Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00736/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00736-3/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Clarendon America Insurance Company
Defendant
Sierra Foothills Public Utility District
Plaintiff

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SIERRA FOOTHILLS PUBLIC CASE NO. CV-F-05-0736 REC LJO

UTILITY DISTRICT,

 

Plaintiff, ORDER ON CONFIDENTIALITY

OF POST-SETTLEMENT DISCUSSIONS

vs.

CLARENDON AMERICA INSURANCE

COMPANY,

Defendant.

 / 

This Court conducted a settlement conference on November 18, 2005. Plaintiff Sierra Foothills

Public Utility District (“Sierra Foothills”) appearedbycounsel James P. Wagoner and Anthony Osborne,

McCormick, Barstow, Sheppard, Wayte & Carruth LLP. Defendant Clarendon America Insurance

Company (“Clarendon”) appeared by counsel James Wilkins, Wilkins, Drolshagen & Czenhinski LLP.

A special appearance was made by counsel James Betts, Betts & Wright, on behalf of David E. Englert.

A special appearance was also made by Riley Walter, the Walter Law Group, as bankruptcy counsel for

Sierra Foothills. 

This insurance coverage/bad faith dispute relates to an underlying state court action initiated

against Sierra Foothills by David E. Englert and entitled Englert v. Sierra Foothills Public Utility

District, et al. in which a $1,765,943 judgment was entered against Sierra Foothills on March 19, 2004.

Following extensive settlement discussions in this complex litigation, the Court findsthatfurther,

confidential discussions, as between attorney Riley Walter, on behalf of Sierra Foothills, and attorney

James Betts, on behalf of David E. Englert, would be fruitful towards settlement. Bankruptcy issues are

to be examined and candidly discussed in furtherance of settlement negotiations. At the settlement

Case 1:05-cv-00736-LJO-LJO Document 25 Filed 11/18/05 Page 1 of 2
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conference, and on the Record, David E. Englert and his counsel James Betts, agreed to submit to the

jurisdiction of this Court solely for the purposes of this confidentiality order. Accordingly, for good

cause shown, the Court ORDERS as follows:

Any communications, written or oral, between counsel Riley Walter and counsel James

Betts which pertains in any way to this litigation or to the state court proceeding Englert

v. Sierra Foothills Public Utility District, et al., shall: 

(1) be considered part of settlement discussions;

(2) remain confidential until further order of this Court;

(3) may not be used for any purpose other than for settlement purposes; and 

(4) if needed, James Betts and/or David E. Englert may consult another attorney to

obtain bankruptcy expertise. In the event they do so, they are required to convey

to the attorney that they are bound by this confidentiality order. The consulted

attorney will also be required to submit to this order, and that agreement must be

made before substantive matters are shared..

The Clerk of this Court shall provide service of this order on all counsel of record AND also on Counsel

James Betts (Betts and Wright 7108 N. Fresno Street, Suite 460, Fresno, California 93720) and Counsel

Riley Walter (Walter Law Group 7110 N. Fresno Street, Suite 400, Fresno, California 93720).

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 18, 2005 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

b9ed48 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:05-cv-00736-LJO-LJO Document 25 Filed 11/18/05 Page 2 of 2