`
`
`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`MARSHALL DIVISION
`
`AGIS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LLC
`
`v.
`
`T-MOBILE USA, INC., and T-MOBILE
`US, INC.
`
`
`AGIS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LLC
`
`v.
`
`LYFT, INC.
`
`
`
`
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`§
`
`
`CASE NO. 2:21-cv-00072-JRG
`(Lead Case)
`
`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
`
`
`
`
`CASE NO. 2:21-cv-00024-JRG
`(Member Case)
`
`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
`
`
`
`DEFENDANT LYFT, INC.’S RESPONSE TO PLAINTIFF AGIS SOFTWARE
`DEVELOPMENT LLC’S OPPOSED MOTION TO COMPEL (DKT. 201)
`
`Defendant Lyft, Inc. (“Lyft”), by and through its counsel, hereby responds in opposition to
`
`
`
`
`
`Plaintiff AGIS Software Development LLC’s (“AGIS”) Motion to Compel Defendant Lyft, Inc.
`
`to Provide Discovery (Dkt. 201) (“Motion”).
`
`AGIS moves to compel Lyft to provide complete responses to Interrogatory Nos. 3, 8, and
`
`9, and to produce documents and information responsive to each. Dkt. 201. However, Lyft already
`
`supplemented its responses to each of these interrogatories as confirmed in the meet and confer on
`
`the same day AGIS filed its motion, and produced all responsive documents and information
`
`located after a reasonable and diligent search. This Court need not take any action. Although Lyft
`
`has acted in a manner consistent with its representations, the same cannot be said about AGIS.
`
`Indeed, despite AGIS informing the Court that it would withdraw its motion to compel if the
`
`
`
`1
`
`
`
`
`
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 2 of 8 PageID #: 7849
`
`
`
`alleged discovery deficiencies were resolved,1 AGIS has not done so. AGIS’s failure to withdraw
`
`its Motion has caused Lyft to incur additional costs to needlessly prepare this response, and
`
`unnecessarily burdens the Court with a moot discovery issue. As made clear by AGIS’s refusal to
`
`agree to stay deadlines pending adoption of this Court’s dispositive Report and Recommendation
`
`(Dkt. 212), AGIS is not concerned with wasting resources of the judiciary or the parties. See Dkt.
`
`217. The tactics employed by AGIS not only harass and create unnecessary work for Lyft, they
`
`also burden this Court. Accordingly, for at least the reasons stated herein, Lyft respectfully
`
`requests this Court deny AGIS’s Motion.
`
`I.
`
`LEGAL STANDARD
`
`A party moving to compel “bears the burden of showing that the materials and information
`
`sought are relevant to the action or will lead to the discovery of admissible evidence,” and “that
`
`the materials requested are within the scope of permissible discovery.” SSL Servs., LLC v. Citrix
`
`Sys. Inc., No. 2-08-cv-158-TJW, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11470, at *4-5 (E.D. Tex. Feb. 8, 2010).
`
`Further, discovery should be “proportional to the needs of the case” as defined by Rule 26(b).
`
`FED. R. CIV. P. 26(b)(1). A motion to compel should be denied where answers to discovery
`
`requests have already been provided and the discovery sought to be compelled seeks to elicit the
`
`same information already produced. See In re Norplant Contraceptive Prods. Liab. Litig., 170
`
`F.R.D. 427, 428 (E.D. Tex. 1997). Moreover, a party is not required to create information that it
`
`does not possess. Cunningham v. Concentrix Sols. Corp., No. 4:20-cv-661, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS
`
`48667, at *13 (E.D. Tex. Mar. 16, 2021) (“[A] party is not required to create or prepare a new or
`
`previously non-existent document solely for its production.”).
`
`
`
`1 See Dkt. 201 at 2-3 nn.1-2.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`2
`
`
`
`
`
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 3 of 8 PageID #: 7850
`
`
`
`II.
