Free Answering Brief in Opposition - District Court of Delaware - Delaware

Case 1:04-cv-00163-GMS

Document 189

Filed 08/24/2006

Page 1 of 5

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF DELAWARE ) ) Civil Action No.: 04-0163 GMS ) ) ) JURY TRIAL DEMANDED ) )

DONALD M. DURKIN CONTRACTING, INC. Plaintiff, vs. CITY OF NEWARK et al.

CITY OF NEWARK DEFENDANTS' ANSWERING BRIEF IN OPPOSITION OF PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO PRECLUDE ASSERTION OF JOINT DEFENSE PRIVILEGE

TIGHE, COTTRELL & LOGAN, P.A. By: /s/ Paul Cottrell Paul Cottrell (Delaware I.D. No. 2391) Victoria K. Petrone (Delaware I.D. No. 4210) 704 N. King Street P.O. Box 1031 Wilmington, DE 19899 P: (302) 658-6400 F: (302) 658-9836 email: [email protected] Attorneys for Defendants City of Newark, Harold F. Godwin, John H. Farrell, IV, Jerry Clifton, Karl G. Kalbacher, David J. Athey, Frank J. Osborne, Jr., and Christina Rewa

August 21, 2006

Case 1:04-cv-00163-GMS

Document 189

Filed 08/24/2006

Page 2 of 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF AUTHORITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii STATEMENT OF THE NATURE AND STAGE OF THE PROCEEDINGS . . . . . . . . 1 SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 STATEMENT OF FACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ARGUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

-2-

Case 1:04-cv-00163-GMS

Document 189

Filed 08/24/2006

Page 3 of 5

TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Case Page

Eisenberg vs. Gagnon et al., 766 F.2d 770, 787 (3d Cir. 1985) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1, 2

-3-

Case 1:04-cv-00163-GMS

Document 189

Filed 08/24/2006

Page 4 of 5

STATEMENT OF NATURE AND STAGE OF PROCEEDINGS Plaintiff Donald M. Durkin ("Durkin") has asserted a breach of contract, various tort claims and a civil rights claim against the City of Newark and Individual Defendants (cumulatively "Newark"). Durkin seeks to prevent Newark from asserting any joint defense privilege with Third-Party Defendant URS. SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT Newark is entitled to assert a joint defense privilege with URS given their common interest in defending the issues of the constructability of the reservoir design, the safety of the design, and the decision and process by which Durkin was terminated. STATEMENT OF FACTS Durkin's breach of contract action arises out of the termination by Newark of Durkin's contract for the Reservoir project. Durkin argues that the termination was wrongful, both factually and procedurally as required by the contract. Durkin asserts that it had the right to stop Zone IV soils placement since it was not possible to construct this aspect of the URS design, the reservoir would be unsafe once built as per design, and the process by which it was terminated was in violation of its contract. As to these issues, Newark and URS share a common interest. ARGUMENT The fact that two parties to litigation have claims against one another does not preclude their right to a joint defense where they have common interests in opposing another party's position in the case. See, Eisenberg vs. Gagnon et al., 766 F.2d 770, 787 (3d Cir. 1985) (Communications to an attorney to establish a common defense strategy are privileged even

-1-

Case 1:04-cv-00163-GMS

Document 189

Filed 08/24/2006

Page 5 of 5

though the attorney represents another client with some adverse interests.). As to related documents, no documents were withheld solely on the basis of the joint-defense privilege. CONCLUSION WHEREFORE, Defendant City of Newark respectfully requests that this Court deny Plaintiff's Motion to Preclude Assertion of the Joint Defense Privilege.

TIGHE, COTTRELL & LOGAN, P.A. By: /s/ Paul Cottrell Paul Cottrell (Delaware I.D. No. 2391) Victoria K. Petrone (Delaware I.D. No. 4210) 704 N. King Street, P.O. Box 1031 Wilmington, DE 19899 P: (302) 658-6400 Attorneys for City of Newark Defendants

-2-