Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00287/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00287-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 370
Nature of Suit: Other Fraud
Cause of Action: 15:1601 Truth in Lending

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07cv287-BEN (BLM)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT CLARK, an individual,

Plaintiff,

v.

QUALITY HOME LOANS, a

California corporation, a/k/a

QHL HOLDINGS, FUND TEN, LLC, a

California limited liability

company; SENIOR AMERICAN

FUNDING, INC., a/k/a FIRST

CALIFORNIA FUNDING GROUP, INC.,

a California corporation;

CERTIFIED ESCROW, INC., a

California corporation; BRIAN

W. WHITE, an individual;

RADONDO C. COLBERT, an

individual; MATTHEW DAVID

COPLEY, an individual;

PRINCIPAL LIFE INSURANCE

COMPANY, a corporation,

Defendants.

 

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Case No. 07cv287-BEN (BLM)

CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

ORDER REGULATING DISCOVERY AND

OTHER PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS

(Fed. R. Civ. P. 16) 

(Local Rule 16.1)

(Fed. R. Civ. P. 26)

Pursuant to Rule 16 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a

telephonic Case Management Conference was held on July 5, 2007 at 2:00

p.m. After consulting with the attorneys of record for the parties and

being advised of the status of the case, and good cause appearing,

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2 07cv287-BEN (BLM)

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1. On or before July 13, 2007, the parties shall submit a

proposed protective order for the Court’s review. The proposed

protective order shall include the following language:

a. “Subject to public policy and further Court Order,

nothing shall be filed under seal, and the Court shall not be required

to take any further action with regard to material a party has

designated as ‘Confidential’ without separate prior Court Order made

after application by either party”; and

b. “This Order is made without prejudice to either party

seeking a further Order concerning any document or information felt to

be entitled to a greater degree of protection.”

2. Any motion to join other parties, to amend the pleadings, or

to file additional pleadings shall be filed on or before August 6, 2007.

3. Each party shall serve on all opposing parties a list of

experts, whom that party expects to call at trial, on or before November

16, 2007. Each party may supplement its designation in response to the

other party’s designation no later than December 7, 2007. Expert

designations shall include the name, address, and telephone number of

each expert and a reasonable summary of the testimony the expert is

expected to provide. The list shall also include the normal rates the

expert charges for deposition and trial testimony.

The parties must identify any person who may be used at trial to

present evidence pursuant to Rules 702, 703 or 705 of the Federal Rules

of Evidence. This requirement is not limited to retained experts.

Please be advised that failure to comply with this section or any

other discovery order of the Court may result in the sanctions provided

for in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37, including a prohibition on the introduction

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3 07cv287-BEN (BLM)

of experts or other designated matters in evidence.

4. All expert disclosures required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)

shall be served on all parties on or before January 11, 2008. Any

contradictory or rebuttal information shall be disclosed on or before

February 1, 2008. In addition, Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(e)(1) imposes a duty

on the parties to supplement the expert disclosures made pursuant to

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(B) by the time that pretrial disclosures are

due under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3) (discussed below).

The parties are advised to consult with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)

regarding expert disclosures. Such disclosures shall include an expert

report, all supporting materials, a complete statement of all opinions

to be expressed and the basis and reasons therefore, the data or other

information considered by the expert in forming the opinions, any

exhibits to be used as a summary of or as support for the opinions, the

qualifications of the witness including a list of all publications

authored by the witness within the preceding ten years, the compensation

to be paid for the study and testimony, and a list of other cases in

which the witness has testified as an expert at trial or by deposition

within the preceding four years. 

This disclosure requirement applies to all persons retained or

specially employed to provide expert testimony or whose duties as an

employee of the party regularly involve the giving of expert testimony.

Please be advised that failure to comply with this section or any

other discovery order of the Court may result in the sanctions provided

for in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37, including a prohibition on the introduction

of experts or other designated matters in evidence.

5. All discovery shall be completed on or before March 14, 2008.

"Completed" means that all discovery under Rules 30-36 of the Federal

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4 07cv287-BEN (BLM)

Rules of Civil Procedure, and discovery subpoenas under Rule 45, must be

initiated a sufficient period of time in advance of the cut-off date, so

that it may be completed by the cut-off date, taking into account the

times for service, notice, and response as set forth in the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure.

Counsel shall promptly and in good faith meet and confer with

regard to all discovery disputes in compliance with Civil Local Rules

16.5(k) and 26.1(a). All discovery motions shall be filed within thirty

(30) days after counsel have met and conferred and reached an impasse

with regard to any particular discovery issue, but in no event shall

discovery motions be filed more than sixty (60) days after the date upon

which the event giving rise to the discovery dispute occurred. For oral

discovery, the event giving rise to the discovery dispute is the

completion of the transcript of the affected portion of the deposition.

For written discovery, the event giving rise to the discovery dispute is

either the service of the response, or, if no response was served, the

initial date the response was due. In addition, all discovery motions

must be filed within thirty (30) days after the close of discovery.

6. All other pretrial motions must be filed on or before April

18, 2008. Motions will not be heard or calendared unless counsel for

the moving party has obtained a motion hearing date from the law clerk

of the judge who will hear the motion. Failure to timely request a

motion date may result in the motion not being heard. Motions will not

be heard unless you have obtained a date from the judge's law clerk.

