Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-00734/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-00734-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Other Contract

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ELKA ZWICK, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

MICHAEL ZWICK, 

Defendants. 

No. 2:16-cv-734-EFB 

STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) 

ORDER 

 On October 19, 2016, this case was before the court for a status (pretrial scheduling) 

conference.1 Attorney Brian DeAmicis appeared on behalf of plaintiff; attorney David Barrett 

appeared on behalf of defendant. After hearing and pursuant to the parties’ joint status report 

(ECF No. 12), the court enters the following scheduling order: 

NATURE OF CASE 

 The complaint alleges that plaintiff and defendant were the only two members of Bay to 

Bay Properties, LLC, a California Limited Liability Company, each owning a 50 percent interest. 

ECF No. 1 ¶ 4. The only substantial asset owned by the LLC was an industrial building located 

in Contra Costa County, California. Id. ¶ 6. The LLC’s only business was owning and operating 

the building. Id. In February 2015, defendant, on behalf of the LLC, sold the building. Id. ¶ 12. 

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 This action was reassigned to the undersigned pursuant to the parties’ consent. ECF No. 

10; see 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). 

Case 2:16-cv-00734-EFB Document 14 Filed 10/27/16 Page 1 of 6
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Plaintiff alleges that defendant diverted income from the building to his own personal use and 

seeks an accounting and damages. 

SERVICE OF PROCESS 

 Service of process is undisputed. 

JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENTS 

 No further joinder of parties or amendments to pleadings is permitted except with leave of 

court, good cause having been shown. 

JURISDICTION/VENUE 

 Jurisdiction and venue are not disputed. 

MOTION HEARING SCHEDULES 

 All law and motion, except as to discovery, shall be completed by September 20, 2017. 

The word “completed” in this context means that all law and motion matters must be heard by the 

above date. Counsel (and/or pro se parties)2 are cautioned to refer to the Local Rules regarding 

the requirements for noticing such motions on the court’s regularly scheduled law and motion 

calendar. This paragraph does not preclude motions for continuances, temporary restraining 

orders or other emergency applications, and is subject to any special scheduling set forth in the 

“MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS” paragraph below. 

 The parties should keep in mind that the purpose of law and motion is to narrow and 

refine the legal issues raised by the case, and to dispose of by pretrial motion those issues that are 

susceptible to resolution without trial. To accomplish that purpose, the parties need to identify 

and fully research the issues presented by the case, and then examine those issues in light of the 

evidence gleaned through discovery. If it appears to counsel after examining the legal issues and 

facts that an issue can be resolved by pretrial motion, counsel are to file the appropriate motion by 

the law and motion cutoff set forth above. 

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 2

 Any reference to “counsel” in this order includes parties appearing in propria persona. 

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 ALL PURELY LEGAL ISSUES ARE TO BE RESOLVED BY TIMELY PRETRIAL 

MOTION. Counsel are reminded that motions in limine are procedural devices designed to 

address the admissibility of evidence. COUNSEL ARE CAUTIONED THAT THE COURT 

WILL LOOK WITH DISFAVOR UPON SUBSTANTIVE MOTIONS PRESENTED IN THE 

GUISE OF MOTIONS IN LIMINE AT THE TIME OF TRIAL. 

DISCOVERY 

 All discovery shall be completed by July 26, 2017. The word “completed” means that all 

discovery shall have been conducted so that all depositions have been taken and any disputes 

relative to discovery shall have been resolved by appropriate order if necessary and, where 

discovery has been ordered, the order has been complied with. Motions to compel discovery 

must be noticed on the undersigned’s calendar in accordance with the Local Rules and must be 

heard not later than June 28, 2017. The parties shall serve Rule 26(a) disclosures by November 2, 

2016. 

EXPERT DISCLOSURE 

 The parties are to designate in writing, and serve upon all other parties, the names of all 

experts they propose to tender at trial in accordance with the following schedule: initial expert 

disclosures shall be served on or before May 17, 2017; rebuttal expert disclosures shall be served 

on or before June 21, 2017. The parties shall disclose any witness who will be offered for 

purposes of rendering an expert opinion, regardless of whether that witness will also render 

percipient testimony. 

 An expert witness not appearing on said lists will not be permitted to testify unless the 

party offering the witness demonstrates: (a) that the necessity of the witness could not have been 

reasonably anticipated at the time the lists were exchanged; (b) the court and opposing counsel 

were promptly notified upon discovery of the witness; and (c) that the witness was promptly 

proffered for deposition. Failure to provide the information required along with the expert 

designation may lead to preclusion of the expert’s testimony or other appropriate sanctions. 

 The parties shall comply with the information disclosure provisions of Federal Rule of 

Civil Procedure 26(a)(2) for any expert, who is in whole or in part designated as a Rule 26 expert. 

