UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

SOUTHERN DIVISION

In Re: AUTOMOTIVE PARTS Case No. 12-md-02311

ANTITRUST LITIGATION Honorable Marianne O. Battani

____________________________________________

)

In re: SPARK PLUGS )

 DIRECT PURCHASER ACTIONS ) 2:15-cv-03001-MOB-MKM

____________________________________________ )

)

THIS RELATES TO: )

)

WAL, INC. d/b/a TRI-STATE AUTOMOTIVE ) 

WAREHOUSE and KMB/CT, INC. d/b/a KMB )

WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTORS, INC., )

)

Plaintiffs, ) 

) 2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM

vs. ) 

) 

NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd., et al., )

)

Defendants. )

____________________________________________ )

STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING ACCEPTING

SERVICE OF COMPLAINT

WAL, Inc. d/b/a Tri-State Automotive Warehouse and KMB/CT, Inc. d/b/a KMB 

Warehouse Distributors, Inc. (“Plaintiffs”) have filed the above-captioned action (“Action”) 

against DENSO Corporation, DENSO International America, Inc., DENSO Products and 

Services Americas, Inc. f/k/a DENSO Sales California, Inc., NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd., NGK 

Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, and Robert Bosch LLC (collectively, 

“Stipulating Defendants”) alleging violations of Section 1 of the Sherman Act in connection with 

the sale of Spark Plugs. So as to preserve both party and judicial resources, Plaintiffs and 

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 1 of 8 Pg ID 52
2

Stipulating Defendants, by and through their undersigned counsel, stipulate to the following with 

respect to the Action: 

1. Counsel for Stipulating Defendants agree to accept service of the complaint, filed 

on May 18, 2015, on behalf of the Stipulating Defendants, in satisfaction of the requirements of 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 4. 

2. Unless otherwise modified by a case management order entered in this Action, 

Stipulating Defendants shall, as permitted by Fed. R. Civ. P. 12, answer, move, or otherwise 

respond within 60 days after either: (a) service on Stipulating Defendants of complete and 

unredacted copies of a consolidated amended complaint (“CAC”) in MDL 2311 in English and 

Japanese asserting claims based on sales of Spark Plugs; or (b) service on Stipulating Defendants 

of complete and unredacted copies of the current complaint in this Action in English and 

Japanese together with written notice by Plaintiffs that they will not be filing a CAC in this 

Action.

3. Notwithstanding paragraph 2 above, if Stipulating Defendants file an answer, 

move or otherwise respond pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12 in any related actions asserting claims 

based on sales of Spark Plugs before the date required by this stipulation, Stipulating Defendants 

will concurrently file their answer, move or otherwise respond as permitted by Rule 12 in this 

matter. 

4. Plaintiffs and Stipulating Defendants stipulate and agree that the entry into this 

stipulation by Stipulating Defendants shall not constitute a waiver of (a) any jurisdictional 

defenses that may be available under Rule 12 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, (b) any 

affirmative defenses under Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or (c) any other 

statutory or common law defenses that may be available to Stipulating Defendants in this or any 

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 2 of 8 Pg ID 53
3

other related actions. Stipulating Defendants expressly reserve their right to raise any such 

defenses (or any other defense) in response to (a) the current complaint or any amended and/or 

consolidated complaint that may be filed on behalf of any of Plaintiff or any other Direct 

Purchaser, and/or (b) any complaint that may be filed in any related action. 

5. Plaintiffs further agree that the terms of this stipulation are available, without 

further stipulation with counsel for Plaintiffs, to all defendants who notify Plaintiffs’ counsel in 

writing of their intention to join this Stipulation.

IT IS SO STIPULATED.

Dated: July 31, 2015 /s/ William E. Hoese

Joseph C. Kohn

William E. Hoese

Douglas A. Abrahams

KOHN, SWIFT & GRAF, P.C.

One South Broad Street, Suite 2100

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Telephone: (215) 238-1700

jkohn@kohnswift.com

whoese@kohnswift.com

dabrahams@kohnswift.com

Gregory P. Hansel

Randall B. Weill

Michael S. Smith

PRETI, FLAHERTY, BELIVEAU

 & PACHIOS LLP

One City Center

P.O. Box 9546

Portland, ME 04112-9546

Telephone: (207) 791-3000

ghansel@preti.com

rweill@preti.com

msmith@preti.com

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 3 of 8 Pg ID 54
4

Steven A. Kanner

William H. London

Michael E. Moskovitz

FREED KANNER LONDON & MILLEN LLC

2201 Waukegan Road, Suite 130

Bannockburn, IL 60015

Telephone: (224) 632-4500

skanner@fklmlaw.com

wlondon@fklmlaw.com

mmoskovitz@fklmlaw.com

Eugene A. Spector

William G. Caldes

Jonathan M. Jagher

Jeffrey L. Spector

SPECTOR ROSEMAN KODROFF

 & WILLIS P.C.