Questions regarding this case should be directed to the judge's law

clerk. The Court draws the parties' attention to Local Rule 7.1(e)(4)

which requires that the parties allot additional time for service of

motion papers by mail. Papers not complying with this rule shall not be

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accepted for filing.

Briefs or memoranda in support of or in opposition to any pending

motion shall not exceed twenty-five (25) pages in length without leave

of the judge who will hear the motion. No reply memorandum shall exceed

ten (10) pages without leave of the judge who will hear the motion.

Pursuant to Local Rule 7.1(f)(1), when filing a Motion for Summary

Judgment and/or Adjudication, Defendants shall file, and serve on

Plaintiff, a separate statement setting forth plainly and concisely all

material facts which they contend are undisputed. Each of the material

facts stated shall be followed by a reference to the supporting

evidence. Further, Plaintiff shall file, and serve on Defendants, a

separate statement that responds to each of the material facts contended

by Defendants to be undisputed, indicating whether the opposing party

agrees or disagrees that those facts are undisputed. The statement also

shall set forth plainly and concisely any other material facts that the

opposing party contends are disputed. Each material fact contended by

the opposing party to be disputed shall be followed by a reference to

the supporting evidence.

7. A Mandatory Settlement Conference shall be conducted on

December 3, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. in the chambers of Magistrate Judge

Barbara L. Major located at 940 Front Street, Suite 5140, 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,

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1

 "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).

6 07cv287-BEN (BLM)

as well as the principal attorneys responsible for the litigation, 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 are extraordinary circumstances, persons required to

attend the conference pursuant to this Order shall not be excused from

personal attendance. Requests for excuse from attendance for

extraordinary circumstances 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 the Plaintiff's prayer (excluding punitive damages prayers).

The purpose of this requirement is to have representatives present who

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7 07cv287-BEN (BLM)

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.

c. Confidential Settlement Statements Required: No later

than November 26, 2007, the parties shall submit directly to Magistrate

Judge Major's chambers confidential settlement statements no more than

five (5) pages in length. These confidential statements shall not be

filed or served on opposing counsel. Each party's confidential

statement must include the following:

(i) A brief description of the case, the claims and/or

counterclaims asserted, and the applicable defenses or position

regarding the asserted claims;

(ii) A specific and current demand or offer for

settlement addressing all relief or remedies sought. 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; and

(iii) A brief description of any previous settlement

negotiations, mediation sessions, or mediation efforts.

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:

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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 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 26.1, and (3) report the position of opposing counsel

or any unrepresented parties subject to the Order. Absent extraordinary

circumstances, requests for continuances will not be considered unless

submitted in writing no less than seven (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 joint motion confirming the complete

settlement of the case is submitted no less than twenty-four (24) hours

before the scheduled conference.

8. The parties must comply with the pretrial disclosure

requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3) no later than July 28, 2008.

The parties should consult Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3) for the substance of

the required disclosures.

Please be advised that failure to comply with this section or any

other discovery order of the Court may result in the sanctions provided

for in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37, including a prohibition on the introduction

of designated matters in evidence.

9. Counsel shall serve on each other and lodge directly with

Judge Benitez's chambers their Memoranda of Contentions of Fact and Law

in compliance with Local Rule 16.1(f)(2) on or before July 28, 2008.

10. Counsel shall confer and take the action required by Local

Rule 16.1(f)(4) on or before August 4, 2008. At this meeting, counsel

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shall discuss and attempt to enter into stipulations and agreements

resulting in simplification of the triable issues. Counsel shall

exchange copies and/or display all exhibits other than those to be used

for impeachment, lists of witnesses and their addresses including

experts who will be called to testify, and written contentions of

applicable facts and law. The exhibits shall be prepared in accordance

with Local Rule 16.1(f)(2)(c). Counsel shall cooperate in the

preparation of the proposed final pretrial conference order.

11. The proposed final pretrial conference order, including

written objections, if any, to any party's Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3)

pretrial disclosures, shall be prepared, served, and submitted to the

Clerk's Office on or before August 11, 2008 and shall be in the form

prescribed in and in compliance with Local Rule 16.1(f)(6). In

addition, the parties shall include in the proposed pretrial order a

statement to be read to the jury, not in excess of one page, of the

nature of the case and the claims and defenses. Any objections to

pretrial disclosures shall comply with the requirements of Fed. R. Civ.

P. 26(a)(3). Please be advised that the failure to file written

objections to a party's pretrial disclosures may result in the waiver of

such objections, with the exception of those made pursuant to Rules 402

(relevance) and 403 (prejudice, confusion or waste of time) of the

Federal Rules of Evidence.

12. The final pretrial conference is scheduled on the calendar of

the Honorable Roger T. Benitez on August 18, 2008 at 10:30 a.m.. The

trial date will be assigned by Judge Benitez at the pretrial conference.

13. The dates and times set forth herein will not be modified

except for good cause shown.

///

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14. Plaintiff's(s') counsel shall serve a copy of this order on

all parties that enter this case hereafter.

Dated: July 6, 2007

BARBARA L. MAJOR

United States Magistrate Judge

COPY TO: 

HONORABLE ROGER T. BENITEZ

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

ALL COUNSEL

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