Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-00867/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-00867-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 840
Nature of Suit: Trademark
Cause of Action: 15:1125(d)ac Trademark (Anticybersquatting consumer protection)

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16-CV-867-GPC-WVG

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TV EARS, INC.,

Plaintiff,

v.

SYK GROUP, LLC, et al,

Defendants.

Case No.: 16-CV-867-GPC-WVG

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND 

DENYING IN PART JOINT 

MOTION TO MODIFY 

SCHEDULING ORDER

[ECF No. 49]

Present before the Court is the parties Joint Motion to Modify the Scheduling Order 

requesting the Court continue all currently set deadlines by forty-five days and to set a 

settlement conference within thirty days. (ECF No. 49.) For good cause shown, the Court 

GRANTS in part and DENIES in part the parties Motion and hereby ORDERS:

1. A Settlement Conference shall be conducted on March 30, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. in 

the chambers of Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo. Counsel shall submit settlement 

statements directly to chambers no later than March 27, 2017. Each party's settlement 

statement shall set forth the party's statement of the case, identify controlling legal issues, 

concisely set out issues of liability and damages, and shall set forth the party's settlement 

position, including the last offer or demand made by that party, and a separate statement of 

the offer or demand the party is prepared to make at the settlement conference. Settlement 

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conference briefs shall not be filed with the Clerk of the Court, but may be served on 

opposing counsel at the party's discretion. Settlement conference briefs shall comply 

with the undersigned's Chambers Rules. The parties shall meet and confer in good faith 

prior to the Mandatory Settlement Conference, and verify that they have done so in their 

respective Mandatory Settlement Conference statements, outlining the substance of their 

discussions and negotiations.

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16 and Local Civil Rule 16.3, all named 

Plaintiffs, named Defendants, claims adjusters for insured defendants, and if a named 

Plaintiff or Defendant is a corporation, partnership, or other entity, a representative of that 

entity, with full and unlimited authority1to negotiate and enter into a binding settlement, 

as well as the principal attorney(s) responsible for the litigation, must be present and must 

be prepared to discuss in good faith, the facts of the case, the law that governs the legal 

issues in the case, and to resolve the case at the Settlement Conference. Sanctions may 

issue against a party and/or attorney who does not proceed as noted above. Retained 

outside corporate counsel shall not appear on behalf of a corporation as the party who has 

the authority to negotiate and enter into a settlement. For good cause, and on ex parte 

application at least one week before the scheduled settlement conference, Magistrate Judge 

Gallo may excuse a party or representative from personal attendance provided such party 

or parties will be available by telephone during the conference. Failure to attend the 

conference or participate in good faith or obtain proper excuse will be considered grounds 

for sanctions. Counsel seeking to reschedule a Settlement Conference must first confer 

with opposing counsel. The Court will consider formal, written ex parte requests to 

 

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"Full authority to settle" means that the individuals at the settlement conference must 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 (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 includes 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. Nick v. Morgan's Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590 (8th Cir. 2001).

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continue a Settlement Conference when extraordinary circumstances exist that make a 

continuance appropriate. In and of itself, having to travel a long distance to appear at the 

Settlement Conference is not an extraordinary circumstance.

2. All discovery dates regarding fact and expert discovery are stayed pending the 

outcome of the above scheduled settlement conference. All other dates set forth in the 

Court’s Scheduling Order, (ECF No. 38,) remain in unchanged.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 22, 2017

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