In re National Security Agency Telecommunications Records Litigation

MOTION to Dismiss Plaintiffs' Master Consolidated Complaint

N.D. Cal.April 30, 2007

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Verizon’s Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Master Consolidated Complaint MDL NO. 06-1791-VRW WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP John A. Rogovin (pro hac vice) Randolph D. Moss (pro hac vice) Samir C. Jain # 181572 Brian M. Boynton # 222193 Catherine M.A. Carroll (pro hac vice pending) Benjamin C. Mizer (pro hac vice) 1875 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20006 Tel.: 202-663-6000 Fax: 202-663-6363 Email: john.rogovin@wilmerhale.com MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON LLP Henry Weissmann # 132418 Susan R. Szabo # 155315 Aimee A. Feinberg # 223309 355 South Grand Avenue 35th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071-1560 Tel.: 213-683-9100 Fax: 213-683-5150 Email: Henry.Weissmann@mto.com Randal S. Milch (pro hac vice) Verizon Communications Inc. One Verizon Way VC43E043 Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 Tel.: 908-559-1752 Fax: 908-696-2136 Attorneys for Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Northwest Inc., Verizon Florida Inc., and MCI Communications Services, Inc. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION IN RE: NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS RECORDS LITIGATION This Document Relates To: All Actions Against the MCI and Verizon Defendants in the Master MCI and Verizon Consolidated Complaint, Dkt. 125 ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) MDL NO. 06-1791 VRW VERIZON’S NOTICE OF MOTION AND MOTION TO DISMISS PLAINTIFFS’ MASTER CONSOLIDATED COMPLAINT Hearing Date: June 21, 2007 Time: 2:00 p.m. Courtroom: 6 (17th floor) Judge: Hon. Vaughn R. Walker Lycos, Inc. v. Verizon Communications, Inc. Doc. 273 Dockets.Justia.com 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 1 Verizon’ s Motion To Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Master Consolidated Complaint MDL NO. 06-1791-VRW NOTICE OF MOTION AND MOTION TO DISMISS TO PLAINTIFFS AND THEIR ATTORNEYS OF RECORD: PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on June 21, 2007, at 2:00 p.m., in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division, located at 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California, in Courtroom 6 (17th floor), the following Motion To Dismiss filed by Defendants Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Northwest Inc., Verizon Florida Inc., and MCI Communications Services, Inc. (hereinafter “Defendants”) will be heard. Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6), Defendants hereby move to dismiss the “Master Consolidated Complaint Against MCI Defendants and Verizon Defendants” (Dkt. # 125) in In re National Security Agency Telecommunications Record Litigation, MDL No. 06-1791 (VRW) (N.D. Cal.) (hereinafter “the Complaint”), based on the United States’ invocation of the state secrets privilege (Dkt. # 254). In addition, the Complaint should be dismissed because it fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted: (1) Plaintiffs fail to state claims under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2511, 2702(a)(1), 2702(a)(2), 2702(a)(3), and 47 U.S.C. § 605, because none of those statutory provisions prohibits the acts alleged. (2) Plaintiffs fail to plead facts to state a claim for unlawful “divulgence” of call records under 18 U.S.C. § 2702(a)(3). (3) The First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits the imposition of liability based on the alleged divulgence of call record information to the government in the circumstances alleged in the Complaint, and the statutes upon which plaintiffs base their claims must be construed as not imposing liability based on the facts alleged. (4) Plaintiffs’ state-law claims are preempted by federal law. (5) Plaintiffs fail to state deception and breach-of-contract claims. (6) Plaintiff’ s claims against MCI are barred by the bankruptcy discharge. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2 Verizon’ s Motion To Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Master Consolidated Complaint MDL NO. 06-1791-VRW This motion is based on this notice of motion and motion, the accompanying memorandum of law, all pleadings and records on file in these actions, and any other arguments presented to this Court at or before the hearing on this motion. Dated: April 30, 2007 WILMER CUTLER PICKERING HALE AND DORR LLP MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON LLP Randal S. Milch By: /s/ John A. Rogovin __________________________ John A. Rogovin Attorneys for Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Northwest Inc., Verizon Florida Inc., and MCI Communications Services, Inc.