throbber
Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 1 of 16 PageID #:260663
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS
`EASTERN DIVISION
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`IN RE BROILER CHICKEN ANTITRUST
`LITIGATION
`
`
`
`Case No. 1:16-cv-08637
`
`
`
`Honorable Thomas M. Durkin
`
`This Document Relates To:
`
`THE DIRECT PURCHASER PLAINTIFF
`ACTION
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`MEMORANDUM REGARDING DIRECT PURCHASER PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION
`FOR FINAL APPROVAL OF THE SETTLEMENTS WITH DEFENDANTS
`PECO FOODS, INC., GEORGE’S, INC., GEORGE’S FARMS, INC.,
`AND AMICK FARMS, LLC
`
`
`
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 2 of 16 PageID #:260664
`
`Settling Defendants Peco Foods, Inc., George’s, Inc., George’s Farms Inc., and Amick
`
`Farms, LLC (“Settling Defendants”) submit this memorandum in connection with the Direct
`
`Purchaser Plaintiffs’ motion for final approval of the Settling Defendants’ settlements.
`
`PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
`
`Settling Defendants fully support the settlements and urge the Court to approve them.
`
`Settling Defendants submit this memorandum solely to address an issue relating to entities that
`
`requested exclusion from the class (i.e., “opt-outs”) for claims that Settlement Class Members
`
`partially assigned to them, which affects the calculation of the Settlement Amount, including the
`
`“Reduction of Settlement Amount Based on Opt-Outs” under the settlements with Peco Foods,
`
`Inc., George’s, Inc., and George’s Farms, Inc. (the “Peco and George’s Settlements”). (See ECF
`
`No. 3324, Exs. A and B at § II.E.10.b.)
`
`The Peco and George’s Settlements contain reduction mechanisms in the event that class
`
`members who opt out of the Settlement Class represent more than 50% of all Defendants’ United
`
`States total annual sales for 2008-2017. (See id.) These Settlement Agreements call for a reduction
`
`of 2% for each percentage point exceeding 50%. Thus, if it is determined that 50.6% of the class
`
`opts out, then the Settlement Amounts—$5.15 million for Peco and $4.25 million for George’s—
`
`are reduced by 1.2%. DPP Class Counsel, the Settlement Administrator, and the Settling
`
`Defendants have worked cooperatively to implement these portions of the Settlement Agreements.
`
`For the overwhelming majority of class members, the Settling Defendants have no reason to
`
`challenge the Settlement Administrator’s determinations.1
`
`
`
`
`
`
`1 The Amick Farms, LLC Settlement Agreement has a different settlement reduction mechanism
`and termination provision based on class members who opt out of the Settlement Class. (See ECF
`No. 3324, Ex. C at § II.E.10.b.)
`
`2
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 3 of 16 PageID #:260665
`
`However, there is one category of purported opt-out requests that the Settling Defendants
`
`believe should be treated differently than they are currently being treated by the Settlement
`
`Administrator. The scenario at issue is demonstrated by the following:
`
`A direct purchaser of Broilers (e.g., a distributor) sells to multiple customers. The direct
`purchaser did not request exclusion from the class, and thereby is a Settling Class Member.
`However, one of the direct purchaser’s customers asserts that it has been given an
`assignment of claims from the direct purchaser, limited to claims arising from the purchase
`of Broilers re-sold to that particular indirect purchaser/assignee. The assignee requests
`exclusion from the class as to those partially assigned claims.
`
`
`If the claims that are partially assigned are treated as a valid opt-out, this scenario creates
`
`significant uncertainty. Without agreement from the assignor, assignee, Settlement Class, and
`
`Settling Defendants as to the value of the partial assignment opt-outs—which does not exist here—
`
`there is an open question about what portion of the direct purchaser’s claims are released and
`
`eligible for compensation under the settlements, and what value has been opted out through the
`
`partially assigned claims and thus represents potentially remaining liability. The issue raised in
`
`this response is limited to partial assignments, as distinct from full assignments where a direct
`
`purchaser has assigned 100% of its claims to an assignee. These partial assignment opt-outs are
`
`set forth in Exhibit B attached to the DPP’s proposed orders granting final approval to the
`
`settlements. (See ECF Nos. 3777-1 (Peco and George’s Proposed Order) and 3777-2 (Amick
`
`Proposed Order).)
`
`The Settling Defendants submit that, with one exception, the “partial assignment opt-outs”
`
`should be rejected. As courts have held, a partial assignee cannot opt out of a class action in which
`
`the assignor is participating, with one narrow exception explained more fully below. By rejecting
