Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 1 of 10 PageID #: 5187
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`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`MARSHALL DIVISION
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`Plaintiff,
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`AGIS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
`LLC,
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`
`
`v.
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`HUAWEI DEVICE USA INC., HUAWEI
`DEVICE CO., LTD. AND HUAWEI
`DEVICE (DONGGUAN) CO., LTD.,
`HTC CORPORATION,
`LG ELECTRONICS, INC.,
`APPLE INC.,
`ZTE CORPORATION, ZTE (USA),
`INC., AND ZTE (TX), INC.,
`
`
`
`
`Defendants.
`
`
`
`
`Civil Action No. 2:17-CV-513-JRG
`(Lead Case)
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`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
`
`Civil Action No. 2:17-CV-514-JRG
`Civil Action No. 2:17-CV-515-JRG
`Civil Action No. 2:17-CV-516-JRG
`Civil Action No. 2:17-CV-517-JRG
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`JOINT MOTION FOR ENTRY OF OPPOSED PROTECTIVE ORDER
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`Pursuant to the Court's Consolidation Order filed on March 5, 2018 (Dkt. No. 90), Plaintiff,
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`AGIS Software Development LLC, and Defendants, Huawei Device USA Inc., Huawei Device
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`Co., Ltd., Huawei Device (Dongguan) Co., Ltd., HTC Corporation, LG Electronics, Inc., Apple
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`Inc., ZTE (USA), Inc., and ZTE (TX), Inc., hereafter referred to as “the Parties,” submit competing
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`forms of the proposed Protective Order attached hereto as Exhibit A. The Parties were able to
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`reach agreement on all issues in the Protective Order except for Paragraph 40. The Parties’
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`positions are outlined below.
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`I.
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`PLAINTIFF’S POSITION
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`AGIS Software Development LLC (“AGIS Software”) is the sole Plaintiff in this action.
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`AGIS Software is a separate and distinct corporate entity from AGIS Holdings, Inc. and
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`Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc. When Plaintiff negotiated the previous Protective
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 2 of 10 PageID #: 5188
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`Orders with the Huawei, HTC, LG, and ZTE defendants (Case Nos. 2:17-cv-00513, Dkt. 69 and
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`2:17-cv-00514, Dkt. 44), the involved parties agreed that the Protective Orders were binding
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`only on the “Parties.” The term “Parties” did not include any AGIS entities other than the
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`Plaintiff, AGIS Software. Moreover, the term “Parties” did include named Defendant and parent
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`company ZTE Corporation. See 2:17-cv-00514, Dkt. 44.
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`The consolidated Defendants now seek to remove named Defendant ZTE Corporation
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`from the proposed joint Protective Order and to omit the sister and parent corporate entities of
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`the other Defendants. Yet, Defendants also now demand that non-parties AGIS Holdings, Inc.
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`and Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc. be bound by the joint Protective Order through
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`a new provision carried over from the Apple Protective Order. See Proposed Protective Order at
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`¶ 40. Defendants cannot have it both ways.
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`Regarding the previous Apple Protective Order, AGIS and Apple had reached a bilateral
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`agreement to include the non-party AGIS entities. Notably, Apple Inc. does not have any
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`overseas parent or sister entities. However, the same is not true for other Defendants and AGIS
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`never made similar agreement with the other Defendants. AGIS Holdings, Inc. and Advanced
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`Ground Information Systems, Inc. are third parties that have not agreed to be bound by the
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`proposed Protective Order for the consolidated case. There is no compelling reason that AGIS
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`Holdings, Inc. and Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc. must be bound by the Protective
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`Order at this early stage, especially considering the other AGIS entities may be bound by the
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`Protective Order through the provision in the Protective Order created specifically for third
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`parties. See Proposed Protective Order at ¶ 31. For these reasons, Plaintiff respectfully requests
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`that the court enter Plaintiff’s proposed language for paragraph 40 of the proposed Protective
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 3 of 10 PageID #: 5189
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`Order, which does not include third parties AGIS Holdings, Inc. and Advanced Ground
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`Information Systems, Inc.
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`II.
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`DEFENDANTS’ POSITION
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`On October 26, 2017, this Court entered an agreed upon Protective Order in the AGIS
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`Software Development LLC v. Apple Inc. case. (2:17-cv-00516-JRG, D.I. 51.) That Protective
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`Order reflected the agreement of the parties that “[t]his Order shall be binding upon Apple Inc.,
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`AGIS Software LLC, AGIS Holdings, Inc., and Advanced Ground Information Systems, Inc.,
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`their attorneys, and their successors, executors, personal representatives, administrators, heirs,
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`legal representatives, assigns, subsidiaries, divisions, employees, agents, retained consultants and
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`experts, and any persons or organizations over which they have direct control.” (Id. ¶ 36.) In
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`response to the Court’s consolidation order, the parties negotiated a proposed amended
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`Protective Order for the consolidated cases. After reaching an agreement regarding an amended
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`Protective Order for the consolidated cases that included similar language in paragraph 40
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`binding AGIS Software Development LLC, AGIS Holdings, Inc. and Advanced Ground
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`Information Systems, Inc. (“AGIS, Inc.”), Plaintiff reneged on that agreement, stating that AGIS
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`no longer agrees to allow AGIS Holdings and AGIS Inc. to be named in the amended Protective
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`Order.
