Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 470 Filed 03/05/21 Page 1 of 6 PageID# 10408
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`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
`ALEXANDRIA DIVISION
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`RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. AND R.J.
`REYNOLDS VAPOR COMPANY
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`Plaintiffs-Counterclaim
`Defendants,
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`v.
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`ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC; PHILIP
`MORRIS USA INC.; PHILIP MORRIS
`PRODUCTS S.A.
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`Defendants-Counterclaim
`Plaintiffs.
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`Case No. 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB
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`COUNTERCLAIM PLAINTIFFS’ MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF
`UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS, AND
`DIRECTION OF SUBMISSION OF HAGUE CONVENTION APPLICATION FOR
`AUTHORIZATION OF THE DULY APPOINTED COMMISSIONERS TO TAKE
`EVIDENCE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 17 OF THE HAGUE CONVENTION OF 18
`MARCH 1970 ON THE TAKING OF EVIDENCE ABROAD IN CIVIL OR
`COMMERCIAL MATTERS
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 470 Filed 03/05/21 Page 2 of 6 PageID# 10409
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`Counterclaim Plaintiffs hereby move the Court for entry of an order duly appointing
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`counsel for the parties as Commissioners for the purpose of taking the voluntary testimony by
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`oral examination under oath via videoconference in Switzerland of six (6) witnesses,1 whom
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`have been identified by the parties as witnesses who will be deposed in this case, who either live
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`or work in Switzerland pursuant to Article 17 of the Hague Convention of 18 March 1970 on
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`Taking Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (the “Hague Convention”).
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`Counterclaim Plaintiffs have conferred with its Swiss counsel, Bär and Karrer, who has advised
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`to use the procedures of Article 17 of the Hague Convention to facilitate the taking of evidence
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`in Switzerland.
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`Article 17 of the Hague Convention provides that “[i]n a civil or commercial matter, a
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`person duly appointed as a commissioner for the purpose may, without compulsion, take
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`evidence in the territory of a Contracting State in aid of proceedings commenced in the courts
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`of another Contracting State if – (a) a competent authority designated by the State where the
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`evidence is to be taken has given its permission either generally or in the particular case; and (b)
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`he complies with the conditions which the competent authority has specified in the permission.
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`A Contracting State may declare that the evidence may be taken under this Article without its
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`prior permission.” Hague Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in
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`Civil
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`and
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`Commercial
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`Matters,
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`Article
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`17,
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`available
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`at
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`https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/conventions/full-text/?cid=82.
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` Therefore, pursuant to
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`Article 17 of the Hague Convention, a U.S. court can appoint certain U.S. attorneys to take the
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`1 For avoidance of doubt, the witnesses at issue in this motion are Moira Gilchrist, Filip Tack,
`Masja Hoogland, Michel Thorens, Noori Brifcani, and Edward Kiernan.
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 470 Filed 03/05/21 Page 3 of 6 PageID# 10410
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`voluntary testimony of a witness in Switzerland. Counterclaim Defendants do not oppose this
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`motion.
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`Swiss law can prohibit the taking of evidence in Switzerland for purposes of a foreign
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`civil proceeding absent compliance with treaties or international agreements. See, e.g., U.S.
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`Embassy
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`in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, at https://ch.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-
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`services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/living-in-ch/judicial-information/obtaining-evidence/
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`(last visited November 12, 2020). Indeed, the Swiss Penal Code provides that attorneys
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`attempting to take a deposition or carry out other activities on behalf of a foreign state in
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`Switzerland outside of these authorized methods are subject to arrest on criminal charges. See,
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`e.g., Article 271 of
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`the Swiss Penal Code (https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-
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`compilation/19370083/index.html). Thus, to comply with Swiss law, Counterclaim Plaintiffs
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`must comply with the Hague Convention in providing testimony in this matter. Both the United
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`States and Switzerland are parties to the Hague Convention. Switzerland ratified the Hague
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`Convention on November 2, 1994. See Hague Conf. on Private Int’l Law, Status Table,
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`http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.status&cid=82 (last updated April 2020).
