On August 14, 2020 a
Party Statement
was filed
involving a dispute between
Stephens, Donnetta,
and
Crown Ace Hardware,
Does 1 Through 100 Inclusive,
Monsato Company,
Wilbur-Ellis Company, Llc,
Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition, Llc,
for Product Liability Unlimited
in the District Court of San Bernardino County.
Preview
Bart H. Williams (State Bar No. 134009)
bwilliams roskauer.com
Manuel F. acha'n (State Bar No. 216987) . F I L ED
bLéPERIOR CCL’RT OF
mcachan proskauer.com CAUFORNJA
EUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
Shawn S. edingham, Jr. (State Bar No. 275268) .~AN
BERNARDINO DISTRICT
sledin%m proskauer.com
PROS A R ROSE LLP JUL 02 2021
2029 Century Park East
Suite 2400
Los Angeles, CA 90067
Telephone: (310) 557-2900
8v “h‘77
Imggmj
Facsunile: (310) 557-2193 DEPUTY
Lee M. Popkin (admitted pro hac vice)
1 opkin proskauer.com
. Jenni er Yang (admitted pro hac vice)
jyang proskauer.com
PROS AUER ROSE LLP
11Times Square
New York, NY 10036
10 Telephone: (2 1 2) 969-3000
Facsunile: (212) 969-2900
1'1
Attorneys for Defendants
12 MONSANTO COMPANY AND CROWN ACE
HARDWARE
13
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
14 COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
15
DONNETTA STEPHENS, Case No. CIVSB2104801
16
Plaintiff DECLARATION 0F SHAWN S.
17
LEDINGHAM, JR. IN SUPPORT 0F
vs. DEFENDANTS’ MOTION INLIMINE NO. 2
TO EXCLUDE ARGUMENT, EVIDENCE,
18 MONSANTO COMPANY, WILBUR-ELLIS OR REFERENCES TO COMPARISON OR
NUTRITION, LLC AND CROWN ACE ANALOGIES TO THE TOBACCO
19 HARDWARE, INDUSTRY OR TOBACCO LITIGATION
20 Defendants. Judge: Hon. Gilbert G. Ochoa
Dept: SZ4—SBJC
21 Complaint Filed: August 4, 2020
Trial Date: July 19, 2021
22 Hearing Date: July 15, 2021
Time: 9:00 am.
23
24
25
26
27
28
DECLARATION 0F SHAWN S. LEDINGHAM, JR. IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ MOTION INLIMINE
NO. 2 TO EXCLUDE ARGUNIENT, EVIDENCE, OR REFERENCES TO COMPARISON 0R ANALOGIES
TO THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY OR TOBACCO LITIGATION
DECLARATION OF SHAWN S. LEDINGHAM, JR.
I, Shawn S. Ledingham, declare as follows:
1. I am an attorney at law admitted to practice before all of the courts in the state of
California. 1am an attorney with the law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel of record for
Defendants Monsanto Company and Crown Ace Hardware (collectively, “Defendants”) in the
above-referenced action. I am over eighteen years of age and am fully competent to make this
Declaration in support of Defendants’ Motion in Limine to Exclude Argument, Evidence, or
\Omflc‘x
References to Comparisons or Analogies to the Tobacco Industry or Tobacco Litigation. Except
where otherwise stated, I have personal knowledge of the following, and if called upon to testify
10 as a witness, I could and would competently testify to the matters stated herein.
1'1
2. The Motion seeks to preclude Plaintiff Donnetta Stephens, her attorneys, and
12 witnesses from offering or mentioning evidence or argument drawing comparisons or analogies
13 between Monsanto and tobacco companies; (ii) suggesting that Monsanto is like tobacco
14 companies; or (iii) that this litigation is like tobacco litigation. If the Motion is not granted,
15 Defendants will be prejudiced because in’elevant and otherwise inadmissible evidence, testimony
16 and/or argument may be presented to the jury, impairing the jury’s ability t0 render a verdict based
17 on the evidence in this case. Without an order excluding such materials, the jury might render its
18 decision based on evidence and argument that has no bearing on the cause of Plaintifi” s claimed
19 injuries.
2o 3. Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a true and correct copy of excerpts from the
21 transcript of the May 3, 2016 proceeding in the case Hardeman v. Monsanto C0. et. al, United
22 States District Court for the Northern District of California Case No. 3:16-cv-00525-VC, with the
23 portions cited in the accompanying motion highlighted. A copy of this transcript was obtained at
24 my direction by employees of my firm from the litigation files in this matter.
