Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02395/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02395-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Insurance Contract

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1 06CV2395 WQH (NLS)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

AMERICAN ECONOMY INSURANCE CO.

Plaintiff,

v.

NICEFORO HERRERA et al.,

Defendants. 

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Civil No.06CV2395 WQH (NLS)

NOTICE AND ORDER SETTING

EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION

CONFERENCE

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that an Early Neutral Evaluation of your case will be held on

January 22, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. in the Chambers of Magistrate Judge Nita L. Stormes, United States

Courthouse, 940 Front Street, Room 1118, 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 Early Neutral Evaluation Conference

(“ENE”) is to permit an informal discussion between the attorneys, parties, 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 parties is responsible for arranging for the appearance of an interpreter at the conference.

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

defendants, 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

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and legally and factually prepared to discuss settlement of the case. Full authority to settle means that

the individuals at the ENE be authorized to fully explore settlement options and to agree at that time

to any settlement terms acceptable to the parties. Heileman Brewing Co., Inc. 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, 485-486 (D.

Ariz. 2003). One of the purposes of requiring a person with unlimited settlement authority to attend

the conference is that the person’s view of the case may be altered during the face-to-face conference.

Pitman, 216 F.R.D. at 486. Limited or sum certain authority is not adequate. Nick v. Morgan’s

Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590, 595-597 (8th Cir. 2001). Counsel appearing without their clients (whether

or not counsel has been given settlement authority) will be cause for immediate imposition of

sanctions and will also result in the immediate termination of the conference.

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

a party or party representative with full settlement authority 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 damage prayers). The

purpose of this requirement is to have representatives present who can settle the case during the course

of the conference without consulting a superior. Counsel for a government entity may be 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.

4. Confidential ENE Statements Required: No later than three (3) court days prior to

the ENE, the parties shall submit confidential statements of five pages or less directly to the chambers

of Magistrate Judge Stormes outlining the nature of the case, the claims, and the defenses. These

statements shall not be filed or served on opposing counsel.

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 Under the Amended Federal Rules: In the event the case does

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not settle at the ENE, the parties can expect to leave the ENE with Rule 26 compliance dates or

deadlines. Parties shall therefore be prepared to discuss the following matters at the conclusion of the

ENE conference:

a. Any anticipated objections under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(1)(E)

to the initial disclosure provisions of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

26(a)(1)(A-D);

b. The scheduling of the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(f) conference within

24 days following the ENE:

c. The date of initial disclosure and the date for lodging the discovery plan within

14 days following the Rule 26(f) conference; and,

d. The scheduling of a Case Management Conference pursuant to Federal Rule

of Civil Procedure 16(b) within 21 days following the Rule 26(f) conference.

The Court will issue an order following the ENE addressing these issues and setting dates as

appropriate.

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

take place within 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 extraordinary circumstances exist that make a continuance appropriate. In and of

itself, having to travel a long distance to appear in person is not “extraordinary.” Absent

extraordinary circumstances, requests for continuances will not be considered unlesssubmitted

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

Questions regarding this case or the mandatory guidelines set forth herein may be directed to

the Magistrate Judge's law clerks at (619) 557-5391. 

A Notice of Right to Consent to Trial Before a United States Magistrate Judge is attached for

your information.

DATED: December 22, 2006

Hon. Nita L. Stormes

U.S. Magistrate Judge

United States District Court

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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. 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 THE 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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