Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03797/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03797-7/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Petition for Removal

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. 

CASE NO. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC 

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DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

MICHAEL J. STORTZ (SBN 139386)

michael.stortz@dbr.com 

MARSHALL L. BAKER (SBN 300987) 

marshall.baker@dbr.com 

DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP

50 Fremont Street, 20th Floor 

San Francisco, CA 94105-2235 

Telephone: (415) 591-7500 

Facsimile: (415) 591-7510 

STEPHEN C. BAKER (pro hac vice) 

stephen.baker@dbr.com 

TIMOTHY J. O’DRISCOLL (pro hac vice) 

timothy.odriscoll@dbr.com 

DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP

One Logan Square, Ste. 2000 

Philadelphia, PA 19103-6996 

Telephone: (215) 988-2700 

Facsimile: (215) 988-2757 

Attorneys for Defendant 

THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE 

INSURANCE COMPANY 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

SANFORD J. WISHNEV, individually and on 

behalf of all others similarly situated, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE 

INSURANCE COMPANY, a Wisconsin 

corporation, and DOES 1-10, inclusive, 

Defendants. 

Case No. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] 

ORDER TO CONTINUE STAY AND 

CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; 

DECLARATION OF MICHAEL J. 

STORTZ IN SUPPORT 

 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 77 Filed 03/14/18 Page 1 of 6
STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. 

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DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

WHEREAS, on June 9, 2016, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals granted Defendant The 

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company’s (“Northwestern Mutual”) petition to appeal this 

Court’s Order denying Northwestern Mutual’s motion to dismiss; 

WHEREAS, this action has been stayed since June 30, 2016, when this Court issued an 

order (Dkt. No. 69) staying the action “pending completion of the appellate review or further 

order”; 

WHEREAS, appellate briefing in Northwestern Mutual’s appeal has been complete since 

January 27, 2017, and oral argument took place on October 16, 2017; 

WHEREAS, in addition to Northwestern Mutual’s appeal, there are two other appeals 

presenting the same issues pending in the Ninth Circuit: Martin v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., No. 16-

15690 (9th Cir. Apr. 15, 2016) and Lujan v. New York Life Ins. Co., No. 16-16401 (9th Cir. Aug. 

9, 2016); 

WHEREAS, appellate briefing in Martin and Lujan is also complete, and oral argument in 

those cases also took place on October 16, 2017; 

WHEREAS, on January 18, 2018, the Ninth Circuit issued an Order asking the California 

Supreme Court to resolve two questions of California law presented in the pending appeals; 

WHEREAS, the California Supreme Court (Case No. S246541) has not yet decided 

whether to grant or deny the Ninth Circuit’s request; 

WHEREAS, if the California Supreme Court grants the Ninth Circuit’s request, the 

California Supreme Court may order further briefing and oral argument before issuing its decision 

on the two certified questions; 

WHEREAS, if the California Supreme Court denies the Ninth Circuit’s request, the Ninth 

Circuit will issue its decision in the pending appeals; 

WHEREAS, while Northwestern Mutual’s appeal has been pending, this Court has twice 

issued Orders continuing the Case Management Conference (“CMC”) and continuing the stay of 

this action; 

WHEREAS, specifically, on March 10, 2017, this Court issued an Order (Dkt. No. 73) 

continuing the next CMC to September 28, 2017 and continuing the stay through that date “or 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 77 Filed 03/14/18 Page 2 of 6
STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. 

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DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

pending further Order of the Court”; 

WHEREAS, on September 19, 2017, this Court issued an Order (Dkt. No. 75) continuing 

both the CMC and the stay to March 29, 2018 “or pending further Order of the Court”; 

WHEREAS, the Parties through counsel have met and conferred and agree that given the 

status of Northwestern Mutual’s appeal, and the Martin and Lujan appeals, as well as the status of 

proceedings before the California Supreme Court, (1) the existing stay in this action should 

continue for six more months, unless earlier terminated by the Court upon request of one or both 

of the parties; and (2) the March 29, 2018 CMC should be continued for six months, unless earlier 

scheduled by the Court; 

WHEREAS, the requested continuance will not impact any other deadlines already set by 

the Court. 

THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by the parties through 

their respective counsel as follows: 

1. This action should remain stayed through September 27, 2018 or pending further 

Order of the Court; and 

2. The Case Management Conference currently scheduled for March 29, 2018 should 

be continued to September 27, 2018 at 10:30 a.m., or such other date as the Court deems proper. 

3. The parties shall file a Case Management Statement on or before September 20, 

2018 or as hereafter ordered by the Court. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED. 

