Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-01337/USCOURTS-azd-2_08-cv-01337-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed Question: Fed Communications Act of 1934

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

T-Mobile West Corporation, 

Plaintiff, 

vs.

Michael M. Crow, et al., 

Defendants. 

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

No. CV08-1337-PHX-NVW

ORDER

Before the Court is Plaintiff’s (1) Motion to Allow the Expert Witness Designation

of Dr. Hal J. Singer in Light of the Court’s Order of December 17, 2009 and (2)

Opposition to NextG Defendants’ Objection to the Expert Report of Daniel Paul. (Doc.

# 142). 

Expert Witness Designation of Dr. Singer. T-Mobile moves to amend the

Scheduling Order to permit its designation of Dr. Singer as an expert witness to provide

testimony regarding the economic implications of the Campus Use Agreement between

ASU and NextG related to T-Mobile’s First Claim for Relief (Violation of 47 U.S.C.

§ 201(b)). On September 11, 2009, T-Mobile timely disclosed two employee expert

witnesses, Chris Donnelly and Daniel Paul, who were not required to produce written

reports. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(B). On February 17, 2010, T-Mobile informed

Defendants that it intended to withdraw its expert designation for employee Chris

Donnelly and to request leave to introduce the expert testimony of non-employee Dr.

Case 2:08-cv-01337-NVW Document 152 Filed 04/23/10 Page 1 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

- 2 -

Singer. On February 19, 2010, T-Mobile served responses and objections to the ASU

Defendants’ first set of interrogatories and second set of requests for production of

documents, which included further detail regarding Dr. Singer’s qualifications and

contemplated testimony and also a written report by Daniel Paul. On March 8, 2010,

T-Mobile disclosed Dr. Singer’s report to Defendants. 

The December 17, 2009 Order does not make Dr. Singer’s economic testimony

necessary to prove a violation of 47 U.S.C. § 201(b). The Order states, “T-Mobile does

not contend that using NextG’s DAS will place it at a competitive disadvantage or limit

consumer choice,” only to show what was not disputed. (Doc. # 128 at 16.) The Order

does not require T-Mobile to show that the Campus Use Agreement limits consumer

choice or adversely affects competition among wireless service providers or mean that

T-Mobile would prevail on its claim under § 201(b) if it were to show limited consumer

choice or adversely affected competition. (Id.) Rather, it expressly requires that

T-Mobile show that the Campus Use Agreement “in any way restrict[s] the right of

[ASU] to permit any other common carrier to access and serve [] tenants on [ASU’s]

premises.” See 47 C.F.R. § 64.2500. As the December 17, 2009 Order stated:

To prevail on its motion for summary judgment, T-Mobile must show that,

as a matter of law, granting NextG the exclusive right to place new cell sites

and fiber-based distributed antenna systems restricts the Arizona Board of

Regents’ right to permit some wireless carriers to access and serve Tempe

Campus tenants.

(Doc. # 128 at 16.) The Distributed Antenna System, as proposed by NextG, is supposed

to provide “ubiquitous and robust outdoor wireless coverage for all current and future

carrier frequencies and maximum in-building wireless penetration when designed

according to each particular operator’s requirements.” If it does, the Campus Use

Agreement will not restrict ASU’s right to permit any wireless carrier to access and serve

Tempe Campus tenants. Dr. Singer’s proposed expert report consists of broad, general

opinions that do not directly address the issues relevant to deciding whether the Campus

Use Agreement violates § 201(b). 

Case 2:08-cv-01337-NVW Document 152 Filed 04/23/10 Page 2 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

- 3 -

Defendants identified their experts and their experts prepared reports in reliance on

T-Mobile’s September 11, 2009 disclosure of employee experts. Permitting T-Mobile to

designate Dr. Singer as an expert witness would cause Defendants additional legal

expense not justified by the minimal probative value of his proposed testimony.

Therefore, T-Mobile’s motion to amend the Scheduling Order to permit its designation of

Dr. Singer as an expert witness to provide testimony regarding the economic implications

of the Campus Use Agreement will be denied.

Daniel Paul’s Expert Report. Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(B) requires production of

written reports by an expert witness “if the witness is one retained or specially employed

to provide expert testimony in the case or one whose duties as the party’s employee

regularly involve giving expert testimony.” Daniel Paul is an employee whose duties do

not regularly involve giving expert testimony and is not required to produce an expert

report under Rule 26(a)(2)(B). The Court will overrule the objection to Daniel Paul’s

employee expert testimony for failure to produce a written report by the deadline for

retained experts’ reports.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Plaintiff’s (1) Motion to Allow the Expert

Witness Designation of Dr. Hal J. Singer in Light of the Court’s Order of December 17,

2009 and (2) Opposition to NextG Defendants’ Objection to the Expert Report of Daniel

Paul (doc. # 142) is granted in part and denied in part. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Plaintiff’s motion to amend the Scheduling

Order to permit its designation of Dr. Singer as an expert witness is denied.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Defendants’ objection to Daniel Paul’s expert

testimony for failure to produce a written report by the deadline for retained experts’

reports is overruled.

Dated: April 23, 2010.

Case 2:08-cv-01337-NVW Document 152 Filed 04/23/10 Page 3 of 3