Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-md-02672/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-md-02672-98/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

IN RE: VOLKSWAGEN “CLEAN DIESEL” MDL No. 2672 CRB (JSC)

MARKETING, SALES PRACTICES, AND 

PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION PRETRIAL ORDER NO. 21: 

STIPULATION AND ORDER 

RELATING TO AMENDMENT OF 

PRIOR PRETRIAL ORDERS

______________________________________/ IN LIGHT OF THE FEDERAL 

TRADE COMMISSION’S 

COMPLAINT

This Order Relates To:

ALL ACTIONS (except securities actions) Hon. Charles R. Breyer

______________________________________/ 

WHEREAS, on March 29, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) filed a 

complaint against Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., also d/b/a Volkswagen of America, Inc., 

also d/b/a Audi of America, Inc. (“Volkswagen USA”), Case No. 16-1534 (Dkt. No. 1);

WHEREAS, the FTC’s action was consolidated with cases pending in this multi-district 

litigation, In re Volkswagen “Clean Diesel Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability 

Litigation, MDL No. 2672 CRB (JSC) (“MDL”), for pretrial purposes; 

WHEREAS, the Court entered Pretrial Orders (“PTOs”) governing the practices and 

procedures of actions that have been or will be originally filed in, transferred to, or removed to 

the MDL. Unless otherwise specified, these PTOs bind all parties and their counsel in all cases 

currently pending and subsequently transferred to this MDL. See, e.g., Pretrial Order No. 8, ¶ 2 

(Dkt. No. 1087);1

 

WHEREAS, the FTC is an independent agency of the United States government; and 

 

1 For the avoidance of doubt, the parties anticipate further revisions or additional pretrial orders to integrate Bosch 

into the existing pretrial orders.

Case 3:15-md-02672-CRB Document 1553 Filed 05/31/16 Page 1 of 8
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WHEREAS, counsel for the parties below have met and conferred, and have agreed to 

the following amendments, subject to the Court’s approval, to certain of the PTOs to account for 

the FTC’s filing of the complaint on March 29, 2016.

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED THAT:

The changes reflected in the charts below are incorporated by reference into existing 

PTOs. The charts describe the relevant PTO, the pages and lines at issue, what type of change is 

being made (i.e., a revision to existing text or addition of a new section), and a bolded 

description of the change. The parties are directed to provide the Court with amended PTOs that 

incorporate these changes. The changes are as follows:

A. PTO 7: Order Appointing Plaintiff’s Lead Counsel, Plaintiffs’ Steering 

Committee, and Government Coordinating Counsel

Page Lines Type

Of 

Change

Changes

5 8-18 Revision On January 15, 2016, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation 

conditionally transferred from the Eastern District of Michigan to this 

Court United States v. Volkswagen AG, et al., Case No. 16-10006. 

(Dkt. No. 928.) In light of the United States Government interests in 

this MDL, the Court appoints United States Department of Justice 

Attorney Joshua H. Van Eaton as coordinating counsel for the 

interests of the United States Government Plaintiffs (i.e., the United 

States and the Federal Trade Commission). Mr. Van Eaton’s role 

will include scheduling meetings, appearing at Court-noticed 

conferences, coordinating on behalf of the United States 

Government’s interests in settlement discussions (including 

ensuring that the appropriate Government decision makers are 

participating), coordinating discovery on behalf of the United States 

Government Plaintiffs with the PSC and Defendants, and carrying 

out any other duty the Court may order. The Government 

Coordinating Counsel shall confer with the FTC, PSC and 

Defendants to achieve the greatest possible efficiencies and 

effectiveness, including as to the conduct of discovery and settlement 

discussions. Government Coordinating Counsel is established 

solely to effectuate the efficient management of this Multidistrict 

Litigation. Neither the Government Coordinating Counsel nor 

the United States Department of Justice represent the Federal 

Trade Commission in any substantive manner. The Federal 

Case 3:15-md-02672-CRB Document 1553 Filed 05/31/16 Page 2 of 8
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B. PTO 9: Discovery Schedule

C. PTO 12: Stipulated Protective Order

Trade Commission will be represented by Jonathan Cohen or his 

designee.

