ACCEPTED 03-15-00248-CV 7922603 THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 11/20/2015 11:03:34 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE CLERK No. 03-15-000248-CV IN THE THIRD COURT OF APPEALS FILED IN THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF TEXAS 3rd COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS AUSTIN, TEXAS 11/20/2015 11:03:34 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE BRIGHAM EXPLORATION COMPANY, BEN M. BRIGHAM, Clerk
DAVID T. BRIGHAM, HAROLD D. CARTER, STEPHEN C. HURLEY, STEPHEN P. REYNOLDS, HOBART A. SMITH, SCOTT W. TINKER, STATOIL ASA, AND FARGO ACQUISITION, INC.,
Appellants,
vs.
RAYMOND BOYTIM, et al., INDIVIDUALLY AND ON BEHALF OF ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED,
Appellees.
Appeal from the 261st Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas Trial Court No. D-1-GN-11-003205 The Honorable Lora Livingston, Presiding
APPELLEES’ UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE OVERLENGTH SINGLE ANSWERING BRIEF RESPONDING TO TWO OPENING BRIEFS
MICHAEL D. MARIN State Bar No. 00791174 BOULETTE GOLDEN & MARIN L.L.P. 2801 Via Fortuna Drive, Suite 530 Austin, TX 78746 Telephone: 512/732-8900 512/732-8905 (fax) mmarin@boulettegolden.com Liaison Counsel
1092735_1 RANDALL J. BARON SAMUEL H. RUDMAN DAVID T. WISSBROECKER MARK S. REICH STEVEN M. JODLOWSKI MICHAEL G. CAPECI ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP & DOWD LLP 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 58 South Service Road, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92101 Melville, NY 11747 Telephone: 619/231-1058 Telephone: 631/367-7100 619/231-7423 (fax) 631/367-1173 (fax) Class Counsel for Appellees KENDALL LAW GROUP, LLP THE BRISCOE LAW FIRM, PLLC JOE KENDALL WILLIE C. BRISCOE DANIEL HILL 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1575 JAMIE J. McKEY Dallas, TX 75206 3232 McKinney Avenue, Suite Telephone: 214/239-4568 700 281/254-7789 (fax) Dallas, TX 75204 Telephone: 214/744-3000 214/744-3015 (fax)
DUNNAM & DUNNAM LLP BRODSKY & SMITH, LLC HAMILTON LINDLEY EVAN J. SMITH 4125 West Waco Drive (76710) MARC ACKERMAN P.O. Box 8418 Two Bala Plaza, Suite 602 Waco, TX 76714-8418 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 Telephone: 254/753-6437 Telephone: 610/667-6200 254/753-7434 (fax) 610/667-9029 (fax)
LEVI & KORSINSKY, LLP KOHN, SWIFT & GRAF, P.C. SHANE T. ROWLEY DENIS F. SHEILS 30 Broad Street, 24th Floor One South Broad Street, Suite 2100 New York, NY 10004 Philadelphia, PA 19107-3389 Telephone: 212/363-7500 Telephone: 215/238-1700 866/367-6510 (fax) 215/238-1968 (fax)
THE WEISER LAW FIRM, P.C. RYAN & MANISKAS, LLP PATRICIA C. WEISER KATHARINE M. RYAN JAMES M. FICARO RICHARD A. MANISKAS 22 Cassatt Avenue 995 Old Eagle School Road, Suite 311 Berwyn, PA 19312 Wayne, PA 19087 Telephone: 610/225-2677 Telephone: 484/588-5516 610/408-8062 (fax) 484/450-2582 (fax) 1092735_1 KELLY N. REDDELL THE REDDELL FIRM PLLC 100 Highland Park Village, Suite 200 Dallas, Texas 75205 Telephone: 214/295-3031 Additional Counsel for Appellees
1092735_1 TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:
Pursuant to Rule 9.4 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure,
Appellees in the above-entitled and numbered cause respectfully request leave
to exceed the 15,000-word limit for their Answering Brief. Appellees request
leave to file the accompanying 17,753-word Answering Brief.
