Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-01511/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-01511-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Covidien, Inc.
Defendant
Erin Hayes
Plaintiff
Richard Ponder
Plaintiff
State of California
Plaintiff
United States of America
Plaintiff

Document Text:

EX PARTE NOTICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO NOTIFY THE COURT OF A CASE JUST 

REMOVED AND TO CONSIDER WHETHER CASES SHOULD BE RELATED

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CHAVEZ & GERTLER LLP

Mark A. Chavez (SBN 090858)

Christian Schreiber (SBN 245597)

42 Miller Avenue

Mill Valley, California 94941

Telephone: (415) 381-5599

Facsimile: (415) 381-5572

mark@chavezgertler.com

christian@chavezgertler.com 

BROWN | POORE LLP

Scott A. Brown (SBN 177099)

David M. Poore (SBN 192541)

1350 Treat Boulevard, Suite 420

Walnut Creek, California 94597

Telephone: (925) 943-1166

Facsimile: (925) 943-1164

sbrown@bplegalgroup.com

dpoore@bplegalgroup.com

Attorneys for Qui Tam Plaintiffs

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURRT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and the

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ex rel.

ERIN HAYES AND RICHARD PONDER,

Qui Tam Plaintiffs and 

Relators,

v.

COVIDIEN, INC.,

Defendant.

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Case No. C 14-1511 EDL

LODGED UNDER SEAL

EX PARTE NOTICE AND 

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO 

NOTIFY THE COURT OF A CASE JUST 

REMOVED AND TO CONSIDER 

WHETHER CASES SHOULD BE 

RELATED

NOT TO BE FILED IN THE PUBLIC 

RECORD

Case 3:14-cv-01511-VC Document 18 Filed 05/28/15 Page 1 of 4
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EX PARTE NOTICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO NOTIFY THE COURT OF A CASE JUST 

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Pursuant to Local Rules 3-12, 7-10 and 7-11, Qui Tam Plaintiffs and Relators Erin Hayes 

and Richard Ponder (“Qui Tam Plaintiffs”) file this Ex Parte Notice and Administrative Motion 

to make the Court aware of a case just removed to this District and a request to consider whether 

the case should be related to the instant case. The recently removed case, captioned Erin Hayes v. 

Covidien L.P., et al. (N.D. Cal. Case No. 5:15-cv-02142-NC), commenced by Plaintiff Erin 

Hayes, is a wrongful termination employment action originally filed in the Superior Court of the 

State of California, County of Santa Clara, and was removed to the United States District Court

for the Northern District of California on May 12, 2015.

Qui Tam Plaintiffs request that the Court consider whether the recently removed case is 

related to a case previously filed in this District, which is sealed and currently pending before the 

Court, United States ex rel. Hayes, et al. v. Covidien, Inc., 3:14-cv-01511-EDL. Because the 

previously filed case is under seal, this Administrative Motion is being filed ex parte and is not 

being served on Defendant. See Declaration of Christian Schreiber filed herewith.

A. LITIGATION HISTORY 

Qui Tam Plaintiffs filed this action under seal on April 1, 2014. The matter was assigned 

to the Honorable Elizabeth D. Laporte. The action alleges, inter alia, violations of the federal 

False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq., (“the FCA” or “the Act”) and the California False 

Claims Act, Cal. Gov’t C. § 12650 et seq. (“the CFCA”). The matter remains under seal and 

Covidien, Inc. has not been served.

On February 23, 2015, Plaintiff Erin Hayes filed a wrongful termination case in Santa 

Clara County Superior Court. The complaint alleges whistleblower retaliation claims related to 

Plaintiff’s wrongful termination by Defendant Covidien, LP (“Covidien”), brought pursuant to the 

California Labor Code § 1102.5 and the anti-retaliation provisions of the FCA and CFCA. 

Covidien, L.P. removed the wrongful termination action on May 12, 2015. The matter was first 

assigned the Honorable Howard R. Lloyd. Judge Lloyd recused himself on May 14, 2015, and the 

matter was reassigned to the Honorable Nathanael Cousins the same day.

Case 3:14-cv-01511-VC Document 18 Filed 05/28/15 Page 2 of 4
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EX PARTE NOTICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO NOTIFY THE COURT OF A CASE JUST 

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Two later-filed qui tam cases have also been filed against Covidien or its subsidiaries, and 

those matters have already been related to this action. See United States ex rel. Howerton v. 

Covidien, et al., 14 Civ. 3289-EDL and United States ex rel. Hallam v. ev3 Endovascular, Inc., et 

al., 14 Civ. 8331-EDL.

B. THE CASES SHOULD BE RELATED UNDER L.R. 3-12.

Local Rule 3-12 provides:

An action is related to another when:

(1) The actions concern substantially the same parties, property, transaction or 

event; and

(2) It appears likely that there will be an unduly burdensome duplication of labor 

and expense or conflicting results if the cases are conducted before different 

Judges.

In the removed wrongful termination complaint, Plaintiff Hayes alleges that he was 

wrongfully terminated by Defendant Covidien, L.P. in February 2013 after reporting, inter alia, 

violations of federal anti-kickback laws to federal authorities. Plaintiff Hayes alleges he was 

terminated shortly after informing his supervisors of his whistleblowing conduct. Plaintiff Hayes’ 

wrongful termination complaint alleges that he contacted federal investigators to inform them of 

various unlawful schemes undertaken by Covidien; he reported his communications to Covidien 

officials; and he was terminated. The conduct Plaintiff Hayes reported to federal investigators is 

substantially similar to the unlawful conduct alleged in the Qui Tam Plaintiffs’ complaint.

The facts upon which the claims in the two cases are based are substantially similar, and 

concern substantially the same parties and events. It thus appears likely that there would be an 

unduly burdensome duplication of labor and expense if the wrongful termination case is not 

related to the qui tam case. The criteria of Local Rule 3-12 are satisfied, and the Qui Tam 

Plaintiffs respectfully requests that Erin Hayes v. Covidien L.P., et al., Case No. 5:15-cv-02142-

NC, be related to United States ex rel. Hayes, et al. v. Covidien, Inc., 3:14-cv-01511-EDL. 

Case 3:14-cv-01511-VC Document 18 Filed 05/28/15 Page 3 of 4
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EX PARTE NOTICE AND ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO NOTIFY THE COURT OF A CASE JUST 

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Pursuant to the Local Rules, Plaintiff is lodging this motion with Judge Laporte and Judge 

Cousins.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: May 21, 2015 CHAVEZ & GERTLER LLP

BROWN POORE LLP

By:

Christian Schreiber

Attorneys for Qui Tam Plaintiffs

[PROPOSED] ORDER

An Ex Parte Administrative Motion to Consider Whether Cases Should Be Related has 

been filed. As the judge assigned to the earliest filed case below that bears my initials, United 

States ex rel. Hayes, et al. v. Covidien, Inc., 3:14-cv-01511-EDL, I find that the more recently 

filed case, Erin Hayes v. Covidien L.P., et al., Case No. 5:15-cv-02142-NC, is related to the case 

already assigned to me, and the more recently filed case shall be reassigned to me.

Counsel are instructed that all future filings in any reassigned case are to bear the initials 

of the newly assigned judge immediately after the case number.

________________________________

ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE

United States Magistrate Judge

___________ Date: May 28, 2015

Case 3:14-cv-01511-VC Document 18 Filed 05/28/15 Page 4 of 4