Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-00007/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-00007-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 28:2201 Declaratory Judgement

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Stipulation and Order Regarding Settlement of Attorneys’ Fees. Costs and Expenses, C-03-0007-THE

RICHARD MOONEY

Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP

560 Mission Street, #2500

San Francisco, CA 94105

Telephone: (415) 268-2000

Facsimile: (415) 268-1999

Attorney for Plaintiffs

MATTHEW J. MCKEOWN

Acting Assistant Attorney General

Environment and Natural Resources Division

MEREDITH L. FLAX, Trial Attorney (DCBN 468016)

Wildlife & Marine Resources Section

United States Department of Justice

Environment & Natural Resources Division

P. O. Box 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

Telephone No: (202) 305-0404

Facsimile No: (202) 305-0275

meredith.flax@usdoj.gov

SCOTT N. SCHOOLS (SCSBN 9990)

United States Attorney

CHARLES M. O’CONNOR (SBN 56320)

Assistant United States Attorney

Environment & Natural Resources Unit

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Box 36055

San Francisco, California 94102

Telephone No: (415) 436-7180

Facsimile No: (415) 436-6748

Attorneys for Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION ____________________________________________

EARTH ISLAND INSTITUTE, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

DONALD EVANS et al.,

Defendants.

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Case No. C 03-0007 THE

Honorable Thelton E.

Henderson

STIPULATION AND

ORDER REGARDING

SETTLEMENT OF

ATTORNEYS’ FEES, COSTS

AND EXPENSES

Case 3:03-cv-00007-TEH Document 267 Filed 05/01/07 Page 1 of 6
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1/

 Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(d)(1), defendants hereby substitute Carlos Gutierrez, the current

Secretary of Commerce, for Donald Evans, who resigned as Secretary of Commerce during the

pendency of this litigation.

Stipulation and Order Regarding Settlement of Attorneys’ Fees. Costs and Expenses, C-03-0007-THE

Page 2

Plaintiffs, Earth Island Institute, the Humane Society of the United States, the American

Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Defenders of Wildlife, Animal Fund, the Oceanic

Society, International Wildlife Coalition, the Animal Welfare Institute, the Society for Animal

Protective Legislation, and Samuel F. LaBudde, and Defendants, Carlos Gutierrez, the Secretary of

Commerce,1/

 and William Hogarth, Assistant Administrator for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries

Service, hereby stipulate and agree as follows:

WHEREAS, on December 31, 2002, Plaintiffs filed a complaint challenging Defendant’s Final

Finding under the International Dolphin Conservation Program Act (IDCPA), 16 U.S.C. section

1385(g), that “intentional deployment on or encirclement of dolphins with purse seine nets is not

having a significant adverse effect on any depleted dolphin stock in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Ocean” as invalid under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. section 706(2);

WHEREAS, by order entered August 9, 2004 and judgment entered August 10, 2004, the

Court granted Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment and denied Defendants’ Motion for

Summary Judgment in the above-captioned case;

WHEREAS, Defendants filed a notice of appeal on October 6, 2004 and have since pursued

that appeal in the Ninth Circuit;

WHEREAS, on October 13, 2004, Plaintiffs submitted an Application for Attorneys’ Fees,

Costs and Expenses Under the Equal Access to Justice Act in the above-captioned case; 

WHEREAS, on November 9, 2004, the Defendants moved the Court to stay proceedings on

Plaintiffs’ application for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses pending the outcome of any appeal by

Defendants;

WHEREAS, on December 16, 2004, the Court entered Defendants’ request for a stay, noting

the parties’ intention to seek to settle the application for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses pending

the outcome of any appeal; 

Case 3:03-cv-00007-TEH Document 267 Filed 05/01/07 Page 2 of 6
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Stipulation and Order Regarding Settlement of Attorneys’ Fees. Costs and Expenses, C-03-0007-THE

Page 3

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

settle the Plaintiffs’ application for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses without protracted litigation

on a conditional basis; and

WHEREAS, the parties enter this Stipulation Regarding Settlement of Attorneys’ Fees, Costs

and Expenses (“Stipulation”) without any admission of fact or law, or waiver of any claims or

defenses, factual or legal.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS STIPULATED BY AND BETWEEN THE PARTIES AS

FOLLOWS:

1. Defendants agree to settle all Plaintiffs’ claims for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses in

the District Court litigation in the above-captioned case for a total of $1,000,000.00 but only upon a

ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the appeal of the Court’s order that is adverse to

Defendants. By “a ruling [. . .] that is adverse to Defendants,” the parties mean a decision by the

Ninth Circuit that upholds the Court’s determination that the Final Finding was arbitrary, capricious,

an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law. Defendants will not be liable for

payments of any attorneys’ fees, costs or expenses under this Stipulation if the Ninth Circuit reverses

or vacates the Court’s determination as to the validity of the Final Finding under the APA. 

2. Any payment would be made in two equal installments of $500,000.00.

3. Payment of the first installment would be due 30 days from the issuance of a mandate by

the Ninth Circuit on a ruling that is adverse to Defendants pursuant to Fed R. App. P. 41.

