Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-02458/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-02458-7/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Petition for Removal

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ENERTRODE, INC.,

Plaintiff,

v.

GENERAL CAPACITOR CO. LTD, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 16-cv-02458-HSG 

ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES

Re: Dkt. No. 36

GENERAL CAPACITOR 

INTERNATIONAL, INC., et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

LINDA ZHONG,

Defendant.

Case No. 17-cv-00179-HSG 

ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES

On January 23, 2017, the parties in Enertrode, Inc. v. General Capacitor Co. LTD, Case 

No. 16-cv-02458-HSG, filed a stipulation with a proposed order consolidating that case with 

General Capacitor International Inc. v. Zhong, Case No. 17-cv-00179-HSG. Enertrode, Dkt. No. 

36. On February 10, 2017, by order of the Court, the parties filed a joint statement regarding the 

consolidation of these cases. Id., Dkt. No. 46. The Court also heard from the parties regarding 

consolidation at the case management conferences on January 24, 2017, and February 28, 2017. 

See id., Dkt. Nos. 38, 51. At the latter case management conference, the Court declared that it 

would grant consolidation for all pretrial purposes. Id., Dkt. No. 51; see also Zhong, Dkt. No. 48.

Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42(a), a court may consolidate actions if they 

“involve a common question of law or fact.” The district court enjoys “broad discretion under this 

rule to consolidate cases pending in the same district.” Inv’rs Research Co. v. U.S. Dist. Court for 

Cent. Dist. of Cal., 877 F.2d 777, 777 (9th Cir. 1989); see also Snyder v. Nationstar Mortg. LLC, 

Case 4:16-cv-02458-HSG Document 52 Filed 03/01/17 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 83924, at *4 (N.D. Cal. June 28, 2016) (same). In exercising this “broad 

discretion,” the district court “weighs the saving of time and effort consolidation would produce 

against any inconvenience, delay, or expense that it would cause.” Huene v. United States, 743 

F.2d 703, 704 (9th Cir.), on reh’g, 753 F.2d 1081 (9th Cir. 1984); see also Snyder, 2016 U.S. Dist. 

LEXIS 83924, at *4 (same). 

After careful consideration of the parties’ stipulation, joint statement, and arguments at the 

case management conferences, as well as the relevant legal authorities, the Court finds that the two 

cases in question involve common questions of fact and that consolidation of pretrial proceedings 

would save substantial time and effort. Moreover, the Court does not anticipate that consolidation 

of pretrial proceedings in these two cases would cause significant inconvenience, delay, or 

additional expense. Accordingly, the Court GRANTS the parties’ request to consolidate the 

cases, but only with respect to pretrial proceedings. As stated at the most recent case management 

conference, the Court postpones any ruling on consolidation for the purposes of trial.

GOOD CAUSE appearing therefore, the case captioned General Capacitor International 

Inc. v. Zhong, Case No. 17-cv-00179-HSG is hereby consolidated for the purpose of pretrial 

proceedings into Enertrode, Inc. v. General Capacitor Co. LTD, Case No. 16-cv-02458-HSG. 

The earlier-filed civil action, Case No. 16-cv-2458-HSG, shall serve as the lead case. The clerk is 

directed to administratively close the later-filed civil action, Case No. 17-cv-179-HSG. All future 

filings should be done in the lead case only and should be captioned “In Re General Capacitor.”

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated:

______________________________________

HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM, JR.

United States District Judge

3/1/2017

Case 4:16-cv-02458-HSG Document 52 Filed 03/01/17 Page 2 of 2