Short v. Hyundai Motor America Inc

1 The Honorable James L. Robart [7] UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 8 WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE 9 LINDA SHORT, OLIVIA PARKER, ELIZABETH SNIDER, JENNIFER 10 DIPARDO, ANTHONY DIPARDO, SEANE No. 2:19-cv-318-JLR 11 RONFELDT, JAMES TWIGGER, GABRIELLE ALEXANDER, TAVISH 12 CARDUFF, BRIAN FRAZIER, CHAD STIPULATED MOTION TO TRANSFER CASE TO THE U.S. PERRY, WILLIAM PRESSLEY, JEANETT 13 SMITH, AND JANELL WIGHT on behalf of DISTRICT COURT FOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF themselves and all others similarly situated, 14 CALIFORNIA 15 Plaintiffs, 16 v. NOTE ON MOTION CALENDAR: MAY 23, 2022 17 HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA, INC., HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA 18 AMERICA, INC., and KIA CORPORATION, [19] Defendants. [21] Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1404 (a), the parties submit this stipulated motion to transfer this [22] case to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. [23] Section 1404(a) grants this Court discretion to transfer a case to another district. See [24] 25 Jones v. GNC Franchising, Inc., 211 F.3d 495, 498 (9th Cir. 2000). It says: “For the convenience 26 of parties and witnesses, in the interest of justice, a district court may transfer any civil action to JOINT MOTION TO TRANSFER CASE 1 KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. 1 any other district or division where it might have been brought or to any district or division to 2 which all parties have consented.” 28 U.S.C. § 1404 (a). “Litigation of related claims in the same [3] tribunal is strongly favored.” Cray, Inc. v. Raytheon Co., No. C15-1127JLR, 2016 WL 3254997 , [4] at *4 (W.D. Wash. June 13, 2016) (quoting Amazon.com v. Cendant Corp., 404 F. Supp. 2d 5 1256, 1261 (W.D. Wash. 2005)). [6] The parties previously sought, and the Court granted, a stay of all deadlines pending [7] 8 resolution of the Class Settlement in In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litig. II, No. 8:18-cv-02223, 9 which is proceeding in the Central District of California. See Dkt. 107, 108. At that time, the 10 parties in Engine II believed they were nearing a nationwide class settlement in principle and [11] anticipated moving for preliminary approval. Dkt. 107 at 1. The Short parties believed that a [12] classwide settlement in Engine II could resolve the Short plaintiffs’ claims. Id. [13] To facilitate that resolution, transfer is now appropriate. As indicated in a May 17, 2022 [14] 15 stipulation filed in Engine II, the parties there have “reached a resolution in principle and are in 16 the final stages of memorializing a comprehensive settlement agreement.” Engine II, Dkt. 64 at 1 17 (May 17, 2022). To incorporate the Short plaintiffs into the ultimate proposed settlement, the [18] parties in Engine II stipulated that counsel would “promptly move for transfer of Short, et al. v. [19] Hyundai Motor Company, et al., No. 2:19-cv-00318-JLR (currently pending in the Western [20] District of Washington) to this Court for consolidation and resolution under the proposed class [21] settlement.” Id. [22] 23 The requirements of Section 1404(a) are met. Because transfer would facilitate the 24 proposed settlement, it would serve the convenience of the parties and the interest of justice. The 25 parties in this action consent to the transfer of this case to the Central District of California, and [26] Defendants have not objected to personal jurisdiction there. The parties respectfully request that JOINT MOTION TO TRANSFER CASE 2 KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. 1 the Court grant this stipulated motion to transfer this case to the U.S. District Court for the 2 Central District of California. [3] DATED this 23rd day of May, 2022. [4] KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. QUINN EMANUEL URQUHART & 5 SULLIVAN, LLP [6] By s/ Gretchen Freeman Cappio By s/ Alicia Cobb 7 Lynn Lincoln Sarko #16569 Alicia Cobb, #48685 Gretchen Freeman Cappio #29576 1109 First Avenue, Suite 210 8 Ryan McDevitt #43305 Seattle, WA 98101 Adele A. Daniel # 53315 Phone (206) 905-7000 9 1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200 Fax (206) 905-7100 Seattle, WA 98101-3052 aliciacobb@quinnemanuel.com 10 (206) 623-1900 Fax (206) 623-3384 Shon Morgan (pro hac vice) 11 lsarko@kellerrohrback.com 865 S. Figueroa St gcappio@kellerrohrback.com Los Angeles, CA 90017 12 rmcdevitt@kellerrohrback.com Phone (213) 443-3252 adaniel@kellerrohrback.com Fax (213) 443-3100 13 shonmorgan@quinnemanuel.com Benjamin L. Bailey, pro hac vice 14 Jonathan D. Boggs, pro hac vice Kari Wohlschlegel (pro hac vice) BAILEY GLASSER LLP Christine W. Chen (pro hac vice) 15 209 Capitol Street 50 California Street, 22nd Floor Charleston, WV 25301 San Francisco, CA 94111 16 Tel.: (304) 345-6555 Telephone: (415) 875-6600 Fax: (304) 342-1110 Facsimile: (415) 875-6700 17 bbailey@baileyglasser.com kariwohlschlegel@quinnemanuel.com jboggs@baileyglasser.com christinechen@quinnemanuel.com [18] W. Daniel “Dee” Miles, III (pro Cristina A. Henriquez (pro hac vice) 19 hac vice forthcoming) 555 Twin Dolphin Drive, 5th Floor H. Clay Barnett, III, pro hac vice Redwood Shores, CA 94065 20 J. Mitch Williams, pro hac vice Telephone: (650) 801-5000 BEASLEY, ALLEN, CROW, Facsimile: (650) 801-5100 21 METHVIN, PORTIS & MILES, cristinahenriquez@quinnemanuel.com P.C. 22 272 Commerce Street Attorneys for Defendants Montgomery, AL 36104 23 Tel.: (334) 269-2343 Dee.Miles@Beasleyallen.com 24 Clay.Barnett@BeasleyAllen.com Mitch.Williams@Beasleyallen.com [25] 26 Attorneys for Plaintiffs JOINT MOTION TO TRANSFER CASE 3 KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. [1] ORDER [2] Upon the stipulation of the parties, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this case is [3] 4 transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. [7] IT IS SO ORDERED. [8] Dated this 23rd day of May, 2022. [11] A [12] JAMES L. ROBART [13] United States District Judge [26] JOINT MOTION TO TRANSFER CASE 4 KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. [1] CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE [2] I, Gretchen Freeman Cappio, hereby certify that on May 23, 2022, I electronically filed [3] 4 the foregoing with the Clerk of the United States District Court for the Western District of 5 Washington using the CM/ECF system, which shall send electronic notification to all counsel of 6 record. [7] s/ Gretchen Freeman Cappio 8 Gretchen Freeman Cappio [9] 4881-7530-9089, v. 1 [26] JOINT MOTION TO TRANSFER CASE 5 KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P.