5;s . u IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DTSTRICT OF COLUMBIA Jtft 2 i hfj 11: 33 ELOUISE PEPION COBELL, al., Plaintiffs, V. 233 Case No. 1 :96CV01285 (Judge Lamberth) 1 ) ) GALE A. NORTON, Secretary of the Interior, @ &,) 1 ) Defendants. OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS' MOTION TO COMPEL COMPLIANCE WITH THIS COURT'S MAY 21,2003 MEMORANDUM AND ORDER Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel Compliance with this Court's May 2 1,2003 Memorandum and Order ("Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel") lacks merit and should be denied. Defendants' June 18, 2003 Report to the Court complies with the Court's May 2 1 Memorandum and Order ("May 21 Order"). The Court's May 2 I Order denied Defendants' motion to reconsider the Court's March 5 , 2003 Order directing payment to Special Master Alan Balaran. Defendants' motion was premised upon a recently enacted law that imposes limitations upon payments that may be made to the Special Master. In denying the motion, the Court stated that Congress's passage of legislation limiting the compensation of court officials was, in general, "extraordinary" and, in this case, "totally uncalled for" where "the special master is being compensated at an hourly rate [$200] far below the market rate typically awarded to attorneys with his level of experience by the D.C. Circuit." May 21 Order at 5-6. The Court went on to say that, if Congress decides to enact similar limitations in the future, it "should have all available information at its disposal," - id. at 7, and to order the United States to provide the Court with a complete statement of all discretionary funds that Defendants have used to pay private counsel for government employees and former employees. In doing so, the Court noted that it did not believe that the information it was requesting would require the production of privileged information. Id. at n.5. On June 18, 2003, Defendants responded to the Court's May 2 1 Order. Among other things, Defendants provided the billing rates applicable to all private counsel at issue and the amount paid to them.' As apparently intended by the Court, this will allow Congress to compare the rates being charged by private counsel with the rate the Court has ordered paid to the Special Master and concludc that, to the extent the Special Master is being paid far below the market rate, private counsel are being paid no more and, in some cases, even less. The information provided will also allow Congress to compare the total amount paid to the Special Master with the total amount paid to 54 private law firms representing present and former government employees. Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel insists that the Court's May 21 Order requires submission of niore detail (e.g., the names of the private counsel involved and additional billing information). Some of this data is public information; the United States has no objection to providing it and it is attached (updated since June 18 with later payments). However, the Court made it very clear that it did not intend to direct production of privileged information. Detailed infomation about the billing of counsel implicates the work product doctrine, see, e.g, Washington Bancorporation v. Said, 1989 WL 946533, at * 5 (D.D.C. May 10, 1989) (finding privileged and ordering 'Plaintiffs make much of the fact that defendants' submission "excludes" fees paid from discretionary funds available to the Secretary of the Interior. In fact, no such exclusion was made. If any fees had been paid from such a fund, they would have been reported. 