`
`partial assignment opt-outs where there is no express agreement reflecting a meeting of the minds
`
`as to the volume of commerce represented by any partial assignment, the court approving the class
`
`settlement establishes a clear record as to which claims are released by the settlement and which
`
`3
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 4 of 16 PageID #:260666
`
`are not, and prevents future disputes about ambiguities regarding the court’s approval order.
`
`Consistent with these legal principles, the Court should enter the Settling Defendants’ proposed
`
`orders entering final judgment and granting final approval of the settlements. If the Court agrees,
`
`the opt-out percentage is less than 50% and the amounts of the Peco and George’s Settlements will
`
`remain at $5.15 and $4.25 million, respectively.
`
`Alternatively, if the Court were inclined to permit the exclusion of partially assigned
`
`claims, Settling Defendants respectfully submit that the final approval order should reflect the
`
`precise dollar value of the commerce being excluded from the settlements through each partial
`
`assignment so that all parties have a clear understanding of what has been released through the
`
`settlement and what potential liability remains.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`Following the Court’s December 20, 2019 order granting preliminary approval of the
`
`Settlements (ECF No. 3359), DPP Class Counsel and the Settlement Administrator implemented
`
`the Court-approved notice plan to members of the Settlement Class—i.e., entities that purchased
`
`Broilers directly from Defendants during the Class Period. As required by Federal Rule of Civil
`
`Procedure 23, the notice explained the binding effects of class membership and how to exclude
`
`oneself from the Settlement Class. The deadline to request exclusion from the Settlement Class
`
`was March 9, 2020. The Settlement Administrator reviewed and processed applications for
`
`requests for exclusion.
`
`Many of the entities that directly purchased Broilers from Defendants are food distributors
`
`who resold the Broilers to other entities, including restaurants and grocers. As DPP Class Counsel
`
`informed the Court through a publicly filed April 15, 2020 Notice, several of the opt-out notices
`
`received by the Settlement Administrator provided that they were submitted “with the intent to
`
`exclude certain assigned claims from other Class Members.” (ECF No. 3567 at 2.) In other words,
`
`4
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 5 of 16 PageID #:260667
`
`these opt-out notices attempted to exclude from the class settlement, claims based on direct
`
`purchases of Broilers by direct purchasers that were later re-sold to the opt-out entity. (See, e.g.,
`
`Ex. A to Declaration of Nicci Warr (“Warr Decl.”) (attached hereto as Exhibit 1); see also Opt-
`
`Out Notices Deemed Invalid by Administrator (ECF 3757-8), Ex. F1.)2
`
`None of the opt-out notices alleging partial assignments from other Class Members
`
`provided any documentation regarding the alleged assignments or information about the volume
`
`of purchases that were allegedly assigned. (See DPP April 15, 2020 Notice (ECF No. 3567) at 3
`
`(“For each of these assignment of claims, the information provided is insufficient to determine
`
`whether a valid assignment of claims has occurred and, if so, the dollar value of the purchases
`
`being assigned.”).) Consequently, the Settlement Administrator contacted the parties seeking
`
`exclusion for partial assignments to inform them that to facilitate the validation of these partial
`
`assignment opt-outs, they would need to complete a Notification of Irrevocable Assignment
`
`confirming both the assignment and the value of the purchases assigned, as well as provide the
`
`Settlement Administrator with sufficient information to validate the value of the partial
`
`assignments of claims (the “stipulation process”). (See ECF No. 3757-9, Ex. G (template email
`
`and Notification of Irrevocable Assignment form).) The Notification of Irrevocable Assignment
`
`was designed to provide assurance that the alleged assignee and alleged assignor agreed that a
`
`partial assignment had occurred and the volume of commerce associated with the partial
`
`
`2 Some of these notices also requested exclusion of claims based on direct purchases by the opt-
`out entity. The exclusion of claims based on direct purchases is not at issue.
`
`In some instances, both the alleged assignee and the alleged assignor submitted an opt-out
`
`notice for the partially assigned claims. In other instances, only the alleged assignee submitted an
`opt-out notice. In these later instances, absent verification from the alleged assignor of the partial
`assignment, it is not clear whether there is agreement that any claims have been assigned, much