1. “A court may, on motion, permit a document that exceeds the
prescribed limit.” Tex. R. App. P. 9.4(i)(4). This request is sought on the
following grounds.
2. First, Appellees must respond to two separate opening briefs: one
filed by the Brigham Appellants and one filed by the Statoil Appellants.
Collectively, these briefs are 73 pages in length and contain 17,464 words of
argument.
3. While there is some overlap in Appellants’ opening briefs, each
brief focuses on different findings by the trial court in connection with class
certification. The Brigham Defendants focus on the class definition, the trial
plan’s treatment of plaintiffs’ breach of fiduciary duty claims and defendants’
defenses, and the trial court’s findings regarding the class certification
requirements under Tex. R. Civ. P. 42. The Statoil Defendants focus on the
trial court’s findings regarding the adequacy of the named plaintiffs as to Statoil
and the trial plan’s treatment of plaintiffs’ aiding and abetting a breach of
-1- 1092735_1 fiduciary duty claim against Statoil. Effectively countering the numerous
arguments made by each group of Appellants requires more space than is
typically permitted in an Answering Brief.
4. Second, this appeal rests on a voluminous record that comprises a
five-volume clerk’s record and a four-volume reporter’s record. The record
runs more than 4,500 pages, reflecting three years’ worth of class certification
proceedings.
5. To respond to the appeal, that record must be discussed in detail,
because Appellants’ challenges to the trial court’s class certification order relate
to numerous factual findings by the trial court. For instance, Appellants
challenge the trial court’s findings that seven named plaintiffs are adequate
class representatives. In determining whether a court’s adequacy findings are
supported by the record, it is necessary to discuss the record as to each of the
plaintiffs – a lengthy task given the record here. See Farmers Ins. Exch. v.
Leonard, 125 S.W.3d 55, 66 (Tex. App.-Austin 2003, pet. denied).
6. Third, choice-of-law principles require this Court to apply an
unfamiliar body of law. Because Brigham Exploration Co. was incorporated in
Delaware, plaintiffs’ claims (and defendants’ defenses) are governed by
Delaware substantive law. Additional pages are necessary to explain the law
supporting the trial court’s decision.
-2- 1092735_1 7. Fourth, Appellees’ counsel have worked diligently to limit the
length of their Answering Brief. Although Appellees are seven separate
parties, they have consolidated their arguments in response to Appellants into a
single Answering Brief. Also, where Appellants’ arguments overlap, Appellees
avoid duplication by only making their counter-arguments once.1
8. Counsel for Appellees conferred with counsel for Appellants
before filing this request. Appellants do not oppose the relief requested.
9. Based on the foregoing, Appellees respectfully request leave to file
the accompanying 17,753‑word Answering Brief. Appellees submit that a
modest increase in the word count for their Answering Brief is appropriate in
this situation.
DATED: November 20, 2015 Respectfully submitted, BOULETTE GOLDEN & MARIN L.L.P. MICHAEL D. MARIN Texas Bar #00791174
/s/ Michael D. Marin MICHAEL D. MARIN 2801 Via Fortuna Drive, Suite 530 Austin, TX 78746 Telephone: 512/732-8900 512/732-8905 (fax) Liaison Counsel 1 Appellees have considerably shortened their Answering Brief. While the two briefs Appellees initially filed totaled 21,803 words, the single, omnibus brief accompanying this request contains 17,753 words.
-3- 1092735_1 ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP SAMUEL H. RUDMAN MARK S. REICH MICHAEL G. CAPECI 58 South Service Road, Suite 200 Melville, NY 11747 Telephone: 631/367-7100 631/367-1173 (fax) ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP RANDALL J. BARON DAVID T. WISSBROECKER STEVEN M. JODLOWSKI 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 San Diego, CA 92101 Telephone: 619/231-1058 619/231-7423 (fax) Class Counsel for Plaintiffs-Appellees KENDALL LAW GROUP, LLP JOE KENDALL DANIEL HILL JAMIE J. McKEY 3232 McKinney Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, TX 75204 Telephone: 214/744-3000 214/744-3015 (fax) THE BRISCOE LAW FIRM, PLLC WILLIE C. BRISCOE 8150 N.
