Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00118/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-00118-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 29:201 Fair Labor Standards Act

---

[PROPOSED] PRETRIALORDER NO. 1 

CASE NOS. 07-0118 BTM & 07-0377 DMS 1

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

SCHIFFRIN BARROWAY TOPAZ & KESSLER, LLP

Alan R. Plutzik (Bar No. 077785) 

L. Timothy Fisher (Bar No. 191626) 

2125 Oak Grove Road, Suite 120 

Walnut Creek, CA 94598 

Telephone: (925) 945-0770 

Facsimile: (925) 945-8792 

 -andJoseph H. Meltzer 

Gerald D. Wells, III 

Katherine B. Bornstein 

Robert J. Gray 

280 King of Prussia Road 

Radnor, PA 19087 

Telephone: (610) 667-7706 

Facsimile: (610) 667-7506 

Attorneys for Plaintiff Gerald Till 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

GERALD TILL, individually, and on behalf of 

all other similarly situated, 

 Plaintiff, 

 

 vs.

M.L. STERN & CO., LLC; and DOES 1 

through 10, inclusive,

 Defendant. 

Case No.: 07-0118 BTM (JMA) 

PRETRIAL ORDER NO. 1 

DENNY BILIKAS and CRAIG TAGGART, 

individually, and on behalf of all other similarly 

situated, 

 Plaintiff, 

 vs.

M.L. STERN & CO., LLC; and DOES 1 

through 10, inclusive,

 Defendant. 

Case No.: 07-0377 DMS (RBB) 

Date: May 11, 2007 

Time: 11:00 a.m. 

Courtroom: 15 

Case 3:07-cv-00118-BTM-JMA Document 24 Filed 05/16/07 Page 1 of 7
[PROPOSED] PRETRIALORDER NO. 1 

CASE NOS. 07-0118 BTM & 07-0377 DMS 2

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

On May 11, 2007, Magistrate Judge Adler heard oral argument on Plaintiff Gerald Till’s 

Motion to Consolidate M.L. Stern Overtime Actions and for Entry of Pretrial Order No. 1.

Gerald D. Wells III and L. Timothy Fisher appeared on behalf of Plaintiff Gerald Till; Joseph 

Cho appeared on behalf of Plaintiffs Denny Bilikas and Craig Taggart; and James Richard 

Ballard and Sara Brite Evans appeared on behalf of Defendant M.L. Stern & Co., LLC. Based 

on the papers filed by the parties and oral argument, the Court rules as follows: 

WHEREAS, the above-captioned actions (the “Overtime Actions”) allege violations of 

applicable labor laws including various California state labor laws, including the California 

Labor Code, Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Orders and Business Professional Code, and 

such actions involve common questions of law and fact; 

WHEREAS, the Court has determined that formal consolidation of the Overtime Actions 

and organization of Counsel for Plaintiffs is appropriate as consistent with the recommendations 

of the Manual for Complex Litigation – Fourth (2004) (the “Manual”);

NOW, THEREFORE, THE COURT ORDERS as follows: 

I. CONSOLIDATION OF THE RELATED ACTIONS

1. The above-captioned Overtime Actions, and any action arising out of the same 

operative facts now pending or hereafter filed in or transferred to this Court, are hereby 

consolidated pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 42(a) (“Consolidated Action”). They shall be referred to 

collectively as In Re M.L. Stern Overtime Litigation, Master File No 07-0118. 

II. CAPTION OF CASES

2. Every pleading filed in the Consolidated Action shall bear the following caption: 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

IN RE M.L. STERN OVERTIME 

LITIGATION

MASTER FILE: 07-0118 BTM (JMA)

III. MASTER DOCKET

3. A Master Docket is hereby established for the Consolidated Action, including 

Case 3:07-cv-00118-BTM-JMA Document 24 Filed 05/16/07 Page 2 of 7
[PROPOSED] PRETRIALORDER NO. 1 

CASE NOS. 07-0118 BTM & 07-0377 DMS 3

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

actions subsequently consolidated herein pursuant to this Order. Entries in said Master Docket 

shall be applicable to the Consolidated Action, and entries shall be made therein in accordance 

with the regular procedures of the Clerk of this Court, except as modified by this Order. 

IV. MASTER FILE AND SEPARATE ACTION FILES

4. A Master File is hereby established for the consolidated proceedings in the 

Consolidated Action. The Master File shall be Civil Action No. 07-0118 BTM (JMA). The 

original of this Order shall be filed by the Clerk in the Master File herein established. The Clerk 

shall maintain a separate file for each of the Consolidated Actions and filings shall be made in 

accordance with the regular procedures of the Clerk of this Court, except as modified by this 

Order. The Clerk shall file a copy of this Order in each such separate file. 

V. NEWLY FILED OR TRANSFERRED ACTIONS

5. When a case that arises out of the same operative facts as the Consolidated 

Action is hereinafter filed in or transferred to this Court, it shall be consolidated with these 

actions as provided in Section I above, and the Clerk of the Court shall: 

(a) File a copy of this Order in the separate file for such action; 

(b) Mail a copy of this Order to the attorneys for the plaintiff(s) in the newly- 

 filed or transferred case and to any new defendant(s) in the newly-filed or

 transferred case; and 

(c) Make the appropriate entry in the Master Docket. 

