Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01042/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01042-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 790
Nature of Suit: Other Labor Litigation
Cause of Action: 29:206 Collect Unpaid Wages

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER TO 

CONTINUE INITIAL STATUS CONFERENCE

David J. Cooper, SBN 47615

Vanessa Franco Chavez, SBN 266724

KLEIN, DENATALE, GOLDNER,

COOPER, ROSENLIEB & KIMBALL, LLP

4550 California Ave., Second Floor

Bakersfield, CA 93309

Telephone: 661-395-1000

Facsimile: 661-326-0418

Email: dcooper@kleinlaw.com

vchavez@kleinlaw.com

Attorneys for Defendants 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, FRESNO DIVISION

STEPHEN HALE and O’BRIAN RANGEL 

Individually, on Behalf of Themselves, and All 

Others Similarly Situated,

Plaintiffs,

v.

ENSIGN UNITED STATES DRILLING 

(CALIFORNIA) INC., ENSIGN ENERGY 

SERVICES, INC., and ENSIGN UNITED 

STATES DRILLING, INC.,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:15-cv-01042-JLT

STIPULATION AND PROPOSED 

ORDER TO CONTINUE INITIAL 

SCHEDULING CONFERENCE AND 

EXTEND TIME FOR DEFENDANT TO 

RESPOND TO DISCOVERY; 

[PROPOSED] ORDER 

(Doc. 26)

This Stipulation is made by and between Plaintiffs STEPHEN HALE and O’BRIAN 

RANGEL (“Plaintiffs”) and Defendants ENSIGN UNITED STATES DRILLING 

(CALIFORNIA), INC., ENSIGN ENERGY SERVICES, INC., and ENSIGN UNITED STATES 

DRILLING, INC. (collectively “Defendants”), through their attorneys of record in this case, with 

reference to the following facts:

1. On July 7, 2015, Plaintiffs filed this putative class action alleging violations of the 

Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (“WARN Act”), codified at 29 U.S.C. § 

2101 et seq. and California Labor Code § 1400 et seq. (“Cal-WARN Act”);

2. Defendants Ensign United States Drilling, Inc. and Ensign United States Drilling 

Case 1:15-cv-01042-DAD-JLT Document 27 Filed 03/16/16 Page 1 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

2

3FH4678 STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER TO 

CONTINUE INITIAL STATUS CONFERENCE

(California), Inc. answered the Complaint on September 2, 2015. Defendant Ensign Energy 

Services, Inc. answered the Complaint on September 10, 2015;

3. Counsel for the Parties participated in conference calls pursuant to Rule 26 on 

October 1, 2015 and October 7, 2015;

4. On January 14, 2016, Plaintiffs served Defendant Ensign United States Drilling 

(California), Inc. with Plaintiffs’ First Request for Production of Documents, for which responses 

were due to be served to Plaintiffs on February 16, 2016;

5. On January 19, 2016, Counsel for the Parties participated in a third conference call 

to discuss the Parties’ discovery plan and other matters to be covered in the joint status report;

6. On February 3, 2016, Plaintiffs provided Defendants with a draft Joint Status 

Report and the Parties participated in an additional conference call regarding a discovery plan and 

motions designed to identify significant issues in the case, as well as the possibility of dismissing 

Ensign Energy Services, Inc. from the Complaint;

7. On February 11, 2016, the Parties filed a Stipulation pursuant to Local Rule 6-

144(a) of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California to extend Ensign’s 

time for responding to the Requests for Production until March 16, 2016 (Dkt. No. 22.);

8. On March 2, 2016, the Court set the Initial Scheduling Conference for March 30, 

2016 at 8:30 a.m. at 510 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301 before Magistrate Judge Jennifer L. 

