Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_15-cv-01590/USCOURTS-cand-4_15-cv-01590-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 899
Nature of Suit: Other Statutes - Administrative Procedure Act/Review or Appeal of Agency Decision
Cause of Action: 05:551 Administrative Procedure Act

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Center for Food Safety et al. v. Vilsack et al., No. 3:15-cv-01590-HSG

Stipulation to Set Briefing Schedule

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BENJAMIN C. MIZER

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

ERIC R. WOMACK

Assistant Branch Director

M. ANDREW ZEE (CA Bar No. 272510)

Attorney

Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch

U.S. Department of Justice

450 Golden Gate Avenue, Room 7-5395

San Francisco, CA 94102

Telephone: (415) 436-6646

Facsimile: (415) 436-6632

E-mail: m.andrew.zee@usdoj.gov

Attorneys for Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

CENTER FOR FOOD SAFETY et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

TOM VILSACK, in his official capacity as 

Secretary of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture et al.,

Defendants.

No. 3:15-cv-01590-HSG

STIPULATION AND ORDER TO SET 

BRIEFING SCHEDULE FOR 

DEFENDANTS’ MOTION TO DISMISS

Case 4:15-cv-01590-HSG Document 12 Filed 05/19/15 Page 1 of 7
Center for Food Safety et al. v. Vilsack et al., No. 3:15-cv-01590-HSG

Stipulation to Set Briefing Schedule

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STIPULATION

Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 6-1(a), Plaintiffs, Center for Food Safety, Beyond 

Pesticides, Equal Exchange, Food & Water Watch, La Montanita Co-op, Organic Seed Growers 

and Trade Association, The Cornucopia Institute, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, 

PCC Natural Markets, Greensward/New Natives LLC, Frey Vineyards, Ltd., Organic Consumers 

Association, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and Ohio Ecological Food and 

Farm Association, and Defendants, Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture; Anne Alonzo, Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service; and Miles 

McEvoy, Deputy Administrator of the National Organic Program, all sued solely in their official 

capacities, through their respective undersigned counsel, stipulate and agree as follows:

1. On April 7, 2015, Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in this Court asserting two causes of 

action against Defendants. ECF No. 1. Undersigned counsel for Defendants entered an 

appearance in this case on May 6, 2015. ECF No. 8. On May 6, 2015, the parties filed a 

stipulation setting July 17, 2015 as Defendants’ deadline to response to the Complaint. ECF No. 

9. Defendants anticipate that, in response to Plaintiffs’ Complaint, they may file a dispositive 

Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Rule 12(b). 

2. Counsel for the parties have conferred and, consistent with the Commentary to 

Local Rule 7-2, wish to stipulate to the below briefing schedule for Defendants’ anticipated 

Motion to Dismiss:

 July 17, 2015: Defendants’ deadline to file Motion to Dismiss.

 August 7, 2015: Plaintiffs’ deadline to file Opposition to Motion.

 August 21, 2015: Defendants’ deadline to file Reply in Support of Motion.

 September 2, 2015: Hearing on Motion at a time convenient to the Court. 

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Center for Food Safety et al. v. Vilsack et al., No. 3:15-cv-01590-HSG

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3. The parties have requested a hearing on a Wednesday rather than during the 

Court’s ordinary Thursday civil motion hearing based on counsel’s unavailability on Thursday, 

September 3 at 2:00 p.m. due to preexisting travel commitments. To the extent the Court’s 

calendar is not amenable to a hearing on Wednesday, September 2, 2015, the parties respectfully 

request that the Court set a hearing on Defendants’ Motion to Dismiss for September 28, 2015 or 

thereafter. 

4. Pursuant to Local Rule 6-2(a), undersigned counsel for Defendant has filed a 

declaration in support of this stipulation. Counsel for Plaintiffs does not object to the statements 

contained therein. 

THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED, by and between the

parties, subject to the Court’s approval, that the above briefing schedule shall govern any Motion 

to Dismiss filed by Defendants in response to the Complaint.

Dated: May 18, 2015. Respectfully submitted,

 /s/ Paige M. Tomaselli

PAIGE M. TOMASELLI 

(State Bar No. 237737)

SYLVIA SHIH-YAU WU 

(State Bar No. 273549)

Center for Food Safety

303 Sacramento Street, 2nd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111

Phone: (415) 826-2770

Fax: (415) 826-0507

Emails: ptomaselli@centerforfoodsafety.org

swu@centerforfoodsafety.org

Counsel for Plaintiffs

Dated: May 18, 2015. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

BENJAMIN C. MIZER

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General

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ERIC R. WOMACK

Assistant Branch Director

 /s/ Andrew Zee

M. ANDREW ZEE (CA Bar No. 272510)

Attorney

Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch

U.S. Department of Justice

Attorneys for Defendants

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ATTESTATION

Pursuant to Local Rule 5-1(i)(3), I attest that I am the ECF user whose user ID and 

password are being used in the electronic filing of this document, and further attest that I have 

obtained the concurrence in the filing of the document from the other signatory.

 /s/ Andrew Zee

M. ANDREW ZEE (CA Bar #272510)

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ORDER

Upon stipulation of the parties, and good cause appearing, the Court hereby orders the 

following schedule for Defendants’ anticipated Motion to Dismiss in response to the Complaint:

 July 17, 2015: Defendants’ deadline to file Motion to Dismiss.

 August 7, 2015: Plaintiffs’ deadline to file Opposition to Motion.

 August 21, 2015: Defendants’ deadline to file Reply in Support of Motion.

 September 2, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.: Hearing on Motion. 

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 19, 2015

HON. HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM, JR.

United States District Court Judge

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on the 18th day of May, 2015, I electronically transmitted the 

foregoing document to the Clerk of Court using the ECF System for filing.

/s/ Andrew Zee

 M. ANDREW ZEE

Case 4:15-cv-01590-HSG Document 12 Filed 05/19/15 Page 7 of 7