RJ Reynolds
Browner Deposition Transcript,Deposition of Malcolm T. Dungan.
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- Dungan, M.T.
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- 27 Feb 1998
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- DEPOSITION
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UPiITTI3 STATES DISTRICT CfltIRT
I3OATHEM DISTRICT 07 CALIPORt,tIA
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DEPOS2TZOid OF M..ALCOLM T. DUNGAN
Taksn before RITA A. ttELCI3, a Notary Public
In and for the County of li9.amsda
Stat. of California
Junn. 20, 1979
CSR 1358
AIKEN & CISTARO
CERTIFIED SHORTHAND REPORTERS
1404 FRANKLIN STREET
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612
(415) 451-1580

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zcamiaation by Mr. Kazan
Examinatica by Mr. Vindt
IN DE X
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DEPOSITION OF MALCOLM T. DiTNGAN
Pursuant to Notice of Taking Depoaition, and on
June Z0, 19a9, caamiencing at the hour of 10:00 a.m. thereof,
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at the law offices of RAZAN & VENDT; 120 - 11th Street,
Oakland, California 94606, before ne, RITA A, wELCg, a Notary
Public in and-for the County of Alameda, State of California,
personally appeared MALCQLM T.. DtJNGAN, produced as a witness
in ths above-entitled action, who, being by me first duly saorn
,
was thereupon examined as a witness in said action.
STEVEN 3tAZAN, Eaq., of EAZAN & VENDT, 120 llth Street,
flakland, California, 94606, was present on beha3f of the
plaintiff.
MELI2iDA S. COLLIiiS, Attorney-at-Law, of BROIIECK,
PHLEGER & 33ARRZSON, One Market Plaza, San Francisco,
California 94105, was present on behalf of t4alcolm T. Dungan.
CARL VENDT, Esq., appearing for ARTIIIIR J. MOORE, Esq.,
of the law offices of LKO0RE, CLIFFORD, WOLFE, LARSON f TRUTrtER,
201 - 19th Street, Oakland, California 94612, was present
on behalf of Defendant Johns-Manvilla.
ALSO PRESENTs Edwin J. Jacob, Esq. v-,
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Janet S. McClendon v,>
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It was stipulated that 1aTA A. NELCS may act as Notary
Public and shorthand reporter in the taking of said deposS.tion
That said deposition is taken pursuant to the provisio
of the Rule 30 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to
the extent that those provisions ara applicable;
That all objections, except as to the form of the
question, and all motions are reserved until the time of
trial;
That in the sventlhe witness refuses to answer a
question, it is deamed that the Notary Public has instructed
the Witness to answer and that the witness refuses to answer;
That the witness need not sign said deposition before
the Notary-Public'
That said deposition may be presented to the witness
to be rsad, corrected and signed, and if it is not signed by
time of trial, reasonable opportunity having been given to
do so, a copy may be used at the time of trial with the same
effect as thouqh it had been signsd.
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NALCOUk T. DCnQGa,
sworn as awitnsas by the Notary Public,
testified as foiloxss
EXAMINATION BY IqFt. KAZAN
Q; Would you state your full nam., please?
L my UMe is Malcolm ftagan.
MR. RAZANs Could ve have the appearances of everybody
here, pleaee y: for the Reporter?
MS. Ct9LL1N8 a 1Ky nam. in I4slinda S. Collins of the law
firm of Bsrobeck, Phleger i Aarrison. Im rspressAting R. J.
Reynolds Tobacco Company and the witness.
MR. JllCOBs Itw givsn my card to the Reporter. Edwin
Jacob from Neti York.
MR. 1XIAN: Do you represent R. J. Reynolds also?
MR. JACDB: Yas. We're just appearing at the deposi-
tion, however.
MR. V8NDTs Carl Veadt on behalf of Johns-Manville,
for the Arthur Moors office.
1K8. McCLENDCBi a Janet McClendon from New York. I'm
associated with Mr. Jacob.
MR. KAZAN: Q And Miss Collins is acting as your
counsel for purposea of this deposition?
lsS. CaLLIN3s Yes, I aa.
MR. KA3Axr 4 You ! re an attorney licensed to
practice in California?
L Yes.
4
When were you first so licensed?
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L 2n 1949.