`
`DISCUSSION
`
`Lyft confirmed that it would supplement its responses to Interrogatory No. 3, 8 and 9,
`
`subject to its objections,2 and produce all responsive documents within its possession, custody or
`
`control that were identified after a reasonable and diligent search. Despite Lyft’s assurances that
`
`supplemental responses and document productions were forthcoming, AGIS filed the instant
`
`Motion. As detailed below, each of the requests propounded in AGIS’s Motion have been
`
`resolved, either in view of Lyft’s supplemental interrogatory responses and document productions
`
`or because such documentation simply does not exist.
`
`A.
`
`Lyft has provided a complete response to Interrogatory No. 3.
`
`AGIS complains that Lyft’s response to Interrogatory No. 3 is deficient because it identifies
`
`documents that “contain information for outside the United States and for Lyft products aside from
`
`its ride-sharing products, and do not contain the fixed and variable costs for the Lyft Accused
`
`Products.” Dkt. 201 at 2. This complaint, as stated, fails to provide a fulsome account of the facts
`
`related to these requests, including that Lyft provided responsive information in its timely
`
`supplemental response to Interrogatory No. 3.
`
`
`
`With respect to AGIS’s complaints regarding Lyft’s financial documentation being
`
`overinclusive, Lyft submits that these requests are now moot. AGIS first raised concerns regarding
`
`the overinclusive nature of Lyft’s financial document production on October 29, 2021—four
`
`business days before the close of fact discovery. After diligently investigating AGIS’s stated
`
`concerns, counsel for Lyft explained to counsel for AGIS that the complained-about documents
`
`
`2 AGIS incorrectly asserts that Lyft did not object to the relevance of the information sought by AGIS’s discovery
`requests. See Dkt. 201 at 2 (“Lyft does not contend that AGIS’s discovery requests seek irrelevant information.”).
`Lyft did, in fact, raise relevance objections to many of AGIS’s discovery requests, including Interrogatory Nos. 8
`and 9.
`
`
`
`3
`
`
`
`
`
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 4 of 8 PageID #: 7851
`
`
`
`contained information sufficient to distinguish ride-sharing financial data from non-ride-sharing
`
`financial data. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lyft confirmed that it would supplement its
`
`financial document production—which it did prior to AGIS filing its Motion—to address each of
`
`AGIS’s stated concerns. As Lyft has produced documentation resolving the alleged deficiencies
`
`identified by AGIS and supplemented its response to Interrogatory No. 3 to identify such
`
`documentation, this request is moot.
`
`On October 28, 2021—five business days before the close of fact discovery—AGIS first
`
`communicated its concern that Lyft’s financial document production allegedly did not contain
`
`information regarding fixed and variable costs. As Lyft made clear in correspondence with AGIS,
`
`Lyft’s financial document production did, in fact, provide detailed cost information, including
`
`information regarding fixed and variable costs. AGIS subsequently clarified its request on October
`
`29, 2021, articulating that it sought a breakdown or other identification showing which of Lyft’s
`
`costs were fixed versus variable. Lyft investigated AGIS’s request and confirmed with AGIS
`
`(within two business days) that
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`. AGIS’s request, therefore, seeks information that Lyft simply does not possess. And,
`
`
`
`4
`
`
`
`
`
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 5 of 8 PageID #: 7852
`
`
`
`there is no requirement that Lyft create such documentation simply for the purpose of litigation.
`
`See Cunningham v. Concentrix Sols. Corp., No. 4:20-cv-661, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48667, at
`
`*13 (E.D. Tex. Mar. 16, 2021) (“[A] party is not required to create or prepare a new or previously
`
`non-existent document solely for its production.”); Biote Med., LLC v. Jacobsen, No. 4:18-cv-
`
`00866, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18097, at *46 (E.D. Tex. Feb. 1, 2021) (“If the [] Defendants
`
`genuinely do not have any responsive documents, there is nothing to produce.”). This Court should
`
`thus deny AGIS’s Motion with respect to its request for additional information regarding fixed and
`
`variable costs.
`
`B.
