Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-02543/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-02543-0/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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K:\Injured\107452\Stip stay or cont (fed20).wpd 1

JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT

DEADLINES – C06-7319-EMC

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

P.O. Box 6169

Novato, California 94948-6169

(415) 898-1555

(415) 898-1247 (Fax No.)

Attorneys for Plaintiff

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

MICHAEL HALSETH, et. al.,

Plaintiffs,

vs.

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

VIAD CORP., and DOES 1-300, 

Defendants.

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C07-2543-EMC

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 and ADR Deadlines filed May 14, 2007 (Document 3), for the

following good cause:

On June 15, 2007, Defendant GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY filed Documents 9

and 10, a Notice to Tag Along Action and letter 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. Said Defendants subsequently mailed notice to the 

Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (“JPML”) pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407. 

On July 29, 1991, the 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

Case 3:07-cv-02543-EMC Document 12 Filed 07/03/2007 Page 1 of 4 Case 3:07-cv-02543-CRB Document 14 Filed 07/05/07 Page 1 of 4
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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT

DEADLINES – C06-7319-EMC

Pennsylvania, for coordinated pretrial proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407. 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

and ADR Deadlines filed May 14, 2007 (Document 3) and the deadlines imposed by Rule 26 of

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

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 and ADR Deadlines filed May 14, 2007 (Document 3), and that the Court issue an

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

the 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 and ADR Deadlines

filed May 14, 2007 (Document 3), be vacated and all deadlines set by Rule 26 of the Federal

Case 3:07-cv-02543-EMC Document 12 Filed 07/03/2007 Page 2 of 4 Case 3:07-cv-02543-CRB Document 14 Filed 07/05/07 Page 2 of 4
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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT

DEADLINES – C06-7319-EMC

Rules of Civil Procedure, be continued pending the outcome of the JPML’s decision on the

merits of the transfer. Specifically, these deadlines in this matter include the August 1, 2007

Rule 26 deadline to meet and confer and file Joint ADR Certification, the August 1, 2007

Deadline to complete Initial Disclosure and Discovery Plan, the August 15, 2007 deadline to

file the Joint Case Management Statement and the Case Management Conference currently set

for August 22, 2007. 

Dated: June 18, 2007 BRAYTON ̃PURCELL LLP 

 /s/ David R. Donadio

By: ____________________

David R. Donadio

Attorneys for Plaintiff

 Dated: June 27, 2007 SEDGWICK, DETERT, MORAN &

ARNOLD, LLP

 /s/ Derek Johnson

By: ____________________

Derek Johnson

Attorneys for Defendant 

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

 Dated: June 25, 2007 CHARTER DAVIS, LLP

/s/ Whitney A. Davis By: ____________________

Whitney A. 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 and ADR Deadlines filed May 14, 2007 (Document

3), are hereby VACATED and that this action is STAYED pending the outcome of the JPML’s

decision on the merits of the transfer. 

Dated: _____________________ _____________________________ 

Edward M. Chen

United States Magistrate Judge 

Case 3:07-cv-02543-EMC Document 12 Filed 07/03/2007 Page 3 of 4

July 5, 2007

Case Management Conference shall be reset from 8/22/07 

to 12/5/07 at 1:30 p.m. Joint CMC statement shall be 

filed by 11/28/07. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN 

F CALIFORN

I

A

IT IS SO ORDERED

AS MODIFIED

Judge Edward M. Chen

Case 3:07-cv-02543-CRB Document 14 Filed 07/05/07 Page 3 of 4
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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT

DEADLINES – C06-7319-EMC

[PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE] ORDER TO CONTINUE

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

Setting Initial Case Management Conference and ADR Deadlines filed May 14, 2007 (Document

3), 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 October 20, 2007 to wit:] 

________________, 2007;

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 after October 20, 2007 to wit:] 

________________, 2007;

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 after

October 20, 2007 to wit:] ________________, 2007; and,

4. The Case Management Conference is [set for a date after October 20, 2007 to wit:

] _________________, 2007 at 1:30 p.m., Courtroom “C”, 15th Floor, 450 Golden Gate

Avenue, San Francisco, California.

Dated: _____________________ _____________________________ 

Edward M. Chen

United States Magistrate Judge 

Case 3:07-cv-02543-EMC Document 12 Filed 07/03/2007 Page 4 of 4 Case 3:07-cv-02543-CRB Document 14 Filed 07/05/07 Page 4 of 4