2 redaction of all attorney billing information except amount billed); Indian Law Res.Ctr. v. Dep't of the Interior, 477 F. Supp. 144, 148 (D.D.C. 1979) (itemization of attorney fee records, including precise amount of attorney time spent, protected by the work product doctrine), and the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 4 552a. In any event, were the Court to consider ordering production of the additional infomation requested by plaintiffs, it should allow the private parties and their counsel to appear to protect their interests. For the foregoing reasons, the Court should deny Plaintiffs' Motion to Compel Compliance with this Court's May 2 1 , 2003 Memorandum and Order Dated: July 2 1, 2003 Respectfully submitted, ROBERT D. McCALLUM, JR. Associate Attorney General PETER D. KEISLER Assistant Attorney General STUART E. SCHIFFER Deputy Assistant Attorney General J. CHRISTOPHER KOHN Director f 3 n 4 4 SANDRA P. SPOONER D.C. Bar No. 261495 Deputy Director JOHN T. STEMPLEWICZ Senior Trial Counsel Commercial Litigation Branch Civil Division P.O. Box 875 Ben Franklin Station Washington, D.C. 20044-0875 (202) 5 14-7 194 3 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ELOUISE PEPION COBELL, gt ) 1 P 1 ain ti ffs, V. Case No. 1 :96CV01285 (Judge Lamberth) &, GALE NORTON, Secretary of the Interior, al., ) ) ) ) 1 1 ) ) Defend ants . Court’s May 21, ORDER This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiffs ’ Motion to Compel Compliance with this 2003 Memorrrndurn and Order. Upon consideration of the Opposition, Reply thereto, and the entire record of this case, it is hereby ORDERED that the Plaintiffs’ Motion is, DENIED. Hon. Royce C. Lamberth UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE United States District Court for the District of Columbia Date: cc : Sandra P. Spooner John T. Stemplewicz Commercial Litigation Branch Civil Division P.O. Box 875 Ben Franklin Station Washington, D.C. 20044-0875 Fax (202) 5 14-91 63 Dennis M Gingold, Esq. Mark Brown, Esq. 1275 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Ninth Floor Washington, D.C. 20004 Fax (202) 3 18-2372 Keith Harper, Esq. Native American Rights Fund 1712 N Street, hW Washington, D.C. 20036-2976 Fax (202) 822-0068 Elliott Levitas, Esq. 1100 Peachtree Street, Suite 2800 Atlanta, GA 30309-4530 Alan L. Balaraii, Esy. Special Master 17 17 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. 13th Floor Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 986-8477 Earl Old Person (Pro se) Blackfeet Tribe P.O. Box 850 Browning, MT 5941 7 (406) 338-7530 FY DC# 99 15053 99 15067 99 15065 99 15082 99 15063 99 15064 99 15066 0 15045 0 15104 0 15044 0 15051 15066 1 15071 15073 1 15074 I 15082 1 15090 1 15092 1 15096 1 15097 I 15103 1 15004 1 15031 1 15043 I I 1 15085 TOTAL OF FYOI COBELL PRIVATE COUNSEL PAYMENTS THROUGH JULY 9,2003 PRIVATE COUNSEL PETER R GINSBERG WILLIAM A DOBROVIR JANIS SCHUELKE & WECHSLER STEPTOE & JOHNSON SHEA & GARDNER BRAND LOWELL & RYAN JENKENS & GlLCHRlST TOTAL OF FY99 DANIEL F RINZEL CROWELL & MORING LLP MANATT PHELPS & PHILLIPS JENKENS & GlLCHRlST TOTAL OF FYOO SEYFARTH & SHAW PIPER MARBURY RUDNICK WOLFE MANATT PHELPS & PHILLIPS LONDON & MEAD BRAND & FRULLA PC CROWELL MORING COBURN & SCHERTLER RESOLUTION LAW GROUP ZWERLING & KEMLER OBER KALER GRIMES & SHRIVER TROUT & RICHARDS ZUCKERMAN SPAEDER PATTON BOGGS LLP ZUCKERMAN SPAEDER LLP PAYMENTS $49,209.08 $25,480.87 $24,408.03 $1 5,346.74 $14,541.01 $7,625.91 $26,289.16 $1 62,900.80 $14,542.18 $5,170.25 $1 0,253.23 $32,582.83 $62,548.49 $47,652.34 $3,243.42 $3,581.95 $45,138.27 $1 0,217.67 $215,637.50 $9,737.04 $274,278.07 $8,478.67 $52,424.14 $104,273.75 $28,084.80 $1 76,852.37 $1 00,948.39 $1,080,548.38 CLIENTS ANDREW ESCHEN DANIEL MAZELLA ELENI CONSTANTINE INGRID FALANGA JAMES REGAN RANDALL LEWIS ROBERTA MCINERNEY LEWIS WIENER MICHAEL CARR RANDELL LEWIS REBERTA MCINERNEY ROBERTA MCINERNEY CAROL SMALLEY RANDALL LEWIS KENNETH ROSSMAN KAY HAYES DOMINIC NESSl DEBRA MEISNER THOMAS CLARK DEBORAH MADDOX TI M OTHY ELL I OTT EDITH BLACKWELL HILDA MANUEL EDWARD COHEN ROBERT LAMB Attachment A 2 15007 2 15008 2 15009 2 15010 2 15011 2 15012 2 15013 2 15014 2 15016 2 15017 2 15018 2 15019 2 15020 2 15021 2 15022 2 15023 2 15024 2 15025 2 15026 2 15028 2 15029 2 15032 2 15034 2 15036 2 