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Elizabeth J. Cabraser (SBN 083151)

Robert J. Nelson (SBN 132797)

Lexi J. Hazam (SBN 224457)

Fabrice N. Vincent (SBN 160780)

Abby R. Wolf (SBN 313049)

Evan J. Ballan (SBN 318649)

LIEFF CABRASER HEIMANN & 

BERNSTEIN, LLP

275 Battery Street, 29th Floor

San Francisco, California 94111

Tel: 415.956.1000

Fax: 415.956.1008

Francis O. Scarpulla (SBN 41059)

Patrick Clayton (SBN 240191)

LAW OFFICES OF FRANCIS O.

SCARPULLA

456 Montgomery Street, 17th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

Tel: 415.788.7210

Fax: 415.788.0706

Rafey S. Balabanian (SBN 315962)

Todd Logan (SBN 305912)

J. Aaron Lawson (SBN 319306)

Lily Hough (SBN 315277)

Brandt Silver-Korn (SBN 323530)

EDELSON PC

123 Townsend Street, Suite 100

San Francisco, California 94107

Tel: 415.234.5342

Fax: 415.373.9495

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

In re

PG&E CORPORATION,

and

PACIFIC GAS & ELECTRIC COMPANY,

Debtors.

Case No. 19-30088 (Jointly Administered)

Chapter 11

LIMITED JOINDER OF WILDFIRE 

CLASS CLAIMANTS TO OBJECTION 

OF CERTAIN PARTIES TO DEBTORS’ 

MOTION PURSUANT TO 11 U.S.C. §§ 

105(a) AND 502(c) FOR THE 

ESTABLISHMENT OF WILDFIRE 

CLAIMS ESTIMATION PROCEDURES

[Dkt. No. 3437]

Date: August 14, 2019

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

Place: U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Courtroom 17, 16th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94102

Affects:

PG&E Corporation

Pacific Gas & Electric Company

Both Debtors

Case: 19-30088 Doc# 3538 Filed: 08/13/19 Entered: 08/13/19 18:13:57 Page 1 of

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Creditors Kevin Burnett, Leslie Moore, Darwin Crabtree, Sandra Crabtree, Joseph Garfield, 

Robert Eldridge, Benjamin Greenwald d/b/a Greenwald Pest Defense, individually and on behalf of 

all others similarly situated; Lore Olds d/b/a Sky Vineyards, Skyla Olds, Nancy Hitchcock, Herman 

Bossano, Rebecca Bailey, Ph.D. d/b/a It’s Mine Don’t Touch Trust and Transitioning Families, and 

Charles Holmes, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated; Jeanette Smylie, 

individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated; and GER Hospitality, LLC, individually 

and on behalf of all others similarly situated; William N. Steel, individually and on behalf of all 

others similarly situated; and Karen Roberds and Anita Freeman, individually and on behalf of all 

others similarly situated (collectively, “Wildfire Class Claimants”) hereby join, in part, the 

Objection to Debtors’ Motion Pursuant To 11 U.S.C. §§ 105(a) and 502(c) for the Establishment of 

Wildfire Claims Estimations Procedures (the “Objection”) filed by David Herndon, Julia Herndon, 

Gabriell Herndon, Jedidiah Herndon, Estefania Miranda, Steven Jones, Gabriella’s Eatery, Chico 

Rent-a-Fence, and Ponderosa Pest & Weed Control (collectively, “Objectors”) [Dkt. No. 3437], and 

state as follows:

Limited Joinder

Wildfire Class Claimants are individuals and businesses who suffered financial and/or 

property damage as a result of wildfires caused by the Debtors’ failing and improperly maintained 

electrical equipment, including the 2017 North Bay Fires and the 2018 Camp Fire. Before the 

Debtors filed for bankruptcy, Wildfire Class Claimants filed class action lawsuits against the Debtors 

in state court, seeking to recover damages on behalf of themselves and others harmed by the 

wildfires. When the Debtors filed bankruptcy, their state court proceedings were stayed pursuant to 

11 U.S.C. § 362. In order to preserve their claims, Wildfire Class Claimants filed proofs of claim in 

the bankruptcy proceedings shortly after Debtors commenced their filing. Wildfire Class Claimants 

are therefore “creditors” within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Code, 11 U.S.C. § 101(10), and this 

Court has jurisdiction over their claims. 28 U.S.C. § 1334(a). Wildfire Class Claimants have filed a 

total of six proofs of claim in this proceeding on behalf of putative classes of individuals and 

businesses harmed by the 2017 North Bay and 2018 Camp Fires. In fact, their proofs of claim are 

Case: 19-30088 Doc# 3538 Filed: 08/13/19 Entered: 08/13/19 18:13:57 Page 2 of

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among the first lodged in the bankruptcy case’s claims register. See Northern District of California 

Claims Register, No. 19-30088 PG&E Corporation, Claim Nos. 1-1 (Kevin Burnett et al.), 2-1 (Lore 

Olds, d/b/a Sky Vineyards et al.), 3-1 (Jeanette Smylie), 4-2 (GER Hospitality, LLC), 6-2 (William 

N. Steel), 8-2 (Karen Roberds and Anita Freeman). Each proof of claim incorporated and attached 

a copy of the prepetition class action complaint that had been filed in state court before the automatic 

stay took effect.

