Widen et al v. Menu Foods et al Doc.

16
Case 5:07-cv-05055-RTD Document 16 Filed 06/28/2007 Page 1 of 7
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BEFORETHE JUDICIAL EANEI. ON MULTIDISTRICTLITIGATION
IN RE PET FOODPRODACTS
LIABILITY LITIGATION
BEFOREWM.TERRELLHODGES,(HATftfi{AN, D. LOWELLJENSEN,J.
FREDERICK MOTZ, ROBERTL, MILLER,,1R.,'KTITHRYNH. VRATIL,
DAVINR. HANSENANDANTHONYJ. SCIRICA,,IUDGES OF THE P{NEL
TRANSFER
ORDER
This litigation preseutlyconsistsof thirleen rctirtrrsli$ted on thc anachcdSchcduleA urd
petrdingin eightdisriot* ar ftrllows: live actionsifl theWcstcrhDistrictof Washington;two aotions
in the WesternDistrict of Arkansns;and onc action cachirr the flentral District of Calilbrnia,thc
Districtol'Connccliout, the Southenr Disttiutuf Floritla,theNorthcinDistrictof lllittois,theDistrict
of New.lemey,andtheEasternDistrictofTennessee.Boforctho Panclnrcdrreemotiols, pursuaulto
28 U.S.C, $ 1407,that tnkcn toEcthcrscck ccrrtralizationfor coor<iinated or consolidiilal pretnal
procccdiugsofallofthcsc actions.rA1lrcspo[dilg parliesagee thatcorrtralir.ation is apptopriatc,but
rliffer regardingthe nrostappropriatetraDsferee districtlbr this litigation. In favorof thc District of
Nerv Jerseyas transfereerlistricl are moving Cenlralllistrict of'Calilbrnia and SouthcrnI)istrict of
Floridaplaintill'sandplainlilTsirr thdDi$trictol Connecticut,the D.istrictof New Jersey,audtlueeof
theWcsteml)istrict of Washrngton actionsbcfbrcthc Panel,aswcll asplaintiffsin fourteenpotenlially
relaterlactions. Plaintjffs in two of the five Westem Di.strictol' Washingtonactionsnrove for
ccntralizationin thc Westemltistrict of Wrrshinglon;plairrtill'sin thc EastcmDistrict of Teruressee
actiousuppottcentralizationtherc;andplaintiffs in the olher duee WesternDistrict of Warrhington
actionsaltenrativelysupportcentralizatiouthne, In fcvor of the Weslcnrl)islriot af ,,.rrkansas as
transferee rJistrictareplaiutiffein tlretwoWesternDistictof Arkansasar,tioflsrrndtheNorthcrnDislrict
of Illinois astion, fld pldifltiffs in six poturtially relutctluotions.Pldintill'sin two potcntiallyrclatcd
I)istrict uf New Jersoyactiousrltomativclysupporlccntrulizutionin llre WesterflLlisttictof Arkansas,
SupportiflgIhsNdrthenrDistristof lllimris asirarr$lerce districtareaJlrcspondingdcfcndants, including
Ntenu|oods,lnc., andits rclfttcdcntitics,ald plaintift'sinonc potcntiallyrelatcdaction. hr favoroflhe
CentrslDistrict of Califomia as transfereedishict areplaintiffs in nine potentiallyrelatedactions.
Findlly,plaintiflin a potentially relatedNorthenrDistricL of Ohio ctionsuggests cctrtralization
in the
NonhcrnDistricl of Ohio.

On lhe basisof the pupersfilerl and huariug sessionheld, the Panel fiflds thrt thc actions in this

'
JudgeMiller did not palticipatein the decisionof this matter.

'Thr:
Ftrrcl lruubr'cunotifictl of97 potr,nliullyrelrted uclionspcnrJingin multiplc l'cdstaldiskicts. Ifi light
ofthe Fanel'sdispositionofthis docket,theseactions will be treatedaspotentialtag-along actions.,!e aRulcs
7.4 and7.5,R.P.,l.P.lvl.l,.,
I tl F,R.I),425,435-36(?001).

Dockets.Justia.com
 Case 5:07-cv-05055-RTD Document 16 Filed 06/28/2007 Page 2 of 7
Case 1:07-cv-02867-NLH-AMDDocument1 Filed06/2212007 Page2 of 3

litigationinvolvecomnronquestionsof[act, ntrdthat ccntralizationunderScotion1407in thc District

ol'New Jerseywill scrvcthc convcrricnce of thcpurticsandwitnessesnndprumotcthejust andefficiout
conducloI thc litiglrtiol. All astiofissternliom lhc rccallof pct food productsallegedlytaintedby
mclaminefoundinwheatglutdfliffiportcdfromChinaandusedin thesoproducts.Centtalizationundcr
Section1407is rrecesrary in ordcrtocliminateduplicativediscovery;avoidinconsistont prttrial rulingo,
especiflJly with respcctto classcertification;andconserve lhe resourccs
ofthc patics, tlreiroounseiaud
thc judiciary.

Although sevcraldistricts could bc dcscribctla$ an appropriatetranslctccforum for this

nationwidelitigation,we arepersuadod to sdlectlhe Districl of Ncw Jersey.Fretrialprnceedings
iue
advanciugwell thereanrl rhout one{hird of all pcndingactionsarealreadyin this district.

