The JPML Order may be found here:
http://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/Recent_Orders/Recent_Orders/MDL-2151-TransferOrder.pdf
From the Order:
The parties have suggested a number of very acceptable transferee districts and judges. However, for the following reasons, we have settled upon the Central District of California as the most appropriate choice. Toyota maintains its United States corporate headquarters within this district, and relevant documents and witnesses are likely located there. Far more actions are pending there than in any other district. Among the cases pending there are potential tag-along cases that
assert personal injury or wrongful death claims.4 After consulting with Chief Judge Audrey B. Collins, we have selected Judge James V. Selna as the transferee judge. He is a well regarded and skilled jurist. Moreover, Judge Selna’s 28 years of private law practice at the very highest levels and in some of the most complex cases leaves him well prepared for a case of this magnitude.
Some counsel did express concern about the docket conditions in this district. The ability and willingness of even the most experienced judges to devote the necessary time to a complex MDL is always a factor in our assignments. In this particular instance, our consultations with Judge Selna and Chief Judge Collins convince us that Judge Selna is positioned to devote all the time necessary to manage and decide the important issues these cases raise.