15037 2 15039 2 15045 2 15054 2 15057 2 15061 2 15072 2 15075 2 15085 2 15087 2 15101 2 15103 BELL, LLP ROSS, DIXON & PAUL HASTING JANOFSKY &WALKER LAW OFFICES OF PLATO CACHERIS ASBILL, JUNKIN, MOFFITT & BOSS PIPER, MARBURY, RUDNICK & WOLF MORRISON & FOERSTER BAACH, ROBINSON & LEWIS SUTHERLAND, ASBILL & BRENNAN LAW OFFICES OF PLATO CACHERIS PATTON, BOGGS FELDSMAN, TUCKER, LEIFER, COBURN & SCHERTLER PRESTON, GATES, ELLIS & KATHLEEN E VOELKER, ESQ WILEY, REIN & FIELDING BERLINER CORCORAN & ROW€ & FRIED FRANK HARRIS SHRIVER BENNETTaNATHANS PIPER, MARBURY, RUDNICK & WOLF BRAND & FRULLA PIPER, MARBURY, RUDNICK & WOLF BAACH, ROBINSON & LEWIS CROWELL & MORING JONES, DAY COBURN & SCHERTLER ZWERLING & KEMLER PC MANATT, PHELPS & PHILLIPS ARENT FOX KINTNER PLOTKIN & REDMON PEYTON & BRASWELL JANIS SCHUELKE & WECHSLER BEVERIDGE & DIAMOND MORGAN LEWIS & BOCKIUS KRAMON & GRAHAM SEYFARTH SHAW SEYFARTH SHAW JACKSON & CAMPBELL $274,250.27 $80,056.40 $16,771.51 $59,745.27 $30,163.45 $67,401.65 $48,559.10 $123,310.72 $9,588.13 $0.00 $1 16,927.46 $1 6,967.72 $30,708.9 1 $27,964.06 $61,137.56 $243,875.88 $90,813.98 $90,027.02 $1 14,312.56 $107,352.71 $33,877.1 0 $71,557.52 $12,158.21 $56,336.00 $21,378.22 $3,619.39 $209,666.98 $40,468.50 $20,800.00 $2,775.00 $140,215.22 $29,026.47 $14,041.81 $1 3,234.42 $6,366.35 $23,975.95 PHIL BROOKS WILLIAM G MYERS JOHN BERRY STEVE SWANSON JACK HAUGRUD SABRINA MCCARTHY LOIS SCHIFFER CHARLES FINDLAY GLEN SCHUMAKER BRUCE BABBITT JIM SIMON JOHN BRYSON MICHAEL ROSSETTI JIM DOULAS JIM EICHNER JOHN MOST SHARON BLACKWELL DAVID SCHUEY SARA HIMMELHOCH PETER COPPELMAN JOHNCRUDEN ANNE SHIELDS ANDREW ESCHEN MICHAEL CARR DAVID SHILTON TERRY STEELE NEAL MCCALEB KEN PACQUIN/ KEN RUSSELL LEWIS WIENER ELENI CONSTANTINE DARYL WHITE WILLA PERLMUTTER AMALIA KESSLER WALTER T. ECCARD BRIAN BERRELL THOMAS SLONAKER 2 15104 2 15120 2 15121 2 15122 2 15124 2 15125 3 150XX 3 15003 3 15011 3 15023 3 15024 3 15027 3 15034 3 15035 3 15037 3 15042 3 15044 3 15045 HOGAN & HARTSON PORTER WRIGHT MORRIS 8t ARTHUR PORTER WRIGHT MORRIS &ARTHUR PORTER WRIGHT MORRIS & ARTHUR BAKER & MCKENZIE BAKER & MCKENZIE TOTAL OF FY02 MILLER &CHEVALIER MCKENNA, LONG & ALDRIDGE ELIZABETH FLEMING, ESQ HOWREY, SIMON, ARNOLD &WHITE TROUT & RICHARDS KELLOGG, HUBER, HANSEN, TODD, EVANS O'MELVENY & MYERS HOWREY, SIMON, ARNOLD &WHITE COVINGTON & BURLING HOGAN & HARTSON DICKSTEIN, SHAPIRO, MORIN & OSHINSKY DICKSTEIN, SHAPIRO, MORIN 8t OSHINSKY TOTAL OF FY03 TOTAL OF ALLYEARS $1 39,948.1 5 $709.60 $1 9,409.60 $21,513.37 $1 7,934.60 $1 0,900.99 $2,5 1 9,84 7.8 I $0.00 $491,538.63 $8,457.75 $7,423.27 $35,174.74 $1 7,285.54 $1 2,448.00 MICHAEL QUINN $2,260.42 MICHELE SINGER $58,221 5 4 BERT EDWARDS JAMES CASON $10,005.00 $8,044. a3 $7,821.80 $658,681 -52 $4,484,527.00 J. STEVEN GRILES ROBERTA MCINERNEY BRIAN FERRELL WALTER T. ECCARD GLEN SCHUMAKER JOHN BERRY VIRDEN TERRY GALE NORTON MICHAEL ROSSETTI DONNA ERWIN MICHAEL ROSSETTI TERRY PETRIE DAVID SHILTON JOHN BRYSON CERTTFlCATE OF SERVICE I declare under penalty of perjury that, on July 2 1,2003 I served the foregoing Opposition to Pluintgs ’ Motion to Compel Compliance with this Court’s May 21, 2003 Memorandum and Order by facsimile in accordance with their written request of October 3 I , 2001 upon: Keith Harper, Esq. Native American Rights Fund 1712 N Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-2976 (202) 822-0068 Per the Court’s Order of April 17,2003, by facsimile and by U.S. Mail upon: Earl Old Person (Pro se) Blackfeet Tribe P.O. Box 850 Browning, MT 5941 7 (406) 338-7530 By facsimile and US. Mail: Alan L. Balaran, Esq. Special Master 1717 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. 13th Floor Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 986-8477 Dennis M Gingold, Esq. Mark Kester Brown, Esq. 607 - 14th Street, NW Box 6 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 31 8-2372 By US. Mail upon: Elliott Levitas, Esq 1 I00 Peachtree Street, Suite 2800 Atlanta, GA 30309-4530