Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-00245/USCOURTS-caed-1_06-cv-00245-44/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 893
Nature of Suit: Environmental Matters
Cause of Action: 42:4321 Review of Agency Action-Environment

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Parties’ Fourth Stip. and Order Re: Mot. for Attorneys’ Fees

Case No. 1:06-CV-0245 OWW GSA

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MICHAEL R. SHERWOOD, State Bar No. 63702

GEORGE M. TORGUN, State Bar No. 222085

TRENT W. ORR, State Bar No. 77656

Earthjustice

426 17th Street, 5th Floor

Oakland, CA 94612

msherwood@earthjustice.org; torr@earthjustice.org

gtorgun@earthjustice.org

Telephone: (510) 550-6725

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

KATHERINE POOLE, State Bar No. 195010

MICHAEL E. WALL, State Bar No. 170238

Natural Resources Defense Council

111 Sutter St., 20th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104

kpoole@nrdc.org; mwall@nrdc.org

Telephone: (415) 875-6100

HAMILTON CANDEE, State Bar No. 111376

CASEY A. ROBERTS, State Bar No. 253474

Altshuler Berzon LLP

177 Post Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA 94108

hcandee@altshulerberzon.com

Telephone: (415) 421-7151

Attorneys for Plaintiff NRDC

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF 

FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS/INSTITUTE 

FOR FISHERIES RESOURCES, et al., 

Plaintiffs,

v.

CARLOS M. GUTIERREZ, in his official 

capacity as Secretary of Commerce et al., 

Defendants.

SAN LUIS & DELTA-MENDOTA WATER 

AUTHORITY, et al., 

Defendant-Intervenors.

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Case No. 1:06-CV-0245 OWW GSA

PARTIES’ FOURTH STIPULATION AND 

ORDER RE: MOTION FOR ATTORNEYS’ 

FEES

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Parties’ Fourth Stip. and Order Re: Mot. for Attorneys’ Fees

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To facilitate settlement discussions regarding Plaintiffs’ claim for attorneys’ fees and costs in 

this case, Plaintiffs Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations/Institute for Fisheries 

Resources, et al. (“Plaintiffs”) and Defendants Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce, et al.

(“Federal Defendants”) stipulate and agree, and request that the Court enter an order, to stay briefing 

on Plaintiffs’ motion for an award of attorneys’ fees and costs for an additional 90 days. In support 

of this request, Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants stipulate as follows: 

1. Judgment was entered in this case on September 9, 2009 (Doc. No. 458), and no party 

has appealed. On September 18, 2009, pursuant to a stipulation by the parties, the Court entered an 

Order extending the deadline for Plaintiffs to file a motion for attorneys’ fees and costs under Civil 

Local Rules 292 and 293 and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 54(d)(2)(B) to be the same deadline as 

that for filing a motion under the Equal Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”), 28 U.S.C. § 2412, which 

was December 9, 2009. Doc. No. 461.

2. On December 8, 2009, Plaintiffs filed a motion for an award of attorneys’ fees and 

costs for their work on this litigation. Doc. No. 465. No hearing date was set; instead, concurrently 

with the filing of the motion, Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants filed their Second Stipulation and 

Proposed Order Re: Motion for Attorneys’ Fees (Doc. No. 464) which explained that before filing 

their motion for attorneys’ fees Plaintiffs had presented Federal Defendants with a confidential letter 

request to settle their claim including specifics about the amount sought to date, and that settlement 

negotiations regarding Plaintiffs’ claim were ongoing. Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants sought an 

additional 120 days (to April 13, 2010) before having to brief Plaintiffs’ motion within which to 

pursue possible settlement. On December 14, 2009, the Court approved the parties’ second 

stipulation. Doc. No. 466.

