Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01874/USCOURTS-caed-2_15-cv-01874-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Michael David LLC
Counter Defendant
Oak Ridge Winery LLC
Counter Claimant

Document Text:

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

----oo0oo---- 

MICHAEL DAVID LLC, a 

California limited liability 

company, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

OAK RIDGE WINERY LLC, a 

California limited liability 

company, 

Defendant. 

CIV. NO. 2:15-01874 WBS AC 

ORDER RE: PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO 

STRIKE 

AND RELATED COUNTERCLAIMS. 

----oo0oo---- 

 Presently before the court is plaintiff Michael David 

LLC’s motion to strike defendant Oak Ridge Winery LLC’s 

affirmative defenses of estoppel, unclean hands, and fraud as 

insufficiently pled and redundant of defendant’s counterclaims 

Case 2:15-cv-01874-WBS-AC Document 28 Filed 03/24/16 Page 1 of 3
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pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(f). (Docket No. 

18.) 

 Rule 12(f) provides that “[t]he court may strike from a 

pleading an insufficient defense or any redundant, immaterial, 

impertinent, or scandalous matter.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(f). 

Under Rule 8(c), an affirmative defense “is a defense that does 

not negate the elements of the plaintiff’s claim, but instead 

precludes liability even if all of the elements of the 

plaintiff’s claim are proven.” Barnes v. AT&T Pension Benefit 

Plan-Nonbargained Program, 718 F. Supp. 2d 1167, 1173 (N.D. Cal. 

2010) (citation omitted). An affirmative defense is legally 

insufficient as a matter of law where “there are no questions of 

fact,” “any questions of law are clear and not in dispute,” and 

“under no set of circumstances could the defense succeed.” 

Ramirez v. Ghilotti Bros., 941 F. Supp. 2d 1197, 1204 (N.D. Cal. 

2013) (citation omitted). An affirmative defense is insufficient 

as a matter of pleading if it does not “contain sufficient 

factual matter to state a defense that is ‘plausible on its 

face.’” Id. (citation omitted). 

 Because motions to strike are “often used as delaying 

tactics,” they are “generally disfavored” and are rarely granted 

in the absence of prejudice to the moving party. Rosales v. 

Citibank, FSB, 133 F. Supp. 2d 1177, 1180 (N.D. Cal. 2001); see 

also N.Y.C. Emps.’ Ret. Sys. v. Berry, 667 F. Supp. 2d 1121, 1128 

(N.D. Cal. 2009) (“Where the moving party cannot adequately 

demonstrate . . . prejudice, courts frequently deny motions to 

strike even though the offending matter was literally within one 

or more of the categories set forth in Rule 12(f).” (citation and 

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internal quotation marks omitted)). “Courts must view the 

pleading under attack in the light most favorable to the pleader, 

treating as admitted all material facts alleged and all 

reasonable presumptions that can be drawn therefrom.” Rosales, 

133 F. Supp. 2d at 1180.

 At this stage in the litigation, the court lacks any 

basis to conclude that there is “no set of circumstances” under 

which defendant’s affirmative defenses could succeed. Ramirez, 

941 F. Supp. 2d. at 1204. Moreover, plaintiff has failed to 

demonstrate that it will be prejudiced by these defenses. 

Accordingly, the court will deny plaintiff’s motion to strike 

defendant’s affirmative defenses. In so doing, the court 

expresses no opinion about the merits of plaintiff’s claims or 

defendant’s affirmative defenses. 

 IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that plaintiff’s motion to 

strike (Docket No. 18) be, and the same hereby is, DENIED. 

Dated: March 23, 2016 

 

 

 

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