Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-05364/USCOURTS-cand-5_14-cv-05364-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Breach of Contract

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UNITED STATES JUDICIAL PANEL

on 

MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION

IN RE: STERICYCLE, INC., STERI-SAFE

CONTRACT LITIGATION MDL No. 2455

TRANSFER ORDER

Before the Panel: Plaintiffs in the Northern District of California action (Bay Area Surgical)

listed on the attached Schedule A move under Panel Rule 7.1 to vacate our order conditionally

transferring their action to the Northern District of Illinois for inclusion in MDL No. 2455. 

Responding Stericycle defendants (Stericycle) oppose the motion. 1

In support of their motion to vacate, the Bay Area Surgical plaintiffs argue that their action

is not a class action, that their remand motion is pending, and that they assert claims under California

law. These arguments are not convincing. First, there are individual actions already in this MDL,

and we routinely include individual and class actions in a single docket. E.g., In re: Satyam

Computer Servs., Ltd., Sec. Litig., 712 F. Supp. 2d 1381, 1382 (J.P.M.L. 2010). Second, as the

Panel often has held, the pendency of a remand motion is not an impediment to transfer, as plaintiffs

can present that motion to the transferee judge. See, e.g., In re: Prudential Ins. Co. of Am. Sales 2

Practices Litig., 170 F. Supp. 2d 1346, 1347-48 (J.P.M.L. 2001). Third, California law claims are

asserted in the consolidated amended complaint filed in the MDL. 3

After considering the argument of counsel, we find that the Bay Area Surgical action

involves common questions of fact with actions previously transferred to MDL No. 2455, and that

transfer under 28 U.S.C. § 1407 will serve the convenience of the parties and witnesses and promote

the just and efficient conduct of the litigation. Like the already-centralized actions, this action

involves factual issues arising from Stericycle’s alleged imposition of unauthorized and unjustified

 Stericycle, Inc., Stericycle Specialty Waste Solutions, Inc., Stericycle Communications 1

Solutions, Inc., Stericycle Management, LLC, and Stericycle International, LLC

 Under Panel Rule 2.1(d), the pendency of a conditional transfer order does not limit the 2

pretrial jurisdiction of the court in which the subject action is pending. Between the date a remand

motion is filed and the date that transfer of the action to the MDL is finalized, a court generally has

adequate time to rule on a remand motion if it chooses to do so.

Furthermore, in determining the propriety of Section 1407 transfer, the presence of “differing 3

legal theories is not significant when the actions . . . arise from a common factual core.” See In re:

Blue Cross Blue Shield Antitrust Litig., 908 F. Supp. 2d 1373, 1376 (J.P.M.L. 2012). 

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AL PANEL

GATION

MDL No. 2455

A TRUE COPY-ATTEST

THOMAS G. BRUTON, CLERK

 -

By: s/ YVETTE MONTANEZ

DEPUTY CLERK

U.S. DISTRICT COURT, NORTHERN

DISTRICT OF ILLINOIS

 -

April 3, 2015

Case 5:14-cv-05364-BLF Document 19 Filed 04/03/15 Page 1 of 3
-2-

service charge increases, fees and surcharges on its customers. See In re: Stericyle, Inc., Steri-safe

Contract Litig., 959 F. Supp. 2d 1356, 1356 (J.P.M.L. 2013). 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Bay Area Surgical action is transferred to the

Northern District of Illinois and, with the consent of that court, assigned to the Honorable Milton I.

Shadur for inclusion in the coordinated or consolidated pretrial proceedings.

 PANEL ON MULTIDISTRICT LITIGATION

 Sarah S. Vance

 Chair

Marjorie O. Rendell Charles R. Breyer

Lewis A. Kaplan Ellen Segal Huvelle

R. David Proctor Catherine D. Perry

Case 5:14-cv-05364-BLF Document 19 Filed 04/03/15 Page 2 of 3
IN RE: STERICYCLE, INC., STERI-SAFE 

CONTRACT LITIGATION MDL No. 2455

SCHEDULE A

Northern District of California

BAY AREA SURGICAL MANAGEMENT, LLC., ET AL. v. STERICYCLE, INC., 

ET AL., C.A. No. 5:14-05364 DW

Case 5:14-cv-05364-BLF Document 19 Filed 04/03/15 Page 3 of 3