Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-00625/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-00625-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 15:1681 Fair Credit Reporting Act

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16cv625-JLS (BLM)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JORDAN LEWIS,

Plaintiff,

v.

AMCOL SYSTEMS, INC., et al.,

Defendants.

Case No.: 16cv625-JLS (BLM)

NOTICE AND ORDER FOR EARLY 

NEUTRAL EVALUATION CONFERENCE 

AND CASE MANAGEMENT 

CONFERENCE

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that an Early Neutral Evaluation (“ENE”) of your case will be 

held on June 29, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. in the chambers of the Honorable Barbara L. Major, 

United States Magistrate Judge, located at 333 West Broadway, Suite 1110, San Diego, 

California, 92101. 

The following are mandatory guidelines for the parties preparing for the Early 

Neutral Evaluation Conference.

1. Purpose of Conference: The purpose of the ENE is to permit an informal 

discussion between the attorneys and the settlement judge of every aspect of the lawsuit in an 

effort to achieve an early resolution of the case. All conference discussions will be informal, off 

the record, privileged, and confidential. Counsel for any non-English speaking party is 

responsible for arranging for the appearance of an interpreter at the conference. 

2. Personal Appearance of Parties Required: All parties, adjusters for insured 

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parties, and other representatives of a party having full and complete authority to enter into a 

binding settlement, and the principal attorneys responsible for the litigation, must be present in 

person and legally and factually prepared to discuss settlement of the case. Counsel appearing 

without their clients (whether or not counsel has been given settlement authority) will be cause 

for immediate imposition of sanctions and may also result in the immediate termination of the 

conference. Counsel for a government entity is excused from this requirement so long as the 

government attorney who attends the ENE conference (1) has primary responsibility for handling 

the case, and (2) may negotiate settlement offers which the attorney is willing to recommend 

to the government official having ultimate settlement authority.

Unless there is good cause, persons required to attend the conference pursuant to this 

Order shall not be excused from personal attendance. Motions seeking a waiver of the 

personal appearance requirement must establish good cause and be filed at least 

five (5) court dates prior to the conference. Failure to appear at the ENE conference will 

be grounds for sanctions.

3. Full Settlement Authority Required: In addition to counsel who will try the 

case, a party or party representative with full settlement authority1 must be present for the 

conference. In the case of a corporate entity, an authorized representative of the corporation 

who is not retained outside counsel must be present and must have discretionary authority to 

commit the company to pay an amount up to the amount of the Plaintiff's prayer (excluding 

punitive damages prayers). The purpose of this requirement is to have representatives present 

 

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“Full settlement authority” means that the individuals at the settlement conference must be 

authorized to explore settlement options fully and to agree at that time to any settlement terms 

acceptable to the parties. Heileman Brewing Co. v. Joseph Oat Corp., 871 F.2d 648, 653 (7th 

Cir. 1989). The person needs to have “unfettered discretion and authority” to change the 

settlement position of a party. Pitman v. Brinker Int’l, Inc., 216 F.R.D. 481, 485-86 (D. Ariz. 

2003). The purpose of requiring a person with unlimited settlement authority to attend the 

conference contemplates that the person's view of the case may be altered during the face to 

face conference. Id. at 486. A limited or a sum certain of authority is not adequate. See Nick 

v. Morgan’s Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590, 595-97 (8th Cir. 2001).

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who can settle the case during the course of the conference without consulting a superior. 

4. Confidential ENE Statements Required: On or before June 17, 2016, the 

parties shall submit via fax, email or hand delivery, confidential statements no more than ten 

(10) pages2in length directly to the chambers of the Honorable Barbara L. Major. These 

confidential statements shall not be filed or served on opposing counsel. Each party's 

confidential statement must include the following:

a. A brief description of the case, including a chronology of the relevant facts 

and a statement of the principal factual disputes; 

b. A brief description of the legal claims, counterclaims, and defenses 

asserted, and a statement of the principal contested legal disputes, including references to 

relevant statutes and legal authority;

c. A specific and current demand or offer for settlement addressing all relief 

or remedies sought. If a specific demand or offer for settlement cannot be made at the time 

the brief is submitted, then the reasons therefore must be stated along with a statement as to 

when the party will be in a position to state a demand or make an offer. A general statement 

that a party will “negotiate in good faith” is not a specific demand or offer contemplated by this 

Order. It is assumed that all parties will negotiate in good faith; and 

d. A brief description of any previous settlement negotiations, mediation 

sessions, or mediation efforts.

