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Case TitleWP COMPANY LLC v. WMATA
DistrictDistrict of Columbia
CityWashington, DC
Case Number1:2014cv01152
Date Filed2014-07-08
Date Closed2015-02-10
JudgeJudge Richard J. Leon
PlaintiffWP COMPANY LLC
doing business as WASHINGTON POST
Case DescriptionThe Washington Post made two requests to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority under its Public Access to Records Policy, WMATA's administrative equivalent to FOIA, for records concerning settlement agreements resolving litigation filed as a result of the fatal 2009 Metrorail collision near the Fort Totten station. A year later, WMATA denied both requests in full, claiming they were protected by the PARP exemptions for confidential business information, privileged documents, and invasion of personal privacy. The Washington Post appealed the denials of its PARP requests and also moved to intervene in federal litigation concerning liability for the collision to unseal documents related to the settlement agreements with minors that had been filed with the court. Meanwhile, WMATA told the Washington Post that it would hold its PARP request in abeyance until the decision pertaining to unsealing the documents filed with the court. The court disclosed the settlement agreements with redactions of personally identifying information. WMATA then responded to the Washington Post's PARP requests by denying information about the settlement agreements under the exemptions for confidential business information and privileged information. The Washington Post then filed suit.
Complaint issues: Exemption 4 - Confidential business information, Exemption 5 - Privileges

DefendantWMATA
DefendantALSTOM SIGNALING, INC.
DefendantANSALDO STS USA, INC.
DefendantARINC INCORPORATED
Documents
Docket
Complaint
Complaint attachment 1
Complaint attachment 2
User-contributed Documents
 
Docket Events (Hide)
Date FiledDoc #Docket Text
2014-07-081COMPLAINT Filed by Washington Post against WASHINGTON POST WMATA ( Filing fee $ 400 receipt number 0090-3771839) filed by WASHINGTON POST. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Summons)(Baine, Kevin) (Entered: 07/08/2014)
2014-07-082Corporate Disclosure Statement by WASHINGTON POST. (Baine, Kevin) (Entered: 07/08/2014)
2014-07-08Case Assigned to Judge Richard J. Leon. (sth, ) (Entered: 07/08/2014)
2014-07-083SUMMONS (1) Issued Electronically as to WMATA. (Attachments: # 1 Summons)(sth, ) (Entered: 07/08/2014)
2014-07-214RETURN OF SERVICE/AFFIDAVIT of Summons and Complaint Executed. WMATA served on 7/15/2014, answer due 8/5/2014 (Baine, Kevin) (Entered: 07/21/2014)
2014-08-045ANSWER to Complaint by WMATA.(Chandonnet, Brendan) (Entered: 08/04/2014)
2014-08-046STANDING ORDER. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 8/4/14. (lcrjl2, ) (Entered: 08/04/2014)
2014-08-257Consent MOTION to Intervene by ALSTOM SIGNALING, INC., ARINC, Ansaldo (Attachments: # 1 Memorandum in Support, # 2 Exhibit Alstom's Corporate Disclosure Statement, # 3 Exhibit Ansaldo's Coporate Disclosure Statement, # 4 Exhibit ARINC's Corporate Disclosure Statement, # 5 Text of Proposed Order)(Nadelhaft, Adam) (Entered: 08/25/2014)
2014-08-26MINUTE ORDER granting 7 Corporate Defendants' Consent Motion to Intervene. It is hereby ORDERED that the motion is GRANTED. It is further ORDERED that Alstom Signaling, Inc., Ansaldo STS USA, Inc., and ARINC, Inc. are joined as defendants in this case. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 8/26/14. (lcrjl2, ) (Entered: 08/26/2014)
2014-08-2614LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by ALSTOM SIGNALING, INC. identifying Corporate Parent ALSTOM for ALSTOM SIGNALING, INC.. (znmw, ) (Entered: 09/09/2014)
2014-08-2615LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by ANSALDO STS USA, INC. identifying Corporate Parent ANSALDO STS SPA, Corporate Parent FINMECCANICA SPA, Other Affiliate ANSALDO BREDA SPA for ANSALDO STS USA, INC.. (znmw, ) (Entered: 09/09/2014)
2014-08-2616LCvR 7.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by ARINC INCORPORATED identifying Corporate Parent RADIO HOLDINGS, INC., Corporate Parent ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC. and other affiliates/subsidiaries for ARINC INCORPORATED. (znmw, ) (Entered: 09/09/2014)
2014-08-278NOTICE of Appearance by Adam Joshua Podoll on behalf of All Plaintiffs (Podoll, Adam) (Entered: 08/27/2014)
2014-08-289NOTICE of Appearance by Robert P. Fletcher on behalf of Ansaldo (Fletcher, Robert) (Entered: 08/28/2014)
2014-09-0510ANSWER to Complaint by Ansaldo.(Fletcher, Robert) (Entered: 09/05/2014)
2014-09-0511NOTICE of Proposed Scheduling Order Pursuant to Standing Order, FN 1 by WP COMPANY LLC (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order Proposed Order)(Podoll, Adam) Modified event title on 9/8/2014 (znmw, ). (Entered: 09/05/2014)
2014-09-0812ANSWER to Complaint by ARINC.(Nesbitt, Kristen) (Entered: 09/08/2014)
2014-09-0813ANSWER to Complaint by ALSTOM SIGNALING, INC..(Nadelhaft, Adam) (Entered: 09/08/2014)
2014-09-2517ORDER that upon consideration of the Parties Joint Proposed Schedule that the following briefing schedule is set: 1) Any Dispositive Motions by any party will be filed within 60 days after September 5, 2014; 2) Oppositions will be due 30 days after the date on which the dispositive motion was filed; 3) Reply briefs will be due 15 days after the date on which the opposition was filed. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 09/24/2014. (jth) (Entered: 09/25/2014)
2014-10-1418NOTICE of Appearance by Robert P. Fletcher on behalf of ANSALDO STS USA, INC. (Fletcher, Robert) (Entered: 10/14/2014)
2014-10-3019STIPULATION Extending Briefing Schedule by WP COMPANY LLC. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Podoll, Adam) (Entered: 10/30/2014)
2014-11-0420NOTICE of Appearance by Linda S. Woolf on behalf of ARINC INCORPORATED (Woolf, Linda) (Entered: 11/04/2014)
2014-11-0421ORDER: Upon consideration of the parties' 19 Stipulation filed by WP COMPANY LLC; it is ordered that Dispositive Motions due by 11/19/2014. Response to Dispositive Motions due by 12/18/2014. Reply to Dispositive Motions due by 1/5/2015. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 11/04/14. (tb, ) (Entered: 11/04/2014)
2014-11-1922Joint MOTION to Stay by WP COMPANY LLC (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Podoll, Adam) (Entered: 11/19/2014)
2014-11-24MINUTE ORDER granting 22 Motion to Stay. Upon consideration of the Parties' Joint Motion to Stay, the Court hereby ORDERS that this case is, and will be, stayed until further order of this Court. Signed by Judge Richard J. Leon on 11/24/2014. (lcrjl2, ) (Entered: 11/24/2014)
2015-02-0923NOTICE of Voluntary Dismissal by WP COMPANY LLC (Podoll, Adam) (Entered: 02/09/2015)
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by FOIA Project Staff
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