Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_07-cv-01831/USCOURTS-cand-4_07-cv-01831-5/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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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MARIANNE DILLEY,

Plaintiff, No. C 07-1831 PJH

v. ORDER GRANTING MOTION FOR

LEAVE TO CONDUCT DISCOVERY

METROPOLITAN LIFE INS. CO., et al. IN PART AND DENYING IT IN PART

Defendants.

_______________________________/

Plaintiff’s motion for leave to conduct discovery came on for hearing before this court

on December 5, 2007. Plaintiff appeared by her counsel Lissa A. Martinez, and defendants

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (“MetLife”), et al., appeared by their counsel Michael

N. Westheimer. Having read the parties’ papers and carefully considered their arguments

and the relevant legal authority, and good cause appearing, the court hereby GRANTS the

motion as follows for the reasons stated at the hearing.

1. Pursuant to the agreement of the parties, the request to propound

Interrogatory Nos. 1-4 is GRANTED.

2. The request to propound Interrogatory No. 5 is GRANTED.

3. The request to propound Interrogatory No. 6 is DENIED.

4. The request to propound Document Request Nos. 1 and 2 is GRANTED, as

to the contract between MetLife and Network Medical Review Company, Ltd. (“NMR”).

5. The request to propound Document Request No. 11 is GRANTED, but the

request shall be limited to plaintiff’s condition only.

6. The request to propound Document Request Nos. 4, 5, and 15 is GRANTED. 

Case 4:07-cv-01831-PJH Document 34 Filed 12/11/07 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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7. The request to propound Document Request Nos. 3, 6-10, and 12-14 is

DENIED.

8. The request for leave to depose MetLife employees Stacey Friend and

Sharon Muldrow is DENIED.

9. The request for leave to depose Dr. M. Marc Soriano is GRANTED, as to the

subjects proffered – including Dr. Soriano’s his relationship with MetLife; the structure of his

pay; his relationship with any medical review services used by MetLife, including NMR; the

amount he is paid per medical review conducted for MetLife; the number of reviews he has

conducted for MetLife; the amount of time spent on medical reviews for MetLife; and

whether his compensation is tied to his medical findings. However, plaintiff may not

depose Dr. Soriano with regard to his training and experience, or with regard to his

knowledge of the guidelines for approving or rejecting disability claims.

As for the documents listed in Attachment “A” to the proposed Soriano deposition

subpoena, Dr. Soriano need not produce documents responsive to No. 3 (documents

regarding procedures to be followed in review of medical records) or No 6 (personnel file

kept by NMR on Dr. Soriano).

10. The request to conduct Rule 30(b)(6) depositions is DENIED.

11. Plaintiff’s counsel shall provide defendants’ counsel with a list of the discovery

requests that have been approved by the court, and the parties will then meet and confer to

resolve the timing of discovery. Discovery must be complete before the filing of dispositive

motions. 

12. Pursuant to the parties’ agreement, as stated on the record, each side will file

its motion for summary judgment no later than April 2, 2008. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 11, 2007 ______________________________

PHYLLIS J. HAMILTON

United States District Judge

Case 4:07-cv-01831-PJH Document 34 Filed 12/11/07 Page 2 of 2