Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03797/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03797-5/pdf.json

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

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DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. CASE NO. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC 

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 STORTZ 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 73 Filed 03/10/17 Page 1 of 6
DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. - 1 - CASE NO. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC 

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 the parties are currently awaiting a date to be set for oral argument; 

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 the parties in 

those appeals are awaiting a date to be set for oral argument; 

WHEREAS, on June 30, 2016, in addition to staying this action, the Court set a further 

Case Management Conference (“CMC”) for March 30, 2017 (Dkt. No. 69); 

WHEREAS, by minute order dated March 2, 2017 (Dkt. No. 71), the Court rescheduled 

the March 30, 2017 CMC to occur two days earlier, on March 28, 2017; 

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

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

fully-briefed and awaiting oral argument, (1) the existing stay in this action should continue for 

six more months; and (2) the March 28, 2017 CMC should likewise be continued for six months; 

WHEREAS, Plaintiff’s agreement to the above six month continuance is with full 

reservation of his right to urge (should he deem it appropriate) that the existing stay be lifted at 

the continued CMC, whether because of changed circumstances or otherwise; and 

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 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 73 Filed 03/10/17 Page 2 of 6
DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. - 2 - CASE NO. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC 

their respective counsel as follows: 

1. This action should remain stayed until the date on which the Court holds the next 

Case Management Conference or pending further Order of the Court; and 

2. The Case Management Conference currently scheduled for March 28, 2017 

should be continued to September 28, 2017 at 10:30 a.m., or the next date that is available for the 

Court. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED. 

Dated: March 8, 2017 DRINKER BIDDLE & REATH LLP 

By: /s/ Michael J. Stortz 

Michael J. Stortz 

Marshall L. Baker 

Attorneys for Defendant 

THE NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL LIFE 

INSURANCE COMPANY 

Dated: March 8, 2017 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 8th day of March, 2017 in San Francisco, 

California. 

/s/ Michael J. Stortz 

Michael J. Stortz 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 73 Filed 03/10/17 Page 3 of 6
DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. - 3 - CASE NO. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC 

[PROPOSED] ORDER 

 Pursuant to Stipulation, IT IS SO ORDERED. The Case Management 

Conference presently scheduled for March 28, 2017 is hereby continued and shall be 

held on _________, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. 

Date: 

Hon. Edward M. Chen 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

 

Sept.28 March 10, 2017

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

AS MODIFIED

Judge Edward M. Chen

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 73 Filed 03/10/17 Page 4 of 6
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SAN FRANCISCO

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. - 4 - CASE NO. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC 

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. The parties are currently 

awaiting a date to be set for oral argument. 

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 the parties in 

those appeals are awaiting a date to be set for oral argument. 

6. On March 2, 2017, the parties in the present action met and conferred though 

counsel and agreed to a continuance of the existing stay for six more months. 

7. There is good cause to continue the stay, and to continue the March 28, 2017 

Case Management Conference to September 28, 2017, 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. 

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

Court. 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 73 Filed 03/10/17 Page 5 of 6
DRINKER BIDDLE &

REATH LLP 

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

SAN FRANCISCO

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STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER TO 

CONTINUE STAY AND CMC; STORTZ DECL. - 5 - CASE NO. 3:15-CV-03797-EMC 

9. 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 Case Management Conference to November 

20, 2015; on November 20, 2015, the Court again reset the Case Management Conference to 

January 21, 2016; on January 12, 2016, the Court again reset the Case Management 

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

Motion to Continue the Case Management Conference to March 24, 2016; on May 31, 2016, 

the Court approved the Parties’ stipulated request to continue the Case Management 

Conference to June 30, 2016; and on March 2, 2017, the Court rescheduled the March 30, 2017 

Case Management Conference for March 28, 2017. 

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

the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this 8th day of March, 2017 at San Francisco, 

California. 

/s/ Michael J. Stortz 

Michael J. Stortz 

Case 3:15-cv-03797-EMC Document 73 Filed 03/10/17 Page 6 of 6