Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02759/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02759-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 380
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Property Damage
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Tort/Non-Motor Vehicle

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06cv2759-WQH (BLM)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHARLES BRAY,

Plaintiff,

v.

LOWE’S COMPANIES, INC., d/b/a

LOWE’S COMPANIES, LLC, d/b/a

LOWE’S HIW, INC., and DOES 1 to

30,

Defendants. _______________________________

AND RELATED CROSS-CLAIMS

 

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Case No. 06cv2759-WQH (BLM)

ORDER GRANTING JOINT MOTION TO

CONTINUE DATES

On January 2, 2008, parties to the above matter submitted a joint

motion to continue expert disclosure dates. Doc. No. 30. The Court

responded in part to this order on January 7, 2008. Doc. No. 32. After

speaking with the parties at a January 10, 2008 Case Management

Conference, the Court finds it appropriate to further grant the parties’

motion as follows.

1. All expert disclosures required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2),

that were previously required to be served by January 25, 2008, shall be

served on all parties on or before February 22, 2008. Any contradictory

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or rebuttal information, previously required to be disclosed by February

8, 2008, shall be disclosed on or before March 7, 2008. In addition,

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(e)(1) imposes a duty on the parties to supplement the

expert disclosures made pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(B) by the

time that pretrial disclosures are due under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3)

(discussed below). 

The parties are advised to consult with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)

regarding expert disclosures. Such disclosures shall include an expert

report, all supporting materials, a complete statement of all opinions

to be expressed and the basis and reasons therefor, the data or other

information considered by the expert in forming the opinions, any

exhibits to be used as a summary of or as support for the opinions, the

qualifications of the witness including a list of all publications

authored by the witness within the preceding ten years, the compensation

to be paid for the study and testimony, and a list of other cases in

which the witness has testified as an expert at trial or by deposition

within the preceding four years. 

This disclosure requirement applies to all persons retained or

specially employed to provide expert testimony, or whose duties as an

employee of the party regularly involve the giving of expert testimony.

Please be advised that failure to comply with this section or any

other discovery order of the Court may result in the sanctions provided

for in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37, including a prohibition on the introduction

of experts or other designated matters in evidence.

2. All discovery, previously required to be completed by March

7, 2008, shall be completed by all parties on or before April 18, 2008.

"Completed" means that all discovery under Rules 30-36 of the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure, and discovery subpoenas under Rule 45, must be

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initiated a sufficient period of time in advance of the cut-off date, so

that it may be completed by the cut-off date, taking into account the

times for service, notice, and response as set forth in the Federal

Rules of Civil Procedure.

Counsel shall promptly and in good faith meet and confer with

regard to all discovery disputes in compliance with Civil Local Rules

16.5(k) and 26.1(a). All discovery motions shall be filed within thirty

(30) days after counsel have met and conferred and reached an impasse

with regard to any particular discovery issue, but in no event shall

discovery motions be filed more than sixty (60) days after the date upon

which the event giving rise to the discovery dispute occurred. For oral

discovery, the event giving rise to the discovery dispute is the

completion of the transcript of the affected portion of the deposition.

For written discovery, the event giving rise to the discovery dispute is

either the service of the response, or, if no response was served, the

initial date the response was due. In addition, all discovery motions

must be filed within thirty (30) days after the close of discovery.

3. The Mandatory Settlement Conference, previously scheduled

for January 24, 2008, is continued to February 29, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. in

the chambers of Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major located at 940 Front

Street, Suite 5140, San Diego, CA 92101. All discussions at the

Mandatory Settlement Conference will be informal, off the record,

privileged, and confidential. Counsel for any non-English speaking

party is responsible for arranging for the appearance of an interpreter

at the conference.

a. Personal Appearance of Parties Required: All parties,

adjusters for insured defendants, and other representatives of a party

having full and complete authority to enter into a binding settlement,

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1

 "Full settlement authority" means that the individuals at the settlement

conference must be authorized to explore settlement options fully and to agree at that

time to any settlement terms acceptable to the parties. Heileman Brewing Co. v. Joseph

Oat Corp., 871 F.2d 648, 653 (7th Cir. 1989). The person needs to have "unfettered

discretion and authority" to change the settlement position of a party. Pitman v.

