KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P. - Analysis & Opinion |...

No. 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS 1 DECLARATION OF GRETCHENFREEMAN CAPPIO

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Matthew J. Preusch (Bar No. 298144)[email protected] 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 of 6 Page ID #:321


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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



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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,



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[email protected]; [email protected];

[email protected].

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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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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Executed this 2nd day of October, 2015, at Seattle, Washington.

/s/ Gretchen Freeman CappioGretchen Freeman Cappio


EXHIBIT 1

Case 2:15-cv-07475-GW-GJS Document 19-1 Filed 10/02/15 Page 1 of 3 Page ID #:327

EXHIBIT 2


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EXHIBIT 8


Document2

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EXHIBIT 9



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