PRACTITIONERS COMMENT ON RULE 56(c) December 1, Re: Proposed Amendment of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56

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Rachel Hunter
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1 PRACTITIONERS COMMENT ON RULE 56(c) By Peter G. McCabe, Secretary of the Judicial Conference of the United States Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building One Columbus Circle NE Washington, DC Dear Mr. McCabe: Re: Proposed Amendment of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56 The undersigned are all experienced federal practitioners, including plaintiffs and defense lawyers; practitioners from large and small firms; leaders of law firms, litigation departments and litigation practice groups; and leaders in national, state, federal and local bar organizations. We write in response to the request of the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for comment on the proposed amendment to Rule 56. We address only Rule 56(c), and only one aspect of that provision. We urge the Advisory Committee not to mandate the use of statements of undisputed fact ( SUF ) as the default rule in connection with all summary judgment motions but, rather, to make the default rule that no SUF is required, permitting the judge, in any particular case, to require an SUF if he or she deems it appropriate. Signatories: Mark A. Aronchick Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Mark H. Alcott Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Scott J. Atlas Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP Houston, Texas

2 Page 2 Stephen M. Axinn Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLP Desmond T. Barry, Jr. Condon & Forsyth LLP Jeffrey Barist Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP Donald W. Bivens Snell & Wilmer LLP Phoenix, Arizona David M. Brodsky Latham & Watkins LLP James J. Brosnahan Morrison & Foerster LLP San Francisco, California James S. Brown Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP Robert L. Byman Jenner & Block LLP Chicago, Illinois

3 Page 3 Michael P. Carroll Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP Dale M. Cendali O Melveny & Myers LLP Evan R. Chesler Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP David W. Clark Bradley Arant Rose & White LLP Jackson, Mississippi Robert A. Clifford Clifford Law Offices Chicago, Illinois John P. Coffey Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP Ronald Jay Cohen Cohen Kennedy Dowd & Quigley Phoenix, Arizona J. Donald Cowan, Jr. Ellis & Winters, LLP Raleigh, North Carolina

4 Page 4 George A. Davidson Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP Charles H. Dick, Jr. Baker & McKenzie San Diego, California Gregory L. Diskant Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP John H. Doyle, III Reed Smith LLP Sheldon Elsen Orans, Elsen, Lupert & Brown LLP Francis G. Fleming, Jr. Kreindler & Kreindler LLP Samuel H. Franklin Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC Birmingham, Alabama Barry H. Garfinkel Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

5 Page 5 Robert J. Giuffra, Jr. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Robert A. Goodin Goodin, MacBride, Squeri, Day, & Lamprey, LLP San Francisco, California Martin R. Gold Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP Lawrence Iason Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason, Anello & Bohrer, P.C. Gregory P. Joseph Gregory P. Joseph Law Offices LLC Robert J. Jossen Dechert LLP Mitchell A. Karlan Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP Timothy D. Kelly Kelly and Berens, P.A. Minneapolis, Minnesota tkelly@kellyandberens.com

6 Page 6 David E. Kendall Williams & Connolly LLP Washington, D.C. Philip J. Kessler Butzel Long Detroit, Michigan John L.A. Lyddane Martin Clearwater & Bell LLP Jonathan J. Lerner Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Ronald L. Marmer Jenner & Block LLP Chicago, Illinois Hon. John S. Martin Martin & Obermaier LLP William G. McGuinness Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP Paul S. Meyer Paul S. Meyer Law Offices P.C. Costa Mesa, California

7 Page 7 Henry G. Miller Clark Gagliardi & Miller, P.C. White Plains, New York Marc S. Moller Kreindler & Kreindler LLP Elizabeth N. Mulvey Crowe & Mulvey, LLP Boston, Massachusetts Barry R. Ostrager Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Daniel A. Pollack Pollack & Kaminsky dapollack@pollacklawfirm.com James W. Quinn Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP John B. Quinn Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP Los Angeles, California Debra L. Raskin Vladeck, Waldman, Elias & Engelhard, P.C.

8 Page 8 Dennis P. Rawlinson Miller Nash LLP Portland, Oregon Roy L. Reardon Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Harry M. Reasoner Vinson & Elkins LLP Houston, Texas Richard A. Rosen Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP Steven O. Rosen The Rosen Law Firm Portland, Oregon Paul Mark Sandler Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler Baltimore, Maryland Jonathan D. Schiller Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP New York and Washington, D.C. JSchiller@BSFLLP.com / Jerold S. Solovy Jenner & Block LLP Chicago, Illinois

9 Page 9 A. Gilchrist Sparks, III Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell LLP Wilmington, Delaware Charles A. Stillman Stillman, Friedman & Shechtman, PC Dennis R. Suplee Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP Philadelphia, Pennsylvania al=186&op=fullbio Stephen D. Susman Susman Godfrey LLP David B. Tulchin Sullivan & Cromwell LLP John L. Warden Sullivan & Cromwell LLP David C. Weiner Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP Cleveland, Ohio Theodore V. Wells, Jr. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

10 Page 10 Edwin J. Wesely Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Sharon M. Woods Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker, P.L.L.C. Detroit, Michigan Mark C. Zauderer Flemming Zulack Williamson Zauderer LLP

INDEPENDENCE AND THE CONSTITUTION, PRINTED TOGETHER WITH EMBOSSED LETTERING FOR THE

INDEPENDENCE AND THE CONSTITUTION, PRINTED TOGETHER WITH EMBOSSED LETTERING FOR THE O N D I S P L AY W I L L B E A N O R I G I NA L P R I N T I N G O F T H E S T O N E E N G R AV I N G O F T H E D E C L A R AT I O N O F I N D E P E N D E N C E, P R I N T E D F RO M A C O P P E R P L AT