Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-00170/USCOURTS-casd-3_17-cv-00170-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 29:1001 E.R.I.S.A.: Employee Retirement

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17cv170 BEN (NLS) 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

Layla Suscavage, 

Plaintiff,

v. 

The Regents of the University of 

California, 

Defendants.

 Case No.: 17cv170 BEN (NLS) 

ORDER GRANTING JOINT 

MOTION TO CONTINUE EARLY 

NEUTRAL EVALUATION AND 

SETTING AND CASE 

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 

[Dkt. No. 5] 

For good cause shown, the court GRANTS the joint motion, VACATES the April 

19, 2017 Early Neutral Evaluation (ENE) and RESETS it for May 15, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.

in the Chambers of Magistrate Judge Nita L. Stormes, Carter-Keep United States 

Courthouse, 333 West Broadway, Suite 1210, San Diego, California 92101. If the case 

does not settle at the ENE, the Court will hold a Case Management Conference (CMC) 

immediately following the ENE on May 15, 2017 at 9:30 a.m.

 The following are mandatory guidelines for preparing for the conference. 

1. Purpose of Conference: The purpose of the ENE is to permit an informal 

discussion between the attorneys, parties, and the settlement judge of every aspect of the 

lawsuit in an effort to achieve an early resolution of the case. All conference discussions 

will be informal, off the record, privileged and confidential. Counsel for any non-English 

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speaking parties is responsible for arranging for the appearance of an interpreter at the 

conference. 

2. Personal Appearance of Parties Is Required: All parties, adjusters for 

insured defendants, and other representatives of a party having full and complete 

authority to enter into a binding settlement, and the principal attorneys responsible for the 

litigation, must be present in person and legally and factually prepared to discuss 

settlement of the case. Full authority to settle means that the individuals at the ENE be 

authorized to fully explore settlement options and to agree at that time to any settlement 

terms acceptable to the parties. Heileman Brewing Co., Inc. v. Joseph Oat Corp., 871 

F.2d 648, 653 (7th Cir. 1989). The person needs to have “unfettered discretion and 

authority” to change the settlement position of a party. Pitman v. Brinker Int’l, Inc., 216 

F.R.D. 481, 485-486 (D. Ariz. 2003). One of the purposes of requiring a person with 

unlimited settlement authority to attend the conference is that the person’s view of the 

case may be altered during the face-to-face conference. Pitman, 216 F.R.D. at 486. 

Limited or sum certain authority is not adequate. Nick v. Morgan’s Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 

590, 595-597 (8th Cir. 2001). Counsel appearing without their clients (whether or 

not counsel has been given settlement authority) will be cause for immediate 

imposition of sanctions and will also result in the immediate termination of the 

conference.

3. Full Settlement Authority Required: In addition to counsel who will try 

the case, a party or party representative with full settlement authority must be present 

for the conference. In the case of a corporate entity, an authorized representative of the 

corporation who is not retained outside counsel must be present and must have 

discretionary authority to commit the company to pay an amount up to the amount of the 

plaintiff’s prayer (excluding punitive damage prayers). The purpose of this requirement 

is to have representatives present who can settle the case during the course of the 

conference without consulting a superior. Counsel for a government entity may be 

excused from this requirement so long as the government attorney who attends the ENE 

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conference (1) has primary responsibility for handling the case; and (2) may negotiate 

settlement offers which the attorney is willing to recommend to the government official 

having ultimate settlement authority. 

4. Confidential ENE Statements Required: No later than three court days

before the ENE, the parties shall submit confidential statements of five pages or less 

directly to the chambers of Magistrate Judge Stormes outlining the nature of the case, the 

claims, and the defenses. These statements shall not be filed or served on opposing 

counsel. They can be lodged via email at efile_stormes@casd.uscourts.gov. If exhibits 

are attached and the total submission amounts to more than 20 pages, a hard copy must 

be delivered directly to chambers. 

5. New Parties Must Be Notified by Plaintiff’s Counsel: Plaintiff’s counsel 

shall serve a copy of this order on all parties responding to the complaint after the date of 

this notice. 

