MURRAY v. MOTOROLA, INC.

Nos. 07-CV-1074, 07-CV-1075, 07-CV-1076, 07-CV-1077, 07-CV-1078, 07-CV-1079.

982 A.2d 764 (2009)

Michael Patrick MURRAY, et al., Appellants, v. MOTOROLA, INC., et al., Appellees.

District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Decided October 29, 2009.

As Amended on Rehearing December 10, 2009.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Mayer Morganroth, with whom Jeffrey B. Morganroth and Joanne L. Suder were on the brief, for appellants.

Andrew G. McBride, Washington, with whom Joshua S. Turner was on the brief, for appellees Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Bell Atlantic Mobile, Inc., Verizon Wireless, Inc., Verizon Wireless Personal Communications LP f/k/a Primeco Personal Communications LP, Verizon Communications Inc., Vodafone Group Plc, Nokia Inc, and Western Wireless LLC. The following counsel were also on the brief: Jennifer G. Levy, Michael D. Jones, Garrett B. Johnson, Terrence J. Dee, and Michael B. Slade for appellee Motorola, Inc.; Jeffrey J. Lopez, Seamus C. Duffy, Susan M. Roach, and Maresa H. Torregrossa for appellees AT & T Corp., AT & T Wireless Services, Inc., Cingular Wireless LLC, BellSouth Cellular Corp., SBC Communications, Inc., SBC Wireless LLC, AB Cellular Holding, LLC, Dobson Communications Corp., and Dobson Operating Co., LLC; Thomas C. Watson and Curtis S. Renner for appellees Cingular Wireless, LLC, SBC Communications, Inc., SBC Wireless LLC, and AB Cellular Holding, LLC; John H. Beisner, Matthew Shors, David Mortlock, Jane Fugate Thorpe, Scott A. Elder, Paul F. Strain, and M. King Hill, III for appellees Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless, Bell Atlantic Mobile, Inc., Verizon Wireless, Inc., Verizon Wireless Personal Communications LP f/k/a Primeco Personal Communications LP, Verizon Communications Inc., and Vodafone Group Plc; Paul S. Schleifman, J. Stan Sexton and Michael D. Moeller for appellee Sprint Corporation; Marcus Eyth, Paul Vishny, and Paul E. Freehling for appellee Telecommunications Industry Assoc.; Mark H. Kolman, Deborah Goldstock Ringel, and Kenneth B. Trotter for appellee Audiovox Communications Corporation; Howard D. Scher, Cathleen Coyle McNulty, and John Korns for appellee Cellular One Group; Thomas R. Kline, L. Eden Burgess, and Charles Perry for appellee Western Wireless LLC; Robert B. Green for appellee Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association; Steven M. Zager, Michele A. Roberts, Lance T. Lackey, and Ashley L. Rogers for appellee Nokia, Inc.; Dwight D. Murray and Francis A. Citera, for appellees Sony Electronics Inc. and Qualcomm Incorporated; Lauren S. Reeder, and Jameson B. Carroll for appellee American National Standards Institute; G. William Austin and Stephen E. Baskin for appellee BellSouth Corporation; Ralph A. Taylor, Jr. for appellee Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Incorporated; and Gare Smith, Sarah Altschuller, Joe Cyr, Scott Reynolds and Eric Statman for appellee Vodafone Group Plc sued as Vodafone Airtouch Plc.

Sarang Vijay Damle, United States Department of Justice, with whom Mark B. Stern, United States Department of Justice, Matthew B. Berry, General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission, Jeffrey S. Bucholtz, Acting Assistant Attorney General at the time the brief was filed, and Jeffrey A. Taylor, United States Attorney at the time the brief was filed, were on the amici curiae brief, in support of appellees.

Before KRAMER, FISHER and THOMPSON, Associate Judges.


THOMPSON, Associate Judge:

This appeal presents the question of whether federal law preempts any or all of plaintiffs'/appellants' numerous causes of action for damages against a group of cellular-telephone manufacturers, distributors, promoters, sellers, service providers, industry associations, and standards-setting entities. The Superior Court ruled that all of the claims are barred on the basis of both express and implied federal preemption. For the reasons that...

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