`less any agreement on the volume of claims.
`
`5
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 6 of 16 PageID #:260668
`
`assignment. (See id.) The Notification expressly stated that by executing the form, the assignee
`
`and assignor represented that:
`
`We understand that we may be required to provide more information, including
`without limitation, transactional-level purchase detail in spreadsheet format (.csv,
`MS Excel, etc.) in order to validate the assignment purchase totals listed above;
`information supporting the validity of this assignment; and information to further
`identify assignee(s), assignor(s), and any subsidiaries or other related entities. We
`agree to provide such information.
`
`(Id. at 4.)3 No party filed any objection to this process with the Court.
`
`According to the Settlement Administrator, many of the partial assignment parties failed
`
`to engage in, much less complete, this stipulation process during the many months that it was
`
`available. (See ECF No. 3757-2, Declaration of Jennifer M. Keough (“Initial Keough Decl.”),
`
`¶ 27.) In some instances, the alleged assignee failed to provide sufficient information for the
`
`Settlement Administrator to even verify any assignment. (See Ex. 1 (Warr Decl.) ¶ 7.) In other
`
`instances, the alleged assignee failed to provide a stipulation regarding the value of assigned
`
`claims—i.e., they failed to return the Notification of Irrevocable Assignment—but provided other
`
`types of information from which the Settlement Administrator could attempt to calculate a value
`
`for the partial assignment. (See Initial Keough Decl. ¶ 27; Ex. 1 (Warr Decl.) ¶ 8.) In certain
`
`instances, the alleged assignee provided a signed Notification of Irrevocable Assignment, but the
`
`values ascribed to the partial assignment were deemed by the Settlement Administrator to be
`
`unreliable. (See id. (Warr Decl.) ¶ 9.)
`
`Settling Defendants understand that, in instances where no stipulated commerce values or
`
`unreliable stipulated commerce volumes were provided, the Settlement Administrator performed
`
`
`3
`In order to prosecute an assigned claim on an individual basis, a partial assignee must (1) prove
`their assignments (including validity and scope) and (2) provide a credible calculation of the
`volume of commerce associated with those assignments (in order to prove damages). The
`Notification of Irrevocable Assignment sought this same information.
`
`6
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 7 of 16 PageID #:260669
`
`an independent calculation of the amount of the Settlement Class Member’s purchases ostensibly
`
`covered by the partial assignment. (See id. (Warr Decl.) ¶ 8.) The independently calculated
`
`volumes of the partially assigned purchases were incorporated into the opt-out rate presented by
`
`DPP Class Counsel. (See ECF No. 3757 (Motion for Final Approval) at 6; ECF No. 3777 (Notice
`
`of Filing of Amended Proposed Order & Opt-out Lists) at 2.) To Settling Defendants’
`
`understanding, the independent calculations of the Settlement Administrator have not been verified
`
`or approved by alleged partial assignors or assignees.
`
`One Settlement Class member partially assigning its claims, Testa Produce, and its
`
`assignee, El Pollo Loco, appear to have reached agreement among themselves and with the
`
`Settlement Administrator regarding the purchases of Broilers by Testa that were re-sold to El Pollo
`
`Loco and thus covered by the partial assignment. As to this partial assignment, there should be no
`
`dispute as to the volume of commerce associated with the partially assigned claims.
`
`Based on the above approach as implemented by the Settlement Administrator, the opt-out
`
`rate from the Peco and George’s Settlements is 50.6%. The Settlement Agreements call for a
`
`reduction of 2% for each percentage point exceeding 50%, resulting in net settlement amounts of
`
`$5,088,200 from Peco and $4,199,000 from George’s. Settling Defendants do not take issue with
`
`the underlying data used to calculate this opt-out percentage. But Settling Defendants do submit
`
`that, pursuant to well-established law, all partially assigned claims from Settlement Class Member
`
`assignors should be deemed invalid (with the exception of the claims Testa partially assigned to
`
`El Pollo Loco), and all claims based on purchases by those assignors should remain part of the
`
`7
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 8 of 16 PageID #:260670
`
`settlement class. If the Court agrees with the Settling Defendants, the opt-out percentage would
`
`be below 50%, and there would be no reduction in the class settlement amount.4
`
`ARGUMENT
`
`A court’s review with respect to evaluating and ultimately approving a class action
`
`settlement extends to enforcing the terms of the settlement and overseeing and evaluating the
