Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-01682/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-01682-12/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Encore Credit Corporation
Cross-claimant
Anita Gutierrez
Plaintiff
Hilltop Financial Mortgage, Inc.
Cross-defendant
Abraham Kaba
Cross-defendant
Thanh (Tom) Nguyen
Defendant
Santos Salas
Plaintiff

Document Text:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

STIPULATION AND ORDER EXTENDING TIME TO COMPLETE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

Salas v. Hilltop Fin. Mortgage, Inc., Case No. C 04-1682 MHP (EMC) 1

BYRON H. DONE, ESQ. (SBN: 184255)

LAW OFFICE OF BYRON H. DONE

1990 N. California Blvd., Suite 830

Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Telephone: (925) 932-7009

Facsimile: (925) 930-9675

email: byron.done@sbcglobal.net

Attorney for defendant 

THANH (TOM) NGUYEN

SCOTT HAMMEL, ESQ. (SBN: 114911)

860 Hillview Ct., Suite 310

Milpitas, CA 95035

Telephone: (408) 957-3888

Facsimile: (408) 957-3883

Attorney for defendants 

HILLTOP FINANCIAL MORTGAGE, INC.,

ABRAHAM KABA, and THANH (TOM) NGUYEN

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SANTOS SALAS, an individual, and ANITA

GUTIERREZ, an individual,

Plaintiffs,

vs.

HILLTOP FINANCIAL MORTGAGE, INC.,

a California Corporation, ENCORE CREDIT

CORPORATION, a California corporation,

ABRAHAM KABA, an individual, and

THANH (TOM) NGUYEN, an individual,

Defendants.

Case No. C 04-1682 MHP (EMC)

STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED]

ORDER EXTENDING TIME TO

COMPLETE SETTLEMENT

CONFERENCE

COMPLAINT FILED 04/29/2004

Plaintiffs SANTOS SALAS and ANITA GUTIERREZ and defendants HILLTOP

FINANCIAL MORTGAGE, INC., ABRAHAM KABA, and THANH (TOM) NGUYEN, by and

through the parties’ respective counsel of record, hereby stipulate to an extension of time to

complete the settlement conference by May 1, 2006, as follows:

1. Magistrate Judge Edward M. Chen, on March 1, 2006, issued a Notice of

Settlement Conference and Settlement Conference Order, setting the date of April 14, 2006 for

Case 3:04-cv-01682-MHP Document 147 Filed 04/10/06 Page 1 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

STIPULATION AND ORDER EXTENDING TIME TO COMPLETE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

Salas v. Hilltop Fin. Mortgage, Inc., Case No. C 04-1682 MHP (EMC) 2

the settlement conference in this case. 

2. Defendants first received notice of the April 14, 2006 settlement conference late

in the afternoon on March 31, 2006, when defendants received a copy of plaintiffs’ settlement

conference statement. Defendants were never served with Judge Chen’s Notice of Settlement

Conference and Settlement Conference Order, despite defendants’ counsel, Scott Hammel,

having substituted into this case on February 27, 2006, after defendants’ prior counsel withdrew

from the case. Defendants’ counsel first saw the Settlement Conference Order on the court’s

website following receipt of plaintiffs’ settlement conference statement on March 31, 2006.

3. Defendants’ insurance carrier has not had sufficient notice of the settlement

conference for the settlement conference to be productive. Following Mr. Hammel’s substitution

into the case on behalf of defendants, plaintiffs’ claims were promptly tendered to defendants’

professional liability insurance carrier, CNA/Continental Casualty (“CNA”). CNA accepted

tender of defense for one of the defendants on March 24, 2006. Upon discovery of Judge Chen’s

Settlement Conference Order on March 31, 2006, CNA was promptly sent a copy of the order. 

In order for a settlement conference to be productive, it will be necessary for CNA to have more

time to evaluate the plaintiffs’ claims and arrange to attend a settlement conference. CNA’s

claims representative is based in New York.

5. The current deadline to complete the settlement conference is April 15, 2006. An

extension of time to complete the settlement conference by May 1, 2006 will not affect any of

the other deadlines which have been set by the court in this matter, including the date set for

trial.

6. In accordance with Judge Chen’s March 1, 2006 Notice of Settlement Conference

and Settlement Conference Order, Defendants will serve a Settlement Conference Statement and

a written response to Plaintiffs March 31 settlement demand, no later than April 10, 2006.

7. For the foregoing reasons, counsel for plaintiffs and counsel for defendants

request the court to enter an order extending the time to complete the settlement conference to

May 1, 2006.

///

Case 3:04-cv-01682-MHP Document 147 Filed 04/10/06 Page 2 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

STIPULATION AND ORDER EXTENDING TIME TO COMPLETE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

Salas v. Hilltop Fin. Mortgage, Inc., Case No. C 04-1682 MHP (EMC) 3

IT IS SO STIPULATED.

Dated: April 6, 2006 LAW OFFICE OF BYRON H. DONE

By: ____________S____________________

BYRON H. DONE

Attorney for defendant 

THANH (TOM) NGUYEN

Dated: April 6, 2006 ________________S____________________

SCOTT HAMMEL

Attorney for defendants 

HILLTOP FINANCIAL MORTGAGE, INC., ABRAHAM

KABA, and THANH (TOM) NGUYEN

Dated: April 6, 2006 DLA PIPER RUDNICK GRAY CARY US LLP

By: _____________S___________________

AARON WAINSCOAT

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

SANTOS SALAS and ANITA GUTIERREZ

ORDER

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: ________________________________________________

The Honorable Marilyn H. Patel

United States District Judge

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Marilyn H. Patel

4/7/2006

Case 3:04-cv-01682-MHP Document 147 Filed 04/10/06 Page 3 of 3