Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-04573/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-04573-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-(Citizenship)

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

Atlantic Mutual Insurance Corp.,

Plaintiff,

 v.

Norman S. Wright Mechanical Equipment

Corp., et al.,

Defendants. /

NO. C 07-06365-JW

NO. C 06-04573-CRB

ORDER DENYING RELATED CASE;

ORDER REFERRING CASE TO JUDGE

BREYER TO CONSIDER WHETHER

CASES ARE RELATED

On December 17, 2007, Atlantic Mutual Insurance Corp. (“Plaintiff”) filed this coverage

action against Defendants. (Docket Item No. 1.) On February 19, 2008, Plaintiff filed a Notice of

Pendency of Other Actions or Proceedings. (Docket Item No. 16.) The earliest of these proceedings

is Advanced Microtherm. Inc. v. Norman Wright Mechanical Equipment Corp., et al., No. C 04-

02266. However, that case is the underlying case for which coverage was sought. 

Under Civ. L.R. 3-12(a), cases are related if: 1) they “concern substantially the same parties,

property, transaction, or events” and 2) it “appears likely that there will be an unduly burdensome

duplication of labor and expense or conflicting results if the cases are conducted before different

Judges.”

A duty to defend coverage dispute and the underlying case are not related within the meaning

of Civ. L.R. 3-12 (a). In addition, the Court need not “relate” a case that has already been assigned

to the Court. However, the more recently filed case is also a coverage dispute involving the issue of

the duty to defend in the underlying case. 

Case 3:06-cv-04573-CRB Document 53 Filed 02/29/08 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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 The Court notes that Judge Breyer had administratively closed C 06-04573 pending

resolution of the state action. The new duty to defend action, C 07-06365, is the state action that has

been removed to this Court.

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Accordingly, the Court, sua sponte, refers this case to Judge Breyer pursuant to Civil Local

Rule 3-12 (c) to consider whether this case and Truck Insurance Exchange v. Atlantic Mutual

Insurance Company, No. C 06-04573 CRB, should be related.1

Dated: February 29, 2008 

JAMES WARE

United States District Judge

Case 3:06-cv-04573-CRB Document 53 Filed 02/29/08 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT COPIES OF THIS ORDER HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO:

minbody@selvinwraith.com

gselvin@selvinwraith.com

Dated: February 29, 2008 Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: /s/ JW Chambers 

Elizabeth Garcia

Courtroom Deputy

Case 3:06-cv-04573-CRB Document 53 Filed 02/29/08 Page 3 of 3