`
`notice process and method of claims processing. See Committee Notes to the 2018 Amendment
`
`(“Often it will be important for the court to scrutinize the method of claims processing to ensure
`
`that it facilitates filing legitimate claims.”); see also Snyder v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, No.
`
`14 C 8461, 2019 WL 2103379, at *10 (N.D. Ill. May 14, 2019) (finding that incomplete requests
`
`to opt out from a class action settlement were forfeited in light of the failure to follow the clear
`
`instructions of the class notice). Here, with the exception of the claims Testa partially assigned to
`
`El Pollo Loco, the Court should reject the requests to exclude partially assigned claims.
`
`I.
`
`Holders of Partially Assigned Claims from Class Members Are Not Generally
`Permitted to Opt Those Claims Out of the Class.
`
`As a general matter, assignment of antitrust claims is permitted. See, e.g., In re Steel
`
`Antitrust Litig., No. 08 C 5214, 2015 WL 5304629, at *4 n.3 (N.D. Ill. Sept. 9, 2015) (“[A]ny
`
`assignment of antitrust claims, as a matter of federal common law, must be an express assignment.”
`
`(quoting Gulfstream III Assocs., Inc. v. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., 995 F.2d 425, 440 (3d Cir.
`
`1993))). Unlike other Class Members, however, assignees with only partial assignments do “not
`
`have the right to opt out.” In re Modafinil Antitrust Litig., 837 F.3d 238, 252 (3d Cir. 2016)
`
`
`4 Amick’s settlement reduction provision and termination provision was not triggered, pursuant
`to the calculations under that provision by the Settlement Administrator. It is believed that a
`recalculation under Settling Defendants’ legal theory would not change that result, but the
`calculation has not been performed. Regardless, as explained below, Amick would be prejudiced
`by permitting the partial assignments to be excluded from the class due to the lack of clarity
`regarding what claims are settled and what claims represent potential remaining liability.
`
`8
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 9 of 16 PageID #:260671
`
`(quoting In re Fine Paper Litig. State of Wash., 632 F.2d 1081, 1091 (3d Cir. 1980)). Indeed,
`
`courts in this district have recognized that although “[c]lass members with individual claims for
`
`actual damages may always opt out of the class to pursue their claims separately[,] . . . [a] different
`
`rule applies . . . when a class member partially assigns its claim to a third party.” In re Opana ER
`
`Antitrust Litig., No. 14 C 10150, 2016 WL 738596, at *6-7 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 25, 2016) (agreeing with
`
`“the reasoning and the rule announced by the Third Circuit in Fine Paper”) (citation omitted). In
`
`that instance, “‘the rights of the obligor to be free of successive and repeated suits growing out of
`
`the same basic facts’ must be protected.” Id. at *7 (quoting In re Fine Paper, 632 F.2d at 1091).
`
`If the partial assignees were permitted to remove their partially assigned claims from the class “the
`
`settling defendants may well be uncertain as to their potential liability to” the partial assignees. In
`
`re Fine Paper, 632 F.2d at 1091. Preventing partial assignees from removing their partially
`
`assigned claims from the class prevents confusion about what claims have been released under the
`
`class action settlement and avoids the potential for double recoveries. See In re Opana ER, 2016
`
`WL 738596, at *7. The risk of potential uncertainty is particularly apparent in a case like this one,
`
`where the Peco and George’s Settlements include provisions that reduce the settlement amount
`
`depending upon the proportion of purchases associated with opt-outs. Thus, if the assignor does
`
`not otherwise opt out of the class, then all of the claims based on the assignor’s purchases
`
`(including those that are the subject of a partial assignment) should be released pursuant to the
`
`settlement. See id.
`
`Courts have recognized only one narrow exception permitted from this general rule—the
`
`circumstance when the assignor and assignee stipulate to the volume of commerce covered by the
`
`assignment. See In re OSB Antitrust Litig., No. 06-826, 2009 WL 129737, at *2, *4 (E.D. Pa. Jan.
`
`14, 2009) (parties conceded that partial assignee could opt out of a class following stipulation that
`
`9
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 10 of 16 PageID #:260672
`
`partially assigned purchases totaled $4,454,127). That is because, where “the Parties stipulated to
`
`the value of the assigned claims, there is no possibility of confusion or multiple recoveries.” Id.
`
`at *4.
`
`II.
`
`The Narrow Exception to the General Rule Prohibiting Holders of Partially
`Assigned Claims from Opting Out Does Not Apply Because There is No
`Meeting of the Minds, With One Exception.