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`Although the Defendants have repeatedly requested Plaintiff’s basis for that change in its
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`position, Plaintiff has refused to provide any legitimate basis. In fact, Plaintiff has repeatedly
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`represented that it would agree to the inclusion of AGIS Holdings, Inc. and AGIS, Inc. in the
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`amended Protective Order, but has conditioned that agreement on the inclusion of unspecified
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`non-party entities affiliated with HTC, Huawei, ZTE and LG that were not included in any of the
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 4 of 10 PageID #: 5190
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`pre-consolidation protective orders in those cases. Plaintiff has explained that the only reason
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`for its removal of AGIS Holdings, Inc. and AGIS, Inc. from paragraph 40 of the proposed
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`Protective Order is that those unspecified non-party entities affiliated with HTC, Huawei, ZTE
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`and LG are not named in that paragraph. However, Plaintiff has not identified any specific non-
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`party entities it believes should be included or provided any basis for their inclusion, and HTC.
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`Huawei, ZTE1 and LG do not agree to include their unidentified non-party affiliates as
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`signatories to the Protective Order.
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`Based on Plaintiff’s own representations, AGIS, Inc.—the practicing AGIS entity—and
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`AGIS Holdings, Inc. will be involved in this case and should therefore be bound by the
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`governing Protective Order. AGIS, Inc. was the original assignee of the patents-in-suit and
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`assigned those patents to Plaintiff through AGIS Holdings, Inc. just one day before filing each of
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`the consolidated cases. Plaintiff has included former and present employees of AGIS, Inc. with
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`no affiliation to AGIS Software Development LLC in its initial disclosures to defendants and has
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`represented to this Court that AGIS, Inc. and its employees have information relevant to the case.
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`For example, in opposition to Apple’s motion to transfer venue, Plaintiff argued that it would be
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`relying on AGIS, Inc.’s products practicing of the patents-in-suit and therefore that AGIS, Inc.
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`employees would have information relevant to this case.
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`Despite those representations, Plaintiff has used its corporate structure as a shield in
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`discovery. For example, AGIS represented in its PR 3-1 (f) disclosure to Apple that “AGIS does
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`not intend to rely on the assertion that its own apparatuses, products, devices, processes,
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`methods, acts, or other instrumentalities practice the claimed inventions.” Additionally, after the
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`hearing regarding Apple’s transfer motion, Plaintiff refused to provide a response to an
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`1 Defendant ZTE Corporation has not yet been served or appeared in this matter.
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 5 of 10 PageID #: 5191
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`interrogatory requesting the identification of “each AGIS product that AGIS contends practices
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`any asserted claim of any Patent-in-Suit,” stating that “AGIS objects to this interrogatory as
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`overbroad and seeking irrelevant information to the extent the phrase ‘AGIS product[s]’ purports
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`to seek information regarding products developed by entities other than AGIS Software
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`Development LLC.” Similarly, Plaintiff now attempts to use its corporate structure to shield
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`AGIS, Inc. and AGIS Holdings, Inc. from the provisions of the Protective Order. That attempt to
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`exempt AGIS, Inc. and AGIS Holdings, Inc. from the Protective Order should be rejected.
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`Therefore, Defendants respectfully request that the Court enter Defendants’ proposed
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`language for paragraph 40 of the proposed Protective Order.
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`Dated: April 9, 2018
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`BROWN RUDNICK LLP
`
` /s/ Daniel J. Shea Jr.
`
`Alfred R. Fabricant
`NY Bar No. 2219392
`Email: afabricant@brownrudnick.com
`Peter Lambrianakos
`NY Bar No. 2894392
`Email: plambrianakos@brownrudnick.com
`Vincent J. Rubino, III
`NY Bar No. 4557435
`Email: vrubino@brownrudnick.com
`Joseph Mercadante
`NY Bar No. 4784930
`Email: jmercadante@brownrudnick.com
`Alessandra C. Messing
`NY Bar No. 5040019
`Email: amessing@brownrudnick.com
`John A. Rubino
`NY Bar No. 5020797
`Email: jrubino@brownrudnick.com
`Enrique W. Iturralde
`NY Bar No. 5526280
`Email: eiturralde@brownrudnick.com
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 6 of 10 PageID #: 5192
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`Daniel J. Shea Jr.
`NY Bar No. 5430558
`dshea@brownrudnick.com
`BROWN RUDNICK LLP
`7 Times Square
`New York, NY 10036
`Telephone: 212-209-4800
`Facsimile: 212-209-4801
`
`Samuel F. Baxter
`Texas State Bar No. 01938000
`sbaxter@mckoolsmith.com
`Jennifer L. Truelove
`Texas State Bar No. 24012906
`jtruelove@mckoolsmith.com
`MCKOOL SMITH, P.C.
