Otter Products, Llc v. H.L. Dalis Incorporated

BRIEF in Opposition to 63 MOTION to Dismiss H.L. Dalis Inc.'s Antitrust Claims

D. Colo.July 11, 2016

4818-2168-5556.1 1 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF COLORADO Civil Action No. 15-cv-02591-RPM OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC, a Colorado limited liability company, Plaintiff and Counter Defendant, v. H.L. DALIS, INC., a New York corporation, Defendant and Counter Claimant, v. d TESSCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC., a Delaware corporation; NITE IZE, INC., a Colorado corporation; BRIGHTSTAR CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation; and INGRAM MICRO, INC., a Delaware corporation, Counter Defendants. H.L. DALIS, INC.'S OPPOSITION TO OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC'S MOTION TO DISMISS ANTITRUST CLAIMS H.L. Dalis, Inc. (“H.L. Dalis”) filed an amended counterclaim in this action (Doc. No. 40) alleging, among other claims, that Otter Products, LLC (“OtterBox”), the leading manufacturer of smartphone cases in the country, and its four key distributors allocated OtterBox smartphone cases customers and territories among the competing key distributors through a horizontal, “hub-and-spoke” conspiracy in violation of Sherman Act, Section 1 (“Antitrust Claim”). This violation of the antitrust laws is continuing. In its motion to dismiss H.L. Dalis’s Antitrust Claim (Doc. No. 63), OtterBox incorporated by reference its Motion to Dismiss Foreign Trade Corporation’s Antitrust Claims (No. 1:14-cv-03133-RPM, Doc. No. 94) (“Doc. 94”). Based solely on Doc. 94, OtterBox has sought dismissal of H.L. Dalis’s Antitrust Claim. Case 1:15-cv-02591-RPM Document 67 Filed 07/11/16 USDC Colorado Page 1 of 3 4818-2168-5556.1 2 In opposition, H.L. Dalis incorporates by reference Foreign Trade Corporation’s opposition to Doc. 94. 1 For the reasons set forth in that opposition, the Court should deny OtterBox’s motion to dismiss H.L. Dalis’s First Claim for Relief (for violation of Sherman Act, Section 1). In the alternative, if the Court grants the motion, in whole or in part, H.L. Dalis requests that the Court permit H.L. Dalis to amend its claims accordingly. DATED: July 11, 2016 Respectfully submitted, s/ Farhad Novian Farhad Novian Jonathan A. Schaub NOVIAN & NOVIAN, LLP 1801 Century Park East, Suite 1201 Los Angeles, CA 90067 Phone: (310) 553-1222 Email: farhad@novianlaw.com jonathan@novianlaw.com -and- s/Todd Seelman John Cardinal Parks Todd Seelman Christopher Wood Alyssa Watzman Robin Alexander LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH, LLP 1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 4000 Denver, CO 80203 Phone: (303) 861-7760 Email: john.parks@lewisbrisbois.com todd.seelman@lewisbrisbois.com christopher.wood@lewisbrisbois.com alyssa.watzman@lewisbrisbois.com robin.alexander@lewisbrisbois.com Attorneys for H.L. Dalis, Inc. 1 Citations to Amended Pleadings in Foreign Trade Corporation’s opposition to Doc. 94 are to its amended complaint. Exhibit A to the opposition and Exhibit B to Doc. 94 contain parallel citations to H.L. Dalis’s amended counterclaim. Case 1:15-cv-02591-RPM Document 67 Filed 07/11/16 USDC Colorado Page 2 of 3 4818-2168-5556.1 3 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that on this this 11 th day of July, 2016, I presented the foregoing H.L. DALIS, INC.'S OPPOSITION TO OTTER PRODUCTS, LLC'S MOTION TO DISMISS ANTITRUST CLAIMS to the Clerk of the Court for filing and uploading to the CM/ECF system which will send notification of the filing to the following: Counsel of Record. s/Todd Seelman John Cardinal Parks Todd Seelman Christopher Wood Alyssa Watzman Robin Alexander LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH, LLP 1700 Lincoln Street, Suite 4000 Denver, CO 80203 Phone: (303) 861-7760 Email: john.parks@lewisbrisbois.com todd.seelman@lewisbrisbois.com christopher.wood@lewisbrisbois.com alyssa.watzman@lewisbrisbois.com robin.alexander@lewisbrisbois.com Attorneys for H.L. Dalis, Inc. Case 1:15-cv-02591-RPM Document 67 Filed 07/11/16 USDC Colorado Page 3 of 3