Plaintiff's Motion for Fees and Expenses and Case Contribution ...
Plaintiff's Motion for Fees and Expenses and Case Contribution ...
Plaintiff's Motion for Fees and Expenses and Case Contribution ...
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT<br />
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF TENNESSEE<br />
NASHVILLE DIVISION<br />
IN RE NORTEL NETWORKS<br />
CORP. "ERISA" LITIGATION<br />
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MDL Docket No. 03:03-MD-1537<br />
Judge John T. Nixon<br />
Magistrate Judge John S. Bryant<br />
This Document Relates to: All <strong>Case</strong>s<br />
NAMED PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION<br />
FOR ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND EXPENSES AND<br />
CASE CONTRIBUTION COMPENSATION<br />
Named Plaintiffs James Kauffman, Michael Zafarano, <strong>and</strong> Carol Felts (“Named<br />
Plaintiffs”), on behalf of themselves <strong>and</strong> the Class of participants <strong>and</strong> beneficiaries of the Nortel<br />
Long-Term Investment Plan (“Plan”), hereby move <strong>for</strong> awards of attorneys’ fees <strong>and</strong> expenses<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Case</strong> <strong>Contribution</strong> Compensation. 1<br />
The ef<strong>for</strong>ts of Court-appointed Lead Counsel Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC,<br />
Keller Rohrback, LLP, <strong>and</strong> Berger & Montague, P.C., <strong>and</strong> the Named Plaintiffs have resulted in<br />
an excellent Settlement that features a $21,500,000 cash payment benefiting participants in the<br />
Plan. In light of the successful results achieved in this hard-fought class action, the Named<br />
Plaintiffs respectfully request that:<br />
• Lead Counsel be awarded attorneys’ fees of $7,166,667 (one-third of the<br />
Settlement Amount);<br />
• Lead Counsel be reimbursed $518,582.78 <strong>for</strong> the out-of-pocket expenses<br />
incurred in prosecuting this litigation; <strong>and</strong><br />
1<br />
Capitalized terms not otherwise defined in this memor<strong>and</strong>um have the same meaning ascribed to them in<br />
the Stipulation of Settlement (Doc. 280-4).<br />
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<strong>Case</strong> 3:03-md-01537 Document 292 Filed 12/27/11 Page 1 of 7 PageID #: 6645
• The three Named Plaintiffs be awarded <strong>Case</strong> <strong>Contribution</strong> Compensation<br />
of $10,000 each <strong>and</strong> Named Plaintiff Carol Felts be awarded an additional<br />
$10,852 <strong>for</strong> the severance compensation she turned down in order to serve<br />
as a Named Plaintiff.<br />
The requests <strong>for</strong> attorneys’ fees, expenses, <strong>and</strong> <strong>Case</strong> <strong>Contribution</strong> Compensation are all<br />
supported by the record <strong>and</strong> legal authority within the Sixth Circuit. In particular, the request <strong>for</strong><br />
attorneys’ fees is reasonable in light of the substantial work Lead Counsel did to prosecute the<br />
litigation <strong>and</strong> the risk they bore litigating on a contingent basis <strong>for</strong> approximately a decade.<br />
For the <strong>for</strong>egoing reasons, the Named Plaintiffs respectfully request that the Court award<br />
the <strong>for</strong>egoing amounts as part of the Order of Final Judgment <strong>and</strong> Dismissal attached as Exhibit<br />
A to Named Plaintiffs’ <strong>Motion</strong> <strong>for</strong> Certification of Settlement Class <strong>and</strong> Final Approval of<br />
Settlement. In support of this motion, the Named Plaintiffs rely upon the Stipulation of<br />
Settlement previously filed on August 10, 2011 (Doc. 280-4) <strong>and</strong> the declarations of counsel,<br />
Affidavit of Edward J. Sincavage, <strong>and</strong> memor<strong>and</strong>um of law submitted herewith.<br />
Dated: December 27, 2011<br />
Respectfully submitted,<br />
By: /s/ James G. Stranch, III<br />
James G. Stranch, III<br />
Michael J. Wall<br />
Joe Paul Leniski, Jr.<br />
BRANSTETTER, STRANCH<br />
& JENNINGS, PLLC<br />
227 Second Avenue North, Fourth Floor<br />
Nashville, TN 37201-1631<br />
Ron Kilgard<br />
KELLER ROHRBACK, PLC<br />
3101 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1400<br />
Phoenix, AZ 85012<br />
Lynn L. Sarko<br />
KELLER ROHRBACK L.L.P.<br />
1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200<br />
Seattle, WA 98101<br />
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<strong>Case</strong> 3:03-md-01537 Document 292 Filed 12/27/11 Page 2 of 7 PageID #: 6646
Todd S. Collins<br />
Ellen Noteware<br />
BERGER & MONTAGUE, P.C.<br />
1622 Locust Street<br />
Philadelphia, PA 19103<br />
Lead Counsel <strong>for</strong> Named Plaintiffs<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Class<br />
