Case 2:21-cv-02435-JTF-atc Document 1 Filed 06/28/21 Page 1 of 5 PageID 1
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`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE
`WESTERN DIVISION
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`TROY HOPKINS d/b/a
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`TROY HOPKINS FARMS
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`and
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`GLENN HOPKINS d/b/a
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`HOPKINS & HOPKINS FARMS
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`Plaintiffs,
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`v.
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`NUTRIEN AG SOLUTIONS, INC.,
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`JOHN DOE CORP., 1 – 10,
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`and
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`JOHN DOE, 1 – 10,
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`Defendants.
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`NOTICE OF REMOVAL
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`Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), Defendant Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc. (“Nutrien”) hereby
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`petitions the Court for removal of the action described below from the State Circuit Court for the
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`Twenty-Fifth Judicial District of Tennessee to the United States District Court for the Western
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`District of Tennessee, Western Division, and, in support thereof, state as follows:
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`STATEMENT OF GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL
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`1.
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`On July 31, 2019, Plaintiffs Troy Hopkins d/b/a Troy Hopkins Farms and Glenn
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`Hopkins d/b/a Hopkins & Hopkins Farms (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) commenced this action by
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`filing a Complaint for Damages (“Complaint”) against Nutrien and a number of “John Doe”
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`defendants in the State Circuit Court for the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District of Tennessee (the “State
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`603806488.1
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`Case 2:21-cv-02435-JTF-atc Document 1 Filed 06/28/21 Page 2 of 5 PageID 2
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`Court Action”), Case No. 7680. A true and correct copy of the Complaint and all process,
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`pleadings, motions, and orders received by Nutrien or otherwise listed on the docket of the State
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`Court Action are attached hereto as Exhibit A.
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`2.
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`Based on the Complaint, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a), Nutrien hereby removes
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`the State Court Action to this Court on the basis of diversity jurisdiction. The parties in this action
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`are citizens of different states.
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`3.
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`Plaintiffs are individuals and citizens of the State of Tennessee. (Exh. A, p. 2, ¶¶ 1-
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`2 (listing both Plaintiffs as “an adult resident of Tipton County,” Tennessee.) While Plaintiffs
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`listed “d/b/a” names of “Troy Hopkins Farms” and “Hopkins and Hopkins” in the Complaint, there
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`is no indications from the allegations of the Complaint that these are separate business entities.
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`4.
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`Nutrien is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, with its
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`principal place of business in the State of Colorado. (Exh. A, p. 2, ¶ 3.)
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`5.
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`The Complaint also purports to name as defendants “John Doe Corp., 1-10” as
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`business entities and “John Doe, 1-10” as individuals. (Exh. A. pp. 1 & 2-3, ¶¶ 6-7.)
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`6.
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`The amount in controversy as pled on the face of the Complaint satisfies the
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`requirements of 28 U.S.C. § 1332(a) for subject matter jurisdiction based on diversity of the parties
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`as Plaintiffs are unambiguously seeking to recover present total money damages from Nutrien
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`greater than $75,000. (See Exh. A, p. 7, ¶ 3 (seeking “compensatory damages in an amount no less
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`than ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.000)”) (capitalization in original).)
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`7.
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`This removal is timely under 28 U.S.C. § 1446(b) because, notwithstanding that the
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`Complaint was filed in July 2019, Plaintiffs first served copies of the Summons and Complaint on
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`Nutrien through service upon its registered agent in the State of Tennessee on June 16, 2021 and
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`this Notice of Removal is filed with thirty days thereafter. See Exhibit A.
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`603806488.1
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`Case 2:21-cv-02435-JTF-atc Document 1 Filed 06/28/21 Page 3 of 5 PageID 3
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`8.
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`Venue is proper in this District under 28 U.S.C. § 1441(a) because it is the federal
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`district court that embraces the place where the original State Court Action was filed and is
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`pending.
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`9.
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`While the Complaint purports to name multiple defendants besides Nutrien, the
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`additional defendants are identified only as “John Doe” or “John Doe Corporation.” (See Exh. A,
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`pp. 2-3, ¶¶ 6-7.) The citizenship of a “John Doe” defendant is disregarded for purposes of
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`determining whether a civil action is removable on the basis of diversity jurisdiction under Section
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`1332(a). See 28 U.S.C. § 1441(b)(1); see also Riddle v. Lowe's Home Centers, Inc., 802 F. Supp.
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`2d 900, 904 (M.D. Tenn. 2011) (“The citizenship of John Doe, a fictitious defendant, cannot be
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`considered for the purpose of determining whether to remand a case founded upon diversity
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`jurisdiction.”).
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`10.
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`Concurrently with this Notice of Removal, Nutrien will file a copy of this Notice
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`with the State Circuit Court for the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District of Tennessee. In accordance
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`with 28 U.S.C. § 1446(d), Nutrien will give written notice to Plaintiffs by contemporaneously
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`serving this Notice of Removal on Plaintiffs.
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`11.
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`For the foregoing reasons, Nutrien respectfully removes this civil action to the
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`Western Division of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.
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`WHEREFORE, Defendant Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc. respectfully requests that the action
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`now pending in the State Circuit Court for the Twenty-Fifth Judicial District of Tennessee be
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`removed to the Western Division of the United States District Court for the Western District of
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`Tennessee.
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`603806488.1
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`Case 2:21-cv-02435-JTF-atc Document 1 Filed 06/28/21 Page 4 of 5 PageID 4
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`LEWIS THOMASON, P.C.
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`By:s/ Robert F. Chapski
`Robert F. Chapski, BPR No. 022043
`424 Church Street, Suite 2500
`Post Office Box 198615
`Nashville, Tennessee 37219
`(615) 259-1366 (telephone)
`(615) 259-1389 (facsimile)
`rchapski@lewisthomason.com
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`Patrick S. Quinn, BPR No. 35293
`40 S. Main Street, Suite 2900
`Memphis, TN 38103
`(901) 525-8721 (telephone)
`(901) 525-6722 (facsimile)
`pquinn@lewisthomason.com
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`and
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`BRYAN CAVE LEIGHTON PAISNER LLP
`Paul J. Lopach, Colo. Atty. Reg. No. 34441
`1700 North Lincoln Street, Suite 4100
`Denver, Colorado 80203
`(303) 861-7000 (telephone)
`(303) 866-0200 (facsimile)
`paul.lopach@bclplaw.com
`Pro Hac Vice Application to be Filed
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`Attorneys for Defendant Nutrien Ag Solutions, Inc.
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`Dated: June 28, 2021
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`603806488.1
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`Case 2:21-cv-02435-JTF-atc Document 1 Filed 06/28/21 Page 5 of 5 PageID 5
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`The undersigned hereby certifies that a true and exact copy of the foregoing Notice of
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`Removal has been served upon the counsel for the parties in interest herein by placing same in a
`postage prepaid envelope in first class mail to:
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`David A. Stowers
`Bryan R. Huffman
`Huffman & Mason, PLLC
`131 West Liberty Avenue
`P.O. Box 944
`Covington, TN 38019
`(901) 726-3854 (telephone)
`(901) 726-3539 (facsimile)
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`Dated the 28th day of June, 2021.
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`s/ Robert F. Chapski
`Robert F. Chapski
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`603806488.1
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