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
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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)
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KELLY N. REDDELL
THE REDDELL FIRM PLLC
100 Highland Park Village, Suite 200
Dallas, Texas 75205
Telephone: 214/295-3031
Additional Counsel for Appellees
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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
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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.
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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.
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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)
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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
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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
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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.
/s/ Michael D. Marin
MICHAEL D. MARIN
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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
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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
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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
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