Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-05544/USCOURTS-cand-4_16-cv-05544-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 29:1001 E.R.I.S.A.: Employee Retirement

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JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT REQUEST TO VACATE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND

[PROPOSED] ORDER

4:16-CV-05544-HSG

OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, SMOAK & 

STEWART, P.C., SBN 00504800

Mark G. Kisicki (CA SBN 150057)

mark.kisicki@ogletreedeakins.com

2415 E. Camelback Road, Suite 800

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Telephone: 602.778.3700

Fax: 602.778.3750

Attorneys for Defendants 

*Additional counsel for Defendants on the following page

*Counsel for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Class on the following page

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PETER SCHUMAN, an individual, and, 

WILLIAM COMPLIN, an individual, on behalf 

of themselves and on behalf of others similarly 

situated,

Plaintiffs,

v.

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY 

INCORPORATED, a corporation; ATMEL 

CORPORATION, a corporation; and ATMEL 

CORPORATION U.S. SEVERANCE 

GUARANTEE BENEFIT PROGRAM, an 

employee benefit plan,

Defendants.

No. 4:16-CV-05544-HSG

CLASS ACTION

JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW 

DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS 

AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO FILE 

AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT 

REQUEST TO VACATE CASE 

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

ORDER

CMC Date: January 10, 2017

Hearing Date: February 9, 2017

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Courtroom: 10, 19th Floor 

Action Filed: September 29, 2016

Trial Date: None

Case 4:16-cv-05544-HSG Document 27 Filed 12/22/16 Page 1 of 7
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JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT REQUEST TO VACATE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER

4:16-CV-05544-HSG

2

ADDITIONAL DEFENDANTS’ COUNSEL:

Mark Schmidtke (IN SBN 1733-45) admitted pro hac vice

mark.schmidtke@ ogletreedeakins.com

56 S. Washington Street, Suite 302

Valparaiso, IN 46383

Telephone: 219.242.8668

Fax: 219.242.8669

Attorneys for Defendants 

PLAINTIFFS’ COUNSEL:

Michael Rubin (SBN 80618)

Connie K. Chan (SBN 284230)

Raphael N. Rajendra (SBN 255096)

ALTSHULER BERZON LLP

177 Post Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA 94108

Telephone: (415) 421-7151

Facsimile: (415) 362-8064

mrubin@altber.com

cchan@altber.com

rrajendra@altber.com

Cliff Palefsky (SBN 77683)

Keith Ehrman (SBN 106985)

MCGUINN, HILLSMAN & PALEFSKY

535 Pacific Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94133

Telephone: (415) 421-9292

Facsimile: (415) 403-0202

CP@mhpsf.com

keith@mhpsf.com

Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Class

Case 4:16-cv-05544-HSG Document 27 Filed 12/22/16 Page 2 of 7
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JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT REQUEST TO VACATE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER

4:16-CV-05544-HSG

3

On November 16, 2016, Defendants Microchip Technology, Inc. (“Microchip”), Atmel 

Corporation (“Atmel”) and Atmel Corporation U.S. Severance Guarantee Benefit Program 

(“Severance Program” or “Plan” and, collectively with Microchip and Atmel, “Defendants”) filed a 

Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ Complaint. [Dkt. # 17.] 

On November 30, 2016, the Court granted the parties’ Stipulation to extend the Motion to 

Dismiss briefing deadlines, making Plaintiffs’ response due by December 21, 2016 and 

Defendants’ reply due by January 4, 2017. Since then, Defendants’ counsel and Plaintiffs’ counsel 

have agreed to a schedule that will avoid burdening the Court and the parties with litigating an 

issue asserted in the Motion to Dismiss; namely, whether Plaintiffs’ action should be dismissed for 

failing to exhaust the administrative claims process required by Section 502(a)(1)(B) of the 

Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). In particular, the parties agreed 

that:

1. Defendants will withdraw their Motion to Dismiss;

2. The Named Plaintiffs (Schuman and Coplin) will exhaust ERISA’s administrative claims 

process, including appealing any adverse claims determination;

