Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00914/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00914-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:2201 Declaratory Judgement (Insurance)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA – FRESNO DIVISION

HARTFORD CASUALTY INSURANCE

COMPANY,

Plaintiff,

v.

AMERICAN DAIRY & FOOD

CONSULTING LABORATORIES, INC.,

and DOES 1 through 10, inclusive,

Defendants.

 

AMERICAN DIARY & FOOD

CONSULTING LABORATORIES, INC.,

Counter-Claimant,

v.

HARTFORD CASUALTY INSURANCE

COMPANY,

Counter-Defendant,

___________________________________/

CASE NO. 1:09-cv-00914-OWW-SKO

ORDER ON STIPULATION RE:

DISCOVERY DISPUTE AND

MOTION TO COMPEL

(Docket Nos. 35, 36, 78, 79)

Counsel forDefendant/Counter-Claimant AmericanDairyand FoodConsulting Laboratories,

Inc. ("American Dairy"), by and through its attorneys of record, James H. Wilkins of Wilkins,

Drolshagen & Czeshinski, LLP, and Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant Hartford Casualty Insurance

Company("Hartford"), byand through its attorneys of record, Catherine Rivard of Mendes & Mount,

LLP, have met and conferred, with assistance from Magistrate Judge Oberto, and stipulated to the

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following with respect to the outstanding discovery dispute.1

1. With respect to Interrogatories 8-12, and Request for Production of Documents 18-

20, relating to the potential of Hartford asserting advice of counsel as a defense to claims of breach

of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing and punitive damages, Hartford shall notify

American Dairy by no later than September 3, 2010, whether it is electing to assert said defense in

this action. If Hartford elects to assert advice of counsel as a defense in this action, it shall then

provide full and complete responses to Interrogatories 8-12 and Request for Production of

Documents 18-20 within 30 days following its election.

2. American Diary has agreed to withdraw Interrogatory 17 and therefore no further

response will be required of Hartford.

3. With respect to Request for Production of Documents 12-16, relating to the claim

manuals and guidelines available for reference in the handling and adjusting of claims,Hartford shall

produce, no later than July 23, 2010, the guidelines or manuals for commercial property policies

which set forth guidelines that would be applicable to the handling of theft and/or vandalism claims

which were venued in California for the time frame January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009.

4. With respect to Request for Production of DocumentsNo. 17,relating to underwriting

guidelines and/or manuals, Hartford shall produce to American Dairy by no later than July 16, 2010,

the table of contents for the underwriting manual applicable to Spectrum commercial property

policies during the time period January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008. American Dairy shall

then identify what portions of the manual it seeks to have produced and Hartford shall then produce

the requested portions within two weeks thereafter. To the extent any disagreements occur with

respect to the requested designated portions, counsel shall meet and confer and if the disagreement

is not resolved, shall notify Magistrate Judge Oberto.

5. With respect to Request for Production of Documents 32 through 35, relating to

marketing materials provided to the Renaissance Insurance Agency, Hartford shall produce by July

23, 2010, the "New Appointment Package" provided to Renaissance Insurance Agency, and shall

The parties' Stipulation Re: Discovery Dispute was filed as Doc. #79.

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make a good faith effort to identify any additional responsive materials for commercial property

policies for the time period January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008, which shall be produced

by August 16, 2010.

6. With respect to Request for Production of Documents 36-37, relating to property

inspections, Hartford shall produce by July 23, 2010, the checklist guideline used for the loss control

inspection of American Diary's property in April 2008, and shall make a good faith effort to identify

any additional training materials and/or guidelines applicable for property inspections involving

commercial property policies during the period January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008, which

shall be produced by August 16, 2010.

7. Production of documents pursuant to this stipulation shall be subject to and

contingent upon with the entry of a protective order governing the confidentiality of such documents

or the execution of a mutually agreeable confidentiality agreement.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 13, 2010 /s/ Sheila K. Oberto 

ie14hj UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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