Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-04696/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-04696-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 29:1001 E.R.I.S.A.: Employee Retirement

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STIPULATION/JOINT REQUEST FOR STAY OF ACTION PENDING ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL 

 CASE NO. C07-04696 WHA ADR 

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LAURA E. FANNON (SBN 111500) 

KELLY, HERLIHY & KLEIN LLP 

44 Montgomery Street, Suite 2500 

San Francisco, CA 94104-4798 

Tel.: (415) 951-0535 

Fax: (415) 391-7808 

Attorneys for Defendants 

HARTFORD LIFE AND ACCIDENT INSURANCE 

COMPANY, LONG-TERM DISABILITY AND LIFE PLAN 

FOR EMPLOYEES OF MINNESOTA METHANE LLC 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MARK A. EPPLER, 

Plaintiff, 

 vs. 

HARTFORD LIFE AND ACCIDENT 

INSURANCE COMPANY; LONG-TERM 

DISABILITY AND LIFE PLAN FOR 

EMPLOYEES OF MINNESOTA 

METHANE LLC, 

 Defendants. 

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Case No.: C07-04696 WHA ADR 

STIPULATION/JOINT REQUEST FOR 

STAY OF ACTION DURING 

ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL

Hon. William H. Alsup 

Case 3:07-cv-04696-WHA Document 31 Filed 02/19/08 Page 1 of 5
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STIPULATION/JOINT REQUEST FOR STAY OF ACTION PENDING ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL 

 CASE NO. C07-04696 WHA ADR

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STIPULATION AND JOINT REQUEST 

Plaintiff Mark A. Eppler and defendants Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company 

and Long Term Disability and Life Plan for Employees of Minnesota Methane LLC hereby 

stipulate and agree as follows, and jointly request that the Court stay the action as set forth 

below. 

1. On February 11, 2008, this Court entered an order denying defendants’ motion 

for summary judgment re exhaustion of administrative remedies and remanding the matter to 

The Hartford to conduct its administrative review of plaintiff’s claim (“the Remand Order”). 

2. Previously, on December 21, 2007, this court had ordered the parties to file the 

administrative record and motions for summary judgment on the merits on March 27, 2008, 

with a further Case Management Conference to be set for April 24, 2008. 

3. Additionally, this matter was ordered to Early Neutral Evaluation on stipulation 

of the parties, and an evaluator, Harlan Richter, now has been appointed. 

4. The Hartford anticipates needing the full period (45 days, plus a possible 45-day 

extension) permitted by 29 C.F.R. section 2560.503-1 to complete its review, which will require 

inter alia one or more further medical reviews. 

THEREFORE, the parties jointly request as follows: 

1. that this matter be stayed during the pendency of The Hartford’s review of 

plaintiff’s claim, which shall be completed in accordance with the requirements of 29 C.F.R. 

section 2560.503-1; and 

2. that all dates currently on the court’s calendar be vacated from the court’s 

calendar, including the ADR deadlines and proceedings; or, in the alternative, that said dates be 

continued for an additional 90 to 120 days. 

The parties agree that they will provide written status reports to the court at 45-day 

intervals from the date of the remand of this matter to The Hartford. 

/// [signatures on following page] 

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STIPULATION/JOINT REQUEST FOR STAY OF ACTION PENDING ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL 

 CASE NO. C07-04696 WHA ADR

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 BAUM & WEEMS 

Date: February 15, 2008 By: /s/ Julian M. Baum 

 Julian M. Baum 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff 

 MARK A. EPPLER 

 KELLY, HERLIHY & KLEIN LLP 

Date: February 15, 2008 By: /s/ Laura E. Fannon

 Laura E. Fannon 

 Attorneys for Defendants 

 HARTFORD LIFE AND ACCIDENT 

 INSURANCE COMPANY and LONG- 

 TERM DISABILITY AND LIFE PLAN FOR 

 EMPLOYEES OF MINNESOTA METHANE LLC 

ORDER

 IT IS HEREBY ORDERED: 

1. that this matter is stayed during the pendency of The Hartford’s review of 

plaintiff’s claim, which review shall be completed in accordance with the requirements of 29 

C.F.R. section 2560.503-1; 

2. that all dates currently on the court’s calendar are vacated from the court’s 

calendar, including the ADR deadlines and proceedings, and/or are scheduled as follows: 

Deadline for filing administrative record and motions for summary judgment: 

________________________ 

Deadline for completion of Early Neutral Evaluation Session: 

_________________________ 

Further Case Management Conference: 

_________________________ 

/// 

June 26, 2008 June 17, 2008 July 24, 2008

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3. the parties shall provide written status reports to the court at 45-day intervals 

from the date of the remand of this matter to The Hartford. 

Dated: February __, 2008 ______________________________ 

 William H. Alsup, Judge 

 United States District Court 

E:\27250\P12 

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U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge William Alsup

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge William Alsup

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DECLARATION RE CONCURRENCE OF SIGNATORIES 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, N.D. CAL. 

GENERAL ORDER 45 

 The undersigned ECF filer hereby attests that concurrence in the filing of the 

foregoing document has been obtained from each of the other signatories whose signature is 

indicated by the notation “/s/ [name of signatory].” 

 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America 

that the foregoing is true and correct. 

Dated: February 15, 2008 /s/ Laura E. Fannon

 Laura E. Fannon 

 

Case 3:07-cv-04696-WHA Document 31 Filed 02/19/08 Page 5 of 5