5. New Parties Must be Notified by Plaintiff's Counsel: Plaintiff's counsel shall 

give notice of the ENE to parties responding to the complaint after the date of this notice.

6. Case Management Conference: In the event the case does not settle during 

the ENE, the Court will conduct an Initial Case Management Conference. In preparation for this 

conference, the parties must

a. Meet and confer pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f) no later than June 8, 

2016.

 

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 The parties shall not append attachments or exhibits to the ENE statement.

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b. File a Joint Discovery Plan on the CM/ECF system no later than June 17, 

2016. Agreements made in the Joint Discovery Plan will be treated as binding stipulations that 

are effectively incorporated into the Court’s Case Management Order. The Joint Discovery Plan 

must be one document and must address each item identified in Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(3). In 

addition, the discovery plan must include:

i. Service: A statement as to whether any parties remain to be served 

and, if so, a proposed deadline for service;

ii. Amendment of Pleadings: The extent to which parties, claims, or 

defenses are expected to be added or dismissed and a proposed deadline for amending the 

pleadings;

iii. Protective Order: Whether a protective order is contemplated to 

cover the exchange of confidential information and, if so, the date by which the proposed order 

will be submitted to the Court;

iv. Privilege: The procedure the parties plan to use regarding claims 

of privilege and whether an order pursuant to Fed. R. Evid. 502 will be sought;

v. Evidence Preservation: Whether the parties have discussed issues 

related to the preservation of relevant evidence and if there are areas of disagreement, how the 

parties are resolving them; 

vi. Electronic Discovery: In addition to the requirements set forth in 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f)(3)(C), the parties must describe their agreements regarding methodologies 

for locating and producing electronically stored information and the production of metadata, and 

must identify any issues or agreements regarding electronically stored information that may not 

be reasonably accessible (see Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(2)(B));

vii. Discovery: In addition to the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 

26(f)(3)(B), the parties must describe the discovery taken to date (if any), any proposed 

limitations or modifications of the discovery rules, and any identified discovery disputes;

viii. Related Cases: Any related cases or proceedings pending before

another judge of this court, or before another court or administrative body;

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ix. Scheduling: Proposed dates for fact discovery cutoff, expert 

designations and disclosures, expert discovery cutoff, filing of dispositive motions, filing class 

certification motion (if class is alleged), pretrial conference and trial;

x. Professional Conduct: Whether all attorneys of record for the 

parties have reviewed Civil Local Rule 83.4 on Professionalism; and

xi. Miscellaneous: Such other matters as may facilitate the just, 

speedy and inexpensive disposition of this matter.

c. Exchange initial disclosures pursuant to Rule 26(a)(1)(A-D) no later than 

June 22, 2016.

7. Requests to Continue an ENE Conference: Local Rule 16.1(c) requires that 

an ENE take place within forty-five (45) days of the filing of the first answer. Requests to 

continue ENEs are rarely granted. However, the Court will consider formal, written, ex parte

requests to continue an ENE conference when good cause exists that make a continuance 

appropriate. In and of itself, having to travel a long distance to appear in person is not “good 

cause.” Any request must be filed with the Court and served on opposing counsel. Absent 

good cause, requests for continuances will not be considered unless submitted in 

writing no fewer than seven (7) days prior to the scheduled conference.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 5/16/2016

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NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CONSENT TO TRIAL

BEFORE A UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

In accordance with the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), you are hereby notified that a 

U.S. Magistrate Judge of this district may, upon the consent of all parties, on Form 1A available 

in the Clerk's Office, conduct any or all proceedings, including a jury or non-jury trial, and order 

the entry of a final judgment. Counsel for the plaintiff shall be responsible for obtaining the 

consent of all parties, should they desire to consent.

You should be aware that your decision to consent or not to consent is entirely voluntary 

and should be communicated solely to the Clerk of Court. Only if all parties consent will the 

Judge or Magistrate Judge to whom the case has been assigned be informed of your decision.

Judgments of U.S. Magistrate Judges are appealable to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 

accordance with this statute and the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure.

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