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ACCEPTED 03-15-00248-CV 7922603 THIRD COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS 11/20/2015 11:03:34 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE CLERK No. 03-15-000248-CV IN THE THIRD COURT OF APPEALS FILED IN THIRD JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF TEXAS 3rd COURT OF APPEALS AUSTIN, TEXAS AUSTIN, TEXAS 11/20/2015 11:03:34 AM JEFFREY D. KYLE BRIGHAM EXPLORATION COMPANY, BEN M. BRIGHAM, Clerk
DAVID T. BRIGHAM, HAROLD D. CARTER, STEPHEN C. HURLEY, STEPHEN P. REYNOLDS, HOBART A. SMITH, SCOTT W. TINKER, STATOIL ASA, AND FARGO ACQUISITION, INC.,
Appellants,
vs.
RAYMOND BOYTIM, et al., INDIVIDUALLY AND ON BEHALF OF ALL OTHERS SIMILARLY SITUATED,
Appellees.
Appeal from the 261st Judicial District Court of Travis County, Texas Trial Court No. D-1-GN-11-003205 The Honorable Lora Livingston, Presiding
APPELLEES’ UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE OVERLENGTH SINGLE ANSWERING BRIEF RESPONDING TO TWO OPENING BRIEFS
MICHAEL D. MARIN State Bar No. 00791174 BOULETTE GOLDEN & MARIN L.L.P. 2801 Via Fortuna Drive, Suite 530 Austin, TX 78746 Telephone: 512/732-8900 512/732-8905 (fax) mmarin@boulettegolden.com Liaison Counsel
1092735_1 RANDALL J. BARON SAMUEL H. RUDMAN DAVID T. WISSBROECKER MARK S. REICH STEVEN M. JODLOWSKI MICHAEL G. CAPECI ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP & DOWD LLP 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 58 South Service Road, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92101 Melville, NY 11747 Telephone: 619/231-1058 Telephone: 631/367-7100 619/231-7423 (fax) 631/367-1173 (fax) Class Counsel for Appellees KENDALL LAW GROUP, LLP THE BRISCOE LAW FIRM, PLLC JOE KENDALL WILLIE C. BRISCOE DANIEL HILL 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1575 JAMIE J. McKEY Dallas, TX 75206 3232 McKinney Avenue, Suite Telephone: 214/239-4568 700 281/254-7789 (fax) Dallas, TX 75204 Telephone: 214/744-3000 214/744-3015 (fax)
DUNNAM & DUNNAM LLP BRODSKY & SMITH, LLC HAMILTON LINDLEY EVAN J. SMITH 4125 West Waco Drive (76710) MARC ACKERMAN P.O. Box 8418 Two Bala Plaza, Suite 602 Waco, TX 76714-8418 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 Telephone: 254/753-6437 Telephone: 610/667-6200 254/753-7434 (fax) 610/667-9029 (fax)
LEVI & KORSINSKY, LLP KOHN, SWIFT & GRAF, P.C. SHANE T. ROWLEY DENIS F. SHEILS 30 Broad Street, 24th Floor One South Broad Street, Suite 2100 New York, NY 10004 Philadelphia, PA 19107-3389 Telephone: 212/363-7500 Telephone: 215/238-1700 866/367-6510 (fax) 215/238-1968 (fax)
THE WEISER LAW FIRM, P.C. RYAN & MANISKAS, LLP PATRICIA C. WEISER KATHARINE M. RYAN JAMES M. FICARO RICHARD A. MANISKAS 22 Cassatt Avenue 995 Old Eagle School Road, Suite 311 Berwyn, PA 19312 Wayne, PA 19087 Telephone: 610/225-2677 Telephone: 484/588-5516 610/408-8062 (fax) 484/450-2582 (fax) 1092735_1 KELLY N. REDDELL THE REDDELL FIRM PLLC 100 Highland Park Village, Suite 200 Dallas, Texas 75205 Telephone: 214/295-3031 Additional Counsel for Appellees
1092735_1 TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:
Pursuant to Rule 9.4 of the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure,
Appellees in the above-entitled and numbered cause respectfully request leave
to exceed the 15,000-word limit for their Answering Brief. Appellees request
leave to file the accompanying 17,753-word Answering Brief.
