Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-02454/USCOURTS-casd-3_19-cv-02454-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 370
Nature of Suit: Other Fraud
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity Action

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19cv2454-MMA (MSB)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TY STEWART, individually and on behalf of 

all other similarly situated, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

KODIAK CAKES, LLC,

Defendant.

Case No.: 19cv2454-MMA (MSB)

ORDER:

(1) CONVERTING EARLY NEUTRAL 

EVALUATION CONFERENCE AND CASE 

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE TO 

TELEPHONIC CONFERENCES 

AND

(2) ISSUING UPDATED PROCEDURES

On March 12, 2020, the Court continued the Early Neutral Evaluation (“ENE”) and 

Case Management Conference (“CMC”) in this matter to May 27, 2020, at 9:30 a.m.

(ECF No. 14.) Earlier orders required personal attendance of all parties, party 

representatives, including claims adjusters for insured defendants, and the primary 

attorney(s) responsible for the litigation. (See ECF No. 10 at 1-2.) 

On March 23, 2020, Chief Judge Larry A. Burns issued an Order in response to the 

COVID-19 public emergency (“CJO #18-A”), which, among other things, provides the 

following:

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In civil cases, the personal appearance of counsel, parties, witnesses, or

other non-court personnel at proceedings, hearings, or conferences is 

excused, unless they are ordered to appear in person by a judicial officer 

after the date this Order is signed. With the exception of jury trials, judges 

will retain discretion to schedule and hold proceedings, hearings, and 

conferences telephonically or by video conferencing, as permitted by law.

(See CJO #18-A at ¶ 4B.) 

Accordingly, the Court MODIFIES the ENE and CMC to be telephonic for all 

attendees. To facilitate this modification, the Court hereby ORDERS as follows:

1. Counsel and parties or client representatives with full settlement authority 

for each party must be immediately available by telephone between the hours of 

9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on May 27, 2020. 

2. Throughout this window of time, the Court will initiate separate, 

confidential calls with Plaintiff and Defendants, respectively. Each party must provide 

the Court with a single phone number to use to initiate these calls, with both counsel 

and parties or representatives already conferenced in and ready to engage in settlement 

discussions. Counsel must contact the Court at efile_berg@casd.uscourts.gov no later 

than May 25, 2020, by 5:00 p.m. to provide each party’s preferred phone number for 

the ENE and CMC, and any other necessary call-in information for the Court (i.e., 

conference line passcodes).

3. All participants shall be prepared to devote their full attention to this 

proceeding as if they were attending in person.

4. If the case does not settle through the telephonic ENE process, the Court 

will hold the CMC on its chambers teleconference line at (888) 363-4734 after 

concluding the ENE calls. If and when the Court determines settlement is not possible, 

the Court will notify counsel for each side to call in to the teleconference line for the 

CMC at the appropriate time. Counsel must use the access code 3019297 to join the 

CMC.

/ / /

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5. All procedures and requirements set forth in the Court’s Order Setting ENE 

and CMC, (ECF No. 10), remain in effect, except as explicitly modified by this order.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 11, 2020

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