Howe v. Microsoft Corporation

20020075

Henry H. Howe and Michael Simonson,
individually and on behalf of all
others similarly situated, Plaintiffs and Appellees
v.
Microsoft Corporation, Defendant and Appellant
and
Does 1 through 100, inclusive, Defendants

Appeal from:

District Court, Northeast Central Judicial District, Grand Forks County
Judge Bruce E. Bohlman

Nature of Action:

Torts (Negligence, Liab., Nuis.)

Counsel:

Appellant:		Zuger Kirmis & Smith
Appellant:		Lawyer not licensed in N.D.
Appellant:		Lawyer not licensed in N.D.
Appellee:		Heins, Mills & Olson, PLC
Appellee:		Lawyer not licensed in N.D.
Appellant:		Lawyer not licensed in N.D.
Appellant:		Lawyer not licensed in N.D.

Term:

09/2002 Argument: 09/17/2002 02:45pm

ND cite:

2003 ND 12

NW cite:

656 N.W.2d 285

Listen to recording of oral argument
using RealPlayer Basic,^© a free download.

Issues:

Appellant's Statement of the Issues:
Whether a trial court may certify a class of indirect purchasers on a monopoliza tion claim based only upon the named plaintiffs' proffer of an expert's general untested theories for proving antitrust "impact" and damages with class-wide proof when the named plaintiffs and their expert have submitted no evidence that the assumptions underlying such theories are valid in the relevant markets and when the defendant has presented undisputed empirical evidence that the assumptions are invalid.

Appellee's Statement of the Issues:
The issue presented for review is limited by Appellant-Microsoft Corporation to the following question: Whether, despite properly finding that the majority of the applicable Rule 23(c)(1) factors weighed in favor of certification, the district court abused its discretion in granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Class Certification where the court determined that Plaintiffs' expert, Dr. Keith Leffler, had set forth reasonable methodologies, not so insubstantial or illusory as to amount to no method at all, to estimate antitrust impact and damages suffered by class members using common, class-wide proof.

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Docket entries:

1	03/20/2002	NOTICE OF APPEAL: 03/18/2002
2	03/20/2002	ANNOUNCED DISQUALIFICATION: VandeWalle, Gerald W.
3	03/25/2002	Certified copies of Notice of Filing of the Notice of Appeal, docket entries
4	04/15/2002	RECORD ON APPEAL (3 volumes) and separates #54, 55, 56, 59, 61, 67, & 69
5	04/16/2002	ANNOUNCED DISQUALIFICATION: Maring, Mary Muehlen
6	04/24/2002	Motions and Affidavits of Charles B. Casper & Patrick T. Ryan
7	04/24/2002	ACTION BY CLERK (Motions for Casper & Ryan). Granted
8	04/26/2002	Motions and Affidavits of Steve W. Berman & Thomas W. Burt
9	04/26/2002	ACTION BY CLERK (Motions of Berman & Burt. Granted
10	04/26/2002	Motions and Affidavits of David B. Tulchin & Joseph E. Neuhaus
11	04/26/2002	ACTION BY CLERK Motions of Tulchin & Neuhaus. Granted
12	04/26/2002	Motion and Affidavits of Steven J. Aeschbacher
13	04/26/2002	ACTION BY CLERK Motion of Aeschbacher. Granted
14	04/26/2002	APPELLANT BRIEF
15	04/26/2002	APPELLANT APPENDIX (4 volumes - Volume II is CONFIDENTIAL)
16	05/01/2002	Corrected page v for TOA & pages 34, 35, & 36 for ATB
17	05/01/2002	DISK - ATB
18	05/06/2002	MOT. EXT/TIME APPELLEE BRIEF
19	05/06/2002	Faxed letter from Patrick Ward dated 5-6-02 RE: no objection to ext/time/file AEB
20	05/06/2002	ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE. Granted: 07/10/2002
21	05/08/2002	Supplemental Clerk's Certificate dated May 6, 2002 (Entry Nos. 76 & 77)
22	05/08/2002	Order for Transcript of 11-19-01 hearing -- three copies (ordered by AE)
23	05/09/2002	MOTION AND AFFIDAVIT OF RICHARD WALLIS
24	05/09/2002	ACTION BY CLERK (Motion of Wallis). Granted
25	05/10/2002	MOTION FOR Return of Record (E-mail from Rena Desautel dated 5-10-020
26	05/10/2002	ACTION BY CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK. Granted
27	05/10/2002	RETURN OF ROA TO DIST. CT.
28	05/10/2002	Order of Return Mailed to Parties
29	06/07/2002	TRANSCRIPT DATED 11-29-01
30	06/10/2002	DISK - TRA dated 11-29-01
31	06/14/2002	REFILED RECORD ON APPEAL AFTER REMAND (3 Vols.)
32	07/09/2002	MOT. EXT/TIME APPELLEE BRIEF
33	07/09/2002	ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE (MAE; w/understanding OA will be heard in Sept.). Granted: 07/24/2002
34	07/09/2002	MOT. EXT/TIME REPLY BRIEF (no separate motion - see MAE)
35	07/09/2002	ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE (MRY). Granted: 07/24/2002
36	07/22/2002	Supplemental Clerk's Certificate dated 7-19-02 (Entry Nos. 79 & 80)
37	07/25/2002	Appellees' MOTION FOR Relief from Rule 28(G) Word Limit
38	07/26/2002	ACTION BY ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE (Ext. word count for AEB). Granted
39	07/29/2002	Supplemental Clerk's Certificate dated 7-26-02 (Entry Nos. 81 & 82)
40	08/02/2002	MOTION FOR Admission Pro Hac Vice & Affidavit of Daniel E. Gustafson
41	08/02/2002	ACTION BY CLERK (Mot/Pro Hac Vice). Granted
42	08/02/2002	Copy of letter from Board of Law Examiners to Mr. Gustafdson re: payment of $100 fee
43	08/05/2002	MOTION for Admission Pro Hac Vice & Affidavit of Dennis Stewart
44	08/05/2002	ACTION BY CLERK (Mot/Pro Hac Vice -- Stewart). Granted
45	08/06/2002	MOTION for Admission Pro Hac Vice & Affidavit of Leonard B. Simon)
46	08/06/2002	ACTION BY CLERK (Pro Hac Vice -- Simon). Granted
47	08/06/2002	MOTION FOR Pro Hac Vice & Affidavit of Robert J. Gralewski, Jr.
48	08/06/2002	ACTION BY CLERK (Pro Hac Vice -- Robert J. Gralewski, Jr.). Granted
49	08/06/2002	Copies of letters from Board of Law Examiners to Mr. Stewart & Mr. Simon & Mr. Gralewski RE: Fees
50	08/09/2002	Appellant's Motion to Strike Extra-Record Material and for Appropriate Sanctions or, in the. RspDue: 08/20/2002
51	08/09/2002	Alternative, for Permission to Respond to the Extra-Record Material
52	08/09/2002	Appellant's MOT. EXT/TIME REPLY BRIEF
53	08/12/2002	ACTION BY CLERK. Granted: 09/09/2002
54	08/16/2002	NO ACTION TAKEN (MOT/strike; see Mot. to withdraw AEB & AEA)
55	08/16/2002	Request to withdraw appellee's AEB & AEA & file an amended AEB & AEA(faxed letter from Patrick Ward
56	08/16/2002	dated 8-16-02)
57	08/16/2002	ACTION BY CHIEF JUSTICE. Granted
58	08/20/2002	Original of Ltr. of 8-16-02 request of withdraw AEB & AEA
59	08/20/2002	SITTING WITH THE COURT: McLees, William W.
60	08/22/2002	SITTING WITH THE COURT: Leclerc, Lawrence A.
61	08/21/2002	APPELLEE BRIEF
62	08/21/2002	APPELLEE APPENDIX
63	08/27/2002	DISK - AEB (e-mailed)
64	08/29/2002	Request for Radio/TV Coverage (ND Public Radio) e-mail from J. McDonald dated 8-29-02) AUTHORIZED
65	09/09/2002	REPLY BRIEF
66	09/09/2002	DISK - ryb
67	09/12/2002	Request for Radio/TV Coverage (AP) (e-mail from Jack McDonald dated 9-12-02) (APPROVED)
68	09/17/2002	APPEARANCES: David B. Tulchin, Patrick J. Ward; Vincent J. Esadas, Robert J. Gralewski, Jr.
69	09/17/2002	ARGUED: Tulchin; Esadas
70	09/17/2002	ORAL ARGUMENT WEBCAST
71	09/18/2002	Copy of class certification decision in In re Florida Microsoft Antitrust Litig.
72	10/07/2002	Copy of class certification decision in In Re New Mexico Indirect Purchasers Microsoft
73	10/17/2002	Supplemental Clerk's Certificate dated 10-16-02 (Entry No. 83)
74	01/02/2003	Copy of class certification decision in Sherwood v. Microsoft
75	01/07/2003	Letter from Pat Ward dated 1-6-02 w/$100 fee for year 2003
76	01/10/2003	Copy of Order on Plaintiffs' Motion for Reconsideration of Denial of Class Certification in Melnick
77	01/10/2003	v. Microsoft Corp (Maine Superior Court case)
78	01/16/2003	Notice of Registration and Firm Name Change from Sullivan & Cromwell to Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
79	01/22/2003	Supplemental Clerk's Certificate dated 1-21-03 (Entry Nos. 84 & 85)
80	01/28/2003	DISPOSITION: AFFIRMED
81	01/28/2003	UNANIMOUS OPINION: Kapsner, Carol Ronning
82	01/28/2003	Costs on appeal taxed in favor of appellee
83	01/28/2003	Order/Judgment Mailed to Parties
84	02/20/2003	MANDATE
85	02/24/2003	RECEIPT SIGNED BY DISTRICT COURT CLERK'S OFFICE
86	07/14/2008	EXPUNGED - Nonpermanent record items destroyed

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