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SANDWICH CHEF OF TEXAS v. RELIANCE NAT. INDEM.

No. 01-20924.

319 F.3d 205 (2003)

SANDWICH CHEF OF TEXAS, INC., doing business as Wall Street Deli, Individually and for Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RELIANCE NATIONAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE COMPANY, formerly known as Planet Insurance Company; Reliance Insurance Company; Reliance Lloyds; Reliance National Insurance Co.; United Pacific Insurance Co.; Home Insurance Company, formerly known as City Insurance Co., formerly known as Home Indemnity Company, formerly known as Home Insurance Company, formerly known as Home Insurance Company of Indiana; Liberty Mutual Insurance Company; Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company; Liberty Insurance Corporation; American & Foreign Insurance Company; Globe Indemnity Co.; Royal Indemnity Co.; Royal Insurance Company of America; Safeguard Insurance Co.; Bituminous Casualty Corporation; Bituminous Fire and Marine Insurance Co.; Great West Casualty Insurance Co.; International Business & Mercantile Reassurance Co.; Old Republic Insurance Company; North River Insurance Co.; International Insurance Company; Westchester Fire Insurance Company; United States Fire Insurance Company; United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company; Fidelity & Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc.; Industrial Indemnity; Chubb Indemnity Insurance Co.; Chubb Lloyds Insurance Co. of Texas; Federal Insurance Company; Great Northern Insurance Co.; Northwestern Pacific Indemnity Co.; Pacific Indemnity Company; Sun Insurance Office of America Inc.; Texas Pacific Indemnity Co.; Vigilant Insurance Co.; Highlands Insurance Company; Highlands Underwriters Insurance Co.; Highlands Casualty Co.; Aberdeen Insurance Co.; Bankers Standard Insurance Co.; Century Indemnity Co.; Indemnity Insurance Company of North America; Insurance Company of North America; Pacific Employers Insurance Company; Atlantic Insurance Co.; Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford, Connecticut; Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company; Farmington Casualty Co.; Gulf Group Lloyds; Gulf Insurance Co.; Nippon Fire/Marine Insurance Co. Ltd., U.S. Branch; Phoenix Insurance Company; Select Insurance Co.; Standard Fire Insurance Co.; Travelers Casualty & Surety Co., formerly known as Aetna Casualty & Surety Co.; Travelers Casualty & Surety Company of America, formerly known as Aetna Casualty and Surety Company of America; Travelers Casualty & Surety Company of Illinois, formerly known as Aetna Casualty & Surety Company of Illinois; Travelers Indemnity Company; Travelers Indemnity Company of America; Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The, formerly known as Travelers Indemnity Company of Rhode Island; Travelers Indemnity Co. of Illinois; Travelers Insurance Company; Argonaut Insurance Company; Argonaut Midwest Insurance Company; Argonaut Southwest Insurance Company; American Home Assurance Company; Birmingham Fire Insurance Company of Pennsylvania; Commerce and Industry Insurance Co.; Granite State Insurance Company; Illinois National Insurance Company; The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania; National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, PA; New Hampshire Insurance Company; American Manufacturing Mutual Insurance Co.; American Motorists Insurance Company; American Protection Insurance Co.; Lumbermens Mutual Casualty Company; Emcasco Insurance Co.; Employers Mutual Casualty Company; Farmland Mutual Insurance Co.; Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Co.; Nationwide Indemnity Insurance Co.; Nationwide Mutual Fire Insurance Co.; Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company; Nationwide Property and Casualty Insurance Co.; Scottsdale Indemnity Co.; Middlesex Insurance Co.; Sentry Insurance, A Mutual Company; Employers Insurance of Wausau, A Mutual Company; Wausau Business Insurance Co.; Wausau Underwriters Insurance Company; Agricultural Insurance Co.; American Alliance Insurance Company; American National Fire Insurance Company; Great American Insurance Co.; Mid-Continent Casualty Company; American Casualty Company of Reading, Pennsylvania; Continental Casualty Company; National Fire Insurance Company of Hartford; Transcontinental Insurance Company; Transportation Insurance Company; Valley Forge Insurance Company; Boston Old Colony Insurance Company; Casualty Insurance Company of Texas; Commercial Insurance Company of Newark, New Jersey; The Continental Insurance Company; The Fidelity and Casualty Insurance Company New York; Firemen's Insurance Company of Newark, New Jersey; Glens Falls Insurance Company; Kansas City Fire & Marine Insurance Co.; Niagara Fire Insurance Co.; American Guarantee and Liability Insurance Company; Zurich Insurance Company; Republic-Franklin Insurance Co.; Utica Mutual Insurance Co.; Utica National Insurance Company of Texas; Fairmont Insurance Co.; TIG Insurance Company of Texas, formerly known as Transamerican Insurance Company of Texas; TIG Premier Insurance Co., formerly known as Transamerica Premier Insurance Company; Assurance Company of America; Maryland Casualty Co.; Maryland Insurance Co., formerly known as American General Fire and Casualty Company; Northern Insurance Company of New York; Valiant Insurance Co.; American Automobile Insurance Co.; American Ins. Co.; Associated Indemnity Corp.; Fireman's Fund Insurance Company; Fireman's Fund Insurance Company of Texas; Fireman's Fund Insurance Company of Wisconsin; National Surety Corp.; The Connecticut Indemnity Company; Fire & Casualty Insurance Company of Connecticut; Security Insurance Company of Hartford; Ace Fire Underwriters Insurance Company, formerly known as Cigna Fire Underwriters Insurance Company; Ace American Insurance Company, formerly known as CIGNA Insurance Company; Ace Property and Casualty Insurance Company, formerly known as CIGNA Property & Casualty Insurance Co.; TIG American Specialty Insurance Co., formerly known as Chilton Insurance Co.; TIG Insurance Co., formerly known as Transamerica Insurance Company; Ace Insurance Company of Texas, formerly known as Cigna Insurance Company of Texas; and American Zurich Insurance Company, Defendants-Appellants.