1818 Market Street, Suite 2500

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Telephone: (215) 496-0300

espector@srkw-law.com

bcaldes@srkw-law.com

jjagher@srkw-law.com

jspector@srkw-law.com

David H. Fink (P28235)

Darryl Bressack (P67820)

FINK + ASSOCIATES LAW

38500 Woodward Avenue, Suite 350

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

Telephone: (248) 971-2500

dfink@finkandassociateslaw.com

dbressack@finkandassociateslaw.com

Carl E. Person

225 E. 36th Street – Suite 3A

New York, NY 10016-3664

Telephone: (212) 307-4444

Carlpers2@gmail.com

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 4 of 8 Pg ID 55
5

Linda P. Nussbaum

Susan R. Schwaiger

Nussbaum Law Group, P.C.

570 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Telephone: (212) 702-7053

lnussbaum@nussbaumpc.com

sschwaiger@nussbaumpc.com

Irwin B. Levin

COHEN & MALAD, LLP

One Indiana Square, Suite 1400

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Telephone: (317) 636-6481

Warren Rubin

Law Offices Bernard M. Gross, P.C.

John Wanamaker Building

100 Penn Square East, Suite 450

Philadelphia, PA 19107

Telephone: (215) 561-3600

Counsel for WAL, Inc. d/b/a Tri-State Automotive 

Warehouse and KMB/CT, Inc. d/b/a KMB 

Warehouse Distributors Inc.

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 5 of 8 Pg ID 56
6

Dated: July 31, 2015 /s/ Steven F. Cherry

Steven F. Cherry 

David P. Donovan

Brian C. Smith

WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND 

DORR LLP

1875 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20006

Telephone: (202) 663-6000

Facsimile: (202) 663-6363

steven.cherry@wilmerhale.com

david.donovan@wilmerhale.com

brian.smith@wilmerhale.com 

Counsel for DENSO Corporation,

DENSO International America, Inc., and

DENSO Products & Services, America f/k/a 

DENSO Sales California, Inc.

Dated: July 31, 2015 /s/ John Roberti

John Roberti

Matthew R. Boucher

ALLEN & OVERY LLP

1101 New York Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20005

Telephone: (202) 683-3800

Facsimile: (202) 683-3999

john.roberti@allenovery.com

matthew.boucher@allenovery.com

Michael S. Feldberg

ALLEN & OVERY LLP

1221 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Telephone: (212) 610-6300

michael.feldberg@allenovery.com

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 6 of 8 Pg ID 57
7

William R. Jansen (P36688)

Michael G. Brady (P57331)

WARNER NORCROSS & JUDD LLP

2000 Town Center, Suite 2700

Southfield, MI 48075-1318

Telephone: (248) 784-5000

Facsimile: (248) 784-5005

wjansen@wnj.com

mbrady@wnj.com

Counsel for Robert Bosch GmbH and Robert 

Bosch LLC

Dated: July 31, 2015 /s/ John M. Majoras

John M. Majoras

JONES DAY

325 John H. McConnell Boulevard

Suite 600

Columbus, OH 43216-5017

Telephone: (614) 281-3835

Facsimile: (614) 461-4198

jmmajoras@jonesday.com

Eric P. Enson

JONES DAY

555 South Flower Street

Fiftieth Floor

Los Angeles, CA 90071-2300

Telephone: (213) 243-2304

Facsimile: (213) 243-2539

epenson@jonesday.com

Ellen Maxwell-Hoffman

BOWLES RICE

600 Quarrier Street

Charleston, WV 25301

Telephone: (304) 347-1186

Facsimile: (304) 343-3058

emaxwell@bowlesrice.com

Counsel for NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd., NGK 

Spark Plugs (U.S.A.), Inc.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Date: August 27, 2015 s/Marianne O. Battani 

MARIANNE O. BATTANI

United States District Judge

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 7 of 8 Pg ID 58
8

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

The undersigned certifies that the foregoing Order was served upon counsel of record via the Court's 

ECF System to their respective email addresses or First Class U.S. mail to the non-ECF participants on 

August 27, 2015.

s/ Kay Doaks 

Case Manager

2:15-cv-11774-MOB-MKM Doc # 9 Filed 08/27/15 Pg 8 of 8 Pg ID 59