Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04727/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04727-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Equifax Information Services, LLC
Defendant
Latonya Wiley
Plaintiff

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United States District Court 

Northern District of California 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

LATONYA WILEY, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

EQUIFAX INFORMATION SERVICES, 

LLC, 

Defendant. 

Case No. 15-cv-04727-JD (MEJ) 

ORDER SCHEDULING SETTLEMENT 

CONFERENCE 

This case has been referred for a Settlement Conference before Magistrate Judge MariaElena James. If this case settles prior to the date of the Settlement Conference, the parties shall 

immediately notify the Courtroom Deputy, Rose Maher, at (415) 522-4708. Counsel shall provide 

a copy of this Order to each party who will participate in the conference. 

The Settlement Conference shall take place on Friday, April 1, 2016, at 10:00 am, in 

Magistrate Judge James’s CHAMBERS (not the courtroom), located on the 15th Floor of the 

Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California 94102. On the date of the 

settlement conference, the parties shall use the intercom adjacent to chambers’ security entrance to 

notify the Court of their arrival. 

It is not unusual for the conference to last three or more hours. All parties are encouraged 

to participate and frankly discuss their case. Statements they make during the conference will not 

be admissible at trial if the case does not settle. The parties should be prepared to discuss such 

issues as: (1) their settlement objectives; (2) any impediments to settlement they perceive; (3) 

whether they have enough information to discuss settlement and, if not, what additional 

information is needed; and (4) the possibility of a creative resolution of the dispute. 

In anticipation of the settlement conference, the parties shall comply with the following 

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United States District Court 

Northern District of California 

requirements: 

A) Discovery: It is the responsibility of counsel to ensure that whatever discovery is needed 

for all sides to evaluate the case for settlement purposes is completed by the date of the 

Settlement Conference. Counsel shall cooperate in providing discovery informally and 

expeditiously. 

B) Required Attendance: Lead trial counsel shall appear at the Settlement Conference with the 

parties. Any party who is not a natural person shall be represented by the person(s) with 

unlimited authority to negotiate a settlement. A person who needs to call another person 

not present before agreeing to any settlement does not have full authority. 

1) Governmental Entity: If a party is a governmental entity, its governing body shall 

designate one of its members or a senior executive to participate in the conference 

and, if a tentative settlement agreement is reached, to recommend the agreement to 

the governmental entity for its approval. 

2) Insured Party: An insured party shall appear with a representative of the carrier 

with full authority to negotiate up to the limits of coverage. Personal attendance of 

a party representative will rarely be excused by the Court, and then only upon 

separate written application demonstrating substantial hardship served on opposing 

counsel and lodged as early as the basis for the hardship is known, but no later than 

the due date of the Settlement Conference Statement. 

C) Minors: No child under the age of 18 may attend the settlement conference without 

obtaining an order from this Court allowing the child to attend. Any request for relief from 

this Court’s policy must be made at least 14 days before the conference and must state 

good cause for the Court to make an exception in the case. 

D) Requests to be Excused: Parties may only be excused from attending the settlement 

conference in person upon written authorization from Magistrate Judge James. Any such 

request must be filed as a motion and proposed order at least 14 days in advance of the 

conference. 

E) Rescheduling: To reschedule a settlement conference, counsel shall contact the Courtroom 

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Deputy, Rose Maher, at (415) 522-4708, preferably at least seven days before the 

conference but as far in advance as possible to obtain a new date. Counsel shall confirm 

the new date and time with opposing counsel and thereafter file a stipulation and proposed 

order that sets forth the new date and time of the settlement conference. The parties are 

advised that the original settlement conference date will remain on calendar unless they 

receive an order from the Court. 

F) Submission of Settlement Conference Statements: Each party shall prepare a Settlement 

Conference Statement, which shall comply with the guidelines listed below. 

1) The statements must be LODGED with the Clerk’s Office (NOT filed) no later 

than seven (7) calendar days prior to the conference. Statements shall be submitted 

in a sealed envelope to the Clerk’s Office, located at 450 Golden Gate Avenue, 

16th Floor, Box 36060, San Francisco, California 94102. Envelopes should be 

prominently marked “CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE 

STATEMENT - DO NOT FILE”. 

2) Each party shall also submit their Settlement Conference Statement in Word or pdf 

format to mejpo@cand.uscourts.gov. 

3) Although the parties do not need to exchange statements, they are encouraged to do 

so. If statements are exchanged, any party may submit a separate confidential 

settlement letter to the Court not to exceed three pages. The contents of this letter 

will not be disclosed to the other parties. 

G) Content of Settlement Conference Statements: The form and content of the statement may 

vary depending on the case. Generally, the statement shall include the following: 

1) Statement of Facts: A description of the facts giving rise to the case. 

2) Summary of Proceedings: A summary of the proceedings to date. 

3) Undisputed Matters: A statement of all material facts not in dispute. 

4) Disputed Issues of Fact: A statement of disputed material facts. 

5) Disputed Issues of Law: A statement of the disputed points of law, including 

reference to specific statutes and decisions relied upon. Extended legal argument is 

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not appropriate or required. Reference may be made to Points and Authorities 

previously filed. 

6) Relief Sought: A statement of the relief sought, including an itemization of all 

damages sought and a breakdown of the estimated cost if the case proceeds to trial. 

7) Prior Settlement Discussions: A chronological summary of prior settlement 

negotiations, including settlement offers and responses thereto. 

8) Settlement Analysis: A forthright evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of 

your case and the probabilities of prevailing on the major issues in dispute. 

9) Discrete Issues: Identify and prioritize any discrete issues that, if resolved, would 

aid in the disposition of the case. 

10) Current Settlement Position: Set forth a reasonable proposal of settlement. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: January 25, 2016 

______________________________________ 

MARIA-ELENA JAMES 

United States Magistrate Judge 

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