Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-01458/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-01458-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 446
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Other
Cause of Action: 42:12188 Americans With Disabilities Act - Civil Enforcement Actions

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18CV1458-W-LL 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ROY MASON, 

Plaintiff,

v. 

SERRANOS TACOS SAN DIEGO, INC., 

HISTORIC BEAUMANOR 

APARTMENTS, LLC, 

 Defendant. 

 Case No.: 18CV1458-W-LL 

ORDER RESETTING MANDATORY 

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE 

 Due to a conflict on the Court’s calendar, the Mandatory Settlement Conference 

currently scheduled for August 5, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. is RESET to August 7, 2019 at 

9:30 a.m. Additionally, the Court ORDERS the following: 

 The Mandatory Settlement Conference shall be conducted at the chambers of 

Magistrate Judge Linda Lopez located at 221 West Broadway, Suite 2140, San Diego, 

CA 92101. All discussions at the Mandatory Settlement Conference 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. 

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

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

into a binding settlement, as well as the principal attorneys responsible for the litigation, 

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18CV1458-W-LL 

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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. 

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

Order shall not be excused from personal attendance. Requests for excuse from attendance 

for good cause shall be made in writing at least three (3) court days prior to the conference. 

Failure to appear in person at the Mandatory Settlement Conference will be grounds for 

sanctions. 

b. 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 

Plaintiff's prayer (excluding punitive damages 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 Mandatory 

Settlement 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. 

                                               

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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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c. Confidential Settlement Statements Required: No later than July 30, 2019, 

the parties shall submit directly to Magistrate Judge Lopez's chambers (via email address 

or hand delivery c/o the Clerk’s Office) confidential settlement statements no more than 

ten (10) pages in length. These confidential statements shall not be filed or served on 

opposing counsel. Each party's confidential statement must 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 any previous 

settlement negotiations, mediation sessions, or mediation efforts, 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. 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. 

General statements 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. 

d. Requests to Continue a Mandatory Settlement Conference: Any request 

to continue the Mandatory Settlement Conference or request for relief from any of the 

provisions or requirements of this Order must be sought by a written joint motion or ex 

parte application. The application must (1) be supported by a declaration of counsel 

setting forth the reasons and justifications for the relief requested, (2) confirm compliance 

with Civil Local Rule 83.3(h), and (3) report the position of opposing counsel or any 

unrepresented parties subject to the Order. Absent good cause, requests for continuances 

will not be considered unless submitted in writing no fewer than (7) days prior to the 

scheduled conference.

If the case is settled in its entirety before the scheduled date of the conference, 

counsel and any unrepresented parties must still appear in person, unless a written 

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joint notice confirming the complete settlement of the case is filed no fewer than 

twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled conference. 

Dated: April 24, 2019 

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