`
`Here, DPP Class Counsel and the Settlement Administrator followed a notice process
`
`designed to allow partial assignments consistent with this exception to the general rule: A
`
`Settlement Class Member could exclude certain assigned claims, provided that the class member
`
`submitted a notification of assignment executed by both the assignor and assignee and the claim
`
`administrator was able to validate the volume of the purportedly assigned claims intended to be
`
`excluded. One assignee (El Pollo Loco) with partial assignments from a Settlement Class Member
`
`appears to have satisfied these requirements.
`
`But as detailed above, the majority of alleged partial assignees did not provide a stipulation
`
`regarding the volume of partially assigned claims, despite being provided with notice and
`
`opportunity to do so. The partial assignment volumes calculated by the Settlement Administrator
`
`for these partial assignees reflect amounts to which the assignor class member and assignee opt-
`
`out have not stipulated. There is thus no meeting of the minds between the parties that are affected
`
`by the partial assignment—the assignee, the assignor, and the Settlement Class—for these claims.
`
`For the few assignees that did provide stipulated volumes of commerce, the Settlement
`
`Administrator deemed the stipulated amounts unreliable in light of the other data available and,
`
`therefore, performed an independent calculation of the partial-assignment volumes. Consequently,
`
`there is no meeting of the minds among all the relevant parties regarding these partial assignment
`
`amounts either. This approach does not provide the required clarity for all parties and could greatly
`
`prejudice the Settling Defendants. For example, if Hooters of America—which claims to have
`
`10
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 11 of 16 PageID #:260673
`
`assignments from Class Members Ben E. Keith and Naturally Fresh—believes that the amount of
`
`commerce that was assigned is vastly larger than the amount calculated by the Settlement
`
`Administrator and adopted by the DPPs, then Peco and George’s will face an opt-out plaintiff
`
`asserting claims related to a volume of commerce much larger than the amount used to calculate
`
`the reduction for opt-outs. Yet Peco and George’s would not have received a reduction for that
`
`full volume of opt-out commerce, as they are entitled to receive under their Settlements. This
`
`concern is not merely theoretical: Settling Defendants understand that the calculations performed
`
`by the Settlement Administrator were, at least at times, performed on the basis of incomplete
`
`information (which may have been the best information available to the Administrator). (See, e.g.,
`
`Ex. B to Notice of Filing of Amended Proposed Order re Motion for Final Approval of Settlement
`
`(ECF No. 3777) at Request ID 15, 41, 47, 53, 63.) In addition, the mere fact that the Settlement
`
`Administrator did an independent calculation for stipulations deemed unreliable indicates a lack
`
`of agreement on the volumes of commerce associated with a partial assignment.
`
`Only El Pollo Loco’s partial assignment from Testa Produce apparently satisfies the
`
`requirement of a meeting of the minds. (See Ex. 1 (Warr Decl.) ¶ 11.) Assuming all necessary
`
`parties document the apparent agreement, Settling Defendants do not challenge this partial
`
`assignment.
`
`III. But for One Exception, the Court Should Reject the Partial Assignment Opt-
`Outs.
`
`The case law is clear that, unlike holders of claims based on direct purchases or fully
`
`assigned claims, holders of partially assigned claims cannot opt out of a class, unless the narrow
`
`exception identified above is fully satisfied. This rule ensures clarity about the most fundamental
`
`aspects of litigation, including what claims belong to whom, what claims remain at issue, and what
`
`claims are released through a settlement. Clarity on such issues is particularly important for large,
`
`11
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 12 of 16 PageID #:260674
`
`complex litigation such as this one—involving hundreds of parties and multiple parallel putative
`
`classes. Clarity is also required to protect the Settling Defendants from potential double recovery
`
`and to effectuate the terms of the settlement for which they bargained.
`
`Consequently, the Court should hold that, with the exception of the claim partially assigned
`
`by Testa to El Pollo Loco, all partially assigned claims from a Class Member assignor to an opt-
`
`out assignee are invalid and those claims remain in the Settlement Class. These invalid partially
`
`assigned claims include all partially assigned claims from Alleged Class Member Assignors listed
`
`in Exhibit B to the Notice of Filing of Amended Proposed Order re: Motion for Final Approval of