6. Case Management Under the Amended Federal Rules: If the case does 

not settle at the ENE, the Court will immediately thereafter hold a CMC pursuant to Rule 

16(b). The Court therefore ORDERS the following to occur before the ENE: 

a. The Rule 26(f) conference must be completed by May 1, 2017. 

b. The parties must lodge a Joint Discovery Plan with Judge Stormes by 

May 8, 2017. The Joint Discovery Plan must address all points in the 

attached “Model Rule 26(f) Report and Joint Case Management 

Statement.” 

c. Initial disclosures pursuant to Rule 26(a)(1)(A-D) must occur by May 

8, 2017. 

7. Requests to Continue an ENE Conference: Local Rule 16.1(c) requires 

that an ENE take place within 45 days of the filing of the first answer. Requests to 

continue ENEs are rarely granted. However, the Court will consider formal, written ex 

parte requests to continue an ENE conference when extraordinary circumstances exist 

that make a continuance appropriate. In and of itself, having to travel a long distance to 

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appear in person is not “extraordinary.” Absent extraordinary circumstances, requests for 

continuances will not be considered unless submitted in writing no less than seven (7) 

days prior to the scheduled conference. 

 Questions regarding this case or the mandatory guidelines set forth herein may be 

directed to the Magistrate Judge’s law clerks at (619) 557-5391. 

 A Notice of Right to Consent to Trial Before a United States Magistrate Judge is 

also attached for your information. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: April 11, 2017 

 

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NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CONSENT TO TRIAL 

BEFORE A UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

 In accordance with the provisions of 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), you are notified that a 

U.S. Magistrate Judge of this district may, upon the consent of all parties, on form 1A 

available in the Clerk’s office, conduct any or all proceedings, including a jury or nonjury trial, and order the entry of a final judgment. Counsel for the plaintiff is responsible 

to obtain the consent of all parties, if they want to consent. 

 Be aware that your decision to consent or not to consent is entirely voluntary. 

Only if all parties consent will the Judge or Magistrate Judge to whom the case has been 

assigned be informed of your decision. 

 Judgments of the U.S. Magistrate Judges are appealable to the U.S. Court of 

Appeals in accordance with this statute and the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. 

 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

IN RE: CASE MANAGEMENT MODEL RULE 26(f) REPORT AND 

JOINT CASE MANAGEMENT 

STATEMENT 

[insert CMC Date and Time] 

The parties must include the following information in their Rule 26(f) report 

and joint case management statement.1

 Except in unusually complex cases the 

statement should not exceed 10 pages. 

 1. Jurisdiction and Service: The basis for the court's subject matter 

jurisdiction over the plaintiff's claims and counterclaims, whether any issues exist 

regarding personal jurisdiction or venue, whether any parties remain to be served, and, if 

any parties remain to be served, a proposed deadline for service. 

 2. Facts: A brief chronology of the facts and a statement of the principal 

factual issues in dispute. 

 3. Legal Issues: A brief statement, without extended legal argument, of the 

disputed points of law, including reference to specific statutes and decisions. 

 4. Motions: All prior and pending motions, their current status, and any 

                                               

1

 This Model Report is taken largely from the Standing Order for All Judges of the 

Northern District of California effective January 1, 2017. 

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anticipated motions. 

 5. Amendment of Pleadings: The extent to which parties, claims, or defenses 

are expected to be added or dismissed and a proposed deadline for amending the 

pleadings. 

 6. Evidence Preservation: A brief report certifying that the parties have met 

and conferred pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(f) regarding reasonable and proportionate 

steps taken to preserve evidence relevant to the issues reasonably evident in this action. 

 7. Disclosures: Whether there has been full and timely compliance with the 

initial disclosure requirements of Fed.R.Civ.P. 26, and a description of the disclosures 

made. 

