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No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS 1 DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO
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Matthew J. Preusch (Bar No. 298144)mpreusch@kellerrohrback.comKELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P.1129 State Street, Suite 8Santa Barbara, CA 93101Tel: (805) 456-1496, Fax (805) 456-1497
Attorney for Plaintiffs(Additional Counsel on Signature Page)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTCENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
ELIZABETH CROSSON, KIMIJANSON, MARTHA ASAPH,KAREN HOMMAN, MATTHEWCURE, KATHRYN ELIZA WALSH,RACHEL OTTO, DUANE INOUE,LAURA RAY, ROBERTPERRYMAN, CYNTHIAKIRTLAND, AND, WILLIAMHARLAN AND EMILY DIZNOFF,individually and on behalf of allothers similarly situated,
Plaintiffs,
v.
VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OFAMERICA, INC., VOLKSWAGENAG, AUDI AG, AUDI OFAMERICA, LLC, and AUDI OFAMERICA, INC.
Defendants.
No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS
CLASS ACTION
DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO IN SUPPORT OFPLAINTIFFS’ EX PARTEAPPLICATION FOR A TEMPORARYRESTRAINING ORDER
Case 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS Document 19 Filed 10/02/15 Page 1 of 6 Page ID #:321
No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS 2 DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO
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I, Gretchen Freeman Cappio, declare as follows:
1. I am a partner at Keller Rohrback L.L.P. I make this Declaration of
my own personal knowledge, and if called to do so, I could testify competently to
the matters stated herein.
2. I am a counsel of record in this matter, my motion for pro hac vice in
this action is pending [Dkt. 14], and I submit this declaration in support of
Plaintiffs’ Ex Parte Application for a Temporary Restraining Order (“Plaintiffs’
Application for a TRO”).
3. Plaintiff’s filed a Complaint in this action on September 23, 2015.
4. Defendants Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. and Volkswagen AG
were served with the original Complaint in this action on September 25, 2015. See
Exhibits 1 and 2 (Proofs of Service of Summons and Complaint).
5. Plaintiffs filed an Amended Complaint in this action on October 2,
2015 [Dkt. 16]. The Amended Complaint names three additional Defendants:
Audi LLC, Audi AG, and Audi of America, Inc. (collectively, “Audi Defendants”).
6. Following my September 29, 2015 voicemail inquiry to Stuart Drake
at Kirkland & Ellis, who was copied on the EPA’s Sept. 18, 2015 Notice of
Violation letter to Defendants (Ex. A. to Amended Complaint), and my partner
Amy Williams-Derry’s October 1, 2015 email to Mr. Drake, Ms. Williams-Derry
and I met and conferred with counsel for Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., on
Case 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS Document 19 Filed 10/02/15 Page 2 of 6 Page ID #:322
No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS 3 DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO
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October 2, 2015 at 4:30 pm Pacific time. We notified them that we intended to file
Plaintiffs’ Application for a TRO today, and we described the relief sought by the
Application. Counsel for Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. did not consent to
the requested relief. Further, counsel for Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. who
participated in the call – Neil Soltman and Matt Marmolejo, both of Mayer Brown
– told us they did not currently represent Volkswagen AG, and they did not know
who represented Volkswagen AG in this action. Mr. Soltman and Mr. Marmolejo
also told us they did not currently represent any of the Audi Defendants, and they
did not know who, if anyone, currently represented the Audi Defendants. Based
on my law firm’s public record review and reasonable, good faith efforts, we have
not been able to identify counsel for the remaining Defendants in this action.
7. We asked Mr. Soltman and Mr. Marmolejo if they would accept
service of the Amended Complaint on behalf of their client, Volkswagen of
America, Inc. They declined and the Amended Complaint will be promptly
served.
8. Pursuant to Civ. L.R. 7-19, it is my belief that the address, telephone
number and e-mail address for counsel for Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. is
as follows: John Nadolenco, Neil Soltman, and Matthew Marmolejo, Mayer
Brown, 350 S. Grand Ave., 25th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, (213) 229-5173,
Case 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS Document 19 Filed 10/02/15 Page 3 of 6 Page ID #:323
No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS 4 DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO
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JNadolenco@mayerbrown.com; nsoltman@mayerbrown.com;
mmarmolejo@mayerbrown.com.
9. In addition to this matter, counsel for the Crosson Plaintiffs have filed
six other similar cases regarding Defendants’ deceptive installation of the defeat
devices, and represent plaintiffs in over 40 states and the District of Columbia.
10. Counsel for the Crosson Plaintiffs filed the first case regarding
Defendants’ defeat devices in the Central District of California, McCabe, et al. v.
Volkswagen Group of America Inc., case no. 5:15-cv-01930 (C.D. Cal.) (“McCabe
Action”), which is currently pending before Judge Margaret Morrow, and Temkin
v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., case no. 2:15-cv-07432 (C.D. Cal.), which
is pending before Judge John F. Walter.
11. Attached as Exhibit 3 is an email that Audi of America, a subsidiary
of Volkswagen Group of America, sent to my client and Plaintiff Daniel Inoue on
Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 12:07 p.m.
12. In addition to the communication emailed directly to Plaintiff Inoue,
Defendants are communicating to putative class members through the website
www.vwdieselinfo.com. A true and correct copy of that website, last visited on
October 2, 2015, is attached as Exhibit 4.
13. That website includes a “FAQ” page, a true and correct copy of which
is attached as Exhibit 5, which states, inter alia, that Volkswagen violated “defeat
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No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS 5 DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO
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device” regulations. That page also advices, in response to the question “I want to
turn in my vehicle – can I and how?”, that Defendants are working to develop a
“remedy” for Plaintiffs and the putative class. That page does not mention the
pending litigation on behalf of Volkswagen and Audi owners. See
https://www.vwdieselinfo.com/faqs/ (visited Oct. 2, 2015).
14. Moreover, as part of an earlier recall effort Defendants sent letters
concerning the emissions systems in 2.0 liter diesel engines, a true and correct
copy of which is attached as Exhibit 6.
15. A Google search for “Volkswagen Audi Diesel Class Action”
conducted on October 2, 2015 yields over 631,000 result results, as indicated in
Exhibit 7.
16. Attached as Exhibit 8 to this declaration is a true and correct copy of
an email Audi of America, Inc. sent to customers on October 2, 2015.
17. Attached as Exhibit 9 to this declaration is a true and correct copy of a
letter from Scott Keogh to Audi customers posted on the “audiusa” website,
http://www.audiusa.com/content/dam/audiusa/Documents/Scott_Keogh_letter_to_
customers.pdf (visited Oct. 2, 2015). This letter is substantially identical to the one
emailed to Plaintiff Inoue on September 30, 2015 and attached hereto as Exhibit 3.
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that
the foregoing is true and correct.
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No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS 6 DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO
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Executed this 2nd day of October, 2015, at Seattle, Washington.
/s/ Gretchen Freeman CappioGretchen Freeman Cappio
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EXHIBIT 1
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EXHIBIT 2
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EXHIBIT 3
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EXHIBIT 4
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EXHIBIT 5
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EXHIBIT 6
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EXHIBIT 7
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EXHIBIT 8
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Document2
From: "Your Audi Service Department" <support@audimoc.com>Date: October 2, 2015 at 12:15:47 PM PDTTo: <ewilson12@yahoo.com>Subject: Urgent: Your Audi requires immediate attention.Reply-To: "Audimoc" <reply-fe5e15727c670d7b7614-474251_HTML-107084549-1041083-0@audiservicemail.com>
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Update Profile
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