`
`Lyft has provided a complete response to Interrogatory Nos. 8 and 9.
`
`AGIS’s information and document requests related to Interrogatory Nos. 8 and 9 have also
`
`been mooted by Lyft’s supplemental responses and document productions. As recognized in
`
`AGIS’s Motion, counsel for Lyft represented to counsel for AGIS, during the parties’ November
`
`3, 2021 meet and confer, that Lyft would supplement its responses to Interrogatory Nos. 8 and 9
`
`and produce any responsive documents. Lyft did just that.
`
`
`
`
`
` In view of the fact that Lyft has provided a complete
`
`response to Interrogatory Nos. 8 and 9, and produced all responsive documents identified after a
`
`reasonable and diligent search, consistent with the testimony of its corporate witness on this topic,
`
`this request is moot as there is nothing further to compel.
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`5
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 6 of 8 PageID #: 7853
`
`
`
`III. CONCLUSION
`
`For the foregoing reasons, Lyft respectfully requests this Court to deny AGIS’s Motion.
`
`
`
`Date: November 18, 2021
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`/s/ Bethany R. Salpietra
`
`Jeremy J. Taylor
`Arya Moshiri (Pro Hac Vice)
`Baker Botts L.L.P.
`jeremy.taylor@bakerbotts.com
`arya.moshiri@bakerbotts.com
`101 California St., Suite 3600
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`Telephone: (415) 291-6200
`Facsimile: (415) 291-6300
`
`Danny David
`Michelle J. Eber
`Baker Botts L.L.P.
`danny.david@bakerbotts.com
`michelle.eber@bakerbotts.com
`910 Louisiana Street
`Houston, TX 77002
`Telephone: (713) 229-1234
`Facsimile: (713) 229-1522
`
`Kurt Pankratz
`Bethany R. Salpietra
`Megan LaDriere White
`Baker Botts L.L.P.
`kurt.pankratz@bakerbotts.com
`bethany.salpietra@bakerbotts.com
`megan.ladriere@bakerbotts.com
`2001 Ross Ave., Ste. 900
`Dallas, TX 75201
`Telephone: (214) 953-6500
`Facsimile: (214) 953-6503
`
`Jennifer C. Tempesta
`Baker Botts L.L.P.
`
`6
`
`
`
`
`
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 7 of 8 PageID #: 7854
`
`
`
`jennifer.tempesta@bakerbotts.com
`30 Rockefeller Plaza, 44th Floor
`New York, NY 10112
`Telephone: (212) 408-2571
`Facsimile: (212) 259-2571
`
`Lauren J. Dreyer
`Baker Botts L.L.P.
`lauren.dreyer@bakerbotts.com
`700 K Street NW
`Washington, DC 2000
`Telephone: (202) 639-7823
`Facsimile: (202) 639-1153
`
`Brianna Potter (Pro Hac Vice)
`Baker Botts L.L.P.
`brianna.potter@bakerbotts.com
`1001 Page Mill Road
`Palo Alto, CA 94304
`Telephone: (650) 739-7556
`Facsimile: (650) 739-7656
`
`Deron R. Dacus
`The Dacus Firm, P.C.
`ddacus@dacusfirm.com
`821 ESE Loop 323, Suite 430
`Tyler, Texas 75701
`Telephone: (903) 705-1117
`Facsimile: (903) 581-2543
`
`Attorneys for Defendant Lyft, Inc.
`
`
`
`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
`
`The undersigned hereby certifies that counsel of record who are deemed to have consented
`
`
`
`to electronic services are being served with a copy of this document via email on the 18th of
`
`November, 2021.
`
`
`
`
`
`/s/ Bethany R. Salpietra
`Bethany R. Salpietra
`
`7
`
`
`
`
`
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 8 of 8 PageID #: 7855
`Case 2:21-cv-00072-JRG-RSP Document 232 Filed 11/22/21 Page 8 of 8 PagelD #: 7855
`
`
`
`
`
`ee
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`_
`
`
`
`
`
`8
`
`
`
`