`
`Settlement (ECF No. 3777), except those assignments from McLane and C&S Wholesale (the two
`
`alleged assignors that opted out of the Settlement Class entirely).
`
`In the event the Court does not agree with the Settling Defendants’ position, Settling
`
`Defendants respectfully submit that the final order should reflect the specific dollar value of
`
`commerce excluded through a partial assignment of a claim, as calculated by the Settlement
`
`Administrator, to prevent the morass of issues that will inevitably arise if there is not clarity on
`
`what claims have been released in the settlement and what claims have been excluded. See In re
`
`OSB Antitrust Litig., 2009 WL 129737, at *4 (permitting partial assignment opt-out only after
`
`approved stipulation from assignor and assignee as to assigned volume of commerce).5 Without
`
`an order specifying the volume of commerce associated with partially assigned claims, the parties
`
`will be left with no clarity as to what is in and out of the settlement, and Settling Defendants will
`
`
`5 The Settling Defendants have submitted proposed orders for each of these scenarios that track
`the orders submitted by DPP Class Counsel (ECF Nos. 3777-1 and -2) as closely as possible. The
`proposed orders adopting Settling Defendants’ legal analysis are attached hereto as Exhibits 2 (for
`Peco and George’s) and 3 (for Amick). The proposed orders incoporating the Settlement
`Administrator’s proposed calculations are attached thereto as Exhibits 4 (for Peco and George’s)
`and 5 (for Amick).
`
`12
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 13 of 16 PageID #:260675
`
`face inappropriate risk of double recovery and will not obtain the benefit of their bargain under the
`
`Settlement Agreements.
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`Settling Defendants respectfully request that the Final Approval Order state that, with the
`
`exception of the claim assigned to El Pollo Loco from Testa Produce, requests to exclude partially
`
`assigned claims from Settlement Class Members are rejected and that the opt-out rate and
`
`settlement reduction be calculated accordingly.
`
`Alternatively, if the Court were inclined to permit the exclusion of partially assigned
`
`claims, Settling Defendants respectfully submit that the Final Approval Order should reflect the
`
`precise dollar value of the commerce being excluded from the settlements through these partial
`
`assignments.
`
`
`
`
`
`13
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 14 of 16 PageID #:260676
`
`Dated: August 31, 2020
`
`
`
`
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`By: /s/ William L. Greene
`STINSON LLP
`
`William L. Greene (admitted pro hac vice)
`Peter J. Schwingler (admitted pro hac vice)
`Kevin P. Kitchen (admitted pro hac vice)
`50 South Sixth Street, Ste 2600
`Minneapolis, MN 55402
`Telephone: (612) 335-1500
`william.greene@stinson.com
`peter.schwingler@stinson.com
`kevin.kitchen@stinson.com
`
`J. Nicci Warr
`7700 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 1100
`St. Louis, MO 63105
`Telephone: (314) 259-4570
`nicci.warr@stinson.com
`
`THE LAW GROUP OF NORTHWEST
`ARKANSAS LLP
`
`Gary V. Weeks (admitted pro hac vice)
`K.C. Dupps Tucker (admitted pro hac vice)
`Kristy E. Boehler (admitted pro hac vice)
`1830 Shelby Lane
`Fayetteville, AR 72704
`Telephone: (479) 316-3760
`gary.weeks@lawgroupnwa.com
`kc.tucker@lawgroupnwa.com
`kristy.boehler@lawgroupnwa.com
`
`Attorneys for Defendants George’s, Inc.
`and George’s Farms, Inc.
`
`
`
`
`
`By: /s/ Boris Bershteyn
`SKADDEN, ARPS, SLATE,
` MEAGHER & FLOM LLP
`
`Patrick Fitzgerald (#6307561)
`Gail Lee
`Peter Cheun
`155 N. Wacker Drive
`Chicago, IL 60606
`Telephone: (312) 407-0700
`Facsimile: (312) 407-0411
`patrick.fitzgerald@skadden.com
`gail.lee@skadden.com
`peter.cheun@skadden.com
`
`Boris Bershteyn (admitted pro hac vice)
`Lara Flath (#6289481)
`One Manhattan West
`New York, NY 10001
`Telephone: (212) 735-3000
`Facsimile: (212) 735-2000
`boris.bershteyn@skadden.com
`lara.flath@skadden.com
`
`Attorneys for Defendant Peco Foods, Inc.
`
`
`
`
`
`DYKEMA GOSSET PLLC
`
`By: /s/ Howard B. Iwrey
`Howard B. Iwrey
`39577 Woodward Ave, Ste. 300
`Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
`Telephone: 248-203-0526
`Facsimile: 248-203-0763
`hiwrey@dykema.com
`
`
`14
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 15 of 16 PageID #:260677
`
`Steven H. Gistenson
`10 South Wacker Drive, Ste. 2300
`Chicago, IL 60606
`Telephone: 312-627-2267
`Facsimile: 312-876-1155
`sgistenson@dykema.com
`
`Cody D. Rockey
`2723 South State Street, Ste. 400
`Ann Arbor, MI 48104
`Telephone: 734-214-7655
`Facsimile: 734-214-7696
`crockey@dykema.com
`
`Dante A. Stella
`400 Renaissance Center
`Detroit, MI 48243
`Telephone: 313-568-6693
`Facsimile: 313-568-6893
`dstella@dykema.com
`
`Attorneys for Defendant Amick Farms, LLC
`
`
`
`
`
`15
`
`