Brinker Int'l, Inc., 216 F.R.D. 481, 485-86 (D. Ariz. 2003). The purpose of requiring

a person with unlimited settlement authority to attend the conference contemplates that

the person's view of the case may be altered during the face to face conference. Id.

at 486. A limited or a sum certain of authority is not adequate. See Nick v. Morgan's

Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590, 595-97 (8th Cir. 2001).

4 06cv2759-WQH (BLM)

as well as the principal attorneys responsible for the litigation, must

be present in person and legally and factually prepared to discuss

settlement of the case. Counsel appearing without their clients

(whether or not counsel has been given settlement authority) will be

cause for immediate imposition of sanctions and may also result in the

immediate termination of the conference.

Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, persons required to

attend the conference pursuant to this Order shall not be excused from

personal attendance. Requests for excuse from attendance for

extraordinary circumstances shall be made in writing at least seventytwo (72) hours prior to the conference. Failure to appear in person at

the Mandatory Settlement Conference will be grounds for sanctions.

b. Full Settlement Authority Required: In addition to

counsel who will try the case, a party or party representative with full

settlement authority1 must be present for the conference. In the case

of a corporate entity, an authorized representative of the corporation

who is not retained outside counsel must be present and must have

discretionary authority to commit the company to pay an amount up to the

amount of the Plaintiff's prayer (excluding punitive damages prayers).

The purpose of this requirement is to have representatives present who

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can settle the case during the course of the conference without

consulting a superior. Counsel for a government entity may be excused

from this requirement so long as the government attorney who attends the

Mandatory Settlement Conference (1) has primary responsibility for

handling the case, and (2) may negotiate settlement offers which the

attorney is willing to recommend to the government official having

ultimate settlement authority.

c. Confidential Settlement Statements Required: No later

than February 22, 2008, the parties shall submit directly to Magistrate

Judge Major's chambers confidential settlement statements no more than

five (5) pages in length. These confidential statements shall not be

filed or served on opposing counsel. Each party's confidential

statement must include the following:

(i) A brief description of the case, the claims and/or

counterclaims asserted, and the applicable defenses or position

regarding the asserted claims;

(ii) A specific and current demand or offer for

settlement addressing all relief or remedies sought. If a specific

demand or offer for settlement cannot be made at the time the brief is

submitted, then the reasons therefore must be stated along with a

statement as to when the party will be in a position to state a demand

or make an offer; and

(iii) A brief description of any previous settlement

negotiations, mediation sessions, or mediation efforts.

General statements that a party will "negotiate in good faith" is

not a specific demand or offer contemplated by this Order. It is

assumed that all parties will negotiate in good faith.

d. Requests to Continue a Mandatory Settlement Conference:

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Any request to continue the Mandatory Settlement Conference or request

for relief from any of the provisions or requirements of this Order must

be sought by a written ex parte application. The application must (1)

be supported by a declaration of counsel setting forth the reasons and

justifications for the relief requested, (2) confirm compliance with

Civil Local Rule 26.1, and (3) report the position of opposing counsel

or any unrepresented parties subject to the Order.

If the case is settled in its entirety before the scheduled date of

the conference, counsel and any unrepresented parties must still appear

in person, unless a written joint motion confirming the complete

settlement of the case is submitted no less than twenty-four (24) hours

before the scheduled conference.

All other dates remain as previously established.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 10, 2008

BARBARA L. MAJOR

United States Magistrate Judge

COPY TO: 

HONORABLE WILLIAM Q. HAYES

U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE

ALL COUNSEL

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