Thurston (Dkt. No. 25.);

9. On March 8, 2016, Defendants provided Plaintiffs with a revised draft Joint Status 

Report, which included a detailed summary of Defendants’ proposed discovery plan and a 

spreadsheet setting forth a proposed, tiered schedule for producing currently identified documents 

responsive to Plaintiffs’ Request for Production of Documents; 

10. On March 9, 2016, the Parties met and conferred regarding (a) Defendants’ 

revisions to Plaintiffs’ draft Joint Status Report, which set forth Defendants’ proposal to initially 

prioritize discovery to address issues raised in Defendants’ anticipated Motion for Summary 

Judgment against each of the two named plaintiffs and Plaintiffs’ anticipated certification motion; 

(b) the possibility of dismissing Ensign Energy Services, Inc. without prejudice; and (c) Ensign 

Case 1:15-cv-01042-DAD-JLT Document 27 Filed 03/16/16 Page 2 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

3

3FH4678 STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER TO 

CONTINUE INITIAL STATUS CONFERENCE

United States Drilling (California), Inc.’s responses to Plaintiffs’ Request for Production of 

Documents;

11. Defendants have agreed to provide Plaintiffs a copy of the draft Motion for 

Summary Judgment by March 16, 2016 so that the Parties can, if possible, negotiate a stipulated 

hearing schedule that permits sufficient time for Plaintiffs to conduct discovery concerning the 

relevant issues in the case;

12. The Parties have agreed to enter a stipulation dismissing Ensign Energy Services, 

Inc. from this action without prejudice subject to a tolling agreement and Plaintiffs’ continued 

ability to conduct discovery related to this Defendant;

13. The Parties have agreed that they are making progress in narrowing the scope of 

differences between the Parties’ respective positions related to discovery and would benefit from 

additional time to finalize the Joint Status Report and Proposed Discovery Plan;

14. No previous continuances or extensions of time to file a Joint Status Report have 

been sought by the Parties;

NOW THEREFORE, the Parties stipulate and jointly request that the Court continue the 

Initial Scheduling Conference until April 20, 2016, or as soon thereafter as the Court’s calendar 

permits, and extend Ensign United States Drilling (California), Inc.’s deadline for responding to 

Requests for Production of Documents to the dates set forth in the Parties’ Proposed Discovery 

Plan, if the Parties are able to agree upon a discovery schedule, or otherwise until April 29, 2016 

or such other date as set by the Court at the Initial Scheduling Conference. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED. 

Dated: March_____, 2016

By:

Respectfully submitted,

KLEIN, DENATALE, GOLDNER

COOPER, ROSENLIEB & KIMBALL, LLP

___________________________________

VANESSA FRANCO CHAVEZ

Attorneys for Defendants 

Case 1:15-cv-01042-DAD-JLT Document 27 Filed 03/16/16 Page 3 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

4

3FH4678 STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER TO 

CONTINUE INITIAL STATUS CONFERENCE

Dated: March______, 2016

By:

Respectfully submitted,

LEVI & KORSINSKY, LLP

___________________________________

CHRISTOPHER J. KUPKA

Attorneys for Plaintiffs STEPHEN HALE 

and O’BRIAN RANGEL

Case 1:15-cv-01042-DAD-JLT Document 27 Filed 03/16/16 Page 4 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

30

31

5

3FH4678 STIPULATION AND PROPOSED ORDER TO 

CONTINUE INITIAL STATUS CONFERENCE

ORDER

Based on the Stipulation to Continue the Initial Scheduling Conference and Extend time 

for Defendant to Respond to Discovery submitted by the parties, and good cause appearing, the 

Court hereby orders that:

1. The March 30, 2016 Initial Scheduling Conference, and all deadlines related 

thereto, are vacated. 

2. The Initial Scheduling Conference is continued to April 20, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. 

3. The parties shall file a Joint Scheduling Report at least 15 days before the Initial 

Status Conference. 

4. Ensign United States Drilling (California), Inc.’s deadline for responding to 

Request for Production of Documents is extended and will be determined in accordance with the 

Parties’ discovery plan, or otherwise, as set by the Court at the Initial Scheduling Conference. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 16, 2016 /s/ Jennifer L. Thurston 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:15-cv-01042-DAD-JLT Document 27 Filed 03/16/16 Page 5 of 5