Preview
John Domingue (SBN: 193570)
1
ROSSI DOMINGUE LLP
2 1570 The Alameda, Suite 316
San Jose, California 95126
3 Telephone: 408.495.3900
9/18/2020
4 Facsimile: 408.495.3901
Email: john@rdlaw.net
5
Attorneys for Plaintiff and Cross-Defendant
6 G.W. WILLIAMS CO.
7
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
8
CIVIL UNLIMITED – COMPLEX LITIGATION
9
10 G.W. WILLIAMS CO., a California
corporation, CASE NO: 18-CIV-04829
11
Plaintiff,
12 PLAINTIFF’S OPPOSITION TO TECNO
v. FIRE’S MOTION IN LIMINE NO. 8 TO
13
EXCLUDE EXPERT TESTIMONY NOT
G.E. CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS, INCLUDED IN THEIR DEPOSITION
14 INC., a California corporation; and DOES 1
through 50, inclusive,
15 Trial Date: October 8, 2020
Defendants. Trial Time: 8:45 a.m. 9:00 AM
16 Trial Dept.: 2
17 Judge: Hon. Marie Weiner
18 Complaint Filed: September 10, 2018
19 AND RELATED CROSS-ACTION
20 Plaintiff G.W. Williams Co. opposes the above-captioned motion in limine as follows:
21 Without having yet seen the final statement of claims or heard any testimony at deposition,
22 Tecno Fire moves to limit the testimony of plaintiff’s experts. In particular, Tecno Fire moves to
23 exclude any expert opinion not expressed at the deposition of plaintiff’s expert. The granting of
24 this motion would sanction Tecno Fire’s purposely avoiding asking questions of plaintiff’s expert
25 so that it could limit testimony at trial. If by design or poor deposition tactics Tecno Fire does not
26 elicit all of the opinions of plaintiff’s expert during depositions, that should not serve to limit
27 plaintiff’s evidence at trial.
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PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8
1 In addition, plaintiff’s expert is expected to be deposed first. After this deposition, many
2 other experts will be offering opinions, and plaintiff cannot be limited in the evidence and expert
3 opinion offered in opposition and rebuttal to this testimony. Accordingly, Tecno Fire’s motion in
4 limine No. 8 should be denied.
5 To the extent, Tecno Fire moves in limine for an order to exclude evidence of opinions or
6 matters developed after the depositions of its experts, this motion should also be denied. Such a
7 motion is substantively similar to GE Constructions motion in limine number 1, and all of the
8 opposition and arguments to that motion in limine are incorporated herein by this reference.
9 In addition to those arguments, this particular motion seems to add authority stating that an
10 expert must be made available for deposition prior to testifying at trial. Plaintiff is not necessarily
11 disputing that its expert must be deposed, but that does not mean that evidence should be excluded
12 from trial if, for example, the deposing counsel is inept at asking questions and fails to elicit all of
13 the areas of opinion (which should not trigger a limitation on the expert’s trial testimony).
14 Furthermore, plaintiff’s expert should be able to respond to the opinions made by other
15 experts after plaintiff’s expert’s deposition is taken.
16 Accordingly, Tecno Fire’s motion in limine number 8 should be denied.
17
ROSSI DOMINGUE LLP
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Dated: September 18, 2020 By:
20
John F. Domingue, Esq.
21 Attorneys for Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant
G.W. WILLIAMS CO.
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PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8
PROOF OF SERVICE
1 STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
G.W. Williams Co. v. G.E. Construction, et al.
2 Case No.: 18CIV04829
3
I, Maria E. Warkentin, declare:
4
I am now and at all times herein mentioned have been over the age of eighteen years, a citizen of
5 the United States, employed in Santa Clara County, California, and not a party to the within action
or cause; my business address is 1570 The Alameda, Suite 316, San Jose, California 95126. I am
6 readily familiar with the Rossi Domingue LLP’s practice for collection and processing of
documents for delivery by way of the service indicated below. On September 18, 2020, I served
7 the following document(s): PLAINTIFF’S OPPOSITION TO TECNO FIRE’S MOTION IN
8 LIMINE NO. 8 TO EXCLUDE EXPERT TESTIMONY NOT INCLUDED IN THEIR
DEPOSITION on the interested party(ies) in this action as follows:
9
SEE LIST OF PARTIES SERVED
10
11 (BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – PER CMO #5 and pursuant to Executive
Order N-38-20 4 b) dated March 27, 2020) I caused such document(s) to be transmitted by electronic
12 transmission on this date to the offices of addressee(s). The transmission was reported as complete
13 and without error.
