Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00967/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00967-6/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Kinsale Insurance Company
Defendant
New York Marine and General Insurance Company
Plaintiff
St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company
Plaintiff
TRC Cypress Group, LLC
Unknown
TRC Operating Company, Inc.
Unknown

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

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT STATUS REPORT; HAFEY DECL.; 

WAGONER DECL.; ORDER

MCCORMICK, BARSTOW,

SHEPPARD, WAYTE &

CARRUTH LLP

7647 NORTH FRESNO STREET

FRESNO, CA 93720

McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard,

Wayte & Carruth LLP

James P. Wagoner, #58553

Kevin D. Hansen, #119831

Brandon M. Fish, #203880

7647 North Fresno Street

Fresno, California 93720

Telephone: (559) 433-1300

Facsimile: (559) 433-2300

Attorneys for Plaintiff New York Marine 

and General Insurance Company

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, FRESNO DIVISION

ST. PAUL FIRE AND MARINE 

INSURANCE COMPANY, 

Plaintiff,

KINSALE INSURANCE COMPANY,

Defendant.

Case No. 1:20-cv-00967-JLT-BAK 

(BAM)

Consolidated With Case No. 1:20-cv01085-NONE-JLT

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO 

EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT 

STATUS REPORT; 

DECLARATION OF MATTHEW J. 

HAFEY; DECLARATION OF 

JAMES P. WAGONER; ORDER

NEW YORK MARINE AND 

GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY, 

a Delaware corporation,

Plaintiff,

v.

KINSALE INSURANCE COMPANY, 

an Arkansas corporation,

Defendant.

Hon. Jennifer L. Thurston

Complaint Filed: August 5, 2020

Trial Date: None

TRC OPERATING COMPANY, INC., 

a California corporation, TRC 

CYPRESS GROUP, LLC, a California 

Limited Liability Company,

Real Parties in Interest.

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 34 Filed 03/14/22 Page 1 of 7
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

2

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT STATUS REPORT; HAFEY DECL.; 

WAGONER DECL.; ORDER

MCCORMICK, BARSTOW,

SHEPPARD, WAYTE &

CARRUTH LLP

7647 NORTH FRESNO STREET

FRESNO, CA 93720

Pursuant to the Court’s November 12, 2021 Order (Doc. 24), the Parties are 

required to file a Joint Status Report within 120 days from the date of that Order, 

which is March 12, 2022. New York Marine and General Insurance Company (“New 

York Marine”) hereby requests, ex parte, that the March 12, 2022 deadline to file the 

Joint Status Report be extended to March 25, 2022 due to counsel of record for 

Kinsale Insurance Company (“Kinsale”) recent switch of law firms and inability to 

obtain a Substitution of Attorneys in time to file the Joint Status Report by March 12, 

2022. This Ex Parte Application is unopposed.

On February 21, 2022, Matthew J. Hafey, counsel of record for Kinsale, 

switched law firms from Nemecek & Cole to Nicolaides, Fink, Thorpe, Michaelides, 

Sullivan LLP (“Nicolaides”). Hafey Decl., ¶ 2. Ms. Berube, the other attorney at 

Nemecek & Cole who is of record in this action, is no longer with the firm. Id. There 

are no other attorneys at Nemecek & Cole who are familiar with this file. Id. Mr. 

Hafey has not yet obtained a substitution of attorney from Kinsale as its lead counsel 

in this action. Hafey Decl., ¶ 3. A final decision as to whether Mr. Hafey will remain 

counsel of record is expected to be made in the next ten days. Id. As a result, Mr. 

Hafey has been unable to “meet and confer” with counsel for New York Marine, St. 

Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company (“St. Paul”), TRC Operating Company, Inc. 

and TRC Cypress Group, LLP (collectively “TRC”) regarding the contents of that 

Joint Status Report in time for that Report to be filed by March 12, 2022 pursuant to 

the Court’s November 12, 2021 Order (Doc. 24). Hafey Decl., ¶ 4. Mr. Hafey 

anticipates that he will be available to “meet and confer” with counsel for the other 

parties within the next ten days such that the parties will be in a position to file the 

Joint Status Report by March 25, 2022. Hafey Decl., ¶ 5.

In light of counsel for Kinsale being unavailable to “meet and confer” regarding 

the contents of the Joint Status Report to be filed by the parties, New York Marine 

requests an extension from March 12, 2022 to March 25, 2022 to file the Joint Status 

Report pursuant to the Court’s November 12, 2021 Order (Doc. 24). No parties 

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 34 Filed 03/14/22 Page 2 of 7
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

3

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT STATUS REPORT; HAFEY DECL.; 

WAGONER DECL.; ORDER

MCCORMICK, BARSTOW,

SHEPPARD, WAYTE &

CARRUTH LLP

7647 NORTH FRESNO STREET

FRESNO, CA 93720

oppose this Ex Parte Application. Wagoner Decl., ¶ 4. 