4. Payment of the second installment would be due by November 30th of the next official

United States Government Fiscal Year (i.e. October 1-September 30) ) (“Fiscal Year”) following the

Fiscal Year when payment for the first installment is due.

5. All payments would be made by electronic funds transfer to Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP,

560 Mission Street, #2500, San Francisco, California 94105.

6. Plaintiffs agree to provide all information necessary for Defendants to process any

disbursements (including the payee’s tax identification number and a complete and accurate NOAA

Case 3:03-cv-00007-TEH Document 267 Filed 05/01/07 Page 3 of 6
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Stipulation and Order Regarding Settlement of Attorneys’ Fees. Costs and Expenses, C-03-0007-THE

Page 4

Vendor Profile Form for electronic funds transfers), no later than 10 days after issuance of a mandate

by the Ninth Circuit on a ruling that is adverse to Defendants pursuant to Fed. R. App. P. 41.

7. Defendants agree to submit all necessary paperwork to ensure payment is made in the time

periods set forth above. 

8. If the events referred to in paragraph 3 occur on or after September 1 but before September

30 of any year, Defendants will make best efforts to make the first installment payment in less than

30 days from the issuance of a mandate described in paragraph 3 so that the first installment would

be paid prior to the end of that Fiscal Year. However, Defendants’ failure to pay the first installment

in less than 30 days shall not constitute a violation of this Stipulation nor entitle Plaintiffs to any

additional relief under this Stipulation or otherwise.

9. Plaintiffs agree to accept payment of $1,000,000.00 in full satisfaction of any and all claims

for attorneys' fees, costs and expenses to which Plaintiffs may be entitled from Defendants for work

performed in the above-captioned litigation in the District Court through and including the date of this

Stipulation, and any work associated with third-parties' attempted intervention in the above-captioned

litigation in District Court or the Ninth Circuit. By so agreeing, Defendants in no way acknowledge

they would be liable for attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses associated with third-parties’ attempted

intervention in the above-captioned case either in District Court or the Ninth Circuit. 

10. Defendants’ payment does not cover nor relate in any way to attorneys’ fees, costs and

expenses that Plaintiffs may incur regarding any appeal by Defendants of the Court’s order or any

other subsequent litigation in this matter. The parties agree that this Stipulation is without prejudice

to Plaintiffs’ rights to seek any attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses related to any appeal by Defendants

of the Court’s order, or any other subsequent litigation in this matter. Defendants reserve all

arguments and defenses with respect to any such future application for attorneys’ fees, costs and

expenses incurred by Plaintiffs in any appeal.

11. By this Stipulation, Defendants do not waive any right to contest attorneys’ fees claimed

by Plaintiffs or Plaintiffs’ counsel, including the hourly rate, in any future litigation. Further, this

Stipulation has no precedential value and shall not be used as evidence in any other attorneys’ fees

Case 3:03-cv-00007-TEH Document 267 Filed 05/01/07 Page 4 of 6
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Stipulation and Order Regarding Settlement of Attorneys’ Fees. Costs and Expenses, C-03-0007-THE

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litigation.

12. In view of this stipulation, Plaintiffs and Defendants hereby stipulate to the dismissal with

prejudice of Plaintiffs’ Application for Attorneys’ Fees, Costs and Expenses Under the Equal Access

to Justice Act in the above-captioned case. 

Counsel for Defendants files this stipulation and attests, in accordance with General Order 45,

X.B., that concurrence in the filing of this document has been obtained from counsel for Plaintiffs,

Richard Mooney, and that this concurrence shall serve in lieu of his signature.

Dated: April 27, 2007 Respectfully submitted, 

 /s/ Richard Mooney per his authorization 

RICHARD MOONEY

Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP

560 Mission St., #2500

San Francisco, CA 94105

Telephone: (415) 268-2000

Facsimile: (415) 268-1999

Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

MATTHEW J. MCKEOWN

Acting Assistant Attorney General

Environment and Natural Resources Division

 /s/ Meredith L. Flax MEREDITH L. FLAX

Trial Attorney (DCBN 468016)

Wildlife & Marine Resources Section

United States Department of Justice

Environment & Natural Resources Division

P. O. Box 7369

Washington, D.C. 20044-7369

Telephone No: (202) 305-0404

Facsimile No: (202) 305-0275

SCOTT N. SCHOOLS (SCSBN 9990)

United States Attorney

CHARLES M. O’CONNOR (SBN 56320)

Assistant United States Attorney

Environment & Natural Resources Unit

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Box 36055

San Francisco, California 94102

Telephone No: (415) 436-7180

Facsimile No: (415) 436-6748

Attorneys for Defendants

Case 3:03-cv-00007-TEH Document 267 Filed 05/01/07 Page 5 of 6
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Stipulation and Order Regarding Settlement of Attorneys’ Fees. Costs and Expenses, C-03-0007-THE

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In view of the above stipulation, Plaintiffs’ Application for Attorneys’ Fees, Costs and

Expenses Under the Equal Access to Justice Act in the above-captioned case is hereby dismissed.

 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

____________________ ________________________________

Date THELTON E. HENDERSON

United States District Judge 

05/01/07

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

Judge Thelton E. Henderson

Case 3:03-cv-00007-TEH Document 267 Filed 05/01/07 Page 6 of 6