No. 19-503 IN THE Supreme Court of the United States ———— APACHE CORPORATION, Petitioner, v. BIGIE LEE RHEA, Respondent. ———— On Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ———— BRIEF IN OPPOSITION ———— BRADLEY E. BECKWORTH Counsel of Record TREY DUCK JAMES E. WARNER III NIX PATTERSON, LLP 3600 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. Bldg. B, Suite 350 Austin, TX 78746 (512) 328-5333
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Counsel for Respondent November 18, 2019 WILSON-EPES PRINTING CO., INC. – (202) 789-0096 – WASHINGTON, D. C. 20002 QUESTION PRESENTED The interlocutory appeal mechanism offered under Rule 23(f), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, gives the court of appeals “unfettered discretion” in deciding whether to review a district court’s class certification order. This discretion is akin to that exercised by this Court in acting on a petition for certiorari. The question presented is: Did the Tenth Circuit act within its discretion in denying Petitioner’s Rule 23(f) petition for permission to take an interlocutory appeal of the district court’s order granting class certification—the primary point of which was to review whether the district court failed to consider the “ascertainability” of the proposed class— where the district court found the proposed class met the standard based on the facts developed in this case so far, leaving open the possibility that Petitioner could seek reconsideration of its certification decision after the completion of discovery. (i) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page QUESTION PRESENTED .................................. i TABLE OF AUTHORITIES ................................ iv INTRODUCTION ................................................ 1 STATEMENT .....................................................