Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_02-cv-01580/USCOURTS-cand-3_02-cv-01580-20/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 16:1538 Endangered Species Act

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C-02-1580-JSW Joint Stip. Settling Attorneys’ Fees

KEVIN V. RYAN, United States Attorney (CA Bar # 118321)

JAMES CODA, Assistant United States Attorney (WI Bar # 1012669)

450 Golden Gate Avenue, P.O. Box 36055

San Francisco, CA 94102

MATTHEW J. MCKEOWN, Acting Assistant Attorney General

United States Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Chief

SETH M. BARSKY, Assistant Chief

JAMES A. MAYSONETT, Trial Attorney (D.C. Bar # 463856)

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

Benjamin Franklin Station, P.O. Box 4390

Washington, D.C. 20044-4390

Telephone: (202) 514-5484

Facsimile: (202) 514-4231

Attorneys for Federal Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL

DIVERSITY, a non-profit corporation,

Plaintiff,

v.

STEPHEN L. JOHNSON, Administrator,

Environmental Protection Agency, and

WAYNE NASTRI, Region 9

Administrator, Environmental Protection

Agency,

Defendants,

and,

CROPLIFE AMERICA, AMERICAN

FOREST & PAPER ASSOCIATION,

WESTERN PLANT HEALTH

ASSOCIATION, OREGONIANS FOR

FOOD AND SHELTER, and SYNGENTA

CROP PROTECTION, INC.,

Defendant-Intervenors.

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Case No: C-02-1580-JSW

Joint Stipulation Settling Plaintiffs’

Claims for Attorneys’ Fees and Costs

and [Proposed] Order

Plaintiff Center for Biological Diversity (“Plaintiff”) and Defendants Stephen L.

Johnson, Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), and

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C-02-1580-JSW Joint Stip. Settling Attorneys’ Fees 2

Wayne Nastri, Administrator, Region 9, EPA (collectively, the “Federal Defendants”), by and

through their undersigned counsel, say as follows:

WHEREAS, Plaintiff filed a complaint initiating the present action in 2002;

WHEREAS, the Court granted summary judgment to Plaintiff on its claims brought

under Section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) on September 19, 2005 (Docket

No. 198);

WHEREAS, Plaintiff moved for interim injunctive relief on January 20, 2006 (Docket

No. 216);

WHEREAS, the parties resolved that motion by negotiating the terms of a stipulated

injunction, which the Court then entered as an order on October 20, 2006 (Docket No. 242);

WHEREAS, under ¶ 13 of the parties’ Stipulated Injunction, the Federal Defendants

agreed to reimburse Plaintiff for reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs;

WHEREAS, Plaintiff has now presented the Federal Defendants with a claim for

attorneys’ fees and costs;

WHEREAS, the parties agree that it is in the interest of the parties and judicial

economy to settle this claim for attorneys’ fees and costs without protracted litigation; and,

WHEREAS, the parties enter this Stipulation without any admission of fact or law, or

waiver of any claims or defenses, factual or legal.

NOW, THEREFORE, Plaintiff and the Federal Defendants hereby stipulate and agree

as follows:

1. Federal Defendants agree to settle Plaintiff’s claim for the costs and attorneys’

fees in this matter for a total of $405,000. A check will be made payable in that amount to:

Michael Graf, and sent to Michael Graf, Law Offices, 227 Behrens Street, El Cerrito, CA

94530.

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C-02-1580-JSW Joint Stip. Settling Attorneys’ Fees 3

2. Federal Defendants agree to submit all necessary paperwork to the Department

of the Treasury’s Judgment Fund Office pursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 1540(g)(4) within ten (10)

business days of receipt of the signed court order approving this stipulation.

3. Plaintiff agrees to accept payment of $405,000 in full satisfaction of any and

all claims for attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation in this matter, including any and all

attorneys’ fees and costs incurred compiling, presenting, and negotiating its claim for

attorneys’ fees and costs.

4. Plaintiff agrees that receipt of this payment from the Federal Defendants shall

operate as a release of Plaintiff’s claims for all attorneys’ fees and costs in this matter, and

also any and all attorneys’ fees and costs incurred compiling, presenting, and negotiating its

claim for attorneys’ fees and costs.

5. By this stipulation, the Federal Defendants do not waive any right to contest

any further fees or costs claimed by Plaintiff or Plaintiffs’ counsel, including the hourly rate,

in the present litigation or any future litigation. Further, this stipulation has no precedential

value and shall not be used as evidence in any other attorneys’ fees litigation.

IT IS SO STIPULATED:

Dated: February 16, 2007 Respectfully Submitted,

/s/ Justin Augustine

 

Brent Plater (CA Bar No. 209555)

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA OFFICE

1095 Market Street, Suite 511

San Francisco, CA 94103

Telephone: (415) 436-9682

Facsimile: (415) 436-9683

bplater@biologicaldiversity.org

Brendan Cummings (CA Bar # 193952)

CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

P.O. Box 549

Joshua Tree, CA 92252

Telephone: (760) 366-2232

Facsimile: (760) 366-2669

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C-02-1580-JSW Joint Stip. Settling Attorneys’ Fees 4

bcummings@biologicaldiversity.org

Michael W. Graf (CA Bar # 136172)

Law Offices

227 Behrens Street

El Cerrito, CA 94530

Telephone: (510) 525-7222

Facsimile: (510) 525-1208

mwgraf@aol.com

Attorneys for Plaintiff

KEVIN V. RYAN, United States Attorney

(CA Bar # 118321)

JAMES CODA, Assistant United States Attorney

(WI Bar # 1012669)

450 Golden Gate Avenue, P.O. Box 36055

San Francisco, CA 94102

Telephone: (415) 436-6967

Facsimile: (415) 436-7234

MATTHEW J. MCKEOWN, Acting Ass’t Attorney General

United States Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Chief

SETH M. BARSKY, Assistant Chief

/s/ James A. Maysonett

 

JAMES A. MAYSONETT, Trial Attorney

(D.C. Bar # 463856)

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

JOHN W. SITHER, Trial Attorney

Law and Policy Section

Benjamin Franklin Station, P.O. Box 4390

Washington, D.C. 20044-4390

Telephone: (202) 514-5484

Facsimile: (202) 514-4231

Attorneys for Federal Defendants

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED:

__________ ____________________________________

DATE JEFFREY S. WHITE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 3:02-cv-01580-JSW Document 249 Filed 02/16/2007 Page 4 of 5

February 16, 2007

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