Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-md-02672/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-md-02672-18/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 370
Nature of Suit: Other Fraud
Cause of Action: 15:2301 Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IN RE: VOLKSWAGEN “CLEAN DIESEL” 

MARKETING, SALES PRACTICES, AND 

PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION

_____________________________________/

This Order Relates To:

ALL ACTIONS

_______________________________________/

MDL No. 2672 CRB (JSC)

PRETRIAL ORDER NO. 5: NOTICE OF 

INTENT TO APPOINT ROBERT S. 

MUELLER, III AS SETTLEMENT 

MASTER

 

As the Court noted at the initial status conference, there is an urgent need to determine if 

all or some of the pending matters can be resolved by the parties sooner rather than later. To that 

end, the Court invited the parties to suggest persons to be appointed by the Court to facilitate 

settlement discussions among the parties. Pretrial Order No. 1 (Dkt. No. 2). The Court has 

carefully reviewed the suggestions, and after given the issue considerable thought, gives notice of 

its intent to appoint Robert S. Mueller, III as settlement master.1 

Mr. Mueller served as the sixth Director of the FBI from September 2001 through 2013. 

He was nominated by President George W. Bush, and his initial ten-year term was extended for an 

additional two years at the request of President Barack Obama and pursuant to congressional

legislation. He is currently a partner at WilmerHale in Washington, D.C. Mr. Mueller’s 

biography is attached to this Order as Exhibit A.

 1 The Court will not appoint Mr. Mueller to perform any adjudicatory functions, or to even advise 

the Court on such matters; accordingly, the Court does not intend to appoint him pursuant to 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53. Attached to this Order as Exhibit B is a letter from Mr. 

Mueller agreeing to serve as settlement master and explaining his law firm’s Volkswagen-related 

engagements. The Court does not believe that any of these engagements make Mr. Mueller’s 

appointment to facilitate settlement discussions inappropriate.

Case 3:15-md-02672-CRB Document 797 Filed 01/11/16 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

The Court has known Mr. Mueller professionally for more than 40 years, beginning with 

his service as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of California, and 

including his tenure as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California from 

1998 through 2001. There are few, if any, people with more integrity, good judgment, and 

relevant experience than Mr. Mueller. Mr. Mueller will not adjudicate, or assist the Court with 

adjudicating, any issues in these consolidated proceedings; rather, his role will be to use his 

considerable experience and judgment to facilitate settlement discussions among the various 

parties in these complex matters. His government and private practice experience makes him 

uniquely qualified to work with and earn the trust of the parties, including the consumer and car 

dealer plaintiffs, the United States government, the Volkswagen defendants, and the interested 

state governments.

The Court shall give the parties an opportunity to respond to the Court’s suggestion of the 

appointment of Mr. Mueller. Any responses shall be filed on or before noon on January 15, 2016

and shall not exceed three pages.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 11, 2016

______________________________________

CHARLES R. BREYER

United States District Judge

Case 3:15-md-02672-CRB Document 797 Filed 01/11/16 Page 2 of 2