IT IS THEREFOREORDERLDthat,pursuant to 28 U.S.C.$ 1407,the actionelistcdon thc

atiachedScheduleA and ponding outsidcthc District ofNew Jerseyaretranslbrrodto thc District of
Ncw Jorsry aud, witlr the oonoen!of thut corLrt,astignodto tho HonorabloNoel L, lfillmm for
coordimtedor consoliduleclpretrialprooaedingswitlr tho actionspendingtherearrdlistedon Sohedule

I;OR'I'HTiPANEL:

etp-r-**tt-#lrl'W-
Wm. Tcrrcll llodgcs
Chainnau
 Case 5:07-cv-05055-RTD
Document 16 Filed 06/28/2007 Page 3 of 7
+ , Document
Case1:07-ov-02867-NLH-AMD 1 Filed0612212007Page3 of 3

SCHI]DI]LE A

MDL,I85o--hre@

WestErlrDiEtdarLqfu\rk4[EgE

(]fiuries/tay Sins, et al,v' Manulioods lntone hund' el ai', C'A No- 5:07-5053
RtahardEmu Witlen,et aL v Mtnu Fotttls,Ittt, Et ul', C A' No' 5:07-5055

Centrsl DiEErq!0I e allfomj s

,9iiirley.!e*/anv. Menu FoodsIntane Fund,et a/,. C,A' Nu' 2:07-1958

.Djldal-afX!ru ul
ht-,C A' No 3:0?-469
L uri,4.Osbornev.MenuFoocLs,

SoulhorulliEtriqlqlElqridfl

(hrittlna Troianov. Menu Footls,irc, el al., C.A. No 0:07-60428

Northem DreIlE! dlll!4Qjs

C'A. No. l:07-1541

DuwnMaJirc4tkv. Menu Foods,,/nr:.,

Diqtdct ifNEw iEIEly

eI al. v. MenuFoodsLtd-,et ul , C-A No' l:07-1338

.lurcdWorlonun.

BdEleqrni$risl-sf-Tf,illEEEEE

Lizajttn tlolt, et uL v. MenuFttotls,Ine, C.A' No' 3:07-94

Wssteru jlEtrct dluiqlu.ugllll

Tnn Whalevv. Menu Fuods,lrc,, et ul', C'A' No. 2:07-411

Stuteylleller, et ul. v. Menu FoorA,C'A' No. 2:07-453
Audrey Kornelius,et al. v. Menul;oods,C.A. No. 2:07-454
StnanneE. Johnson,el a!. v. MenuFttods,C'A- No. 2:07-455
MicheleSuggeu,el al. v. Menu Foods,et al.,C.A. No' 2:Q7-451
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I.IAGENSBERMAN SOBOI,SHAP]RO,I,LP
I 3 0 I F I F T HA V E N T J I
srJIl'U2900
WA 98IOI
SEATTT,E,

JOHNRI,IM
COUNSEL NO'fADMI'I"|EDTO TIIE USDC-NJ
BAR
I]LIM & EDELSON,LLC
53WESTJACKSONBI,VD
SLIITEI642
CHICAGO.II, 60604

PERRY A. CRAIII'
COIINSELNOT ADMITTED TO THE USDC-NJBAR
CRAFT& SHEPPARD. PLC
THESHII,OHBUII,DING
2 I 4 I]EN'I'ERVIEW
DRIVE
SUITE223
BRENI'WOOD,'fN 37027

STUAR'TA. DAVIDSON
COLINSELNOTADMITTED TO THEUSCD-NJBAR
LERACHCOUGHLINSTOIACELLIR RT]DMAN& ROBBINSLLP
I20 EASI'PALMETTO PARKROAD
SUITE5()O
I]OCA RATON.FL 33432-4809

.IASONMA'f1'I-IEWI TATFIELD
NOT ADMITTEDTO TFIETJSDII_NJ
COTINSI]I, I}AR
LUNDY & DAVIS, LLP
3OONORTHCOI.LEGE AVENUE
SUITE309
FAYETTEVII,I,E, AR 7270I

JEREMYY. HUTCHINSON
COIJNSEL NO'I'AI]MI]"I'ED
TO 1]IE USDC-NJ
BAR
PATTON,ROBERTS, MCWILLIAMS& CAPSHAW,I,I,P
STEPHENS BUILDING
III CENTERSTREET
S U I T E1 3 I 5

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I,ITTI.EROCK,AR 7220I

ADAM P. KARIJ
tlOUNSEl.NOTADMITTHDTO'l-H11 BAR
LJSDC-NJ
ANIMALLAW OI.F'ICES
114WESTMAGNOLIASTREET
STJI'IE
425
REI,I,INGHAM,WA 98225

JEFFERYN.LUTHI
CLERKOF THE JUDICIALPANEL
ONECOLUMBUSCIRT]LE. NH
]'t IURGOODMARSIIALL FEDERALJUDICIARYBUII-I]]NG
RM (J255,NORTHLOBBY
WASHINGTON, DC ?O()O2

MICHAELDAVID MYERS
COUNSEI, NOTADMI'T'|ED'IO
I'HETJSDC.NJ
BAR
MYERS& CO.,P.L.L.C.
1809SEVENTHAVENUE
sr.Jl.l'r700
SEATTLE, WA 98101

BRUCEE. NEWMAN
99NORTHST.,RTE6
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BRISTOL,CT 660II-0575

DANII]I,I,. RC}TTINGHAUS
COUNSELNOT ADMITTEDTO'IIIE USDC-NJBAR
BERD]NG& WELI,
3240S'I'ONIJ VALLUYROAI]WES'I'
AI,AMO,CA 94507

EDWARDB. RUFF,III
PRII'I'ZEI,
& STOUFFER, CHTD.
ONESOUTHWICKJ.:R DRIVE
SUITE25OO
cHrclAtjo,rr. 60606-4673

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SHERRIER. SAVE'I'T
NOT ADMI'|'I'EI]'I'OIJSDC-NJ BAR
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BERGER& MONTAGUE,PC
1622LOCUSTS1'RHB'I'
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