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SULLIVAN HILL REZ & ENGEL Electronically Filed: 05/07/2019

A Professional Law Corporation

James P. Hill, SBN 90478

Christopher V. Hawkins, SBN 222961

600 B Street, Suite 1700

San Diego, California 92101

Tel: (619) 233-4100

Email: hill@sullivanhill.com

hawkins@sullivanhill.com

Gerald Singleton, SBN 208783

Amanda W. LoCurto, SBN 265420

SINGLETON LAW FIRM, APC

450 A Street, 5th Floor

San Diego, CA 92101

Tel: (619) 771-3473

Email: gerald@slffirm.com

amanda@slffirm.com

Attorneys for SLF Fire Victim Claimants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

In re

PG&E CORPORATION,

and

PACIFIC GAS AND ELECTRIC 

COMPANY

Debtors

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Case No. 19-30088 (DM)

Chapter 11

(Lead Case–Jointly Administered)

LIMITED OBJECTION BY SLF FIRE 

VICTIM CLAIMANTS TO DEBTORS’ 

MOTION TO ENLARGE THE TIME 

WITHIN WHICH TO FILE NOTICES OF 

REMOVAL OF RELATED PLEADINGS

[ECF 1738]

Date: May 22, 2019

Time: 9:30 a.m. (Pacific)

Place: United States Bankruptcy Court

Courtroom 17, 16th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94102

Hon. Dennis Montali

Opposition Deadline: May 15, 2019, 4 p.m. (PDT)

Affects:

PG&E Corporation

Pacific Gas & Electric Company

Both Debtors

* All papers shall be filed in the Lead Case,

 No. 19-30088 (DM).

Case: 19-30088 Doc# 1870 Filed: 05/07/19 Entered: 05/07/19 09:35:05 Page 1 of

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On January 29, 2019, PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (collectively, 

“PG&E”) filed for bankruptcy. PG&E’s stated reason for seeking bankruptcy protection was that it 

was facing $30 billion in damages from the 2015 Butte Fire, the 2017 North Bay Fires (18 fires in 10 

Northern California counties) and the 2018 Camp Fire.1 Together these fires burned nearly 500,000 

acres, killed over 100 people, destroyed almost 20,000 homes, and left tens of thousands of people 

homeless.

The Singleton Law Firm Fire Victim Claimants (“SLF Claimants”) consist of over 4,700 

individuals who suffered injuries and damages in the fires started by PG&E and who are represented 

by the Singleton Law Firm, APC.2 The SLF Claimants have victims from each of the three major 

fires/fire complexes involved in the bankruptcy: the 2015 Butte Fire (coordinated in Sacramento 

Superior Court under JCCP Number 4853), the 2017 North Bay Fires (coordinated in San Francisco 

Superior Court under JCCP Number 4955), and the 2018 Camp Fire (which had not been coordinated 

or consolidated at the time PG&E filed for bankruptcy). With respect to the 2017 North Bay Fires, 

SLF Claimants sustained damages in each of the 18 major fires. Accordingly, the SLF Claimants 

comprise a more complete representative group of fire victims than any other group.

On April 26, 2019, PG&E filed its motion requesting that the Court extend the deadline by 

which PG&E may file notices of removal under Bankruptcy Rule 9027(a) from the current deadline 

of April 29, 2019 to October 28, 2019. [ECF 1738].

The SLF Claimants understand the scope and complexity of PG&E’s Chapter 11 cases, and 

realize that it will take time for the cases to reach resolution. But the SLF Claimants submit that the 

following facts bear strongly on PG&E’s current request for an extension of the removal deadline.

PGE has stated repeatedly throughout these bankruptcy cases that one of the main purposes in 

its filing for bankruptcy relief was to resolve the wildfire claims as expeditiously as possible.

 

1 “PG&E to file for Bankruptcy as Wildfire Costs hit $30 billion”, Los Angeles Times, July 14, 2019, 

https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-pge-bankruptcy-filing-20190114-story.html. 

2 While there are other firms involved in the representation of the SLF Claimants, because each fire has a different 

group of firms involved, this group is referred to as the “SLF Claimants” for ease of reference.

Case: 19-30088 Doc# 1870 Filed: 05/07/19 Entered: 05/07/19 09:35:05 Page 2 of

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At the initial 341(a) meeting of creditors held March 4, 2019, Jason Wells, Chief Financial 

Officer of PG&E Corporation, testified as follows:

We believe that the provisions of the bankruptcy process allow for a more 

expeditious resolution of these [wildfire] claims. When we evaluated the 

different ways to provide relief and to address the claims the company 

faced, we evaluated doing so through the state court process, which as you 

know would–could be an ad hoc process that could extend over a number 

of years. The bankruptcy court process allows us to establish a fair bar 

date, to estimate the value of these claims, and to work more expeditiously 

to resolution. And so in part the filing for bankruptcy was guided by the 

desire to bring resolution as timely as possible.

See the transcript attached as Exhibit “A” hereto, p. 45, ll. 2–14.

At the continued 341(a) meeting of creditors held April 29, 2019, PG&E’s Chief Financial 

Officer, Jason Wells, testified that prior to filing bankruptcy, PG&E estimated that resolving the 

wildfire claims in state court would take between three and five years–meaning that bankruptcy 

would allow PG&E to resolve the claims in less than three years.