 8. Discovery: Discovery taken to date, if any, the scope of anticipated 

discovery, any proposed limitations or modifications of the discovery rules, a brief report 

on whether the parties have agreed to a proposed Electronic Discovery Order, a proposed 

Protective Order to govern the exchange of confidential information, a proposed 

discovery plan pursuant to Rule 26(f), and any identified discovery disputes. 

 9. Class Actions: If a class action, a proposal for how and when the class will 

be certified. 

 10. Related Cases: Any related cases or proceedings pending before another 

judge of this court, or before another court or administrative body. 

 11. Relief: All relief sought through complaint or counterclaim, including the 

amount of any damages sought and a description of the bases on which damages are 

calculated. In addition, any party from whom damages are sought must describe the 

bases on which it contends damages should be calculated if liability is established. 

 12. Settlement and Mediation: Prospects for settlement, settlement efforts to 

date, and whether the parties have been to or are planning to go to private mediation. 

 13. Consent to Magistrate Judge for All Purposes: Whether all parties will 

consent to have a magistrate judge conduct all further proceedings including trial and 

entry of judgment. ____yes ____ no 

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If yes, please fill out the attached consent form and lodge it with the district judge. 

 14. Other References: Whether the case is suitable for reference to binding 

arbitration, a special master, or the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. 

 15. Narrowing of Issues: Issues that can be narrowed by agreement or by 

motion, suggestions to expedite the presentation of evidence at trial (e.g. through 

summaries or stipulated facts), and any request to bifurcate issues, claims, or defenses. 

 16. Scheduling: Proposed dates for fact discovery cutoff, expert designations 

and exchange of expert reports, expert discovery cutoff, dispositive motions cutoff, 

Markman hearing (in patent cases), pretrial conference and trial. 

 17. Trial: Whether the case will be tried to a jury or to the court and the 

expected length of trial. 

 18. Disclosure of Non-party Interested Entities or Persons: Whether each 

party has filed the "Notice of Party with Financial Interest" required by Civil Local Rule 

40.2. In addition, each party must restate in the case management statement the contents 

of its certification by identifying any persons, firms, partnerships, corporations (including 

parent corporations) or other entities known by the party to have either: (i) a financial 

interest in the subject matter in controversy or in a party to the proceeding; or (ii) any 

other kind of interest that could be substantially affected by the outcome of the 

proceeding. 

 19. Professional Conduct: Whether all attorneys of record for the parties have 

reviewed Civil Local Rule 83.4 on Professionalism. 

20. Miscellaneous: Such other matters as may facilitate the just, speedy and 

inexpensive disposition of this matter. 

Dated: 

Attorney for Plaintiff(s) 

Dated: 

Attorney for Defendant(s) 

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Notice of a magistrate judge's availability. A United States magistrate judge of this court is 

available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action (including a jury or nonjury trial) and to 

order the entry of a final judgment. The judgment may then be appealed directly to the United 

States court of appeals like any other judgment of this court. A magistrate judge may exercise this 

authority only if all parties voluntarily consent. 

You may consent to have your case referred to a magistrate judge, or you may withhold your 

consent without adverse substantive consequences. The name of any party withholding consent will 

not be revealed to any judge who may otherwise be involved with your case. 

Consent to a magistrate judge's authority. The following parties ☐ Consent / ☐ Do Not Consent 

to have a United States magistrate judge conduct all proceedings in this case including trial, the 

entry of final judgment, and all post-trial proceedings. 

Printed Names Signatures of parties and attorneys Dates 

 

 

 

REFERENCE ORDER 

IT IS ORDERED: This case is referred to United States Magistrate Judge Nita L. 

Stormes, to conduct all proceedings and order entry of a final judgment in accordance with 28 

U.S.C. § 636(c), Fed. R. Civ. P. 73, and CivLR 73.1. 

 

Date United States District Judge 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Layla Suscavage, 

Plaintiff(s)

v. 

The Regents of the University of California, 

Defendant(s)

Case No.: 17cv170 BEN (NLS) 

NOTICE, CONSENT, AND 

REFERENCE OF A CIVIL ACTION TO 

A MAGISTRATE JUDGE 

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