Summary
inviting U.S. government to submit brief as amicus curiae
Summary of this case from In re "AGENT ORANGE" Product Liability LitigationOpinion
MDL 381, 04 CV 400 (JBW).
August 9, 2004
Constantine P. Kokkoris, Esq., New York, New York, Shelby Roden LLC, Birmingham, Alabama, Robert B. Roden.
Law Offices of Davis Norris, LLP, Birmingham, Alabama, John E. Norris, Moore Goodman, LLP, New York, New York, William H. Goodman, Jonathan C. Moore, for Plaintiffs The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, et al.
Gerson Smoger, Smoger Associates, Oakland, California, Mark Cuker; Dean Bencivenga, Williams Cuker Berezofsky, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Plaintiffs Joe Isaacson and Phillis Lisa Isaacson.
Stephen Murray, Jr., The Murray Law Firm, New Orleans, Louisiana, for Plaintiffs Daniel Raymond Stephenson, et al.
Steven Brock, James V. Aosia, Rivkin Radler LLP, Uniondale, New York, For Defendant Dow Chemical Company.
James E. Tyrrell, Latham Watkins, Newark, NJ, John C. Sabetta; Andrew T. Hahn, Sr., Seyfarth Shaw LLP, New York, NY, for Defendant Monsanto Company.
Lawrence T. D'Aloise, Clark, Gagliardi Miller, White Plains, NY, for Defendants T.H. Agriculture Nutrition Co.
William A. Krohley; William C. Heck, Kelley Drye Warren LLP, New York, NY, for Defendant Hercules, Inc.
Michael M. Gordon, Cadwalader, Wickersham Taft LLP, New York, NY, for Defendant Occidental Chemical Corporation.
Debevoise Plimpton LLP, New York, New York, for Defendant Hooker Chemical.
Kathleen A. Mahoney, Roslynn R. Mauskopf, United States Attorney, Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn, New York, for the United States of America.
ORDER
It was ordered that, upon the expiration of a six-month discovery period, the parties submit preliminary motions in this case by September 10, 2004. See In re Agent Orange Prod. Liab. Litig., 2004 WL 1196682 (E.D.N.Y. Mar. 19, 2004). On August 2, 2004, the court granted a request of the parties to extend the briefing schedule.
The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York was to be served with copies of all papers in this action (Order of Feb. 9, 2004) and was requested to appear as an observer (Order of Feb. 17, 2004). The instant litigation raises important issues of law. See, e.g., Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, 124 S. Ct. 2739 (2004); In re Agent Orange Prod. Liab. Litig., 304 F. Supp.2d 404 (E.D.N.Y. 2004) (preliminary ruling on government contractor defense); In re Agent Orange Prod. Liab. Litig., 220 F.R.D. 22 (E.D.N.Y. 2004) (denying motion to amend complaint); In re Agent Orange Prod. Liab. Litig., 304 F. Supp.2d 442 (E.D.N.Y. 2004) (upholding removal under the federal officer removal statute). The government is invited to submit a brief as amicus curiae on such issues as it deems of interest.
SO ORDERED.