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

January 21, 2003.

Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Scott M. Clearman (argued), Randy J. McClanahan, Dwaine M. Massey, Robert Espey, Michael Dane Myers, McClanahan & Clearman, Houston, TX, Charles Martin Silver, University of Texas, School of Law, Susan Klein, Austin, TX, for Plaintiff-Appellee.

Van Harold Beckwith, Chad Pinson, Baker Botts, Dallas, TX, William P. Johnson, Baker Botts, Austin, TX, for Reliance Nat. Indem. Ins. Co., Reliance Ins. Co., Reliance Lloyds, Reliance Nat. Ins. Co. and United Pacific Ins. Co.

Richard N. Carrell, William R. Pakalka, Fulbright & Jaworski, Houston, TX, for Home Ins. Co.

Harry M. Reasoner (argued), Marie Roach Yeates, Vinson & Elkins, Houston, TX, Robert Charles Walters, Russell Yager, Vinson & Elkins, Dallas, TX, for Liberty Mut. Ins. Co., Liberty Mut. Fire Ins. Co. and Liberty Ins. Corp.

Michael H. Barr, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, New York City, Margo Weinstein, Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, Chicago, IL, for American & Foreign Ins. Co., Globe Indem. Co., Royal Indem. Co., Royal Ins. Co. of America, Safeguard Ins. Co., Connecticut Indem. Co., Fire & Cas. Ins. Co. of Connecticut and Security Ins. Co. of Hartford.

David Joe Schubert, Arter & Hadden, Dallas, TX, for Bituminous Cas. Corp., Bituminous Fire and Marine Ins. Co., Great West Cas. Ins. Co., International Business & Mercantile Reassurance Co. and Old Republic Ins. Co.

J. Hampton Skelton, Skelton, Woody & Arnold, Austin, TX, for North River Ins. Co., International Ins. Co., Westchester Fire Ins. Co., United States Fire Ins. Co., United States Fidelity & Guar. Co. and Fidelity & Guar. Ins. Underwriters Inc.

Craig P. Kalil, Aballi, Milne, Kalil & Escagedo, Miami, FL, Brian Carl Newby, Cantey & Hanger, Fort Worth, TX, Julie K. Lane, Cantey, Hanger, Roan & Autrey, Austin, TX, for Industrial Indem.

David T. Moran, Kevin Thomas Crocker, Jackson Walker, Dallas, TX, for Chubb Indem. Ins. Co., Chubb Lloyds Ins. Co. of Texas, Federal Ins. Co., Great Northern Ins. Co., Northwestern Pacific Indem. Co., Pacific Indem. Co., Sun Ins. Office of America Inc., Texas Pacific Indem. Co. and Vigilant Ins. Co.

James L. Sowder, Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons, Dallas, TX, for Highlands Ins. Co., Highlands Underwriters Ins. Co., Highlands Cas. Co., Aberdeen Ins. Co., Republic-Franklin Ins. Co., Utica Mut. Ins. Co., Utica Nat. Ins. Co. of Texas, Fairmont Ins. Co., TIG Ins. Co. of Texas, TIG Premier Ins. Co., TIG American Specialty Ins. Co. and TIG Ins. Co.

Barry Ray Bell, Marvin S. Sloman, James A. Cox, Carrington, Coleman, Sloman & Bluementhal, Dallas, TX, for Bankers Standard Ins. Co., Century Indem. Co., Indemnity Ins. Co. of North America, Insurance Co. of North America, Pacific Employers Ins. Co., Ace Fire Underwriters Ins. Co., Ace American Ins. Co., Ace Property and Cas. Ins. Co. and Ace Ins. Co. of Texas.

Joseph E. Coughlin, Randall A. Hack, Timothy M. Maggio, Shane W. Blackstone, Lord, Bissell & Brook, Chicago, IL, J. Wiley George, Strasburger & Price, Houston, TX, Earl Jeffery Story, Strasburger & Price, Dallas, TX, for Atlantic Ins. Co., Automobile Ins. Co. of Hartford, Connecticut, Charter Oak Fire Ins. Co., Farmington Cas. Co., Gulf Group Lloyds, Gulf Ins. Co., Nippon Fire/Marine Ins. Co. Ltd., Phoenix Ins. Co., Select Ins. Co., Standard Fire Ins. Co., Travelers Cas. & Sur. Co., Travelers Cas. & Sur. Co. of America, Travelers Cas. & Sur. Co. of Illinois, Travelers Indem. Co., Travelers Indem. Co. of America, Travelers Indem. Co. of Connecticut, Travelers Indem. Co. of Illinois and Travelers Ins. Co.