25 4. Pursuant to Rule 415 of the Local Rules of Court of the Superior Court of
26 California, County of San Bernardino, I met and conferred with Plaintiffs counsel regarding the
27 subject 0f the Motion 0n June 15 and June 22, 202 1. Plaintiff” s counsel has refused to stipulate
28
-1-
DECLARATION OF SHAWN S. LEDINGHAM, JR. IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ MOTION INLIMINE
NO. 2 TO EXCLUDE ARGUMENT, EVIDENCE, OR REFERENCES TO COMPARISON OR ANALOGIES
TO THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY 0R TOBACCO LITIGATION
Document Filed Date
July 02, 2021
Case Filing Date
August 14, 2020
Category
Product Liability Unlimited
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Bart H. Williams (State Bar No. 134009) bwilliams roskauer.com Manuel F. acha'n (State Bar No. 216987) . F I L ED bLéPERIOR CCL’RT OF mcachan proskauer.com CAUFORNJA EUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO Shawn S. edingham, Jr. (State Bar No. 275268) .~AN BERNARDINO DISTRICT sledin%m proskauer.com PROS A R ROSE LLP JUL 02 2021 2029 Century Park East Suite 2400 Los Angeles, CA 90067 Telephone: (310) 557-2900 8v “h‘77 Imggmj Facsunile: (310) 557-2193 DEPUTY Lee M. Popkin (admitted pro hac vice) 1 opkin proskauer.com . Jenni er Yang (admitted pro hac vice) jyang proskauer.com PROS AUER ROSE LLP 11Times Square New York, NY 10036 10 Telephone: (2 1 2) 969-3000 Facsunile: (212) 969-2900 1'1 Attorneys for Defendants 12 MONSANTO COMPANY AND CROWN ACE HARDWARE 13 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA 14 COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO 15 DONNETTA STEPHENS, Case No. CIVSB2104801 16 Plaintiff DECLARATION 0F SHAWN S. 17 LEDINGHAM, JR. IN SUPPORT 0F vs. DEFENDANTS’ MOTION INLIMINE NO. 2 TO EXCLUDE ARGUMENT, EVIDENCE, 18 MONSANTO COMPANY, WILBUR-ELLIS OR REFERENCES TO COMPARISON OR NUTRITION, LLC AND CROWN ACE ANALOGIES TO THE TOBACCO 19 HARDWARE, INDUSTRY OR TOBACCO LITIGATION 20 Defendants. Judge: Hon. Gilbert G. Ochoa Dept: SZ4—SBJC 21 Complaint Filed: August 4, 2020 Trial Date: July 19, 2021 22 Hearing Date: July 15, 2021 Time: 9:00 am. 23 24 25 26 27 28 DECLARATION 0F SHAWN S. LEDINGHAM, JR. IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ MOTION INLIMINE NO. 2 TO EXCLUDE ARGUNIENT, EVIDENCE, OR REFERENCES TO COMPARISON 0R ANALOGIES TO THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY OR TOBACCO LITIGATION DECLARATION OF SHAWN S. LEDINGHAM, JR. I, Shawn S. Ledingham, declare as follows: 1. I am an attorney at law admitted to practice before all of the courts in the state of California. 1am an attorney with the law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, counsel of record for Defendants Monsanto Company and Crown Ace Hardware (collectively, “Defendants”) in the above-referenced action. I am over eighteen years of age and am fully competent to make this Declaration in support of Defendants’ Motion in Limine to Exclude Argument, Evidence, or \Omflc‘x References to Comparisons or Analogies to the Tobacco Industry or Tobacco Litigation. Except where otherwise stated, I have personal knowledge of the following, and if called upon to testify 10 as a witness, I could and would competently testify to the matters stated herein. 1'1 2. The Motion seeks to preclude Plaintiff Donnetta Stephens, her attorneys, and 12 witnesses from offering or mentioning evidence or argument drawing comparisons or analogies 13 between Monsanto and tobacco companies; (ii) suggesting that Monsanto is like tobacco 14 companies; or (iii) that this litigation is like tobacco litigation. If the Motion is not granted, 15 Defendants will be prejudiced because in’elevant and otherwise inadmissible evidence, testimony 16 and/or argument may be presented to the jury, impairing the jury’s ability t0 render a verdict based 17 on the evidence in this case. Without an order excluding such materials, the jury might render its 18 decision based on evidence and argument that has no bearing on the cause of Plaintifi” s claimed 19 injuries. 2o 3. Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a true and correct copy of excerpts from the 21 transcript of the May 3, 2016 proceeding in the case Hardeman v. Monsanto C0. et. al, United 22 States District Court for the Northern District of California Case No. 3:16-cv-00525-VC, with the 23 portions cited in the accompanying motion highlighted. A copy of this transcript was obtained at 24 my direction by employees of my firm from the litigation files in this matter. 25 4. Pursuant to Rule 415 of the Local Rules of Court of the Superior Court of 26 California, County of San Bernardino, I met and conferred with Plaintiffs counsel regarding the 27 subject 0f the Motion 0n June 15 and June 22, 202 1. Plaintiff” s counsel has refused to stipulate 28 -1- DECLARATION OF SHAWN S. LEDINGHAM, JR. IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ MOTION INLIMINE NO. 2 TO EXCLUDE ARGUMENT, EVIDENCE, OR REFERENCES TO COMPARISON OR ANALOGIES TO THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY 0R TOBACCO LITIGATION