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4 rirs you licensed in aay other states?
L No.
¢ Have you ever been licensed in other states?
t I have bs.n admitted to various federal courts, and I
have been admitted pro hac vice in dtate courts other than
California.
Q But you do not have
--
L Iia not a member of a Bar of any state other than
California. -
4 And have you ever bssn the member of a bar other than
California? L Not other than pro hac vice
,and admission to practice before various federal courts and
federal agencies. For example, I had a-- you might call it
a license -- I'd call it a certificat+s to practice befor. the
Board of Appeals of the United States lxniqration and
Naturalization Service.
4 And by whom are you employed at the present tin.?
L I*m a a.aabsr of the firm of Brobeck, Phieg;r & Harrison.
¢ and how long have you been a member of that firm?
L Since 1958.
OL Were you associated with the firm prior to that?
L Yes.
¢ When did you begin your association with the firm?
L March 15, 1949.
4 And you are currently one of the counsel of record for
R. J. Reynolds in the Brovner caset is that correct?
L Yes.
q 8avs you ever represented R. J. Reynolds in other
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litigation? 8. 1tes.
4 And did any of that litigation involve personal injury
matters alleged to have bsan related to the use of tobacco?
A. Yes.
q Have you ever represent..d R. J. Reynolds in any other
type of litigation? 8. Yes.
4 When did you first have occasion to represent R. J. Reyno
3. Approximately 1954.
4 And in connection with what kind of matter?
8a Th. first case was a suit in the United States District
Court for the Northern District of California, Southern
Division, alleging that the plaintiff had contracted disease
from using tobacco products.
0 And what was the resolution of that matter?
8, It vas dismissed.
MS. LOS.LII4S: Coansel, I'a not sure of ths relevance
of all this prior history of the Reynolds representation.
M 7tRIANs I think I'm entitled to axplor* the
background this witness has with R. J. Reynolds in an att*Mpt
to explore also the basis of allegations he's saade in this
matter.
¢ Rave you continuously represented R. J. Reynolds in the
last 25 years? A. DiscvntinuOusly.
4 Have you ever represented R. J. Reynolds in any matter
in which questions relating to asbestos wers used prior to the
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ds?
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Browner case?
b I'm sorry. I didn't hear one word of the question.
4 Does that mean you didn't hear any of the question, or yo

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misunderstood ons word?
i There was ane word I misunderstood.
(Record read.)
T8Z MTNESS : That's what I thought I heard, -and I
don't understand the question.
1dR. 141ZANa g6 Prior to your involvement in the Broo~
case, has your representation of R. J. Reynolds sver involved
litigation in which questions relating to the effect of
asbestos were involved?
L Not to my recollection.
4 Can you tsll ms approximately how many cases involving
R. J. Reynolds and tha alleged effecta of the usa of tobacco
you've handled? L Pive or six.
\ 4V`.1
p, Other than Brovner eei any of those cases currently pendin
L Ies.
¢ And how many? L Cne.
Q Did any of the others go to trial? L son..
a Rere. any of thess settled oa a basis that involved a
payment of compensation to the plaintiffs?
L 3t is my understanding that in the approximately 25 years
plus that there has been litiqation relating to tobacco
and health in this country, no plaintiff has ever received
a cent from any tobacco company# or any insurer of any tobacco
coapany, by way of settlssnent, judgment or otherwise. And
that is certainly true in all of the cases in nhich I've been
involved.
4 Bave you represented other tobacco companies in health-
related litigation? L yes
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Q~ Which ones?
A. Liggett i Myers.
4 And er.re they also involved in the R. J. Reynolds cases
that you've alluded to earii.r?
L Z2f smes yes; in sme,r no.
Q Hov many additional tobacco health-related cases have you
handled for Ligg.tt &Mysrs other than the ones that would
already be included in what you've said?
L Your question convays no meaning to me.
4 8ow uany cases have you represented Liggett ~ Myers in?
L One.
p Was R. J. Reynolds also a defendant in that ease?
L Iio.
¢ And is the Liggett s Myers cas c®ncluded?
a. Tes.
¢ And with what result? L Dismissed.
~ Has your firm represented other tobacco manufacturers in
health-related litigation?
L Not to my knowl.dga.
0 Has an,yons else in your firm represented either Liggett ~
Myers or R. J. Reynolds in litigation in which you yourself
warQ not involved?
L 7[es.
4 ltho would that be?
L Wil1, if trial-type hearings before the State Board of
Equalization are litigation, then Hart Spiegel certainly has
t~ done so, rslated to franchise transactions.
A
¢ Let me be sppescifics I thought I asked it specifically.

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I'm interested only in litigation involving allegation
relating to health problems froa the usa of tobacco.
liS. C4LLZMS: What type are you talking about?
TiE WITHEBS: W®11, Z can answer it.
So far as S'm aware, S have been involved in every
case that wa have had in the office which related to the
smoking and health matter. You know, of course, when Z
first started out, I wae very junior and I was working for
ay senior, Gregory Harrison, and others in the offics.tAa.~
3tav+e been involved in the cases that 1've besn involved in..
But I'm reasonably certain that 1'va been in them all.
IKA. MANa ¢ Has your firm ever represented
asbestos manufacturers or users in connection with health-
related litigation of any kind?
L Ns have had some involvement in such mattars, or
so it is reported to sr..
Q Can you tell me what kind of matters your firm has been
involved in? 1 My partner, Eldarkin,
tells me that he did soae coasulting with counsel who
Bo /PI
represented Fiberboard Corporation in the 9ar3-e13l casej
although he was never of record in that case. Ha did some
consulting in another case, and that is the exte.nt of it to
my knowledge, having made inquiry in our office on the
subject in order - as we do in every case - in orda.r to
ensure that ws have no conflicts - except that Mr. Elderkin
is also advising Fibarboard in matters peripheral to the
asbestos litigation -- not involving the merits of the
litigation - for Fiberboarft corporate successor. I think
4,
