Western States Wholesale, Inc. v. Synthetic Industries, Inc.

206 F.R.D. 271, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6031, 2002 WL 342048
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedFebruary 19, 2002
DocketNo. CV 00-346RT (MANx)
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 206 F.R.D. 271 (Western States Wholesale, Inc. v. Synthetic Industries, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Western States Wholesale, Inc. v. Synthetic Industries, Inc., 206 F.R.D. 271, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6031, 2002 WL 342048 (C.D. Cal. 2002).

Opinion

PROCEEDINGS: ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR CLASS CERTIFICATION

TIMLIN, District Judge.

The court, the Honorable Robert J. Timlin, has read and considered Plaintiff Western States Wholesale, Inc. (“Western States”)’s motion for class certification, Defendant SI Corporation (“SI”)’s opposition1, Western States’s reply, Si’s supplemental brief, and Western States’s supplemental brief2 Based on such consideration, the court concludes as follows:

L

BACKGROUND

Western States is a California corporation with its principal place of business in Ontario, California. Western States manufactures and distributes welded wire mesh,3 which is used as secondary reinforcement of concrete building slabs. Welded wire mesh consists of 10 gauge wire arranged in six inch squares. When poured concrete dries, it shrinks and can crack. Wire mesh placed within the concrete slab enables holding the cracks together and prevents pieces of concrete from being displaced.

SI is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Chattanooga, Tennessee. SI manufactures Fibermesh®, which is also used as secondary reinforcement of concrete building slabs. Fiber-mesh® is made up of polypropylene strands made from homopolymer virgin polypropylene fibrillated fibers.

Western States has filed a class action suit against SI alleging that SI has engaged in false and misleading comparative advertising and misrepresentation with respect to the nature, quality, and characteristics of Fiber-mesh® in violation of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a).4 Among other things, [274]*274Western States alleges that Si’s claims that Fibermesh replaces welded wire mesh, eliminates the need for welded wire mesh, prevents cracking, is superior to welded wire mesh, and is more cost effective than welded wire mesh are false and misleading.

II.

ANALYSIS

Fed.R.Civ.P. 23 (“Rule 23”) defines the requirements for a class action. Rule 23(a) lists four prerequisites to a class action: 1) the class must be so numerous that joinder is impracticable; 2) there are common questions of law or fact; 3) the claims and defenses of the class representative are typical of those of the class; and 4) the class representative will fairly and adequately represent the interests of the class. In addition to meeting the requirements of Rule 23(a), the potential class representative must also show that the action is of one of the types of actions listed in Rule 23(b) that is maintainable as a class action. In this case, Western States contends that its action qualifies under Rule 23(b)(3), which requires that the common questions of law or fact predominate over questions affecting the class members individually and that a class action is the superior method for litigating the class claims. When examining whether a class action is maintainable under Rule 23(b)(3), the court should consider:

(A) the interest of members of the class in individually controlling the prosecution or defense of separate actions; (B) the extent and nature of any litigation concerning the controversy already commenced by or against members of the class; (C) the desirability or undesirability of concentrating the litigation of the claims in the particular forum; (D) the difficulties likely to be encountered in the management of a class action.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(b)(3). These factors, however, are not exhaustive. Kamm v. California City Development Co., 509 F.2d 205, 212 (9th Cir.1975). Determining whether class certification is proper is within the discretion of the trial court. Doninger v. Pacific Northwest Bell, Inc., 564 F.2d 1304, 1309 (9th Cir.1977). The court is required to take the allegations of the plaintiffs complaint as true. Blackie v. Barrack, 524 F.2d 891, 901 n. 17 (9th Cir.1975). Plaintiff bears the burden of showing that the elements of Rule 23 are met. Doninger, 564 F.2d at 1308.

A. A Class Exists

Implicit in Rule 23 is the requirement that a class exist and that the putative class representative be a member of the class. Equal Employment Opportunity Comm’n v. General Telephone Co., 599 F.2d 322 327 (9th Cir.1979). Western States defines in its Complaint the class as “consisting of all entities and persons who are manufacturers of 6 x 6, 10 x 10 welded wire mesh.” The court finds the class is sufficiently defined and that Western States is a class member.

B. Numerosity and Impracticality of Joinder

Western States has submitted evidence that there are over 100 class members, geographically spread out across the United States and various foreign countries. SI has not contested Western States’s showing of numerosity and impracticality of joinder.

C. Common Questions of Law and Fact

Rule 23(a)(2) requires the existence of common questions of law or fact. “Rule 23(a)(2) has been construed permissively. All questions of fact and law need not be common to satisfy the rule. The existence of shared legal issues with divergent factual predicates is sufficient, as is a common core of salient facts coupled with disparate legal remedies within the class.” Hanlon v. Chrysler Corp., 150 F.3d 1011, 1019 (9th Cir.1998). Western States meets the commonality requirement because there are questions of law and fact common to all class members, such as whether Si’s advertisements are false and misleading and whether any misrepresentations are material.

In addition, whether the proposed class is entitled to injunctive relief is a question common to the class. SI contends that in order to obtain injunctive relief, Western States will have to show that customers were actually deceived by Si’s allegedly false ad[275]*275vertising. When a plaintiff shows that the defendant’s false advertising was intentional, the plaintiff is entitled to a presumption that customers were deceived. U-Haul Int’l, Inc. v. Jartran Inc., 793 F.2d 1034, 1041 (9th Cir.1986). SI contends that the presumption should not apply in this case because Western States has not alleged that SI acted intentionally. However, Western States makes such an allegation in paragraph ll(k) of the complaint: “Among the questions of law and fact common to the Class are: ... Whether the defendants’ acts as alleged constitute knowing, willful, extraordinary, malicious, wanton and/or oppressive conduct.” Complaint ¶ 11(k).

SI objects to applying the presumption because it contends that the reasons for the presumption do not apply in this case.

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Bluebook (online)
206 F.R.D. 271, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6031, 2002 WL 342048, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/western-states-wholesale-inc-v-synthetic-industries-inc-cacd-2002.