Michael Lowenberg, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, Dallas, TX, for Argonaut Ins. Co., Argonaut Midwest Ins. Co. and Argonaut Southwest Ins. Co.

Curtis L. Frisbie, Jr., Randy D. Gordon, Gardere Wynne Sewell, Dallas, TX, for American Home Assur. Co., Birmingham Fire Ins. Co. of Pennsylvania, Commerce & Industry Ins. Co., Granite State Ins. Co., Illinois Nat. Ins. Co., Insurance Co. of the State of Pennsylvania, National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA and New Hampshire Ins. Co.

Michael L. McCluggage, Brent R. Austin, Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon, Chicago, IL, for American Mfg. Mut. Ins. Co., American Motorists Ins. Co., American Protection Ins. Co., Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co., Agricultural Ins. Co., American Alliance Ins. Co., American Nat. Fire Ins. Co., Great American Ins. Co., Mid-Continent Cas. Co., American Cas. Co. of Reading, Pennsylvania, Continental Cas. Co., National Fire Ins. Co. of Hartford, Transcontinental Ins. Co., Transportation Ins. Co., Transportation Ins. Co. and Valley Forge Ins. Co.

David J. Beck, Eric J.R. Nichols, Beck, Redden & Secrest, Houston, TX, for American Mfg. Mut. Ins. Co., American Motorists Ins. Co., American Protection Ins. Co., Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co., Agricultural Ins. Co., American Alliance Ins. Co., American Nat. Fire Ins. Co., Great American Ins. Co., Mid-Continent Cas. Co., American Cas. Co. of Reading, Pennsylvania, Continental Cas. Co., National Fire Ins. Co. of Hartford, Transcontinental Ins. Co., Transportation Ins. Co., Valley Forge Ins. Co., Boston Old Colony Ins. Co., Casualty Ins. Co. of Texas, Commercial Ins. Co. of Newark, New Jersey, Continental Ins. Co., Fidelity & Cas. Ins. Co. New York, Firemans Ins. Co. of Newark, New Jersey, Glens Falls Ins. Co., Kansas City Fire & Marine Ins. Co. and Niagara Fire Ins. Co.

David L. Orr, Kuperman, Orr, Mouer & Albers, Austin, TX, for American Mfg. Mut. Ins. Co., American Motorists Ins. Co., American Protection Ins. Co. and Lumbermens Mut. Cas. Co.

James R. Safley, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, Minneapolis, MN, Joel W. Mohrman, McGlinchey Stafford, Houston, TX, Sarah Ney, McGlinchey Stafford, New Orleans, LA, for Emcasco Ins. Co., Employers Mut. Cas. Co., Farmland Mut. Ins. Co., Nationwide Agribusiness Ins. Co., Nationwide Indem. Ins. Co., Nationwide Mut. Fire Ins. Co., Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., Nationwide Property and Cas. Ins. Co., Scottsdale Indem. Co., Middlesex Ins. Co., Sentry Ins., Employers Ins. of Wausau, Wausau Business Ins. Co. and Wausau Underwriters Ins. Co.

Stanley B. Block, Andrew M. Gardner, Vedder, Price, Kaufman & Kammholz, Chicago, IL, for Boston Old Colony Ins. Co., Casualty Ins. Co. of Texas, Commercial Ins. Co. of Newark, New Jersey, Continental Ins. Co., Fidelity & Cas. Ins. Co. New York, Firemans Ins. Co. of Newark, New Jersey, Glens Falls Ins. Co., Kansas City Fire & Marine Ins. Co. and Niagara Fire Ins. Co.

David E. Tungate, Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, Pittsburgh, PA, Heather E. Rennie, Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, Philadelphia, PA, for American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co., Zurich Ins. Co., Assurance Co. of America, Maryland Cas. Co., Maryland Ins. Co., Northern Ins. Co. of New York, Valiant Ins. Co. and American Zurich Ins. Co.

Robert L. Fleischman, San Francisco, CA, Rolf Woolner, Murphy, Sheneman, Julian & Rogers, Los Angeles, CA, for American Auto. Ins. Co., American Ins. Co., Associated Indem. Corp., Firemans Fund Ins. Co., Firemans Fund Ins. Co. of Texas, Firemans Fund Ins. Co. of Wisconsin and National Sur. Corp.

Before SMITH and BENAVIDES, Circuit Judges, and FITZWATER, District Judge.

FITZWATER, District Judge:

Fraud actions that require proof of individual reliance cannot be certified as Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(b)(3) class actions because individual, rather than common, issues will predominate. The district court certified a nationwide Rule 23(b)(3) class in this RICO1 fraud action based on alleged overcharging of workers' compensation insurance premiums. It did so by eliminating, on substantive grounds, plaintiff-specific...

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