Free MOTION to Relate Case - District Court of California - California

Case 4:08-cv-00352-SBA

Document 6

Filed 02/20/2008

Page 1 of 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Elizabeth J. Cabraser (State Bar No. 083151) Barry R. Himmelstein (State Bar No. 157736) LIEFF, CABRASER, HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP 275 Battery Street, 30th Floor San Francisco, CA 94111-3339 Telephone: (415) 956-1000 Facsimile: (415) 956-1008 Steven E. Fineman (State Bar No. 140335) Daniel E. Seltz LIEFF, CABRASER, HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP 780 Third Avenue, 48th Floor New York, NY 10017-2024 Telephone: (212) 355-9500 Facsimile: (212) 355-9592 Attorneys for Plaintiffs ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Health Benefits Trust & Claudia Edwards [Additional Counsel on Signature Page]

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

HELEN ARONIS, on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, Plaintiffs,

Case No. 08 CV 0352 (MHP) ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO CONSIDER WHETHER CASES SHOULD BE RELATED

17 v. 18 MERCK & CO., INC.; et al., 19 Defendant. 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
750157.1

Pursuant to Local Rules 3-12 and 7-11, ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Health Benefits Trust and Claudia Edwards, Plaintiffs in ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Health Benefits Trust & Claudia Edwards v. Merck & Co., Inc., et al., C.A. No. 3:08-531 (JL) (the "ASEA action"), hereby submit this administrative motion to consider whether the ASEA action should be related to two other actions filed in this District. The two apparently related cases are:

1

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO CONSIDER WHETHER CASES SHOULD BE RELATED CASE NO. 08 CV 0352 (MHP)

Case 4:08-cv-00352-SBA

Document 6

Filed 02/20/2008

Page 2 of 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 /// /// /// ///
750157.1

(1) Helen Aronis v. Merck & Co., Inc., et al., C.A. No. 3:08-352; and (2) Richard Haskin v. Merck & Co., Inc., et al., C.A. No. 3:08-376. The ASEA and Haskin actions have been assigned to Magistrate Judge Larson and James, respectively. In an order filed by the Executive Committee on February 19, 2008, the Aronis action was reassigned to Judge Patel (Dkt. No. 5). Defendants in both the ASEA and Haskin actions have filed Declinations to Proceed Before a United States Magistrate Judge and have requested reassignment to a United States District Court Judge (Dkt. No. 6 in Haskin action; Dkt. No. 9 in the ASEA action). The ASEA and Haskin actions have yet to be so reassigned. The three actions should be deemed related. Each of the three actions ­ all class actions ­ concern the same parties, property, transaction and events. Each seeks recovery for the plaintiffs' economic loss caused by Defendants' fraudulent marketing of two anti-cholesterol drugs, Zetia and Vytorin. The plaintiffs in all of the actions allege that defendants knowingly withheld the results of a study showing that these drugs were no more effective in reducing the growth of dangerous fatty plaque in the arteries than cheaper and more established alternatives. All plaintiffs allege that defendants continued to market these drugs as safe and effective uses for lowering cholesterol despite their knowledge of the long-delayed study's negative findings. As each of these cases arises from the same set of facts and legal theories and allege substantially identical legal claims, there will be an unduly burdensome duplication of labor and expense or conflicting results if the cases are conducted before different Judges. Further, Plaintiffs in the ASEA action have moved that the ASEA action and other cases involving Zetia and Vytorin be centralized by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in the matter of In re: Vytorin/Zetia Sales and Marketing Litigation, MDL Docket No. 1938. The matter is scheduled for hearing on March 27, 2008, before the Judicial Panel. For these reasons, Plaintiffs respectfully request that these three cases be

-2-

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO CONSIDER WHETHER CASES SHOULD BE RELATED CASE NO. 08 CV 0352 (MHP)

Case 4:08-cv-00352-SBA

Document 6

Filed 02/20/2008

Page 3 of 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

considered related in order to eliminate duplicative discovery, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings and conserve the resources of the parties, their counsel, and the judiciary.

Dated: February 20, 2008

Respectfully submitted, LIEFF, CABRASER, HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP By: /s/ Barry R. Himmelstein Barry R. Himmelstein

Elizabeth J. Cabraser Barry R. Himmelstein LIEFF, CABRASER, HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN LLP 275 Battery St., 30th Floor San Francisco, CA 94111 Telephone: (415) 956-1000 Facsimile: (415) 956-1008 Steven E. Fineman (State Bar No. 140335) Daniel E. Seltz LIEFF, CABRASER, HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP 780 Third Avenue, 48th Floor New York, NY 10017-2024 Telephone: (212) 355-9500 Facsimile: (212) 355-9592 Thomas M. Greene GREENE & HOFFMAN 125 Summer Street, Suite 1410 Boston, MA 02110 Telephone: (617) 261-0040 Facsimile: (617) 261-3558 Christopher I. Brain Nancy A. Pacharzina TOUSLEY BRAIN STEPHENS PLLC 1700 Seventh Ave., Suite 2200 Seattle, WA 98101-1332 Telephone: (206) 682-5600 Facsimile: (206) 682-2992 Attorneys for Plaintiffs ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 Health Benefits Trust and Claudia Edwards

750157.1

-3-

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO CONSIDER WHETHER CASES SHOULD BE RELATED CASE NO. 08 CV 0352 (MHP)

Case 4:08-cv-00352-SBA

Document 6

Filed 02/20/2008

Page 4 of 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
750157.1

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE The undersigned hereby certifies under penalty of perjury that, on February 20, 2008, he caused to be served on the person(s) listed below the foregoing Administrative Motion to Consider Whether Cases Should Be Related in the manner shown: Kirk J. Wolden Clayeo C. Arnold Clifford Lee Carter Clayeo C. Arnold, PLC 608 University Avenue Sacramento, CA 95825 916-924-3100 Debra Irwin DeCarli Lawrence J. Gornick Levin Simes Kaiser & Gornick LLP 44 Montgomery Street 36th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104 415-646-7160 Fax: 415-981-1270 Email: [email protected] Steven J. Boranian Reed Smith LLP Two Embarcadero Center, Suite 2000 San Francisco, CA 94111 415-543-8700 Fax: 415-391-8269

United States Mail, First Class By Messenger By Facsimile

Dated at San Francisco, CA this 20th day of February, 2008. /s/ Nicolas Menard Nicolas Menard

-4-

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO CONSIDER WHETHER CASES SHOULD BE RELATED CASE NO. 08 CV 0352 (MHP)