Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-00163/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-00163-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Scott Abbott
Plaintiff
General Electric Company
Defendant
Floyd Simpson
Plaintiff
Viad Corp.
Defendant

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C:\Documents and Settings\Workstation\Local Settings\Temp\notes06E812\Abbot Stip stay.wpd1

JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO

CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES – C06-163-SBA

BRAYTON

 ̃PURCELL LLP

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

222 RUSH LANDING ROAD

P O BOX 6169

NOVATO, CALIFORNIA 94948-6169

(415) 898-1555

ALAN R. BRAYTON, ESQ., S.B. #73685

DAVID R. DONADIO, ESQ., S.B. #154436

BRAYTON ̃PURCELL LLP 

Attorneys at Law

222 Rush Landing Road

P.O. Box 6169

Novato, California 94948-6169

(415) 898-1555

(415) 898-1247 (Fax No.)

Attorneys for Plaintiff

THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

OAKLAND DIVISION

SCOTT ABBOTT and

FLOYD SIMPSON,

Plaintiffs,

vs.

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

VIAD CORP., and DOES 1-300,

Defendants.

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No.C06-163-SBA

 JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO

STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE

ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE

MANAGEMENT DEADLINE AND

CONFERENCE, AND TO EXTEND TIME;

ORDER TO STAY

Pursuant to Civil L. R. 7-11 and 7-12, the following parties hereby stipulate to, and

respectfully move the Court for, an Order extending time as set forth in the Case Management

Scheduling Order filed January 10, 2006 (Document 2), for the following good cause:

 On February 9, 2006, Defendant GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY filed Document 5,

a Notice to Tag Along Action regarding the pending Multidistrict Litigation (“MDL”) in the

Eastern District of Pennsylvania, seeking among other things, to move Jurisdiction of this matter

to that District. On February 14, 2006, Defendant GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY filed

Document 7, a copy of a transmittal letter to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

On July 29, 1991, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (“JPML”) entered an

order transferring all asbestos personal injury cases pending in the federal courts to the United

States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, for coordinated pretrial

Case 3:06-cv-00163-CRB Document 9 Filed 03/15/06 Page 1 of 4
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C:\Documents and Settings\Workstation\Local Settings\Temp\notes06E812\Abbot Stip stay.wpd2

JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO

CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES – C06-163-SBA

proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407. That order also applies to “tag-along actions,” or

actions involving common questions of fact filed after January 17, 1991. Such actions are to be

transferred to the eastern District of Pennsylvania as part of MDL 875, for coordinated pretrial

proceedings. 

The JPML has held that a district court has the authority to stay pending a transfer order.

In re Asbestos Products Liability Litigation, 170 F. Supp. 2d 1348, 1349 n.1 (J.P.M.L. 2001)

(“[T]hose courts concluding that such issues should be addressed by the transferee judge need

not rule on them, and the process of 1407 transfer in MDL-875 can continue without any

unnecessary interruption or delay.”)

The parties agree that it is likely that the JPML will transfer this matter to the Eastern

District of Pennsylvania.

However, to date, the Clerk of the JPML has not entered a Conditional Transfer Order

pursuant to JPML Rule 12(a) or filed an order to show cause why the action should not be

transferred, pursuant to JPML Rule 13(b). 

It is likely the dates set forth in the Case Management Scheduling Order filed January 10,

2006 (Document 2), including the deadlines imposed by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 26,

will come to pass before the Clerk of the JPML acts. 

In addition, it has come to the attention of counsel that the Judge assigned to hear the

cases pending in MDL 875, the Honorable Charles R. Weiner of the Eastern District of

Pennsylvania, passed away on November 9, 2005 and that the Clerk of that Court has reported a

backlog in cases transferred to that Court by the MDL panel.

The parties make this Motion on the grounds that a stay of this action would (a) promote

judicial efficiency, (b) allow consistency in pretrial rulings, and (c) be most convenient to the

parties. 

Due to the pending action by the Clerk of the JPML, the parties hereby STIPULATE to

and respectfully request the Court VACATE its Case Management Scheduling Order filed

January 10, 2006 (Document 2), and that the Court issue an Order STAYING this action

pending the outcome of the MDL Panel’s decision on the merits of the transfer. 

Case 3:06-cv-00163-CRB Document 9 Filed 03/15/06 Page 2 of 4
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C:\Documents and Settings\Workstation\Local Settings\Temp\notes06E812\Abbot Stip stay.wpd3

JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO

CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES – C06-163-SBA

In the alternative, the parties hereby STIPULATE to and respectfully request that the

dates set forth in the Case Management Scheduling Order filed December 8, 2005 (Document

5), be vacated and continued pending the outcome of the JPML’s decision on the merits of the

transfer. Specifically, these deadlines in this matter include the March 22, 2006 Rule 26

deadline to meet and confer, and file Joint ADR Certification, the April 5, 2006 Deadline to

complete Initial Disclosures, the April 5, 2006 deadline to file the Joint Case Management

Statement and the Case Management Conference currently set for April 12, 2006 

Dated: February 28, 2006 BRAYTON ̃PURCELL LLP 

/s/ David R. Donadio

 

 By: __________________________ 

 David R. Donadio

 Attorneys for Plaintiffs

Dated: March 10, 2006 SEDGWICK, DETERT, MORAN &

ARNOLD, LLP

 /s/ Damon McClain 

 By: __________________________ 

Damon McClain

Attorneys for Defendant 

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Dated M arch 6, 2006 CHARTER DAVIS, LLP 

 /s/ Jeffrey J.A. Hinrichsen 

 By: __________________________ 

 Jeffrey J.A. Hinrichsen 

Attorneys for VIAD CORP.

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Case 3:06-cv-00163-CRB Document 9 Filed 03/15/06 Page 3 of 4
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C:\Documents and Settings\Workstation\Local Settings\Temp\notes06E812\Abbot Stip stay.wpd4

JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO

CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES – C06-163-SBA

ORDER TO STAY

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the hearing date and deadlines specified in the Case

Management Scheduling Order filed January 10, 2006, are hereby VACATED and that this

action is STAYED pending the outcome of the JPML’s decision on the merits of the transfer. 

The parties shall notify the Court in writing no later than fifteen (15) days after the JPML issues

an order concerning the transfer of this action.

 

Dated: 3/15/06

_____________________________ . 

Saundra Brown Armstrong

United States District Court Judge

Case 3:06-cv-00163-CRB Document 9 Filed 03/15/06 Page 4 of 4