Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_15-cv-01648/USCOURTS-cand-4_15-cv-01648-28/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 42:9659 CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response

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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING LITIGATION STAY

Bret A. Stone SBN 190161 BStone@PaladinLaw.com 

Kirk M. Tracy SBN 288508 KTracy@PaladinLaw.com 

PALADIN LAW GROUP® LLP

1176 Boulevard Way 

Walnut Creek, CA 94595 

Telephone: (925) 947-5700 

Facsimile: (925) 935-8488 

Counsel for Estate of Robert Renzel, Deceased, by and through his 

successors in interest, Susan Carter and Ann Renzel Sebastian; 

Robert E. Renzel Trust, by and through its trustees, Susan Carter 

and Ann Renzel Sebastian; Susan Carter; Ann Renzel Sebastian; 

and Bascom Avenue Development LLC 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ESTATE OF ROBERT RENZEL, 

DECEASED, et al., 

Plaintiffs, 

 v. 

ESTATE OF LUPE VENTURA, 

DECEASED, et al., 

 Defendants. 

Case No. 4:15-cv-1648-HSG 

STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING 

LITIGATION STAY 

AND RELATED CROSS-ACTIONS. 

Action filed: April 10, 2015 

Discovery cut-off: September 8, 2017 

Trial date: April 23, 2018 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Court’s September 15, 2017 order, ECF No. 191, Renzel and 

Torres have come to an agreement to share the costs of a proposed pilot study for additional 

environmental investigation at the property subject to this litigation, with the costs to be borne by 

Renzel’s and Torres’s respective insurers, to support the development of a potentially less 

expensive remedial strategy and revised cost estimate; 

WHEREAS, the environmental consultant estimates the proposed pilot study, once 

started, will take approximately five (5) months to complete; 

WHEREAS, Renzel’s motion for summary judgment was taken under submission at the 

September 14, 2017 hearing; 

Case 4:15-cv-01648-HSG Document 198 Filed 10/16/17 Page 1 of 4
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING LITIGATION STAY 

-2- Case No. 4:15-cv-1648-HSG 

WHEREAS, Torres filed a motion for summary judgment against Renzel, ECF No. 187, 

currently set for hearing on November 16, 2017; 

WHEREAS, the Court set the current deadlines in this matter in its September 15, 2017 

order, including deadlines for briefing on Torres’ motion for summary judgment against Renzel; 

WHEREAS, rather than expending resources on attorneys and experts in continued 

litigation and a trial of the action, if the proposed pilot study is found to be generally successful, 

the parties believe this effort will significantly increase the likelihood they will be able to fully 

and finally resolve all of the outstanding litigation between them, and thus allow the parties to 

focus their time and financial resources on developing a technical approach to address the PCE 

contamination at the subject property; and 

WHEREAS, the Renzel and Torres, as well as their insurance company representatives, 

have confirmed March 15, 2018 for an in-person mediation with Timothy Gallagher, Esq., who 

has presided over all prior mediations between the parties in connection with this matter; 

THEREFORE, all parties1

 hereby stipulate as follows, and request that the Court so order 

the terms of this stipulation: 

1. The trial date and other Court dates and deadlines set forth in the Court’s Order of 

September 15, 2017, are hereby vacated. A new Case Management Conference to discuss further 

scheduling of the case shall be set for April 17, 2018, at 2:00 p.m., and a joint case management 

statement shall be submitted by the parties no later than April 10, 2018 to notify the Court of the 

status of pilot study and the outcome of the parties’ efforts to settle the pending action; 

2. The briefing and hearing on Torres’s summary judgment motion against Renzel, 

ECF No. 187, currently set for November 16, 2017, will remain on calendar; 

3. All discovery and all motion practice in the action shall be stayed until further 

ordered by the Court; 

4. Renzel and Torres, through their respective insurers, shall timely fund the 

proposed pilot study in its entirety; 

 

1

 A copy of this stipulation was provided to all pro se parties via email on October 10, 2017, 

requesting their review and agreement by signature. No objections were received. 

Case 4:15-cv-01648-HSG Document 198 Filed 10/16/17 Page 2 of 4
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING LITIGATION STAY 

-3- Case No. 4:15-cv-1648-HSG 

5. The parties will evaluate the data from the pilot study and shall discuss the 

appropriateness of entering into a final settlement; and 

6. On March 15, 2018, Renzel and Torres shall participate in a mediation with 

Timothy Gallagher, Esq. for the purposes of reaching a final settlement agreement. An insurance 

company representative with authority to settle shall attend the mediation session in-person for 

each of Renzel’s and Torres’s respective insurers. 

 IT IS SO STIPULATED 

DATED: October 12, 2017 PALADIN LAW GROUP® LLP 

 

/s/ Bret A. Stone

 

Counsel for Renzel 

DATED: October 12, 2017 LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH LLP 

/s/ Glenn A. Friedman

 

Counsel for Counter Defendants Ann Renzel 

Sebastian, Susan Carter and the Estate of Robert 

Renzel 

DATED: October 12, 2017 CAUFIELD & JAMES LLP 

 

/s/ Jeffery L. Caufield

 

Counsel for Alfredo and Carmen Torres 

DATED: October 12, 2017 

 

HYANG BAE WHANG, SEON GEUN WHANG, 

KYU CHUK WHANG 

Pro se 

DATED: October 12, 2017 

GARY TRAN 

Pro se 

DATED: October 12, 2017 

THU HUYNH and NGOC T.B. TRAN 

Case 4:15-cv-01648-HSG Document 198 Filed 10/16/17 Page 3 of 4
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STIPULATION AND ORDER REGARDING LITIGATION STAY 

-4- Case No. 4:15-cv-1648-HSG 

DATED: October 12, 2017 

 

 UKTAE HAN and MIJA HAN 

Pro Se 

Good cause appearing, IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: October 16, 2017 _________________________________________ 

 United States District Judge 

Case 4:15-cv-01648-HSG Document 198 Filed 10/16/17 Page 4 of 4