JOINT STATUS REPORT - 1

(C06-0944 RSM)

KIPLING LAW GROUP PLLC

3601 FREMONT AVE N, SUITE 414

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98103

telephone (206) 545-0345

fax (206) 545-0350

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HONORABLE RICARDO S. MARTINEZ

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

AT SEATTLE

CONEFF, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

AT&T CORP., et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. C06-0944 RSM

JOINT STATUS REPORT

NOTED FOR CONSIDERATION:

MAY 1, 2012

Pursuant to the Court’s Minute Order of April 10, 2012, the parties submit this Joint

Status Report and proposal for further proceedings.

On May 22, 2009, this Court denied defendants’ motion to compel arbitration,

concluding that Washington law applies to each plaintiff’s contention that the applicable

arbitration provision is unenforceable and that the provision is substantively unconscionable and

hence unenforceable under Washington law. Having so determined, the Court did not address

plaintiffs’ argument that the arbitration provisions are procedurally unconscionable. See Order

Denying Defs.’ Mot. to Compel Arbitration, Dkt. No. 197.

On March 16, 2012, the Ninth Circuit issued an opinion reversing this Court’s order,

holding that, under AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, 131 S. Ct. 1740 (2011), the Federal

Arbitration Act “preempts the Washington state law invalidating the class-action waiver[.]”

Case 2:06-cv-00944-RSM Document 213 Filed 05/01/12 Page 1 of 4
JOINT STATUS REPORT - 2

(C06-0944 RSM)

KIPLING LAW GROUP PLLC

3601 FREMONT AVE N, SUITE 414

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98103

telephone (206) 545-0345

fax (206) 545-0350

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Coneff v. AT&T Corp., 673 F.3d 1155, 1161 (9th Cir. 2012). The Ninth Circuit remanded the

case to this Court for further proceedings with respect to plaintiffs’ arguments that their

arbitration agreements are procedurally unconscionable:

Thus, we remand to the district court to apply Washington choice-of-law

rules to Plaintiffs’ procedural unconscionability arguments. The first step

of that analysis will be to determine whether an actual conflict exists

among the laws of the various states involved in this case. That analysis

requires the court first to determine whether any of the relevant states

allow voiding a contract on grounds of freestanding procedural

unconscionability. If the laws all require at least some showing of

substantive unconscionability, then Plaintiffs’ claim necessarily fails

because of our holding that the arbitration clause at issue is not

substantively unconscionable. But if a showing of procedural

unconscionability would result in success for Plaintiffs under some of the

relevant state precedents, the district court must complete the conflict-oflaw analysis and decide which Plaintiffs, if any, may benefit.

Id. at 1161-62. The Ninth Circuit entered its mandate on April 10, 2012 (Dkt. No. 211).

The parties have met and conferred regarding a briefing schedule in light of the Ninth

Circuit’s remand. The parties agree that the Court should allow them to file simultaneous

opening briefs of up to 30 pages within 45 days from the date the Court issues a scheduling

order, and to file simultaneous reply briefs of up to 15 pages within 30 days after the date of

filing of the opening briefs.

DATED this 1st day of May, 2012. DATED this 1st day of May, 2012.

s/ Michael E. Kipling s/ Kevin Coluccio (per email authorization)

Michael E. Kipling, WSBA #7677 Kevin Coluccio, WSBA # 16245

KIPLING LAW GROUP PLLC STRITMATTER KESSLER WHELAN

3601 Fremont Avenue N., Suite 414 COLUCCIO

Seattle, WA 98103 200 Second Avenue West

206.545.0345 Seattle, WA 98119

206.545.0350 (fax) 206.448.1777

kipling@kiplinglawgroup.com 206.728.2131 (fax)

kc@stritmatter.com

Liaison Counsel and Attorney for Plaintiffs

and the Class

Case 2:06-cv-00944-RSM Document 213 Filed 05/01/12 Page 2 of 4
JOINT STATUS REPORT - 3

(C06-0944 RSM)

KIPLING LAW GROUP PLLC

3601 FREMONT AVE N, SUITE 414

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98103

telephone (206) 545-0345

fax (206) 545-0350

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Evan M. Tager (admitted pro hac vice)

Archis A. Parasharami (admitted pro hac vice)

Kevin S. Ranlett (admitted pro hac vice)

MAYER BROWN LLP

1909 K Street, NW

Washington, DC 20006

202.263.3000

202.263.3300 (fax)

etager@mayerbrown.com

aparasharami@mayerbrown.com

kranlett@mayerbrown.com

Counsel for Defendants AT&T Corporation,

AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., Cingular

Wireless Corporation, and New Cingular

Wireless Services, Inc.

Case 2:06-cv-00944-RSM Document 213 Filed 05/01/12 Page 3 of 4
JOINT STATUS REPORT - 4

(C06-0944 RSM)

KIPLING LAW GROUP PLLC

3601 FREMONT AVE N, SUITE 414

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98103

telephone (206) 545-0345

fax (206) 545-0350

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on the 1st day of May, 2012, I electronically filed the foregoing with

the Clerk of the Court using the CM/ECF system which will send notification of such filing to

the following:

 Leslie A. Bailey

lbailey@publicjustice.net

 Lincoln C. Beauregard

lincolnb@connelly-law.com

 Neal S. Berinhout

NB2520@att.com

 F. Paul Bland, Jr.

pbland@publicjustice.net

 Stephen L. Bulzomi

SBulzomi@MessinaLaw.com

 Kevin Coluccio

kc@stritmatter.com

 John R. Connelly, Jr.

jconnelly@connelly-law.com

 William F. Cronin

wcronin@corrcronin.com

 Jeffrey P. Foote

jfoote@footelaw.com

 Stephen M. Garcia

sgarcia@lawgarcia.com

 John W. Hathaway

jhathaway@seanet.com

 Garth L. Jones

garth@skwwc.com

 John L. Messina

jmessina@messinalaw.com

 Archis A. Parasharami

aparasharami@mayerbrown.com

 Pamela Pressley

pam@consumerwatchdog.org

 Harvey Rosenfield

harvey@consumerwatchdog.org

 Bruce L. Simon

bsimon@pswplaw.com

 Paul L. Stritmatter

pauls@stritmatter.com

 Evan M. Tager

etager@mayerbrown.com

 Ronald F. Webster

ron@ronwebsterlaw.com

DATED this 1st day of May, 2012.

s/ Michael E. Kipling

Michael E. Kipling, WSBA #7677

KIPLING LAW GROUP PLLC

3601 Fremont Avenue N., Suite 414

Seattle, WA 98103

206.545.0345

206.545.0350 (fax)

kipling@kiplinglawgroup.com

Counsel for Defendants

Case 2:06-cv-00944-RSM Document 213 Filed 05/01/12 Page 4 of 4