6. This Court requests the assistance of counsel in calling to the attention of the 

Clerk of this Court the filing or transfer of any case that might properly be consolidated as part of 

this litigation. 

VI. APPLICATION OF THIS ORDER TO SUBSEQUENT CASES

7. This Order shall apply to each class action assigned to the Honorable Barry Ted 

Moskowitz and the Honorable Jan M. Adler asserting claims similar to those set forth in these 

actions and brought on behalf of employees of M.L. Stern & Co., LLC who allege that 

Defendants failed to pay them overtime compensation. This Order shall apply to each such case 

which is subsequently filed in or transferred to this Court, unless a party objecting to the 

Case 3:07-cv-00118-BTM-JMA Document 24 Filed 05/16/07 Page 3 of 7
[PROPOSED] PRETRIALORDER NO. 1 

CASE NOS. 07-0118 BTM & 07-0377 DMS 4

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

consolidation of that case, or to any other provision of this Order, serves an application for relief 

from this Order or from any of its provisions within ten (10) days after the date on which the 

Clerk mails a copy of this Order to the counsel for that party. The provisions of this Order shall 

apply to such action pending the Court’s ruling on the application. 

8. Unless a plaintiff in a subsequently filed or transferred case is permitted by the 

Court to use a separate complaint, Defendants shall not be required to answer, plead, or 

otherwise move with respect to that complaint. If a plaintiff in any such case is permitted to use 

a separate complaint, each Defendant shall have twenty (20) days from the date the Court grants 

such permission within which to answer, plead, or otherwise move with respect to that 

complaint. 

VII. ORGANIZATION OF COUNSEL

9. The Court appoints the following Interim Lead Counsel for the proposed class 

(“Interim Lead Counsel”) in the Consolidated Action pursuant to Rule 23(g)(2)(A) of the Federal 

Rules of Civil Procedure: 

SCHIFFRIN BARROWAY TOPAZ & KESSLER, LLP 

280 King of Prussia Road 

Radnor, PA 19087 

Telephone: (610) 667-7706 

 Facsimile: (610) 667-7056 

2125 Oak Grove Road, Suite 120 

Walnut Creek, CA 90067 

Telephone: (925) 945-0200 

Facsimile: (925) 945-8792 

10. Interim Lead Counsel in the Consolidated Action shall have authority over the 

following matters on behalf of all plaintiffs in those respective actions consolidated in this case: 

(a) convening meetings of counsel working for the Class; (b) initiating, responding to, 

scheduling, briefing, and arguing of all motions; (c) determining the scope, order, and conduct of 

all discovery proceedings; (d) assigning such work assignments to other counsel as they may 

deem appropriate; (e) retaining experts; (f) designating which attorneys may appear at hearings 

Case 3:07-cv-00118-BTM-JMA Document 24 Filed 05/16/07 Page 4 of 7
[PROPOSED] PRETRIALORDER NO. 1 

CASE NOS. 07-0118 BTM & 07-0377 DMS 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

and conferences with the Court; (g) conducting settlement negotiations with defendants; and (h) 

other matters concerning the prosecution of or resolution of their respective cases. 

11. All Plaintiffs’ counsel shall keep contemporaneous time and expense records, and 

shall provide such records upon request to Interim Lead Counsel. 

12. Interim Lead Counsel shall have authority to communicate with Defendants’ 

counsel and the Court on behalf of the proposed class. Defendants’ counsel may rely on all 

agreements made with Interim Lead Counsel, and such agreements shall be binding. 

13. Interim Lead Counsel is also charged with administrative matters such as 

receiving and distributing pleadings, notices, orders, motions and briefs, and advising parties of 

developments in the Consolidated Action. 

VIII. COORDINATION

14. Interim Lead Counsel shall coordinate activities to avoid duplication and 

inefficiency in the filing, serving and/or implementation of pleadings, other court papers, 

discovery papers, and discovery practice.

IX. SCOPE OF ORDER

 15. The terms of this Order shall not have the effect of making any person, firm or 

entity a party to any action in which he, she or it has not been named, served or added as such in 

accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The terms of this Order and the 

consolidation ordered herein shall not constitute a waiver by any party of any claims in or 

defenses to any action.

X. PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE OF PROCEEDINGS

 16. Plaintiffs shall file a Consolidated Complaint within twenty (20) days of the 

entry of this Order. The Consolidated Complaint shall be the operative complaint and shall 

supersede all complaints filed in any of the actions consolidated herein. Pending filing and 

service of the Consolidated Complaint, Defendants shall have no obligation to move, answer, or 

otherwise respond to any of the complaints in the actions consolidated herein or any actions 

//

//

Case 3:07-cv-00118-BTM-JMA Document 24 Filed 05/16/07 Page 5 of 7
[PROPOSED] PRETRIALORDER NO. 1 

CASE NOS. 07-0118 BTM & 07-0377 DMS 6

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

subsequently consolidated with them. Defendants shall have thirty (30) days from service of the 

Consolidated Complaint to answer or otherwise respond. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: May 16, 2007 ____________________________ 

 Jan M. Adler 

 U.S. Magistrate Judge 

Case 3:07-cv-00118-BTM-JMA Document 24 Filed 05/16/07 Page 6 of 7
1

 Case No. 

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

Case 3:07-cv-00118-BTM-JMA Document 24 Filed 05/16/07 Page 7 of 7