`104 E. Houston Street, Suite 300
`Marshall, Texas 75670
`Telephone: (903) 923-9000
`Facsimile: (903) 923-9099
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`ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF, AGIS
`SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LLC
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 7 of 10 PageID #: 5193
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`/s/ Kerri-Ann Limbeek
`
`Melissa Richards Smith
`State Bar No. 24001351
`GILLAM & SMITH, LLP
`303 South Washington Ave.
`Marshall, TX 75670
`Tel: (903) 934-8450
`Fax: (903) 934-9257
`melissa@gillamsmithlaw.com
`
`John M. Desmarais
`Michael P. Stadnick
`Ameet A. Modi
`Kerri-Ann Limbeek
`Brian Matty
`DESMARAIS LLP
`230 Park Avenue
`New York, NY 10169
`Telephone: (212) 351-3400
`Facsimile: (212) 351-3401
`Email: jdesmarais@desmaraisllp.com
`Email: mstadnick@desmaraisllp.com
`Email: amodi@desmaraisllp.com
`Email: klimbeek@desmaraisllp.com
`Email: bmatty@desmaraisllp.com
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`Attorneys for Defendant Apple Inc.
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`/s/Miguel Bombach
`Matthew C. Bernstein, (Lead Attorney)
`CA State Bar No. 199240
`mbernstein@perkinscoie.com
`Miguel J. Bombach
`CA State Bar No. 274287
`mbombach@perkinscoie.com
`James Young Hurt (Pro Hac Vice)
`CA State Bar No. 312390
`jhurt@perkinscoie.com
`PERKINS COIE LLP
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 8 of 10 PageID #: 5194
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`11988 El Camino Real, Suite 350
`San Diego, CA 92130-2594
`Tel: (858) 720-5700
`Fax: (858) 720-5799
`
`Eric Findlay
`State Bar No. 00789886
`efindlay@findlaycraft.com
`FINDLAY CRAFT, P.C.
`102 N. College Ave., Suite 900
`Tyler, TX 75702
`Tel: (903) 534-1100
`Fax: (903) 534-1137
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`Attorneys for Defendant HTC Corporation
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`/s/ Bradford C. Schulz
`Lionel M. Lavenue (Lead Attorney)
`Virginia Bar No. 49,005
`lionel.lavenue@finnegan.com
`Bradford C. Schulz
`Virginia Bar No. 91,057
`bradford.schulz@finnegan.com
`FINNEGAN, HENDERSON, FARABOW,
`GARRETT & DUNNER, LLP
`Two Freedom Square
`11955 Freedom Drive
`Reston, VA 20190
`Phone: (571) 203-2700
`Fax: (202) 408-4400
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`ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANTS
`ZTE (TX) INC. AND ZTE (USA) INC.
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`/s/ Mark Mann
`Mark Mann
`SBN: 12926150
`mark@themannfirm.com
`G. Blake Thompson
`SBN: 24042033
`blake@themannfirm.com
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 9 of 10 PageID #: 5195
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`MANN TINDEL THOMPSON
`300 West Main Street
`Henderson, Texas 75652
`Tel: 903-657-8540
`
`Michael A. Berta
`Michael.berta@apks.com
`ARNOLD & PORTER
`KAYE SCHOLER LLP
`Three Embarcadero Center
`10th Floor
`San Francisco, CA 94111-4024
`Tel: 415-471-3277
`
`James S. Blackburn
`James.blackburn@apks.com
`Nicholas H. Lee
`Nicholas.lee@apks.com
`ARNOLD & PORTER
`KAYE SCHOLER LLP
`777 South Figueroa Street
`44th Floor
`Los Angeles, CA 90017-5844
`Tel: 213-243-4156
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`ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANTS
`HUAWEI DEVICE USA INC., HUAWEI
`DEVICE CO., LTD. AND HUAWEI
`DEVICE (DONGGUAN) CO., LTD. AND
`LG ELECTRONICS, INC.
`
`Kent E. Baldauf, Jr.
`kbaldaufjr@webblaw.com
`Bryan P. Clark
`bclark@webblaw.com
`THE WEBB LAW FIRM
`One Gateway Center
`420 Ft. Duquesne Blvd. Suite 1200
`Pittsburgh, PA 15222
`Tel: 412-471-8815
`
`ATTORNEYS FOR DEFENDANTS
`HUAWEI DEVICE USA INC., HUAWEI
`DEVICE CO., LTD. AND HUAWEI
`DEVICE (DONGGUAN) CO., LTD.
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`Case 2:17-cv-00513-JRG Document 117 Filed 04/09/18 Page 10 of 10 PageID #: 5196
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`The undersigned hereby certifies that, on April 9, 2018, all counsel of record who are
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`deemed to have consented to electronic service are being served with a copy of this document via
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`the Court’s CM/ECF system per Local Rule CV-5(a)(3).
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`
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`/s/ Daniel J. Shea Jr.
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` Daniel J Shea Jr.
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