Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_05-cv-03176/USCOURTS-cand-4_05-cv-03176-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 380
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Property Damage
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Petition for Removal

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

JANET E. LARSON, AS TRUSTEE OF THE 

LARSON FAMILY REVOCABLE TRUST, 

and MARNIE E. NEAR, AS TRUSTEE OF 

THE JANET E. LARSON INSURANCE 

TRUST, 

 Plaintiffs, 

 vs. 

CYNTHIA H. SPEETJENS, FRAZER 

DAVIDSON P.A., T. ROE FRAZER, JOHN 

DAVIDSON AND DOES 1 - 100, 

 Defendants 

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Case No.: C 05-03176 SBA 

ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ 

MOTION TO STAY ACTION 

Date: January 31, 2006 

Time: 1:00 p.m. 

Location: Courtroom 3 

Honorable Saundra B. Armstrong 

Trial Date: None Assigned 

Defendants Frazer Davidson P.A., T. Roe Frazer II, and John Davidson (hereinafter 

“defendants”) filed a Motion to Stay this action pending the completion of an arbitration. 

Defendant Cynthia H. Speetjens joined in the motion. 

Having considered the moving and opposition papers filed by the parties and arguments 

of counsel, and good cause appearing therefore, 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that defendants’ motion is denied. 

The Court finds that no arbitration is scheduled or is likely to be scheduled in Mississippi. 

The Mississippi Court ordered only Janet Larson individually to submit to arbitration her 

individual capacity claims. Janet Larson has dismissed all of her individual capacity claims 

before this Court, and has presented uncontradicted evidence that she will not assert individual 

capacity claims in any Mississippi arbitration. A stay should not be granted where defendants 

have failed to show that “it appears likely that the other proceedings will be concluded within a 

Case 4:05-cv-03176-SBA Document 47 Filed 01/30/06 Page 1 of 2
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reasonable time in relation to the urgency of the claims presented to the court.” Leyva v. 

Certified Grocers of California, Ltd., 593 F.2d 857, 864 (9th Cir. 1979). 

The Mississippi Court did not order arbitration of the claims of Janet E. Larson, trustee of 

the Larson Family Revocable Trust, or Marnie E. Near, trustee of the Janet E. Larson Insurance 

Trust, which are now pending before this Court. Defendants’ contention that legal interests of 

the trusts and their trustees are indistinguishable from the interests of Janet Larson individually 

is contrary to California law. See, e.g., Cal. Prob. Code §§ 18000 et seq. Where a trust is 

involved in a legal dispute, “the trustee is the proper person to sue or be sued on behalf of such 

trust.” Ziegler v. Nickel, 75 Cal. Rptr. 2d 312, 314 (Ct. App. 1998). Thus, defendants have not 

shown that a Mississippi arbitration would involve the parties and claims before this Court. 

Potential issue or claim preclusion does not warrant a stay because, even if a Mississippi 

arbitration involving Janet Larson’s individual capacity claims were to take place, preclusion 

does not apply to third parties to private arbitration, and thus to the claims of the Trustees before 

this Court. See Vandenberg v. Superior Court, 88 Cal. Rptr. 2d 366, 374-75 (1999) 

Finally, the Court finds that it would be inappropriate to stay this action pursuant to the 

first-to-file doctrine, because the only other relevant pending action is the Mississippi suit filed 

December 1, 2005. Alltrade, Inc. v. Uniweld Prods., Inc., 946 F.2d 622, 625 (9th Cir. 1991). 

The parties shall appear for a telephonic Case Management Conference on Wednesday, 

March 1, 2006 at 2:45 p.m. The parties shall meet and confer prior to the conference and shall 

prepare a joint Case Management Conference Statement which shall be filed no later than ten 

(10) days prior to the Case Management Conference. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: 1-30-06 _______________________________ 

Honorable Saundra B. Armstrong 

 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

Case 4:05-cv-03176-SBA Document 47 Filed 01/30/06 Page 2 of 2