14 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing
is true and correct and that I am employed in the office of a member of the bar of this Court at whose
15 direction the service was made.
16
Executed on September 18, 2020 at San Jose, California.
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Maria E. Warkentin
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POS RE PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8
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LIST OF PARTIES SERVED
2 NAME ATTORNEY FOR:
3 James Souza Defendant/Cross-Complainant G.E.
John Hedger CONSTRUCTION
4 Kennedy & Souza PC CONTRACTORS, INC.
7964 Arjons Drive, Suite 1
5 San Diego, CA 92126
T: (858) 267-4127
6 F (858) 267-4128
7 Email: jhedger@kennedysouza.com
Email: jsouza@kennedysouza.com
8 Email: rchapa@kennedysouza.com
9 Legal Assistant: Celeste Reising
Email: creising@kennedysouza.com
10 Paralegal: Bev Linkhart
Email: blinkhart@kennedysouza.com
11
William D. Schuster, Esq. Attorneys for G.E. CONSTRUCTION
12 ALLIE & SCHUSTER, PC CONTRACTORS, INC.
2122 N Broadway Avenue
13 Santa Ana, CA 92706
Tel: (714) 558-8899 / Fax: (714) 558-8889
14 Email: bills@allieschuster.org
15 Legal Assistant: Rosemarie A. Rahall
Email: rrahall@allieschuster.org
16
Joseph A. Long, Esq. Attorneys for ARAZ ELECTRIC, INC.
17 Jane S. Blumberg, Esq.
LONG BLUMBERG, LLP
18 2540 Camino Diablo, Suite 202
19 Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Tel: (925) 941-0090 / Fax: (925) 932-1961
20 Email: jlong@longblumberg.com
Email: jblumberg@longblumberg.com
21
David A. Harris, Esq. Attorneys for JUST CARPETS
22 LAW OFFICES OF SANTANA &
VIERRA
23 255 California Street, Suite 900
San Francisco, CA 94111
24 Tel: (415) 777-1308 / Fax: (603) 430-0513
25 Email: David.Harris01@libertymutual.com
Legal Assistant: Joanna Jhanda
26 Email: Joanna.Jhanda@libertymutual.com
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POS RE PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8
Arnold K. Graham, Esq. Attorneys for CANTRELL AIRE
1
GRAHAM * VAAGE LLP
2 155 North Lake, 8th Floor
Pasadena, CA 91101
3 Tel: (818) 547-4800 / Fax: (818) 384-4083
Email: akgraham@grahamvaagelaw.com
4
Legal Assistant: Terri Powers
5 Email: tpowers@grahamvaagelaw.com
6 Robert Grosfeld Attorneys for CANTRELL AIRE, INC.
Regina Jaramillo
7 JEFFERY & GROSFELD, LLP
725 Town & Country Road, Suite 450
8 Orange, CA 92868
Tel: (714) 547-2700 / Fax: (714) 547-2722
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Email: rgrosfeld@jeffery-grosfeld.com
10 Email: rjaramillo@jeffery-grosfeld.com
Legal Assistant: Shellie Ramsey
11 Email: sramsey@jeffery-grosfeld.com
12 Joong Y. Im, Esq. Attorneys for ART GENERAL
LAW OFFICE OF JOONG Y. IM ROOFING, INC.