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`Counterclaim Plaintiffs respectfully requests that the Court issue an order appointing the
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`following counsel for Counterclaim Plaintiffs and Counterclaim Defendants as commissioners
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`pursuant to Article 17 of the Hague Convention of 18 March 1970 on Taking Evidence Abroad
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`in Civil or Commercial Matters:
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`Counsel at Latham & Watkins LLP for Counterclaim Plaintiffs (located at 555 11th
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`Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20004; 330 N Wabash Avenue, Suite 2800, Chicago, IL
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`60611; 505 Montgomery Street, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94111; 355 South Grand Avenue,
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`Suite 100 Los Angeles, CA 90071; 140 Scott Drive Menlo Park, CA 94025): Maximilian Grant,
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`Bert Reiser, Matthew Moore, Jamie Underwood, Brenda Danek, Gregory Sobolski, Lawrence
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`Gotts, Clement Naples, Brett Sandford, Thomas Yeh, and Surendra Ravula.
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`Counsel at Bär & Karrer AG
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`for Counterclaim Plaintiffs
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`(located at
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`Brandschenkestrasse 90, 8027 Zurich, Switzerland): Matthew Reiter and Martina Athanas.
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`Counsel at Jones Day for Counterclaim Defendants (located at 1420 Peachtree Street,
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`N.E., Suite 800, Atlanta, GA 30309; 77 West Wacker, Suite 3500, Chicago, IL 60601; 901
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`Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44114; 4655 Executive Drive, Suite 1500, San Diego, CA
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`92121; 555 California Street, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94104; 90 South 7th Street, Suite 4950,
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`Minneapolis, MN 55402; 51 Louisiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC, 20001; 250 Vesey Street,
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`New York, NY 10281; 555 South Flower Street, 50th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071; 150 West
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`Jefferson, Suite 2100, Detroit, MI, 48226; 2727 North Harwood Street, Suite 500, Dallas, TX,
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`75201): Stephanie Parker, William Devitt, David Maiorana, Emily Baker, Frank Bayuk, Robert
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`Breetz, Douglas Clark, Michael Lavine, Sanjiv Laud, Christopher Liu, Kenneth Luchesi, John
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`Marlott, Kevin McCarthy, John Michalik, Amelia Murray, Michael Quinlan, Nicole Smith, Alexis
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`Smith, Michelle Smit, Emily Tait, Thomas Vitt, Jennifer Weizenecker, and Jeffrey White.
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`For the foregoing reasons, Counterclaim Plaintiffs respectfully request that the Court issue
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`an order appointing the persons listed above as commissioners for the purpose of taking voluntary
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`testimony by oral examination under oath via videoconference in Switzerland. The Court’s signed
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`order will be filed together with the necessary application for authorization from the relevant Swiss
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`authorities.
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 470 Filed 03/05/21 Page 5 of 6 PageID# 10412
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`Dated: March 5, 2021
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`Respectfully submitted,
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`By: /s/ Maximilian A. Grant
`Maximilian A. Grant (VSB No. 91792)
`max.grant@lw.com
`Lawrence J. Gotts (VSB No. 25337)
`lawrence.gotts@lw.com
`Matthew J. Moore (pro hac vice)
`matthew.moore@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`555 Eleventh Street, N.W., Suite 1000
`Washington, DC 20004
`Telephone: (202) 637-2200
`Facsimile: (202) 637-2201
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`Clement J. Naples (pro hac vice)
`clement.naples@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`885 Third Avenue
`New York, NY 10022-4834
`Tel: (212) 906-1200; Fax: (212) 751-4864
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`Gregory J. Sobolski (pro hac vice)
`greg.sobolski@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`505 Montgomery Street, Suite 2000
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`Telephone: (415) 391-0600
`Facsimile: (415) 395-8095
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`Brenda L. Danek (pro hac vice)
`brenda.danek@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2800
`Chicago, IL 60611
`Tel: (312) 876-7700; Fax: (312) 993-9767
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`Counsel for Defendants-Counterclaim Plaintiffs
`Altria Client Services LLC, Philip Morris USA Inc.,
`and Philip Morris Products S.A.
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 470 Filed 03/05/21 Page 6 of 6 PageID# 10413
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`I hereby certify that on this 5th day of March, 2021, a true and correct copy of the foregoing
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`was served using the Court’s CM/ECF system, with electronic notification of such filing to all
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`counsel of record:
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`/s/ Maximilian A. Grant
`Maximilian A. Grant (VSB No. 91792)
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`555 Eleventh Street, N.W., Suite 1000
`Washington, DC 20004
`Telephone: (202) 637-2200
`Facsimile: (202) 637-2201
`Email: max.grant@lw.com
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`Counsel for Defendants-Counterclaim
`Plaintiffs Altria Client Services LLC, Philip
`Morris USA Inc., and Philip Morris
`Products S.A.
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