Page Lines Change Proposed Changes

2 22-24 Revision Defendants shall serve discovery requests and written responses and 

objections on Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel, and Government 

Coordinating Counsel, as identified in Pre-Trial Order No. 7; in 

addition, Defendant Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. shall 

also serve discovery requests and written responses and 

objections on counsel for the FTC. The Porsche Defendants are 

not required to serve counsel for the FTC with written discovery 

requests or written responses and objections.

6 27 Addition Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the FTC may serve no more 

than twenty-five (25) interrogatories, including discrete subparts, on 

Defendant Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. 

7 28 Addition 3. Discovery with respect to the FTC. Notwithstanding anything 

to the contrary herein, the FTC and Defendant Volkswagen 

Group of America, Inc. may serve written discovery requests 

(document requests, interrogatories, and requests for admission) 

upon each other no sooner than April 15, 2016. Written 

responses and objections by these Parties to such document 

requests, interrogatories, and requests for admissions shall be 

due 60 days after service of the request. 

8 9-12 Revision Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, Defendants’ Liaison Counsel 

collectively may serve no more than twenty-five (25) interrogatories, 

including discrete subparts, on the United States, and no more than 

twenty-five (25) interrogatories, including discreet subparts, on 

the FTC.

Page Lines Change Proposed Changes

3-4 3:19-

4:4

Revision Discovery Material that (a) is Foreign Private Data, or (b) meets the 

definition of “Confidential Information” and which the Designating 

Party reasonably believes to be (i) information reflecting product 

design or development, non-public technical research, pricing and 

business strategy documents concerning a particular product or line of 

products (excluding marketing-related materials that do not relate 

to current or anticipated strategy or that otherwise do not qualify 

for protection under 9th Circuit law), financial statements reflecting 

sales data, product margin data, cost and expense data, and/or profit 

and loss data, sales information relating to specific customers or 

classes of customers, non-public scientific research; (ii) as to any 

governmental Parties, information the disclosure of which absent the 

Case 3:15-md-02672-CRB Document 1553 Filed 05/31/16 Page 3 of 8
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D. PTO 13: Coordination Order

E. PTO 14: Regarding Protected Counsel Communications

protections afforded herein to Highly Confidential Information may 

harm the United States or any state or foreign government’s ability to 

investigate and/or enforce applicable laws; or (iii) information the 

disclosure of which absent the protections afforded herein to Highly 

Confidential Information could create a substantial risk of serious 

harm that could not be avoided by less restrictive means. Nothing 

herein precludes any Party from seeking additional protections not 

currently contemplated by this Order to be applied to any particular 

document or category of documents, including Highly Confidential 

Information. 

Page Lines Change Proposed Changes

2 13-

18

Revision To that end, this Order sets forth procedures that will apply in the federal 

MDL Proceeding in order to facilitate, to the maximum extent possible, 

coordination with parallel State Court “Clean Diesel” cases. This order 

applies to all cases that are today or in the future become part of the MDL 

Proceeding, and it binds all parties and their counsel in all such cases, 

including all attorneys appointed by this Court to leadership positions in 

the MDL Proceeding, except for the United States and the FTC. 

6 2 Revision Nothing herein is meant to limit the United States and FTC’s ability to 

take depositions.

Page Lines Change Proposed Changes

2 9-18 Revision Cooperation by and among counsel for the United States and the FTC 

and/or their designees, and the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and/or its 

designees (collectively, “Plaintiffs’ Counsel”), and by and among 

Defendants’ Liaison Counsel and/or his/her designees (“Defendants’ 

Counsel”), is essential for the orderly and expeditious resolution of this 

litigation. The communication of information among and between 

Plaintiffs’ Counsel, including communications among and between 

counsel for the United States and the FTC and/or their designees, and 

Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and/or its designees, and/or among and 

between Defendants’ Counsel, shall not be deemed a waiver of the 

attorney-client privilege or the protections afforded attorney’s work 

product. Nothing contained in this provision shall be construed to limit 

the rights of any party or counsel to assert the attorney-client privilege or 

attorney work product doctrine. Nothing in this paragraph shall be 

deemed to supersede Section 13.7 of PTO 12. 

2 22-24 Revision Nothing herein is intended to authorize disclosure by counsel for the 

United States or the FTC and/or their designees to the Plaintiffs’ 

Steering Committee and/or its designees in contravention of any 

confidentiality agreement between the United States and/or the FTC and 

any defendant.