`

`Case: 1:16-cv-08637 Document #: 3795 Filed: 08/31/20 Page 16 of 16 PageID #:260678
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`I hereby certify that on this 31st day of August, 2020, a true and correct copy of the
`
`foregoing document was electronically filed with the Clerk of Court using the CM/ECF system,
`
`which will send notification to all counsel of record.
`
`
`
`
`
`/s/ Boris Bershteyn
`
`
`
`

This document is available on Docket Alarm but you must sign up to view it.


Or .

Accessing this document will incur an additional charge of $.

After purchase, you can access this document again without charge.

Accept $ Charge
throbber

Still Working On It

This document is taking longer than usual to download. This can happen if we need to contact the court directly to obtain the document and their servers are running slowly.

Give it another minute or two to complete, and then try the refresh button.

throbber

A few More Minutes ... Still Working

It can take up to 5 minutes for us to download a document if the court servers are running slowly.

Thank you for your continued patience.

This document could not be displayed.

We could not find this document within its docket. Please go back to the docket page and check the link. If that does not work, go back to the docket and refresh it to pull the newest information.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

You need a Paid Account to view this document. Click here to change your account type.

Your account does not support viewing this document.

Set your membership status to view this document.

With a Docket Alarm membership, you'll get a whole lot more, including:

  • Up-to-date information for this case.
  • Email alerts whenever there is an update.
  • Full text search for other cases.
  • Get email alerts whenever a new case matches your search.

Become a Member

One Moment Please

The filing “” is large (MB) and is being downloaded.

Please refresh this page in a few minutes to see if the filing has been downloaded. The filing will also be emailed to you when the download completes.

Your document is on its way!

If you do not receive the document in five minutes, contact support at support@docketalarm.com.

Sealed Document

We are unable to display this document, it may be under a court ordered seal.

If you have proper credentials to access the file, you may proceed directly to the court's system using your government issued username and password.


Access Government Site

We are redirecting you
to a mobile optimized page.





Document Unreadable or Corrupt

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket

We are unable to display this document.

Refresh this Document
Go to the Docket