1. “A court may, on motion, permit a document that exceeds the
prescribed limit.” Tex. R. App. P. 9.4(i)(4). This request is sought on the
following grounds.
2. First, Appellees must respond to two separate opening briefs: one
filed by the Brigham Appellants and one filed by the Statoil Appellants.
Collectively, these briefs are 73 pages in length and contain 17,464 words of
argument.
3. While there is some overlap in Appellants’ opening briefs, each
brief focuses on different findings by the trial court in connection with class
certification. The Brigham Defendants focus on the class definition, the trial
plan’s treatment of plaintiffs’ breach of fiduciary duty claims and defendants’
defenses, and the trial court’s findings regarding the class certification
requirements under Tex. R. Civ. P. 42. The Statoil Defendants focus on the
trial court’s findings regarding the adequacy of the named plaintiffs as to Statoil
and the trial plan’s treatment of plaintiffs’ aiding and abetting a breach of
-1- 1092735_1 fiduciary duty claim against Statoil. Effectively countering the numerous
arguments made by each group of Appellants requires more space than is
typically permitted in an Answering Brief.
4. Second, this appeal rests on a voluminous record that comprises a
five-volume clerk’s record and a four-volume reporter’s record. The record
runs more than 4,500 pages, reflecting three years’ worth of class certification
proceedings.
5. To respond to the appeal, that record must be discussed in detail,
because Appellants’ challenges to the trial court’s class certification order relate
to numerous factual findings by the trial court. For instance, Appellants
challenge the trial court’s findings that seven named plaintiffs are adequate
class representatives. In determining whether a court’s adequacy findings are
supported by the record, it is necessary to discuss the record as to each of the
plaintiffs – a lengthy task given the record here. See Farmers Ins. Exch. v.
Leonard, 125 S.W.3d 55, 66 (Tex. App.-Austin 2003, pet. denied).
6. Third, choice-of-law principles require this Court to apply an
unfamiliar body of law. Because Brigham Exploration Co. was incorporated in
Delaware, plaintiffs’ claims (and defendants’ defenses) are governed by
Delaware substantive law. Additional pages are necessary to explain the law
supporting the trial court’s decision.
-2- 1092735_1 7. Fourth, Appellees’ counsel have worked diligently to limit the
length of their Answering Brief. Although Appellees are seven separate
parties, they have consolidated their arguments in response to Appellants into a
single Answering Brief. Also, where Appellants’ arguments overlap, Appellees
avoid duplication by only making their counter-arguments once.1
8. Counsel for Appellees conferred with counsel for Appellants
before filing this request. Appellants do not oppose the relief requested.
9. Based on the foregoing, Appellees respectfully request leave to file
the accompanying 17,753‑word Answering Brief. Appellees submit that a
modest increase in the word count for their Answering Brief is appropriate in
this situation.
DATED: November 20, 2015 Respectfully submitted, BOULETTE GOLDEN & MARIN L.L.P. MICHAEL D. MARIN Texas Bar #00791174
/s/ Michael D. Marin MICHAEL D. MARIN 2801 Via Fortuna Drive, Suite 530 Austin, TX 78746 Telephone: 512/732-8900 512/732-8905 (fax) Liaison Counsel 1 Appellees have considerably shortened their Answering Brief. While the two briefs Appellees initially filed totaled 21,803 words, the single, omnibus brief accompanying this request contains 17,753 words.