3. On March 26, 2010, Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants filed the Parties’ Third 

Stipulation and [Proposed] Order Re: Motion For Attorneys’ Fees. Doc. No. 467. The parties 

explained that Counsel for Plaintiffs in this matter is also lead counsel for Defendant-Intervenors 

Pacific Coast Federal of Fishermen’s Associations, et al., in the Consolidated Salmon Cases, Lead 

Case No. 09-cv-1053-OWW-DLB, that counsel for Federal Defendants is also lead counsel for 

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Parties’ Fourth Stip. and Order Re: Mot. for Attorneys’ Fees

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Federal Defendants in the Consolidated Salmon Cases, and that the press of motions, briefing and 

hearings in those cases prevented counsel for Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants in this case from 

engaging in substantive settlement negotiations on Plaintiffs’ fee claim. On March 31, 2010, this 

Court approved the parties’ third stipulation and ordered that further proceedings on Plaintiffs’ 

motion for an award of fees and costs be stayed for 90 days, to July 12, 2010. Doc. No. 468. 

4. Since then, motions, briefing, and hearings on temporary and preliminary injunctive 

relief, the Administrative Record, the Court’s use of experts appointed pursuant to Federal Rule of 

Evidence 706, and experts proposed to be used by Plaintiffs in up-coming summary judgment 

proceedings have continued apace in the Consolidated Salmon Cases. 

5. As a result, counsel for Federal Defendants was not able to respond to Plaintiffs’ fee 

letter until June 23, 2010. This was the first substantive response to their fee claim that Plaintiffs 

have received from Federal Defendants. 

6. Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants still hope to settle Plaintiffs’ claim without 

unnecessarily burdening the Court, and agree that briefing and argument on Plaintiffs’ motion for 

fees and costs may be unnecessary in light of the parties’ intent to attempt to settle Plaintiffs’ claim. 

However, additional time past July 12, 2010 is needed for the parties to pursue further negotiations 

and obtain final approvals, should a settlement be reached.

7. Accordingly, Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants agree that further proceedings on 

Plaintiffs’ motion for an award of fees and costs, including the filing of memoranda and evidentiary 

and other materials supporting that motion, should be stayed for an additional 90 days. At that time, 

Plaintiffs and Federal Defendants will either jointly propose a briefing schedule to address Plaintiffs’ 

motion for fees and costs, or the parties shall otherwise apprise this Court of the status of Plaintiffs’ 

motion and any request for action by this Court. If the parties are unable to reach a settlement of 

Plaintiffs’ claim, Plaintiffs will supplement their motion for award of attorneys’ fees and costs with 

documentation of all time and expenses sought, including the fees and costs for additional time spent 

in seeking fees. 

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Based on the joint stipulation set forth above, the parties respectfully request that this Court 

stay briefing and argument on Plaintiffs’ motion for an award of attorneys’ fees and costs for an 

additional 90 days from the end of the current stay, to September 10, 2010.

Respectfully submitted this 28th day of June, 2010. 

/s/ Michael R. Sherwood

MICHAEL R. SHERWOOD

TRENT W. ORR

GEORGE TORGUN

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

/s/ Katherine S. Poole

KATHERINE S. POOLE

HAMILTON CANDEE

CASEY A. ROBERTS

Attorneys for Plaintiff

Natural Resources Defense Council

IGNACIA MORENO

Assistant Attorney General 

JEAN E. WILLIAMS, Section Chief

United States Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

/s/ Bridget Kennedy McNeil (authorized 6/24/10)

BRIDGET KENNEDY MCNEIL, Trial Attorney

United States Department of Justice 

Wildlife and Marine Resources Section

1961 Stout St., 8th Floor

Denver, CO 80294

Ph: (303) 844-1484

Fax: (303) 844-1350

WILLIAM SHAPIRO, Trial Attorney

U.S. Department of Justice

Environment & Natural Resources Division

501 I Street, Suite 9-700

Sacramento, CA 95814-2322

Attorneys for Federal Defendants

IT IS SO ORDERED.

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Dated: June 28, 2010 /s/ Oliver W. Wanger 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

DEAC_Signature-END:

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