Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00967/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00967-7/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

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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-NONE-JLTBAK (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 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 1 of 8
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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. On March 10, 2022, New York Marine and General 

Insurance Company (“New York Marine”) filed an Ex Parte Application to extend 

the March 12, 2022 deadline to file the Joint Status Report 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. (Doc. 33.) By Order dated March 14, 2022 (Doc. 34), 

the Court granted the Ex Parte Application. 

New York Marine hereby requests, ex parte, that the March 25, 2022 deadline 

to file the Joint Status Report be extended to April 8, 2022 because counsel of record 

for Kinsale has been unable to obtain a Substitution of Attorneys and recently had a 

death in the family which will prevent the Parties from filing the Joint Status Report 

by March 25, 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. When New York Marine filed its Ex Parte 

Application on March 10, 2022, Mr. Hafey believed that a final decision as to whether 

he would remain counsel of record was expected to be made in the subsequent ten 

days. Id. However, Mr. Hafey’s mother-in-law recently passed away which required 

that he travel to Connecticut to handle funeral arrangements. Hafey Decl., ¶ 4. 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 

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 2 of 8
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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

contents of that Joint Status Report in time for that Report to be filed by March 25, 

2022 pursuant to the Court’s Orders of November 12, 2021 (Doc. 24) and March 14, 

2022 (Doc. 34). Hafey Decl., ¶ 5. 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 should be in a position to file the Joint Status Report by April 8, 2022. 

Hafey Decl., ¶ 6.

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 25, 2022 to April 8, 2022 to file the Joint Status 

Report pursuant to the Court’s Orders of November 12, 2021 (Doc. 24) and March 

14, 2022 (Doc. 34). No parties oppose this Ex Parte Application. Wagoner Decl., ¶ 

5. 

Dated: March 23, 2022 McCORMICK, BARSTOW, SHEPPARD,

WAYTE & CARRUTH LLP

By:

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 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 3 of 8
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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. When New York 

Marine and General Insurance Company (“New York Marine”) filed its Ex Parte 

Application on March 10, 2022, I had expected that a decision would be made in the 

subsequent ten days as to whether Kinsale would retain the Nicolaides firm or other 

counsel and that a Substitution of Attorney would be filed within that time. 

4. However, my mother-in-law was terminally ill and passed away on 

March 22, 2022. For this reason, I had to travel to Connecticut for the week of March 

21, 2022 to handle funeral arrangements. 

5. As a result, I have been unable to obtain a Substitution of Attorney from 

Kinsale and have been unable to “meet and confer” with counsel for New York 

Marine, 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 25, 2022 pursuant to the Court’s Orders of 

November 12, 2021 (Doc. 24) and March 14, 2022 (Doc. 34). 

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 4 of 8
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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

6. 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, April 8, 2022.

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

This this Declaration was executed by me on March 23, 2022 at Cos Cob, 

Connecticut. 

/s/Matthew J. Hafey (as approved 3/23/22)

Matthew J. Hafey

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 5 of 8
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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 was 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 believed that he would

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. On March 10, 2022, New York Marine filed an Ex Parte Application to 

extend the deadline to file the Joint Status Report from March 12, 2022 to March 25, 

2022 (Doc. 33). The Court granted this extension by Order dated March 14, 2022 

(Doc. 34). 

5. On March 22, 2022, I received an email from Mr. Hafey advising that he 

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

because his mother-in-law recently passed away which required that he travel to 

Connecticut for the week of March 21, 2022 and to handle funeral arrangements. Mr. 

Hafey requested another two weeks in order to handle family matters and to obtain 

the executed Substitution of Attorney.

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 6 of 8
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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

6. By emails dated March 22 and 23, 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 23, 2022 in Fresno, California. 

James P. Wagoner

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 7 of 8
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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 

Orders dated November 12, 2021 and March 14, 2022 is extended from 

March 25, 2022 to April 8, 2022.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 24, 2022 /s/ Barbara A. McAuliffe _

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:20-cv-00967-CDB Document 36 Filed 03/24/22 Page 8 of 8