Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-00695/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-00695-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 29:1132 E.R.I.S.A.: Employee Benefits

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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

E-FILED on 2/12/07

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

PARTO TABATABAI,

Plaintiff,

v.

HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY

DISABILITY PLAN,

Defendant.

No. C-06-00695 RMW

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF'S MOTION

FOR ADDITIONAL DISCOVERY

[Re Docket No. 28]

Following this court’s September 1, 2006 Order Granting Defendant’s Motion to Clarify

Standard of Review ("September 1 Order") establishing that this court will apply the abuse of

discretion standard of review, plaintiff Parto Tabatabai moves for an order seeking additional

discovery in order to establish whether defendant Hewlett-Packard Company Disability Plan had a

conflict of interest that would potentially change the standard of review. Lang v. Long-Term

Disability Plan of Sponsor Applied Remote Tech., Inc., 125 F.3d 794, 797 (9th Cir. 1997) (a conflict

of interest on the part of the plan administrator can convert review for abuse of discretion into de

novo review).

Case 5:06-cv-00695-JF Document 32 Filed 02/12/07 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Plaintiff requests the opportunity to engage in additional discovery in light of Abatie v. Alta

Heath & Life Ins., 458 F.3d 955 (9th Cir. 2006) (en banc). Abatie held that a district court may, in

its discretion, consider evidence outside of the administrative record (1) when a plan administrator

has failed to follow a procedural requirement of ERISA, and (2) to decide the nature, extent, and

effect on the decision-making process of any conflict of interest. Id. at 972-73 (failure to follow

procedure); id. at 970 (conflict of interest). 

As to procedural irregularities, the court previously stated in its September 1 Order that the

procedural irregularity in the handling of plaintiff's claims had the effect of developing the

administrative record as opposed to keeping the record from being fully developed. Thus, additional

discovery is not required. Regarding a potential conflict of interest, plaintiff has not asserted in its

papers in what way Hewlett-Packard Company Disability Plan may be subject to a conflict of

interest and provides only a citation to the Ninth Circuit's recitation of general conflict of interest

considerations to guide her additional discovery. See id. at 968. Accordingly, the court concludes

that additional discovery is not necessary. Pursuant to Abatie, the court will weigh any inherent

conflict and alleged procedural irregularities as factors in determining whether there is an abuse of

discretion. This determination will be limited to the evidence set forth in the administrative record.

DATED: 2/12/07

RONALD M. WHYTE

United States District Judge

Case 5:06-cv-00695-JF Document 32 Filed 02/12/07 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Notice of this document has been electronically sent to:

Counsel for Plaintiff:

William Green bill@dgglaw.com 

Counsel for Defendant:

Susan B. Burr sburr@gibsondunn.com 

Joseph P. Busch, III jbusch@gibsondunn.com 

Sally J. Berens sberens@gibsondunn.com

Counsel are responsible for distributing copies of this document to co-counsel that have not

registered for e-filing under the court's CM/ECF program.

Dated: 2/12/07 /s/ MAG

Chambers of Judge Whyte

Case 5:06-cv-00695-JF Document 32 Filed 02/12/07 Page 3 of 3