastern District of Missouri found-after providing Monsanto with the opportunity to amend its complaint-that there was no personal jurisdiction over Syngenta Biotechnology in Missouri. Thus, Time (Varner is clearly distinguishable. Monsanto's complaint in Missouri was undisputedly defective when filed, and transfer to Missouri is simply not appropriate or in the interests of justice under such

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Case 1:07-cv-00038-SLR

Document 26

Filed 08/24/2007

Page 2 of 2

YOUNG CONAWAY STARGATT & TAYLOR, LLP August 24, 2007 Page 2 circumstances. See Genentech, Inc. 1,. Eli Lilly & Co., 998 F.2d 931, 938 (Fed. Cir. 1993) (stating that a "sound reason" for departing from the first-filed rule is the "absence of jurisdiction over all necessary or desirable parties").

had S.C. Stover (No. 4919) CSS:htb
cc: Clerk of the Court (via Hand Delivery) Richard L. Horwitz, Esquire (via e-mail)

DB02:6201848 .1

059155.1015