Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02233/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-02233-19/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 160
Nature of Suit: Stockholder's Suits
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Stockholders Suits

---

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 

 

 1. 

REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL AND 

SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL 

CASE NO. C 06-2786 (CRB) 

NINA F. LOCKER (123838) 

STEVEN D. GUGGENHEIM (201386) 

MARK T. OAKES (234598) 

BRYAN J. KETROSER (239105) 

WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI 

Professional Corporation 

650 Page Mill Road 

Palo Alto, CA 94304-1050 

Telephone: (650) 493-9300 

Facsimile: (650) 565-5100 

Email: moakes@wsgr.com 

Attorneys for Nominal Defendant 

BROCADE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, INC. 

[Additional Counsel Listed on Signature Page] 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

IN RE BROCADE COMMUNICATIONS 

SYSTEMS, INC. DERIVATIVE 

LITIGATION. 

This Document Relates to: 

ALL ACTIONS 

Case No. C 05-02233 CRB 

REQUEST FOR ORDER PERMITTING 

WITHDRAWAL OF COUNSEL AND 

SUBSTITUTION OF NEW COUNSEL FOR 

DEFENDANT BROCADE 

COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, INC. 

 

 Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 11-5, nominal defendant Brocade Communications 

Systems, Inc. (“Brocade”) hereby requests an order permitting its counsel of record, the law firm 

of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (“WSGR”), to withdraw as counsel for nominal defendant 

in the above-captioned matter, and substituting the law firm of Cooley Godward Kronish L.L.P. 

as counsel of record for Brocade. WSGR remains counsel of record for all the other parties it 

currently represents in this action. 

 At the hearing on April 27, 2007 regarding the proposed settlement of this shareholder 

derivative lawsuit, the Court expressed concern that Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati 

Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 1 of 8
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 

 

 2. 

REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL AND 

SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL

CASE NO. C 06-2786 (CRB) 

(“WSGR”) represented both nominal defendant Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. 

(“Brocade”) as well as certain current and former Brocade directors who were named as 

defendants in the derivative lawsuit. At the time the Court expressed this concern, WSGR had 

not advised the Court and the Court was therefore not aware that Brocade’s board of directors 

had previously appointed a settlement committee of independent directors, advised by 

independent counsel, to review and reevaluate the pending settlement on the Company’s behalf. 

Brocade believes its interests have been, and would continue to be, vigorously protected 

during the settlement process with WSGR acting as counsel of record for the Company in this 

derivative lawsuit. Nevertheless, out of respect for this Court and in order to eliminate any 

future arguments regarding the appearance of a conflict, Brocade is filing this substitution of 

counsel. 

 Brocade also wants to take this opportunity to provide further clarification regarding the 

settlement committee of its board of directors. The settlement committee was formed in late 

2006 and is comprised of three directors, all of whom joined Brocade’s board well after the 

events at issue in the various Brocade-related litigation pending before this Court: Robert 

Walker, who joined the Board in April 2005, and Michael Rose and Glenn Jones, both of whom 

joined the Board in April 2006. The committee’s charter is to review and reevaluate the pending 

settlement in this lawsuit taking into consideration information that became available subsequent 

to the time the parties initially reached agreement to settle this lawsuit. The committee is to then 

make recommendations to the full board as to whether any modification to the settlement is in 

the best interests of the Company and its shareholders.1

 Subsequent to its formation, the settlement committee retained Joseph Grundfest, the 

W.A. Franke Professor of Law and Business at Stanford University, and David McBride, a 

partner in the Delaware law firm of Young Conaway Stargatt and Taylor L.L.P. to act as its 

independent advisors. 

 

1

 Brocade’s current board is comprised of nine members, all of whom joined the board in 2004 

or thereafter and none of whom are named as defendants in the class action securities lawsuit 

currently pending before this Court. 

Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 2 of 8
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 

 

 3. 

REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL AND 

SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL

CASE NO. C 06-2786 (CRB) 

 John C. Dwyer, Esq. of the firm of Cooley Godward Kronish L.L.P. will be substituting 

in as counsel of record in this derivative action and the related derivative action pending in state 

court. Mr. Dwyer will also act as an additional advisor to the settlement committee. 

 To further assist the Court, attached are brief biographies of Professor Grundfest and 

Messrs. Dwyer and McBride. The committee believes that these advisors have the experience 

and expertise necessary to assist the committee in evaluating the pending settlement. In this 

regard, the committee is aware that Mr. McBride’s firm, on several occasions, has appeared and 

is appearing as local counsel in Delaware proceedings in which WSGR also has served as 

counsel to the same clients. The committee is also aware that Stanford University School of 

Law, where Professor Grundfest is a tenured member of the faculty, has received contributions 

from WSGR and certain partners of WSGR in the past, and the amounts of these contributions 

have, in the aggregate, been disclosed to the committee. The committee has determined that 

these relationships are not material to either Mr. McBride or Professor Grundfest, and the 

committee is fully confident it will receive independent advice from them and from its other 

advisors. However, because the objectors have focused upon WSGR’s previous role in this 

litigation, the committee notes these relationships to assure that appropriate disclosure is made to 

the Court to assure that any concerns by any party are promptly addressed. 

 If the Court has any questions regarding the contents of this request, existing and 

substitute counsel are prepared to meet with the Court to address those questions. 

 Brocade consents to, and hereby requests the Court’s approval of, the withdrawal of 

WSGR and the substitution of Cooley Godward Kronish L.L.P. as Brocade’s counsel of record 

in this action. 

DATED: May 25, 2007 WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI 

 Professional Corporation 

 By: /s/ Nina F. Locker 

 Nina F. Locker 

Attorneys for Brocade Communications Systems, 

Inc. 

Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 3 of 8
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 

 

 4. 

REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL AND 

SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL

CASE NO. C 06-2786 (CRB) 

DATED: May 25, 2007 COOLEY GODWARD KRONISH LLP 

By: /s/ John C. Dwyer 

 John C. Dwyer 

JOHN C. DWYER (136533) 

Email: jdwyer@cooley.com 

GRANT P. FONDO (181530) 

Email: gfondo@cooley.com 

JESSICA VALENZUELA SANTAMARIA. 

(220934) 

Email: jsantamaria@cooley.com 

JAMES M. PENNING (229727) 

Email: jpenning@cooley.com 

Five Palo Alto Square 

3000 El Camino Real 

Palo Alto, CA 94306-2155 

Telephone: (650) 843-5000 

Facsimile: (650) 857-0663 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that WSGR is relieved as counsel of record and Cooley 

Godward Kronish L.L.P. is substituted as counsel of record for nominal defendant Brocade 

Communications Systems, Inc. 

DATED: , 2007 _______

 HONORABLE CHARLES R. BREYER 

 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

 May 29 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Charles R. Breyer

Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 4 of 8
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 

 

 5. 

REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL AND 

SUBSTITUTION OF COUNSEL

CASE NO. C 06-2786 (CRB) 

I, Mark T. Oakes, am the ECF User whose identification and password are being used 

to file this Request for Order Permitting Withdrawal of Counsel and Substitution of New 

Counsel for Defendant Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. In compliance with General 

Order 45.X.B, I hereby attest that the signatories have concurred in this filing. 

Dated: May 25, 2007 WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI 

Professional Corporation 

By: /s/ Mark T. Oakes 

Mark T. Oakes 

Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 5 of 8
Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 6 of 8
Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 7 of 8
Case 3:05-cv-02233-CRB Document 155 Filed 05/29/07 Page 8 of 8