-3- 1092735_1 ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP SAMUEL H. RUDMAN MARK S. REICH MICHAEL G. CAPECI 58 South Service Road, Suite 200 Melville, NY 11747 Telephone: 631/367-7100 631/367-1173 (fax) ROBBINS GELLER RUDMAN & DOWD LLP RANDALL J. BARON DAVID T. WISSBROECKER STEVEN M. JODLOWSKI 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 San Diego, CA 92101 Telephone: 619/231-1058 619/231-7423 (fax) Class Counsel for Plaintiffs-Appellees KENDALL LAW GROUP, LLP JOE KENDALL DANIEL HILL JAMIE J. McKEY 3232 McKinney Avenue, Suite 700 Dallas, TX 75204 Telephone: 214/744-3000 214/744-3015 (fax) THE BRISCOE LAW FIRM, PLLC WILLIE C. BRISCOE 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1575 Dallas, TX 75206 Telephone: 214/239-4568 281/254-7789 (fax) DUNNAM & DUNNAM LLP HAMILTON LINDLEY 4125 West Waco Drive (76710) P.O. Box 8418 Waco, TX 76714-8418 Telephone: 254/753-6437 254/753-7434 (fax)
-4- 1092735_1 BRODSKY & SMITH, LLC EVAN J. SMITH MARC ACKERMAN Two Bala Plaza, Suite 602 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 Telephone: 610/667-6200 610/667-9029 (fax) LEVI & KORSINSKY, LLP SHANE T. ROWLEY 30 Broad Street, 24th Floor New York, NY 10004 Telephone: 212/363-7500 866/367-6510 (fax) KOHN, SWIFT & GRAF, P.C. DENIS F. SHEILS One South Broad Street, Suite 2100 Philadelphia, PA 19107-3389 Telephone: 215/238-1700 215/238-1968 (fax) THE WEISER LAW FIRM, P.C. PATRICIA C. WEISER JAMES M. FICARO 22 Cassatt Avenue Berwyn, PA 19312 Telephone: 610/225-2677 610/408-8062 (fax) RYAN & MANISKAS, LLP KATHARINE M. RYAN RICHARD A. MANISKAS 995 Old Eagle School Road, Suite 311 Wayne, PA 19087 Telephone: 484/588-5516 484/450-2582 (fax) KELLY N. REDDELL THE REDDELL FIRM PLLC 100 Highland Park Village, Suite 200 Dallas, Texas 75205 Telephone: 214/295-3031 Additional Counsel for Plaintiffs- Appellees
-5- 1092735_1 CERTIFICATE OF CONFERENCE
I certify that I conferred with counsel for Appellants about the relief
sought in this request. On November 17 and 18, 2015, I conferred with
Deborah B. Alsup, of Thompson & Knight LLP, counsel for the Brigham
Appellants. On November 18, 2015, I conferred with Russell S. Post, of Beck
Redden LLP, counsel for the Statoil Appellants. Ms. Alsup and Mr. Post
indicated that Appellants do not oppose the relief sought in this request.
s/ Steven M. Jodlowski STEVEN M. JODLOWSKI
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE
This brief complies with the typeface requirements of Tex. R. App.
P. 9.4(e) because it has been prepared in a proportionally spaced typeface using
Microsoft Word 14-point Times New Roman Font for body text and 12-point
typeface for footnotes.
/s/ Michael D. Marin MICHAEL D. MARIN
-6- 1092735_1 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document
will be electronically filed using a certified Electronic Filing Service Provider,
which will send electronic notification of such filing to the following counsel of
record on the 20th day of November, 2015, or alternatively, a copy will be sent
via U.S. Mail, to the parties listed in the attached service list.
