In Natural Gas Anti-Trust Cases, Amended Ruling after Oral Argument Pipeline Settlement, the Court gave final approval to the class action Sempra Settlement and approved class representative attorney’s fees of $161 million and costs of over $9 million.  Download Opinion.

In Natural Gas Anti-Trust Cases, the Court denied four motions for summary judgment filed by Sempra Energy, SoCal Gas Company and San Diego Gas and Electric Company. In Minute Order, dated September 16, 2004, the Court denied the Sempra Defendants’ motion for summary judgment on Plaintiffs’ allegation that the Sempra defendants had entered into a conspiracy with El Paso Corporation to restrain trade in violation of the Cartwright Act and to engage in unlawful business practices in violation of the Unfair Practices Act, Bus. & Prof. Code 17,200.  Download Minute Order, September 16, 2004.

In a separate Minute Order, Judge Haden denied also the Sempra Defendants’ Summary Judgment Motions based on (1) the allegation that there was no evidence that the parent, Sempra Energy, joined any conspiracy; (2) that plaintiffs’ lawsuit was precluded by the preemption and the filed rate doctrines; and (3) that disgorgement of profits was not an available remedy under the Unfair Practices Act, Business & Professions Code 17,200 et seq.  Download Minute Order, September 30, 2004.

In City of Long Beach v. Exxon Corp., Decision (June 10, 1998), the Federal Circuit ruled that sales of crude oil by the City of Long Beach were exempt from price controls under the Economic Stabilization Act and accordingly overturned a judgment in favor of Exxon for alleged overcharges by the City.  Because Exxon’s claim was predicated on its contention that the City was not exempt, its claims for overcharges were effectively dismissed by the Federal Court’s Decision.  Download Opinion.