Peter D. Fischel Gerald M. Geiger Philip J. Havlicek Edgar C. Chua v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, a New York Corporation, Peter D. Fischel Gerald M. Geiger Philip J. Havlicek Edgar C. Chua, Herbert Adelman Walter Fleischer Malakoff, Doyle & Finberg, P.C. Dennis J. Woodruff v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, a New York Corporation

307 F.3d 997 Peter D. FISCHEL; Gerald M. Geiger; Philip J. Havlicek; Edgar C. Chua, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. EQUITABLE LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES, a New York corporation, Defendant-Appellee. Peter D. Fischel; Gerald M. Geiger; Philip J. Havlicek; Edgar C. Chua, Plaintiffs-Appellants, Herbert Adelman; Walter Fleischer; Malakoff, Doyle & Finberg, P.C.; Dennis J. Woodruff, Appellants, v. Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, a New York corporation, Defendant-Appellee. No. 00-16024. No. 00-16277. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted November 6, 2001. Filed October 3, 2002. COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED Walter H. Fleischer, Washington, DC, for the plaintiffs-appellants. Wilber H. Boies, McDermott, Will & Emery, Chicago, IL, for the defendant-appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California; Vaughn R. Walker, District Judge, Presiding. D.C. Nos. CV-96-04202-VRW, CV-96-04202-VRW. Before CANBY, JR., GRABER, and PAEZ, Circuit Judges. OPINION PAEZ, Circuit Judge. 1 Plaintiffs, who are independent insurance agents for…