13 1970 Broadway, Ste. 1030
14 Oakland, CA 94612
Tel: (415) 775-9854 / Fax: (510) 730-0929
15 Email: joongimesq@gmail.com
16 Richard G. Somes Attorneys
Attorneys forfor
TECNO
TECNO FIREFIRE Attorn
Nathan Malone PROTECTION PROT
17 TYSON & MENDES LLC
17885 Von Karman Ave., Suite 450
18 Irvine, CA 92614
Tel: 858-459-4400 / Fax: 858-459-3864
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Email: rsomes@tysonmendes.com
20 Email: nmalone@tysonmendes.com
Legal Assistant: Marie Victor
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Email: mvictor@tysonemendes.com
22 Lydia V. Ko Attorneys for CORONA DRYWALL
Stone & Associates, APC
23
2125 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 101
24 Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Direct Office: (925) 400-9649
25 Email: LKO@stonelawoffice.com
26 Legal Assistant: Celena Sepulveda
csepulveda@stonelawoffice.com
27 Private Counsel: Richard Freeman
Email: rfreemanattorney@sonic.net
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POS RE PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8
Preview
John Domingue (SBN: 193570) 1 ROSSI DOMINGUE LLP 2 1570 The Alameda, Suite 316 San Jose, California 95126 3 Telephone: 408.495.3900 9/18/2020 4 Facsimile: 408.495.3901 Email: john@rdlaw.net 5 Attorneys for Plaintiff and Cross-Defendant 6 G.W. WILLIAMS CO. 7 SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO 8 CIVIL UNLIMITED – COMPLEX LITIGATION 9 10 G.W. WILLIAMS CO., a California corporation, CASE NO: 18-CIV-04829 11 Plaintiff, 12 PLAINTIFF’S OPPOSITION TO TECNO v. FIRE’S MOTION IN LIMINE NO. 8 TO 13 EXCLUDE EXPERT TESTIMONY NOT G.E. CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS, INCLUDED IN THEIR DEPOSITION 14 INC., a California corporation; and DOES 1 through 50, inclusive, 15 Trial Date: October 8, 2020 Defendants. Trial Time: 8:45 a.m. 9:00 AM 16 Trial Dept.: 2 17 Judge: Hon. Marie Weiner 18 Complaint Filed: September 10, 2018 19 AND RELATED CROSS-ACTION 20 Plaintiff G.W. Williams Co. opposes the above-captioned motion in limine as follows: 21 Without having yet seen the final statement of claims or heard any testimony at deposition, 22 Tecno Fire moves to limit the testimony of plaintiff’s experts. In particular, Tecno Fire moves to 23 exclude any expert opinion not expressed at the deposition of plaintiff’s expert. The granting of 24 this motion would sanction Tecno Fire’s purposely avoiding asking questions of plaintiff’s expert 25 so that it could limit testimony at trial. If by design or poor deposition tactics Tecno Fire does not 26 elicit all of the opinions of plaintiff’s expert during depositions, that should not serve to limit 27 plaintiff’s evidence at trial. 28 -1- PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8 1 In addition, plaintiff’s expert is expected to be deposed first. After this deposition, many 2 other experts will be offering opinions, and plaintiff cannot be limited in the evidence and expert 3 opinion offered in opposition and rebuttal to this testimony. Accordingly, Tecno Fire’s motion in 4 limine No. 8 should be denied. 5 To the extent, Tecno Fire moves in limine for an order to exclude evidence of opinions or 6 matters developed after the depositions of its experts, this motion should also be denied. Such a 7 motion is substantively similar to GE Constructions motion in limine number 1, and all of the 8 opposition and arguments to that motion in limine are incorporated herein by this reference. 9 In addition to those arguments, this particular motion seems to add authority stating that an 10 expert must be made available for deposition prior to testifying at trial. Plaintiff is not necessarily 11 disputing that its expert must be deposed, but that does not mean that evidence should be excluded 12 from trial if, for example, the deposing counsel is inept at asking questions and fails to elicit all of 13 the areas of opinion (which should not trigger a limitation on the expert’s trial testimony). 14 Furthermore, plaintiff’s expert should be able to respond to the opinions made by other 15 experts after plaintiff’s expert’s deposition is taken. 16 Accordingly, Tecno Fire’s motion in limine number 8 should be denied. 17 ROSSI DOMINGUE LLP 18 19 Dated: September 18, 2020 By: 20 John F. Domingue, Esq. 21 Attorneys for Plaintiff/Cross-Defendant G.W. WILLIAMS CO. 