The vast majority of the fire victims have not been compensated and are still living in very 

difficult circumstances. Many are in temporary housing. A significant number are homeless. Some 

victims have been waiting for three-and-one half years to get the compensation they need to rebuild 

their lives–and now with the bankruptcy, they must wait even longer.

The SLF Claimants request that the Court consider the above facts when setting the removal 

deadline currently requested by PG&E. It is imperative that these cases progress as quickly as 

possible, so that the suffering of the fire victims can come to an end.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: May 7, 2019 SULLIVAN HILL REZ & ENGEL

A Professional Law Corporation

By: /s/ Christopher V. Hawkins

James P. Hill

Christopher V. Hawkins

Attorneys for the Singleton Law Firm

Fire Victim Claimants

Case: 19-30088 Doc# 1870 Filed: 05/07/19 Entered: 05/07/19 09:35:05 Page 3 of

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EXHIBIT “A” 

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·1· · · · · · · · · · · AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION

·2· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·---oOo---

·3· · · · · · · · NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

·4· · · · · · · · · · SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

·5· · · · · · · · · · · · ·MARCH 4, 2019

·6· · · · · · · ·SECTION 341 MEETING OF CREDITORS

·7· · · · · · · · · · · ·IN THE MATTER OF

·8· · · · · · · · · · · ·PG&E CORPORATION

·9· · · · · · · · ·BANKRUPTCY CASE NO. 19-30088

10· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · AND

11· · · · · · · · PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY

12· · · · · · · · ·BANKRUPTCY CASE NO. 19-30089

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21· ·Transcribed by:

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23· ·Diana Sasseen

24· ·CSR No. 13456

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Case: 19-30088 Doc# 1870 Filed: 05/07/19 Entered: 05/07/19 09:35:05 Page 5 of

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·1· · · · · · · · · · · · · APPEARANCES

·2· ·TIMOTHY S. LAFFREDI, Assistant U.S. Trustee

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·4· ·For the Debtors:

·5· · · · STEPHEN KAROTKIN, Weil, Gotshal & Manges

·6· · · · TOBIAS KELLER, Keller & Benvenutti

·7· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·---oOo---

·8

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10· · · · · · · · · · · · · EXAMINATION

11· ·WITNESS· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · PAGE

12· ·JASON WELLS

13· · · · Examination by Timothy Laffredi· · · · · · · ·10, 75

14· · · · Examination by Gary Agajanian· · · · · · · · · · 22

15· · · · Examination by Steve Campora· · · · · · · · · · ·24

16· · · · Examination by Angela J. Chun· · · · · · · · · · 41

17· · · · Examination by Kirk Trostle· · · · · · · · · · · 42

18· · · · Examination by Tom Tosdal· · · · · · · · · · · · 44

19· · · · Examination by Lindsay Wood· · · · · · · · · · · 46

20· · · · Examination by Bruce Worthington· · · · · · · · ·48

21· · · · Examination by Bill Daniels· · · · · · · · · · · 50

22· · · · Examination by Bradley Max· · · · · · · · · · · ·51

23· · · · Examination by Gerald Singleton· · · · · · · · · 53

24· · · · Examination by Mike Danko· · · · · · · · · · · · 65

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Case: 19-30088 Doc# 1870 Filed: 05/07/19 Entered: 05/07/19 09:35:05 Page 6 of

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·1· · · · A.· Well, let me also extend my deepest sympathies.

·2· · · · · · We believe that the provisions of the

·3· ·bankruptcy process allow for a more expeditious

·4· ·resolution of these claims.· When we evaluated the

·5· ·different ways to provide relief and to address the

·6· ·claims the company faced, we evaluated doing so through

·7· ·the state court process, which as you know would --

·8· ·could be an ad hoc process that could extend over a

·9· ·number of years.· The bankruptcy court process allows us

10· ·to establish a fair bar date, to estimate the value of

11· ·these claims, and to work more expeditiously to

12· ·resolution.· And so in part the filing for bankruptcy

13· ·was guided by the desire to bring resolution as timely

14· ·as possible.

15· · · · Q.· I appreciate the interest in the need for

16· ·speed, but my question's a little bit different; and

17· ·that is that you have a system designed for financial

18· ·losses, but you have massive and ongoing human suffering

19· ·here.· And how is that going to play in your thinking

20· ·about reorganizing?· I mean, is that a factor for you

21· ·all, or how much of a factor will that be?

22· · · · A.· It is absolutely a factor.· We understand that

23· ·we've lost the trust of the community that we serve,

24· ·that the human toll that these fires have created are --

25· ·can't be expressed in words.· We need to make the

Case: 19-30088 Doc# 1870 Filed: 05/07/19 Entered: 05/07/19 09:35:05 Page 7 of

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·1· · · · · · · · · · REPORTER'S CERTIFICATE

·2· · · · · · ·I, the undersigned, a Certified Shorthand

·3· ·Reporter of the State of California, do hereby certify:

·4· · · · · · ·That the foregoing electronically-recorded

·5· ·proceedings were transcribed by me to the best of my

·6· ·ability.

·7· · · · · · ·I further certify I am neither financially

·8· ·interested in the action nor a relative or employee of

·9· ·any attorney or party to this action.

10· · · · · · ·IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have this date

11· ·subscribed my name.

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13· ·Dated: April 16, 2019

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16· · · · · · · · · · · · · · _______________________________

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · Diana Sasseen

17· · · · · · · · · · · · · · CSR No. 13456

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