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<strong>Case</strong> 3:03-md-01537 Document 292 Filed 12/27/11 Page 3 of 7 PageID #: 6647
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE<br />
The undersigned hereby certifies that a true <strong>and</strong> correct copy of the <strong>for</strong>egoing document<br />
was <strong>for</strong>warded via the Court’s electronic filing system to the following on December 27, 2011:<br />
BERGER & MONTAGUE, P.C.<br />
Todd S. Collins, Esq.<br />
Ellen Noteware, Esq.<br />
1622 Locust Street<br />
Philadelphia, PA 19103<br />
tcollins@bm.net<br />
enoteware@bm.net<br />
BAKER DONELSON BEARMAN, et al.<br />
Steven G. Simmons<br />
211 Commerce St., Ste. 800<br />
Nashville, TN 37201<br />
stevengsimmons@yahoo.com<br />
BARRETT JOHNSTON LLC<br />
Timothy L. Miles, Esq.<br />
George Edward Barrett, Esq.<br />
Douglas S. Johnston, Jr., Esq.<br />
217 Second Avenue, North<br />
Nashville, TN 37201<br />
tmiles@barrettjohnston.com<br />
gbarrett@barrettjohnston.com<br />
djohnston@barrettjohnston.com<br />
NEAL & HARWELL, PLC<br />
Gerald D. Neenan, Esq.<br />
Aubrey B. Harwell, Jr., Esq.<br />
2000 One Nashville Place<br />
150 Fourth Avenue North<br />
Nashville, TN 37219<br />
gneenan@nealharwell.com<br />
aharwell@nealharwell.com<br />
BRAMLETT LAW OFFICES<br />
Paul Kent Bramlett, Esq.<br />
P. O. Box 150734<br />
Nashville, TN 37215-0734<br />
pknashlaw@aol.com<br />
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<strong>Case</strong> 3:03-md-01537 Document 292 Filed 12/27/11 Page 4 of 7 PageID #: 6648
BONE MCALLESTER NORTON, PLLC<br />
C. David Briley, Esq.<br />
511 Union Street, Suite 1600<br />
Nashville City Center<br />
Nashville, TN 37219<br />
dbriley@bonelaw.com<br />
THE LAW OFFICE OF KENNETH A. ELAN<br />
Kenneth A. Elan, Esq.<br />
217 Broadway, Ste. 606<br />
New York, NY 10007<br />
elanfirm@yahoo.com<br />
JACKSON LEWIS LLP<br />
René E. Thorne, Esq.<br />
Jason M. Stein, Esq.<br />
650 Poydras Street, Suite 1900<br />
New Orleans, LA 70130<br />
thorner@jacksonlewis.com<br />
steinj@jacksonlewis.com<br />
PROSKAUER ROSE LLP<br />
Howard Shapiro, Esq.<br />
The Poydras Center, Suite 1800<br />
909 Poydras Street<br />
New Orleans, LA 70112<br />
hshapiro@proskauer.com<br />
RILEY WARNOCK & JACOBSEN PLC<br />
Gregory S. Reynolds, Esq.<br />
Steven A. Riley, Esq.<br />
James N. Bowen, Esq.<br />
1906 West End Avenue<br />
Nashville, TN 37203<br />
greynolds@rwjplc.com<br />
sriley@rwjplc.com<br />
jimbowen@rwjplc.com<br />
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<strong>Case</strong> 3:03-md-01537 Document 292 Filed 12/27/11 Page 5 of 7 PageID #: 6649
PROSKAUER ROSE LLP<br />
Stacey C. S. Cerrone, Esq.<br />
909 Poydras Street, Ste. 1100<br />
New Orleans, LA 70112<br />
scerrone@proskauer.com<br />
ROBBINS UMEDA, LLP<br />
Brian J. Robbins<br />
600 B Street, Suite 1900<br />
San Diego, CA 92101<br />
brobbins@robbinsumeda.com<br />
KELLER ROHRBACK, PLC<br />
Ron Kilgard<br />
3101 N. Central Avenue, Suite 1400<br />
Phoenix, AZ 85012<br />
rkilgard@kellerrohrback.com<br />
KELLER ROHRBACK, LLP<br />
T. David Copley<br />
Lynn L. Sarko<br />
1201 Third Avenue, Suite 3200<br />
Seattle, WA 98101<br />
dcopley@kellerrohrback.com<br />
lsarko@kellerrohrback.com<br />
ARNOLD & PORTER, LLP<br />
Ken L. Hashimoto, Esq.<br />
Craig A. Stewart, Esq.<br />
399 Park Avenue<br />
New York, NY 10022<br />
ken_hashimoto@aporter.com<br />
craig.stewart@aporter.com<br />
IZARD NOBEL LLP<br />
Robert Izard, Esq.<br />
One Corporate Center, Ste. 1700<br />
Hart<strong>for</strong>d, CT 06103<br />
firm@snlaw.net<br />
STULL, STULL, & BRODY<br />
Edwin J. Mills<br />
6 East 45 th Street<br />
New York, NY 10017<br />
ssbny@aol.com<br />
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MORVILLO, ABRAMOWITZ, et al.<br />
Richard F. Albert<br />
James V. Hayes<br />
James R. Stovall<br />
565 Fifth Avenue<br />
New York, NY 10017<br />
ralbert@maglaw.com<br />
jhayes@maglaw.com<br />
jstovall@maglaw.com<br />
SCHEILS, WINNUBST, SANFORD & BETHUNE<br />
Brian P. San<strong>for</strong>d<br />
1701 N. Collins Blvd., Ste 1100<br />
Richardson, TX 75080<br />
bsan<strong>for</strong>d@s<strong>and</strong><strong>for</strong>dbethune.com<br />
WHATLEY DRAKE & KALLAS<br />
Glen M. Connor<br />
2001 Park Place North<br />
P. O. Box 10647<br />
Birmingham, AL 35202-0647<br />
gconnor@wdklaw.com<br />
WHATLEY DRAKE & KALLAS<br />
Deborah Clark-Weintraub<br />
1540 Broadway, 37 th Floor<br />
New York, NY 10036<br />
dweintraub@wdklaw.com<br />
KLAFTER OLSEN & LESSER, LLP<br />
Kurt Olsen, Esq.<br />
1250 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 200<br />
Washington, DC 20036<br />
ko@klafterolsen.com<br />
/s/ James G. Stranch, III<br />
James G. Stranch, III<br />
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