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 -2- PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8 PROOF OF SERVICE 1 STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO G.W. Williams Co. v. G.E. Construction, et al. 2 Case No.: 18CIV04829 3 I, Maria E. Warkentin, declare: 4 I am now and at all times herein mentioned have been over the age of eighteen years, a citizen of 5 the United States, employed in Santa Clara County, California, and not a party to the within action or cause; my business address is 1570 The Alameda, Suite 316, San Jose, California 95126. I am 6 readily familiar with the Rossi Domingue LLP’s practice for collection and processing of documents for delivery by way of the service indicated below. On September 18, 2020, I served 7 the following document(s): PLAINTIFF’S OPPOSITION TO TECNO FIRE’S MOTION IN 8 LIMINE NO. 8 TO EXCLUDE EXPERT TESTIMONY NOT INCLUDED IN THEIR DEPOSITION on the interested party(ies) in this action as follows: 9 SEE LIST OF PARTIES SERVED 10 11 (BY ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – PER CMO #5 and pursuant to Executive Order N-38-20 4 b) dated March 27, 2020) I caused such document(s) to be transmitted by electronic 12 transmission on this date to the offices of addressee(s). The transmission was reported as complete 13 and without error. 14 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct and that I am employed in the office of a member of the bar of this Court at whose 15 direction the service was made. 16 Executed on September 18, 2020 at San Jose, California. 17 18 Maria E. Warkentin 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 -1- POS RE PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8 1 LIST OF PARTIES SERVED 2 NAME ATTORNEY FOR: 3 James Souza Defendant/Cross-Complainant G.E. John Hedger CONSTRUCTION 4 Kennedy & Souza PC CONTRACTORS, INC. 7964 Arjons Drive, Suite 1 5 San Diego, CA 92126 T: (858) 267-4127 6 F (858) 267-4128 7 Email: jhedger@kennedysouza.com Email: jsouza@kennedysouza.com 8 Email: rchapa@kennedysouza.com 9 Legal Assistant: Celeste Reising Email: creising@kennedysouza.com 10 Paralegal: Bev Linkhart Email: blinkhart@kennedysouza.com 11 William D. Schuster, Esq. Attorneys for G.E. CONSTRUCTION 12 ALLIE & SCHUSTER, PC CONTRACTORS, INC. 2122 N Broadway Avenue 13 Santa Ana, CA 92706 Tel: (714) 558-8899 / Fax: (714) 558-8889 14 Email: bills@allieschuster.org 15 Legal Assistant: Rosemarie A. Rahall Email: rrahall@allieschuster.org 16 Joseph A. Long, Esq. Attorneys for ARAZ ELECTRIC, INC. 17 Jane S. Blumberg, Esq. LONG BLUMBERG, LLP 18 2540 Camino Diablo, Suite 202 19 Walnut Creek, CA 94597 Tel: (925) 941-0090 / Fax: (925) 932-1961 20 Email: jlong@longblumberg.com Email: jblumberg@longblumberg.com 21 David A. Harris, Esq. Attorneys for JUST CARPETS 22 LAW OFFICES OF SANTANA & VIERRA 23 255 California Street, Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94111 24 Tel: (415) 777-1308 / Fax: (603) 430-0513 25 Email: David.Harris01@libertymutual.com Legal Assistant: Joanna Jhanda 26 Email: Joanna.Jhanda@libertymutual.com 27 28 -2- POS RE PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8 Arnold K. Graham, Esq. Attorneys for CANTRELL AIRE 1 GRAHAM * VAAGE LLP 2 155 North Lake, 8th Floor Pasadena, CA 91101 3 Tel: (818) 547-4800 / Fax: (818) 384-4083 Email: akgraham@grahamvaagelaw.com 4 Legal Assistant: Terri Powers 5 Email: tpowers@grahamvaagelaw.com 6 Robert Grosfeld Attorneys for CANTRELL AIRE, INC. Regina Jaramillo 7 JEFFERY & GROSFELD, LLP 725 Town & Country Road, Suite 450 8 Orange, CA 92868 Tel: (714) 547-2700 / Fax: (714) 547-2722 9 Email: rgrosfeld@jeffery-grosfeld.com 10 Email: rjaramillo@jeffery-grosfeld.com Legal Assistant: Shellie Ramsey 11 Email: sramsey@jeffery-grosfeld.com 12 Joong Y. Im, Esq. Attorneys for ART GENERAL LAW OFFICE OF JOONG Y. IM ROOFING, INC. 13 1970 Broadway, Ste. 1030 14 Oakland, CA 94612 Tel: (415) 775-9854 / Fax: (510) 730-0929 15 Email: joongimesq@gmail.com 16 Richard G. Somes Attorneys Attorneys forfor TECNO TECNO FIREFIRE Attorn Nathan Malone PROTECTION PROT 17 TYSON & MENDES LLC 17885 Von Karman Ave., Suite 450 18 Irvine, CA 92614 Tel: 858-459-4400 / Fax: 858-459-3864 19 Email: rsomes@tysonmendes.com 20 Email: nmalone@tysonmendes.com Legal Assistant: Marie Victor 21 Email: mvictor@tysonemendes.com 22 Lydia V. Ko Attorneys for CORONA DRYWALL Stone & Associates, APC 23 2125 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite 101 24 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 Direct Office: (925) 400-9649 25 Email: LKO@stonelawoffice.com 26 Legal Assistant: Celena Sepulveda csepulveda@stonelawoffice.com 27 Private Counsel: Richard Freeman Email: rfreemanattorney@sonic.net 28 -3- POS RE PLAINTIFF’S OPP. TO TECNO’S MIL #8