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This information is due at the time of designation. Failure to supply the required information may 

result in the expert being stricken. All experts are to be fully prepared to render an informed 

opinion at the time of designation so that they may fully participate in any deposition taken by the 

opposing party. Experts will not be permitted to testify at trial as to any information gathered or 

evaluated, or opinion formed, which should have been reasonably available at the time of 

designation. The court will closely scrutinize for discovery abuse deposition opinions which 

differ markedly in nature and/or in bases from those expressed in the mandatory information 

disclosure. 

FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE 

 The final pretrial conference is set for December 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., in Courtroom 

No. 8. The parties are cautioned that counsel appearing at the pretrial conference will in fact try 

the matter. Counsel for all parties are to be fully prepared for trial at the time of the pretrial 

conference, with no matters remaining to be accomplished except production of witnesses for oral 

testimony. Counsel are referred to Local Rules 281 and 282 relating to pretrial statements and 

conferences. A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH LOCAL RULES 281 AND 282 WILL BE 

GROUNDS FOR SANCTIONS. 

 Notwithstanding Local Rule 281, the parties shall submit a joint pretrial statement not 

later than fourteen (14) days prior to the pretrial conference. The joint pretrial statement shall 

conform with the requirements of Local Rule 281(b). The undisputed facts and disputed factual 

issues shall be set forth in two separate sections. The parties should identify those facts which are 

relevant to each separate cause of action. In this regard, the parties are to number each individual 

fact or factual issues. Where the parties are unable to agree as to what factual issues are properly 

before the court for trial, they should nevertheless list in the section on “DISPUTED FACTUAL 

ISSUES” all issues asserted by any of the parties and explain by parenthetical the controversy 

concerning each issue. The parties should keep in mind that, in general, each fact should relate or 

correspond to an element of the relevant cause of action. The parties should also keep in mind 

that the purpose of listing the disputed factual issues is to apprise the court and all parties about 

the precise issues that will be litigated at trial. The court is not interested in a listing of all 

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evidentiary facts underlying the issues that are in dispute. The joint statement of undisputed facts 

and disputed factual issues is to be filed with the court concurrently with the filing of the joint 

pretrial statement. 

 Pursuant to Local Rule 281(b)(10) and (11), the parties are required to provide in their 

pretrial statement a list of witnesses and exhibits that they propose to proffer at trial, no matter for 

what purpose. These lists shall not be contained in the pretrial statement itself, but shall be 

attached as separate documents to be used as addenda to the final pretrial order. Plaintiff’s 

exhibits shall be listed numerically; defendant’s exhibits shall be listed alphabetically. The 

pretrial order will contain a stringent standard for the proffering of witnesses and exhibits at trial 

not listed in the pretrial order. Counsel are cautioned that the standard will be strictly applied. 

On the other hand, the listing of exhibits or witnesses which counsel do not intend or use will be 

viewed as an abuse of the court’s processes. 

 Counsel are reminded that, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16, it will be their 

duty at the pretrial conference to aid the court in (a) formulation and simplification of issues and 

the elimination of meritless claims or defenses; (b) settling of facts which should be properly 

admitted; and (c) avoidance of unnecessary proof and cumulative evidence. The parties must 

prepare their joint pretrial statement, and participate in good faith at the pretrial conference, with 

these aims in mind. A FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN THE IMPOSITION OF 

SANCTIONS which may include monetary sanctions, orders precluding proof, eliminations of 

claims or defenses, or such other sanctions as the court deems appropriate. 

TRIAL SETTING 

 A jury trial is set to commence on February 5, 2018 at 9:30 a.m., in Courtroom No. 8. 

The parties anticipate the trial will take 5 days. 

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE 

 A settlement conference is set on April 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., in Courtroom No. 8. The 

parties are directed to submit confidential settlement conference statements via e-mail 

(efborders@caed.uscourts.gov) to chambers seven (7) days prior to the settlement conference. 

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Such statements are neither to be filed with the clerk nor served on opposing counsel. However, 

each party shall e-file a one page document entitled Notice of Submission of Confidential 

Settlement Conference Statement. The parties may agree, or not, to serve each other with the 

settlement statements. Each party is reminded of the requirement that it be represented in person 

at the settlement conference by a person able to dispose of the case or fully authorized to settle 

the matter at the settlement conference on any terms. See Local Rule 270 

SUMMARY OF ORDER 

 The Court summarizes this order as follows: 

 1. All discovery shall be completed by July 26, 2017. Motions to compel discovery must 

be heard no later than June 28, 2017. Rule 26(a) disclosures shall be served by November 2, 

2016. 

 2. The parties shall make their initial expert disclosures on or before May 17, 2017, and 

rebuttal disclosures by June 21, 2017. 

 3. All pretrial motions, except motions to compel discovery, shall be completed as 

described herein on or before September 20, 2017. 

 4. The final pretrial conference is set on December 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., in Courtroom 

No. 8. 

 5. Jury trial is set to commence on February 5, 2018 at 9:30 a.m., in Courtroom No. 8. 

 6. A settlement conference is set on April 13, 2017 at 10:00 a.m., in Courtroom No. 8. 

 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: October 27, 2016. 

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