3. The Plan Administrator will take no more than 90 days total to resolve the named Plaintiffs’ 

claims, meaning that the Plan Administrator will respond to Plaintiff Schuman’s claim on 

or before December 30, 2016 and Plaintiff Coplin’s claim on or before January 2, 2017; 

4. The Named Plaintiffs will promptly appeal any denial of benefits by the Plan 

Administrator;

5. The Plan will resolve any such appeal in no more than 60 days from the date the appeal is 

taken;

6. Defendants will not assert that the failure to exhaust by any individual who is “similarly 

situated” to the Named Plaintiffs (any employee who was or is terminated without cause 

between April 4, 2016 and March 19, 2017 and agreed to sign or did sign a Severance 

Agreement and Release, even if it is/was not the exact same Severance Agreement and 

Case 4:16-cv-05544-HSG Document 27 Filed 12/22/16 Page 3 of 7
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JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT REQUEST TO VACATE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER

4:16-CV-05544-HSG

4

Release form that Schuman or Coplin signed) bars that individual’s claims or gives rise to 

an affirmative defense to that individual’s claim;

7. The parties anticipate that this administrative exhaustion process will be completed no later 

than mid-March 2017, at which time Plaintiffs will file an amended complaint, which shall 

be filed no later than March 31, 2017. 

The parties also jointly request that the Court vacate the Case Management Conference 

currently set for January 10, 2017 (and the other dates established by the Court’s Order Setting 

Initial Case Management Conference and Deadlines) and reset the Case Management Conference 

(and related deadlines) after Plaintiffs have filed an amended complaint.

DATED: December 21, 2016

OGLETREE, DEAKINS, NASH, SMOAK & 

STEWART, P.C.

By:/s/ Mark G. Kisicki

Mark G. Kisicki

2415 East Camelback Road, Suite 800

Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Mark Schmidtke 

56 S. Washington Street, Suite 302

Valparaiso, IN 46383

Attorneys for Defendants

ALTSHULER BERZON LLP

By:s/Michael Rubin (with permission)

Michael Rubin

Connie K. Chan

Ralphael N. Rajendra

ALTSHULER BERZON LLP

177 Post Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, CA 94108

Case 4:16-cv-05544-HSG Document 27 Filed 12/22/16 Page 4 of 7
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JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT REQUEST TO VACATE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER

4:16-CV-05544-HSG

5

Cliff Palefsky

Keith Ehrman

MCGUINN, HILLSMAN & PALEFSKY

535 Pacific Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94133

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

Case 4:16-cv-05544-HSG Document 27 Filed 12/22/16 Page 5 of 7
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JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT REQUEST TO VACATE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER

4:16-CV-05544-HSG

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SIGNATURE ATTESTATION

In accordance with Civil Local Rule 5-1(i)(3), I attest that concurrence in the filing of this 

document has been obtained from the signatories on this e-filed document, and that this attestation 

was executed on December 21, 2016.

By: /s/ Mark G. Kisicki

Case 4:16-cv-05544-HSG Document 27 Filed 12/22/16 Page 6 of 7
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JOINT STIPULATION TO WITHDRAW DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS AND FOR PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE AMENDED COMPLAINT; JOINT REQUEST TO VACATE CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER

4:16-CV-05544-HSG

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ORDER

IT IS SO ORDERED that: 

1. Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss [Dkt. # 17] is deemed withdrawn; 

2. Plaintiffs may file an amended complaint once they have exhausted their administrative 

remedies; and 

3. The Case Management Conference currently set for January 10, 2017 (and each other 

date established by the Order Setting the Initial Case Management Conference) is vacated and will 

be reset after Plaintiffs file an amended complaint.

Dated: December 22, 2016 _____________________________________

JUDGE HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM, JR.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

27936040.1

Case 4:16-cv-05544-HSG Document 27 Filed 12/22/16 Page 7 of 7