Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00480/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00480-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Breach of Contract

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859127.3 1 

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING LEAVE TO FILE A FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT 

NewJersey 139792.1 

DOWNEY BRAND LLP 

DEBBIE J. VOROUS (Bar No. 166884) 

JAMES P. LUCAS (Bar No. 229550 ) 

555 Capitol Mall, Tenth Floor 

Sacramento, CA 95814-4686 

Telephone: (916) 444-1000 

Facsimile: (916) 444-2100 

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

RICHARD LAWRENCE BUZEN 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

RICHARD LAWRENCE BUZEN, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

WACHOVIA CORPORATION, et al., 

Defendants. 

CASE NO. 2:07-CV-00480-WBS-DAD 

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED]

ORDER GRANTING LEAVE TO FILE A 

FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT 

STIPULATION

Counsel for Plaintiff Richard Lawrence Buzen (“Plaintiff”), Debbie J. Vorous of Downey 

Brand, LLP, and counsel for Defendants Wachovia Corporation and Liberty Life Assurance 

Company of Boston (collectively “Defendants”), Stacey Zartler of Fisher & Phillips LLP, hereby 

stipulate and agree as follows: 

I. 

STIPULATION REGARDING PLAINTIFF’S LTD CLAIM

1. The following facts are agreed upon with respect to plaintiff’s obligation to 

exhaust administrative remedies under Wachovia’s Long-Term Disability (“LTD”) Plan. 

 a. Plaintiff made a claim for short-term disability (“STD”) under the 

Wachovia STD Plan in or about late December 2005/early January 2006. Plaintiff’s claim was 

denied by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company (“Liberty Mutual”) by letters dated January 23, 

Case 2:07-cv-00480-FCD-DAD Document 16 Filed 06/27/07 Page 1 of 3
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859127.3 2 

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING LEAVE TO FILE A FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT 

NewJersey 139792.1 

2006 and April 14, 2006 and the denial of Plaintiff’s STD claim was upheld by the Wachovia 

Employee Benefits Committee (“EBC”) by letter dated September 18, 2006. 

 b. Plaintiff made a claim for LTD benefits under the Wachovia LTD Plan on 

or about September 1, 2006. Plaintiff’s LTD claim was denied by Liberty Mutual by letter dated 

September 15, 2006. Plaintiff appealed Liberty Mutual’s denial of his LTD claim, raising, among 

other things, questions of interpretation of the language of the Wachovia LTD Plan by letter of 

March 16, 2007. In response to Plaintiff’s appeal, Wachovia replied by letter dated April 25, 

2007, denying Plaintiff’s LTD claim and stating “[b]ecause Mr. Buzen has not received benefits 

that satisfy the Plan’s definition of Disability, Mr. Buzen is not entitled to LTD benefits under the 

Plan.” 

 c. The Parties have agreed to forego any further levels of appeal with respect 

to plaintiff’s LTD claim on the grounds that the Parties’ respective positions already are set forth 

in the administrative record, and in the correspondence referenced above. This provision does not 

waive any rights of Plaintiff to submit additional evidence or supplement discovery, not does it 

waive any rights of Defendants to oppose or object to such additional evidence or discovery.

 d. As a result of the foregoing, Wachovia has agreed that it will not raise the defense 

of failure to exhaust administrative remedies with respect to Plaintiff’s claim for benefits under 

the Wachovia LTD Plan, only to the extent that Plaintiff did not pursue his final level of appeal to 

the Wachovia EBC. The letters of Liberty Mutual (dated September 15, 2006) and Wachovia 

(dated April 25, 2007) set forth the basis for the denial of plaintiff’s LTD claim. 

II. 

STIPULATION REGARDING AMENDMENT OF THE COMPLAINT

1. In the interest of efficiency, the Parties have entered into the foregoing Stipulation 

regarding Plaintiff’s LTD claim and have agreed that the Parties’ dispute regarding the denial of 

Plaintiff’s LTD claim is now ripe for adjudication. 

2. As a result, the Parties hereby stipulate and agree that Plaintiff shall be permitted 

to file the attached proposed First Amended Complaint containing claims related to the LTD Plan 

Case 2:07-cv-00480-FCD-DAD Document 16 Filed 06/27/07 Page 2 of 3
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859127.3 3 

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING LEAVE TO FILE A FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT 

NewJersey 139792.1 

and that the proposed First Amended Complaint shall be filed within ten (10) calendar days of the 

date of this Order. 

Plaintiff seeks leave of court to file a First Amended Complaint. 

DATED: June 26, 2007 DOWNEY BRAND LLP 

By: /s/ Debbie J. Vorous 

DEBBIE J. VOROUS 

Attorney for Plaintiff 

RICHARD LAWRENCE BUZEN 

DATED: June 26, 2007 FISHER & PHILLIPS LLP 

By: /s/ Stacey Zartler 

STACEY ZARTLER 

Attorney for Defendants 

WACHOVIA CORPORATION and LIBERTY 

LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF BOSTON 

ORDER 

Based on the Parties’ stipulation set forth above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

1. Plaintiff is granted leave to file a First Amended Complaint; and 

2. The First Amended Complaint shall be filed within ten (10) calendar days of the 

date of this Order. 

DATED: June 27, 2007 

Case 2:07-cv-00480-FCD-DAD Document 16 Filed 06/27/07 Page 3 of 3