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F. PTO 15: Relating to Preservation of Documents and Electronically Stored 

Information

G. PTO 16: Stipulation Relating to Non-Waiver of Privileges and Production of 

Privilege Logs

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 31, 2016

________________________________

CHARLES R. BREYER,

United States District Judge

Page Lines Change Proposed Changes

1 13-18 Revision This Order shall govern the preservation of documents and 

electronically stored information (“ESI”) by Volkswagen AG, 

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., Volkswagen Group of America 

Chattanooga Operations, LLC, Audi AG, Audi of America, Inc., 

Porsche AG, and Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (“Defendants”), 

the plaintiffs named in the consolidated class action complaints filed 

in this action on February 22, 2016 (ECF Nos. 1230, 1231, 1232 (the 

“Consolidated Complaints”)), the United States of America, and the

Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) (collectively, the “Parties”).

4 21 Addition [add] cc. Any claims or defenses associated with the FTC’s 

March 29, 2016 complaint and associated relief.

Page Lines Change Proposed Changes

3 6-11 Revision Notice of Disclosed Privileged Material. If a Disclosing Party 

determines that it has produced Disclosed Privileged Material, the 

Disclosing Party shall, within twenty-one (21) calendar days of 

making such determination, provide written notice to, as applicable, 

Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel, Defendants’ Liaison Counsel, the United 

States and/or the FTC identifying the Disclosed Privileged Material 

(by date of production and production number or range, if applicable) 

(“Disclosure Notice”).

9-10 9:24-

10:2

Revision Governmental Privilege Claims. The Parties agree that the United 

States’ or the FTC’s assertions of any governmental privileges may 

be made by first identifying documents withheld on such grounds on 

its privilege log and second providing a declaration supporting that 

assertion within thirty (30) days after service of the privilege log, 

where such a declaration is required by applicable law.

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SO STIPULATED

 Dated: May 27, 2016 /s/ Jonathan Cohen

Jonathan Cohen

jcohen@ftc.gov

Federal Trade Commission

600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, CC-9528

Washington, DC 20580

(202) 326-2551, -3197 (fax)

Counsel for Plaintiff Federal Trade Commission

By: /s/ Joshua H. Van Eaton

Joshua H. Van Eaton

Josh.Van.Eaton@usdoj.gov

Environmental Enforcement Section 

Environment and Natural Resources Division 

United States Department of Justice 

P.O. Box 7611

Washington DC 20044-7611

Telephone: (202) 514-5474

Facsimile: (202) 514-0097

Coordinating Counsel for the United States

By: /s/ Elizabeth J. Cabraser

Elizabeth J. Cabraser

ecabraser@lchb.com

LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN &

BERNSTEIN, LLP

275 Battery Street, 29th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111-3339

Telephone: 415.956.1000

Facsimile: 415.956.1008

Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel

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By: /s/ Robert J. Giuffra, Jr.

Robert J. Giuffra, Jr.

giuffrar@sullcrom.com

Sharon L. Nelles

nelless@sullcrom.com

William B. Monahan

monahanw@sullcrom.com

SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP

125 Broad Street

New York, New York 10004

Telephone: (212) 558-4000

Facsimile:(212) 558-3588

Co-Liaison Counsel for the Volkswagen Group 

Defendants

By: /s/ Jeffrey L. Chase

Jeffrey L. Chase

jchase@herzfeld-rubin.com

HERZFELD & RUBIN, P.C.

125 Broad Street

New York, New York 10004

Telephone: (212) 471-8500

Co-Liaison Counsel for the Volkswagen Group 

Defendants

By: /s/ Cari K. Dawson

 Cari K. Dawson

 ALSTON & BIRD LLP

 One Atlantic Center

 1201 West Peachtree Street

 Atlanta, Georgia 30309-3424

 Telephone: (404) 881-7766

 Facsimile: (404) 253-8567

 cari.dawson@alston.com

 Liaison Counsel for Porsche Cars North America, 

Inc. 

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By: /s/ Matthew D. Slater

 Matthew D. Slater

 CLEARY GOTTLIEB STEEN & HAMILTON LLP

 2000 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

 Washington, DC 20006

Telephone: (202) 974-1500

 Facsimile: (202) 974-1999

Counsel for Defendants Robert Bosch GmbH and

Robert Bosch LLC

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