-7- 1092735_1 COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT(S) Timothy R. McCormick Debora B. Alsup Michael W. Stockham Thompson & Knight LLP Timothy E. Hudson 98 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 1900 Thompson & Knight LLP Austin, TX 78701 1722 Routh Street, Suite 1500 Telephone: 512/469-6100 Dallas, TX 75201-2533 512/469-6180 (fax) Telephone: 214/969-1700 Email: debora.alsup@tklaw.com; 214/969-1751 (fax) danley.cornyn@tklaw.com Email: timothy.mccormick@tklaw.com; michael.stockham@tklaw.com; tim.hudson@tklaw.com
Russell S. Post Alexander Fields Parth Gejji Christopher R. Cowan Beck Redden LLP 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4500 Houston, Texas 77010 Telephone: 713/951-3700 713/951-3720 Email: rpost@beckredden.com falexander@beckredden.com pgejji@beckredden.com ccowan@beckredden.com
-8- 1092735_1 COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF(S) Michael D. Marin Evan J. Smith Boulette Golden & Marin LLP Marc L. Ackerman 2801 Via Fortuna Drive, Suite 530 Brodsky & Smith, LLC Austin, TX 78746 Two Bala Plaza, Suite 602 Telephone: 512/732-8900 Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 512/732-8905 (fax) Telephone: 610/667-6200 Email: mmarin@boulettegolden.com 610/667-9029 (fax) Email: esmith@brodsky-smith.com; mackerman@brodsky- smith.com Shane T. Rowley Hamilton Lindley Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Dunnam & Dunnam LLP 30 Broad Street, 24th Floor 4125 West Waco Drive (76710) New York, NY 10004 P.O. Box 8418 Telephone: 212/363-7500 Waco, TX 76714-8418 866/367-6510 (fax) Telephone: 254/753-6437 Email: srowley@zlk.com 254/753-7434 (fax) Email: hlindley@dunnamlaw.com
Joe Kendall Denis F. Sheils Daniel Hill Kohn, Swift & Graf, P.C. Jamie J. McKey One South Broad Street Kendall Law Group, LLP Suite 2100 3232 McKinney Avenue, Suite 700 Philadelphia, PA 19107-3389 Dallas, TX 75204 Telephone: 215/238-1700 Telephone: 214/744-3000 215/238-1968 (fax) 214/744-3015 (fax) Email: dsheils@kohnswift.com Email: jkendall@kendalllawgroup.com; dhill@kendalllawgroup.com; jmckey@kendalllawgroup.com
-9- 1092735_1 Samuel H. Rudman Randall J. Baron Mark S. Reich David T. Wissbroecker Michael G. Capeci Steven M. Jodlowski Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP 58 South Service Road, Suite 200 655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 Melville, NY 11747 San Diego, CA 92101 Telephone: 631/367-7100 Telephone: 619/231-1058 631/367-1173 (fax) 619/231-7423 (fax) Email: srudman@rgrdlaw.com; Email: rbaron@rgrdlaw.com; mreich@rgrdlaw.com; dwissbroecker@rgrdlaw.com; mcapeci@rgrdlaw.com sjodlowski@rgrdlaw.com
Patricia C. Weiser Katharine M. Ryan James M. Ficaro Richard A. Maniskas The Weiser Law Firm, P.C. Ryan & Maniskas, LLP 22 Cassatt Avenue 995 Old Eagle School Road, Suite 311 Berwyn, PA 19312 Wayne, PA 19087 Telephone: 610/225-2677 Telephone: 484/588-5516 610/408-8062 (fax) 484/450-2582 (fax) Email: pw@weiserlawfirm.com; Email: kryan@rmclasslaw.com; jmf@weiserlawfirm.com rmaniskas@rmclasslaw.com
Kelly N. Reddell Willie C. Briscoe The Reddell Firm PLLC The Briscoe Law Firm 100 Highland Park Village, Suite 200 8150 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1575 Dallas, Texas 75205 Dallas, TX 75206 Telephone: 214/295-3031 214/239-4568 Email: kelly@reddell-law.com 281/254-7789(Fax) Email:wbriscoe@thebriscoelawfirm.com
- 10 - 1092735_1