In the Objection, the Objectors express their concern that the estimation procedures 

contained in Debtors’ Motion Pursuant To 11 U.S.C. §§ 105(a) and 502(c) For the Establishment of 

Wildfire Claims Estimation Procedures [Dkt. No. 3091] do not contemplate the possibility that this 

Court will authorize class proofs of claim. Objection at 2. Wildfire Class Claimants believe the Court 

will preserve the possibility of using class proofs of claim at an appropriate time. Nevertheless, out 

of an abundance of caution and to avoid leaving the matter unaddressed, Wildfire Class Claimants 

join the Objection and respectfully request that any proposed claims estimation procedures explicitly 

allow for the estimation of class proofs of claim if such class proofs of claim are ultimately allowed.

As the Ninth Circuit has recognized, the bankruptcy code permits the use of class proofs of 

claim. In re Birting Fisheries, Inc., 92 F.3d 939 (9th Cir. 1996). The tort claims of those impacted 

by the 2017 North Bay and 2018 Camp Wildfires represent a substantial component of this 

bankruptcy, involving as many as tens or hundreds of thousands of claimants who have collectively 

suffered tens of billions of dollars in damages. Reaching those claimants, enabling them to engage 

with the claim submission process, and ultimately resolving their claims will be a substantial 

undertaking, and is one that is in its relatively early stages. 

The Debtors’ pending motion is silent as to whether the estimation procedures will allow

estimation of class proofs of claims. But there should be no doubt: the use of an estimation procedure 

is appropriate for class proofs of claim. See, e.g., In re Charter Co., 876 F.2d 866, 872 (11th Cir. 

1989) (“The bankruptcy courts are well used to the estimation procedures outside the class action 

context, even in highly complex cases.”). That said, the question of whether to allow the use of class 

proofs of claim has not yet been properly presented to the Court and is not ripe for adjudication. If 

Case: 19-30088 Doc# 3538 Filed: 08/13/19 Entered: 08/13/19 18:13:57 Page 3 of

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and when the issue arises, Wildfire Class Claimants would like the opportunity to fully brief and be 

heard on it.

Conclusion

Accordingly, Wildfire Class Claimants submit this limited joinder and respectfully request 

that the Court explicitly allow for the estimation of class proofs of claim if such class proofs of claim 

are ultimately allowed.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: August 13, 2019 

By: /s/ Elizabeth J. Cabraser

Elizabeth J. Cabraser (SBN 083151)

Robert J. Nelson (SBN 132797)

Lexi J. Hazam (SBN 224457)

Fabrice N. Vincent (SBN 160780)

Abby R. Wolf (SBN 313049)

Evan J. Ballan (SBN 318649)

Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP

275 Battery Street, 29th Floor

San Francisco, California 94111

Tel: 415.956.1000

Fax: 415.956.1008

Counsel for Creditors Kevin Burnett, Leslie 

Moore, Darwin Crabtree, Sandra Crabtree, 

Joseph Garfield, Robert Eldridge, Benjamin 

Greenwald d/b/a Greenwald Pest Defense; 

Lore Olds d/b/a Sky Vineyards, Skyla Olds, 

Nancy Hitchcock, Herman Bossano, 

Rebecca Bailey, Ph.D. d/b/a It’s Mine 

Don’t Touch Trust and Transitioning 

Families, and Charles Holmes.

Rafey S. Balabanian (SBN 315962)

Todd Logan (SBN 305912)

J. Aaron Lawson (SBN 319306)

Lily Hough (SBN 315277)

Brandt Silver-Korn (SBN 323530)

Edelson PC

123 Townsend Street, Suite 100

San Francisco, California 94107

Tel: 415.234.5342

Fax: 415.373.9495

Counsel for Creditors Kevin Burnett,

Leslie Moore, Darwin Crabtree, Sandra

Crabtree, Joseph Garfield, Robert

Eldridge, and Benjamin Greenwald d/b/a

Greenwald Pest Defense.

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Francis O. Scarpulla (SBN 41059)

Patrick Clayton (SBN 240191)

Law Offices of Francis O. Scarpulla

456 Montgomery Street, 17th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

Tel: 415.788.7210

Fax: 415.788.0706

Counsel for Creditors Jeanette Smylie, GER 

Hospitality, LLC, William N. Steel, Karen 

Roberds, and Anita Freeman.

Jeremiah F. Hallisey (SBN 40001)

Hallisey and Johnson, PC

465 California Street, Suite 405

San Francisco, California 94104-1812

Tel: 415.433.5300

Counsel for Creditors Jeanette Smylie,

GER Hospitality, LLC, William N. Steel,

Karen Roberds, and Anita Freeman.

Quentin L. Kopp (SBN 25070)

380 West Portal Ave.

456 Montgomery Street, 17th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94127

Tel: 415.681.5555

Counsel for Creditors Jeanette Smylie, GER 

Hospitality, LLC, William N. Steel, Karen 

Roberds, and Anita Freeman.

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SIGNATURE ATTESTATION

I hereby attest that I have on file all holographic signatures corresponding to any signatures 

indicated by a conformed signature (/s/) within this e-filed document.

/s/Elizabeth J. Cabraser

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