Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-02612/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-02612-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 29:1132 E.R.I.S.A.-Employee Benefits

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN P. MASTERSON,

NO. CIV. S-06-2612 LKK DAD

Plaintiff,

v.

UNUM LIFE INSURANCE

COMPANY OF AMERICA,

Defendant.

 /

STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) CONFERENCE

READ THIS ORDER CAREFULLY. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT DATES WHICH

THE COURT WILL STRICTLY ENFORCE AND WITH WHICH ALL COUNSEL AND

PARTIES MUST COMPLY. A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THIS

ORDER MAY RESULT IN THE IMPOSITION OF MONETARY AND ALL OTHER

SANCTIONS WITHIN THE POWER OF THE COURT, INCLUDING DISMISSAL OR AN

ORDER OF JUDGMENT. 

Pursuant to court order, a Status (Pretrial Scheduling)

Conference was held in Chambers on May 29, 2007. Patricia L.

McCabe appeared as counsel for plaintiff; Anna M. Martin appeared

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telephonically as counsel for defendant. After hearing, the court

makes the following findings and orders:

SERVICE OF PROCESS

All parties defendant have been served and no further service

is permitted except with leave of court, good cause having been

shown.

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.

See Johnson v. Mammoth Recreations, Inc., 975 F.2d 604 (9th Cir.

1992).

JURISDICTION/VENUE

Jurisdiction is predicated upon 28 U.S.C. § 1331, is

undisputed and is hereby found to be proper, as is venue.

FICTITIOUSLY-NAMED DEFENDANTS

This action, including any counterclaims, cross-claims, and

third-party complaints is hereby DISMISSED as to all DOE or other

fictitiously-named defendants.

MOTION HEARING SCHEDULES

All law and motion except as to discovery is left open, save

and except that it shall be conducted so as to be completed by

February 28, 2008. The word "completed" in this context means that

all law and motion matters must be heard by the above date.

Because this date is not necessarily a date previously set aside

for law and motion hearings, it is incumbent upon counsel to

contact this court's courtroom deputy, Ana Rivas at (916) 930-4133,

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sufficiently in advance so as to ascertain the dates upon which law

and motion will be heard and to properly notice its motion for

hearing before that date. Counsel are cautioned to refer to Local

Rule 78-230 regarding the requirements for noticing such motions

on the court's regularly scheduled law and motion calendar.

Opposition or statement of non-opposition to all motions shall be

filed not later than 4:30 p.m. fourteen (14) days preceding the

hearing date, or by proof of service by mail not less than

seventeen (17) days preceding the hearing date. 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.

At the time of filing a motion, opposition, or reply, counsel

are directed to email a copy in word processing format to lkkpleadings@caed.uscourts.gov. 

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 supra.

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Unless prior permission has been granted, memoranda of law in

support of and in opposition to motions are limited to thirty (30)

pages, and reply memoranda are limited to fifteen (15) pages. The

parties are also cautioned against filing multiple briefs to

circumvent this rule.

Where the parties bring motions for summary judgment, the

court will deem facts which are apparently undisputed as undisputed

under Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(d), unless specifically reserved and that

party tenders evidence to support the reservation.

ALL PURELY LEGAL ISSUES ARE TO BE RESOLVED BY TIMELY PRETRIAL

MOTION AND A FAILURE TO MAKE SUCH A MOTION WILL ORDINARILY BE

VIEWED AS A WAIVER AT THE TIME OF PRETRIAL. COUNSEL ARE CAUTIONED

THAT IF ANY LEGAL ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TENDERED TO THE COURT

BY PRETRIAL MOTION MUST BE RESOLVED BY THE COURT AFTER LAW AND

MOTION CUTOFF, FOR INSTANCE WHERE THE ISSUE IS JURISDICTION,

SUBSTANTIAL SANCTIONS WILL BE LEVIED AGAINST COUNSEL WHO FAIL TO

TIMELY FILE AN APPROPRIATE MOTION.

Counsel are further 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

No modifications of the discovery requirements found in the

Federal Rules is ordered.

All discovery is left open, save and except that it shall be

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so conducted as to be completed by December 28, 2007. 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

magistrate judge's calendar in accordance with the local rules of

this court and so that such motions will be heard not later than

November 28, 2007. In this regard, all counsel are to designate

in writing and file with the court and serve upon all other parties

a final list of the names of all experts that they propose to

tender at trial not later than sixty (60) days before the close of

discovery herein established. At the time of designation, all

experts shall submit a written report. The contents of the report

must comply with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 (A)(2)(b). All

experts so designated 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 the trial as to any information

gathered or evaluated, or opinion formed, after deposition taken

subsequent to designation.

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

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

proffered for deposition.

MID-LITIGATION STATEMENTS

Not later than fourteen (14) days prior to the close of

discovery, all parties shall file with the court and serve on all

other parties a brief statement summarizing all law and motion

practice heard by the court as of the date of the filing of the

statement, whether the court has disposed of the motion at the time

the statement is filed and served, and the likelihood that any

further motions will be noticed prior to the close of law and

motion. The filing of this statement shall not relieve the parties

or counsel of their obligation to timely notice all appropriate

motions as set forth above. 

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

A Settlement Conference is set before the Honorable Kimberly

J. Mueller, United States Magistrate Judge, on January 9, 2008 at

1:30 p.m. Counsel are directed to submit settlement conference

statements to the settlement judge not later than seven (7) days

prior to the conference. At counsel's option, such statements may

be submitted in confidence pursuant to Local Rule 16-270(d).

Counsel are cautioned to have a principal capable of

disposition present at the Settlement Conference or to be fully

authorized to settle the matter on any terms and at the Settlement

Conference.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Pursuant to the request of the parties, this matter is

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referred to the court's Voluntary Dispute Resolution Program

(VDRP).

The parties are reminded that pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P.

16(b), the Status (pretrial scheduling) Order shall not be modified

except by leave of court upon a showing of good cause. Counsel are

cautioned that changes to any of the scheduled dates will

necessarily result in changes to all other dates. Thus, even where

good cause has been shown, the court will not grant a request to

change the discovery cutoff date without modifying the pretrial and

trial dates.

Agreement by the parties pursuant to stipulation does not

constitute good cause. Nor does the unavailability of witnesses

or counsel, except in extraordinary circumstances, constitute good

cause.

The parties are reminded of their continuing obligation to

supplement their statements relative to the identification of

parent corporations and any publicly held company that owns 10% or

more of the party's stock within a reasonable time of any change

in the information.

The parties are admonished that they are not to cite or refer

to any of the quotations inscribed in the pavers on the front plaza

of the United States Courthouse in any written or oral presentation

to the court or a jury.

There appear to be no other matters presently pending before

the court that will aid the just and expeditious disposition of

this matter.

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IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: June 1, 2007.

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