Dated: March 9, 2018 DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP

By: /s/ Michael J. Stortz 

Michael J. Stortz 

Marshall L. Baker 

Attorneys for Defendant 

THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE 

INSURANCE COMPANY

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 77 Filed 03/14/18 Page 3 of 6
STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. 

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DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

Dated: March 9, 2018 BRAMSON, PLUTZIK, MAHLER &

BIRKHAEUSER, LLP 

By: /s/ Robert M. Bramson 

Robert M. Bramson 

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

SANFORD J. WISHNEV

Attestation Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 5-1(i) 

Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 5-1(i), I, Michael J. Stortz, hereby attest that I have obtained 

concurrence in the filing of this document from the other signatory to this document. 

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the 

foregoing is true and correct. Executed this 9th day of March, 2018 in San Francisco, California. 

 

 /s/ Michael J. Stortz 

Michael J. Stortz 

[PROPOSED] ORDER 

Pursuant to Stipulation, IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Date: 

Hon. Edward M. Chen 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

 

3/14/18

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Edward M. Chen

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 77 Filed 03/14/18 Page 4 of 6
STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. 

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DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

DECLARATION OF MICHAEL J. STORTZ 

 I, Michael J. Stortz, declare as follows: 

1. I am an active member in good standing of the Bar of the State of California, 

admitted to practice before this Court, and a partner with the firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath 

LLP, attorneys of record for Defendant The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company 

(“Northwestern Mutual”) in the above-entitled action. I make this Declaration in support of the 

parties’ Stipulation to Continue Stay and Case Management Conference. If called, I could and 

would testify to the matters set forth herein. 

2. This action has been stayed since June 30, 2016. Since that time, Northwestern 

Mutual has pursued an appeal in the Ninth Circuit as to this Court’s interlocutory Order denying 

Northwestern Mutual’s motion to dismiss. 

3. In Northwestern Mutual’s appeal, the parties have filed their respective briefs, and 

appellate briefing has been complete since January 27, 2017. Oral argument took place on 

October 16, 2017. 

4. In addition to Northwestern Mutual’s appeal, there are two other appeals 

presenting the same issues pending in the Ninth Circuit: Martin v. Metro. Life Ins. Co., No. 16-

15690 (9th Cir. Apr. 15, 2016) and Lujan v. New York Life Ins. Co., No. 16-16401 (9th Cir. Aug. 

9, 2016). 

5. The appellate briefing in Martin and Lujan is also complete, and oral argument in 

those cases took place on October 16, 2017. 

6. On January 18, 2018, the Ninth Circuit issued an Order asking the California 

Supreme Court to resolve two questions of California law presented in the pending appeals. The 

California Supreme Court (Case No. S246541) has not yet decided whether to grant or deny the 

Ninth Circuit’s request. 

7. On March 10, 2017, and again on September 19, 2017, this Court issued Orders 

that continued both the stay and the date for the CMC by six months. A CMC is currently 

scheduled for March 29, 2018. 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 77 Filed 03/14/18 Page 5 of 6
STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. 

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DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

8. There is good cause to continue the stay for an additional six months, and to 

continue the March 29, 2018 CMC to September 27, 2018, as Northwestern Mutual’s appeal, 

Martin, and Lujan each present the same threshold questions of law, the resolution of which may 

obviate the need for any further proceedings in this Court. 

9. The requested continuance will not impact any deadlines already set by the Court. 

10. To date, the other time modifications in this case are as follows: on August 31, 

2015, the Court approved the Parties’ Stipulation As to Filing of the Amended Complaint; on 

November 5, 2015, the Court reset the hearing on Northwestern Mutual’s Motion to Dismiss 

Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint and reset the CMC to November 20, 2015; on November 20, 

2015, the Court again reset the CMC to January 21, 2016; on January 12, 2016, the Court again 

reset the CMC to March 3, 2016; on February 23, 2016, the Court granted Northwestern Mutual’s 

Motion to Continue the CMC to March 24, 2016; on May 31, 2016, the Court approved the 

Parties’ stipulated request to continue the CMC to June 30, 2016; on March 2, 2017, the Court 

rescheduled the March 30, 2017 CMC for March 28, 2017; on March 10, 2017, the Court 

continued the CMC to September 28, 2017; and on September 19, 2017, the Court continued the 

CMC to March 29, 2018. 

 I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the 

foregoing is true and correct. Executed this 9th day of March, 2018 at San Francisco, California. 

 /s/ Michael J. Stortz 

Michael J. Stortz 

 

 

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