Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-05293/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-05293-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 368
Nature of Suit: Asbestos Personal Injury - Prod.liab.
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Asbestos Litigation

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JOINT MOTION STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINE C05-5293 MJJ

BRAYTON

 ̃PURCELL LLP

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

222 RUSH LANDING ROAD

P O BOX 6169

NOVATO, CALIFORNIA 94948-6169

(415) 898-1555

ALAN R. BRAYTON, ESQ., S.B. #73685

DAVID R. DONADIO, ESQ., S.B. #154436

BRAYTON ̃PURCELL LLP 

Attorneys at Law

222 Rush Landing Road

Novato, California 94948-6169

(415) 898-1555

(415) 898-1247 (Fax No.)

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

JANIS PIERCE, etc. et. al.

Plaintiffs,

vs.

VIAD CORP., GENERAL ELECTRIC

COMPANY, and DOES 1-300,

Defendants. 

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No. C05-5293 MJJ

JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO

STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE

ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE

MANAGEMENT DEADLINE AND

CONFERENCE, AND TO EXTEND TIME;

[PROPOSED] ORDER TO STAY;

[PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE] ORDER

TO CONTINUE

 Pursuant to Civil L. R. 7-11 and 7-12, the following parties hereby stipulate to, and

respectfully move the Court for, an Order extending time as set forth in the Order Setting Initial

Case Management Conference filed December 21, 2005 (Document 2), for the following good

cause:

 On January 20, 2006, Defendant GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY filed Documents

4 and 5, Notices to Tag Along Action regarding the pending Multidistrict Litigation (“MDL”) in

the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, seeking among other things, to move Jurisdiction of this

matter to that District. 

On July 29, 1991, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (“JPML”) entered an

order transferring all asbestos personal injury cases pending in the federal courts to the United

States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, for coordinated pretrial

Case 3:05-cv-05293-MJJ Document 7 Filed 02/22/2006 Page 1 of 4
 Case 3:05-cv-05293-MMC Document 9 Filed 03/03/06 Page 1 of 4
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JOINT MOTION STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINE C05-5293 MJJ

proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 14097. That order also applies to “tag-along actions,” or

actions involving common questions of fact filed after January 17, 1991. Such actions are to be

transferred to the eastern District of Pennsylvania as part of MDL 875, for coordinated pretrial

proceedings. 

The JPML has held that a district court has the authority to stay pending a transfer order.

In re Asbestos Products Liability Litigation, 170 F. Supp. 2d 1348, 1349 n.1 (J.P.M.L. 2001)

(“[T]hose courts concluding that such issues should be addressed by the transferee judge need

not rule on them, and the process of 1407 transfer in MDL-875 can continue without any

unnecessary interruption or delay.”)

The parties agree that it is likely that the JPML will transfer this matter to the Eastern

District of Pennsylvania.

However, to date, the Clerk of the JPML has not entered a Conditional Transfer Order

pursuant to JPML Rule 12(a) or filed an order to show cause why the action should not be

transferred, pursuant to JPML Rule 13(b). 

It is likely the dates set forth in the Order Setting Initial Case Management Conference

filed December 21, 2005 (Document 2), including the deadlines imposed by Federal Rules of

Civil Procedure 26, will come to pass before the Clerk of the JPML acts. 

In addition, it has come to the attention of counsel that the Judge assigned to hear the

cases pending in MDL 875, the Honorable Charles R. Weiner of the Eastern District of

Pennsylvania, passed away on November 9, 2005 and that the Clerk of that Court has reported a

backlog in cases transferred to that Court by the MDL panel.

The parties make this Motion on the grounds that a stay of this action would (a) promote

judicial efficiency, (b) allow consistency in pretrial rulings, and (c) be most convenient to the

parties. 

Due to the pending action by the Clerk of the JPML, the parties hereby STIPULATE to

and respectfully request the Court VACATE its Order Setting Initial Case Management

Conference filed December 21, 2005 (Document 2), and that the Court issue an Order

STAYING this action pending the outcome of the MDL Panel’s decision on the merits of the

Case 3:05-cv-05293-MJJ Document 7 Filed 02/22/2006 Page 2 of 4
 Case 3:05-cv-05293-MMC Document 9 Filed 03/03/06 Page 2 of 4
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JOINT MOTION STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINE C05-5293 MJJ

transfer. 

In the alternative, the parties hereby STIPULATE to and respectfully request that the

dates set forth in the Order Setting Initial Case Management Conference filed December 21,

2005 (Document 2), be vacated and continued pending the outcome of the JPML’s decision on

the merits of the transfer. Specifically, these deadlines include the February 28, 2006 deadline

to meet and confer, and file Joint ADR Certification, the March 14, 2006 Deadline to complete

Initial Disclosures, the March 14, 2006 deadline to file the Joint Case Management Statement

and the Case Management Conference currently set for March 21, 2006.

Dated: February 17, 2006 BRAYTON ̃PURCELL LLP 

/s/ David R. Donadio

 By: __________________________ 

 David R. Donadio

 Attorneys for Plaintiffs

Dated: February 17, 2006 SEDGWICK, DETERT, MORAN &

ARNOLD, LLP

 /s/ Damon McClain

 By: __________________________ 

Damon McClain

Attorneys for Defendant 

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Dated: February 22, 2006 CHARTER DAVIS, LLP 

 /s/ Whitney Davis 

 By: __________________________ 

 Whitney Davis 

Attorneys for Defendant VIAD CORP. 

 [PROPOSED] ORDER TO STAY

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the hearing date and deadlines specified in the Order

Setting Initial Case Management Conference filed December 21, 2005 (Document 2), are

hereby VACATED and that this action is STAYED pending the outcome of the JPML’s decision

on the merits of the transfer. 

Dated: _____________________ _____________________________ . 

 Martin J. Jenkins

United States District Court Judge

//

Case 3:05-cv-05293-MJJ Document 7 Filed 02/22/2006 Page 3 of 4

3/3/2006

Case 3:05-cv-05293-MMC Document 9 Filed 03/03/06 Page 3 of 4
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JOINT MOTION STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINE C05-5293 MJJ

[PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE] ORDER TO CONTINUE

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the hearing date and deadlines specified in the Order

Setting Initial Case Management Conference filed December 21, 2005 (Document 2), are

hereby VACATED. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the following case management deadlines are

continued as follows: 

1. Last day to meet and confer re initial disclosures, early settlement, ADR process

selection, and discovery plan is [set for a date on or after July 15, 2006 to wit:] __________,

2006;

2. Last day to file Joint ADR Certification with Stipulation to ADR process or

Notice of Need for ADR Phone Conference is [set for a date on or after July 15, 2006 to wit: ] 

__________, 2006;

3. Last day to complete initial disclosures or state objection to Rule 26(f) Report,

file/serve Case Management Statement and file/serve Rule 26(f) Report is [set for a date on or

after July 15, 2006 to wit:] ________________, 2006; and

4. The Case Management Conference is [set for a date on or after July 15, 2006 to

wit:] Tuesday, ___________________ 2006 at 2:00 p.m., Courtroom 11, 19th Floor, 450

Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California.

Dated: _____________________

_____________________________ . 

 Martin J. Jenkins

United States District Court Judge

Case 3:05-cv-05293-MJJ Document 7 Filed 02/22/2006 Page 4 of 4
 Case 3:05-cv-05293-MMC Document 9 Filed 03/03/06 Page 4 of 4