Dated: March 10, 2022 McCORMICK, BARSTOW, SHEPPARD,

WAYTE & CARRUTH LLP

By: /s/ James P. Wagoner

James P. Wagoner

Kevin D. Hansen

Brandon M. Fish

Attorneys for Plaintiff New York Marine and 

General Insurance Company

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 34 Filed 03/14/22 Page 3 of 7
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

4

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT STATUS REPORT; HAFEY DECL.; 

WAGONER DECL.; ORDER

MCCORMICK, BARSTOW,

SHEPPARD, WAYTE &

CARRUTH LLP

7647 NORTH FRESNO STREET

FRESNO, CA 93720

DECLARATION OF MATTHEW J. HAFEY

I, Matthew J. Hafey, declare as follows:

1. I am a partner with the law firm Nicolaides, Fink, Thorpe, Michaelides, 

Sullivan LLP (“Nicolaides”). I am a member in good standing of the State Bar of 

California, and am admitted to the practice before the above-entitled Court. The 

following facts are based upon my personal knowledge. If called as a witness I could 

and would testify competently to these facts under oath.

2. Until February 18, 2022, I was a member of the law firm of Nemecek & 

Cole which is counsel of record for defendant Kinsale Insurance Company 

(“Kinsale”). While at Nemecek & Cole, I was lead counsel for Kinsale in this action. 

My associate, Bevin Berube, was also counsel of record. Ms. Berube left the firm in 

2021. There are no other attorneys at Nemecek & Cole who are familiar with this file 

at this time.

3. I have not yet obtained a Substitution of Attorney replacing Nemecek & 

Cole with the Nicolaides firm as counsel of record in this matter. I expect that a 

decision will be made in the next ten days whether Kinsale will retain the Nicolaides 

firm or other counsel and that a Substitution of Attorney will be filed within that time. 

4. As a result, I have been unable to “meet and confer” with counsel for 

New York Marine and General Insurance Company, St. Paul Fire and Marine 

Insurance Company, TRC Operating Company, Inc. and TRC Cypress Group, LLP 

regarding the contents of that Joint Status Report in time for that Report to be filed by 

March 12, 2022 pursuant to the Court’s November 12, 2021 Order (Doc. 24). 

5. I anticipate that an executed Substitution of Attorney for Kinsale will be 

filed within the next ten days thereby allowing me nor another attorney to “meet and 

confer” regarding the contents of that Joint Status Report, such that it can be filed by

Friday, March 25, 2022.

I declare under penalty of perjury under that the foregoing is true and correct. 

///

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 34 Filed 03/14/22 Page 4 of 7
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

5

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT STATUS REPORT; HAFEY DECL.; 

WAGONER DECL.; ORDER

MCCORMICK, BARSTOW,

SHEPPARD, WAYTE &

CARRUTH LLP

7647 NORTH FRESNO STREET

FRESNO, CA 93720

This this Declaration was executed by me on March 10, 2022 at Sherman Oaks, 

California. 

/s/ Matthew J. Hafey (as approved 3/10/22)

Matthew J. Hafey

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 34 Filed 03/14/22 Page 5 of 7
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

6

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT STATUS REPORT; HAFEY DECL.; 

WAGONER DECL.; ORDER

MCCORMICK, BARSTOW,

SHEPPARD, WAYTE &

CARRUTH LLP

7647 NORTH FRESNO STREET

FRESNO, CA 93720

DECLARATION OF JAMES P. WAGONER

I, James P. Wagoner, declare as follows:

1. I am a member of the law firm McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte

& Carruth LLP, counsel herein for Plaintiff New York Marine and General Insurance 

Company (“New York Marine”). I am a member in good standing of the State Bar of 

California, and am admitted to the practice before the above-entitled Court. The 

following facts are based upon my personal knowledge. If called as a witness I could 

and would testify competently to these facts under oath.

2. By Order dated November 12, 2021 (Doc. 24), the Court stayed this 

action and ordered the parties to file a Joint Status Report within 120 days from the 

date of the Order, which is March 12, 2022.

3. On March 9, 2022, I received an email from Matthew Hafey advising 

that he is unable to “meet and confer” regarding the contents of the Joint Status Report 

because he had been unable to obtain an executed Substitution of Attorney from his 

old firm, Nemecek & Cole. Mr. Hafey advised that he believes that he will have the 

executed Substitution of Attorney within the next ten days and that he or another 

attorney will be in a position to “meet and confer” regarding the Joint Status Report 

in time to have it filed by March 25, 2022.

4. By emails dated March 10, 2022, counsel for St. Paul Fire and Marine 

Insurance Company, TRC Operating Company, Inc. and TRC Cypress Group, LLP 

advised that they do not oppose this Ex Parte Application. 

I declare under penalty of perjury under that the foregoing is true and correct. 

This this Declaration was executed by me on March 10, 2022 in Fresno, California. 

/s/ James P. Wagoner

James P. Wagoner

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 34 Filed 03/14/22 Page 6 of 7
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

7

EX PARTE APPLICATION TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE JOINT STATUS REPORT; HAFEY DECL.; 

WAGONER DECL.; ORDER

MCCORMICK, BARSTOW,

SHEPPARD, WAYTE &

CARRUTH LLP

7647 NORTH FRESNO STREET

FRESNO, CA 93720

ORDER

The Court, having reviewed the Ex Parte Application to Extend Time to File 

Joint Status Report and the Supporting Declarations of Matthew J. Hafey and James 

P. Wagoner, and good cause showing, HEREBY ORDERS as follows:

1. The time for the Parties to file their Joint Status Report pursuant to the 

November 12, 2021 Order is extended from March 12, 2022 to March 

25, 2022.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 14, 2022 /s/ Barbara A. McAuliffe _

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 34 Filed 03/14/22 Page 7 of 7