Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_08-cv-02742/USCOURTS-cand-3_08-cv-02742-34/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Personal Injury

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Collie F. James, IV

Partner

+1.949.399.7199

collie.james@morganlewis.com

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

300 South Grand Avenue

Twenty-Second Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90071-3132 +1.213.612.2500

United States +1.213.612.2501

March 18, 2016

VIA CM/ECF

The Honorable Sallie Kim

Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court

Northern District of California

San Francisco Courthouse

Courtroom A, 15th Floor

450 Golden Gate Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94102

Re: Whitlock, et al. v. PepsiAmericas, et al., Case No. C-08-2742-SI:

Request to Appear Telephonically at Settlement Conference

Dear Magistrate Judge Kim:

As set forth in the March 17, 2016 Notice of Settlement Conference and Settlement Conference

Order, the Court set a Settlement Conference in this matter for Friday, April 1, 2016 at 9:30 a.m.

Defendants Pepsi Metropolitan Bottling Company, Inc. f/k/a PepsiAmericas, Inc. (“Pepsi”), Pneumo

Abex Corporation and Whitman Corporation (collectively, “Defendants”) respectfully request leave

for Charles Biener, Senior Litigation Counsel at PepsiCo Inc., to appear at the Settlement

Conference by telephone. Counsel for Plaintiff Danielle Smith have been informed about this

request and have consented to a telephonic appearance by Mr. Biener.

Mr. Biener resides in New York and unfortunately is unable to attend the Settlement Conference in

person due to scheduling conflicts. Because trial is set to begin on May 2, 2016, the trial schedule

cannot accommodate any continuance of the Settlement Conference. To address any concerns the

Court may have about permitting Mr. Biener to attend the conference by telephone, I will be

present in person at the Settlement Conference on Defendants’ behalf, with absolute and unlimited

settlement authority. I have been lead counsel for Defendants in this matter and in related actions

arising from the same underlying facts for over ten years. Pepsi is a party to this litigation only as

a result of a series of unrelated corporate transactions and has never operated the facility at issue.

In my capacity as lead counsel, I have developed a deep understanding of the facts and issues

involved in the litigation, and am well-situated to represent Defendants’ interests based on my

experience and knowledge. I have also led six rounds of mediations, spanning more than four

weeks, over the course of the litigation.

The parties have discussed the proposed arrangement for the Settlement Conference, and Ms.

Smith’s counsel have informed me that they consent to Defendants’ request. The parties believe UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

GRANTED

Judge Sallie Kim 

March 21, 2016

Case 3:08-cv-02742-SI Document 313 Filed 03/21/16 Page 1 of 2
The Honorable Sallie Kim

March 18, 2016

Page 2

that both sides will benefit from the Court’s involvement at this stage in the settlement discussions,

and look forward to appearing before Your Honor on April 1, 2016. I will attend in person on that

date with full settlement authority on Defendants’ behalf.

Sincerely,

/s/ Collie F. James, IV

Collie F. James, IV

CFJ/kcr

cc: Tesfaye Tsadik

William Simpich

Case 3:08-cv-02742-SI Document 313 Filed 03/21/16 Page 2 of 2