Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-04619/USCOURTS-cand-3_16-cv-04619-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Aventis Pharma S.A.
Defendant
Sanofi S.A.
Defendant
Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC
Defendant
Bertha Renee Schmitz
Plaintiff

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STIPULATED REQUEST FOR STAY PENDING MDL TRANSFER DECISION

CASE NO. 3:16-CV-04619-MMC

Karen Barth Menzies (SBN: 180234)

kbm@classlawgroup.com

GIBBS LAW GROUP LLP

400 Continental Blvd, 6th Floor

El Segundo, California 90245

Telephone: 510-350-9240

Facsimile: 510-350-9701

Eric H. Gibbs (SBN: 178658)

Amy M. Zeman (SBN: 273100)

ehg@classlawgroup.com

amz@classlawgroup.com

GIBBS LA GROUP LLP

505 14th Street, Suite 1110

Oakland, CA 94612

Telephone: 510-350-9700

Facsimile: 510-350-9701

Attorneys for PLAINTIFF 

G. Gregg Webb (SBN: 298787)

gwebb@shb.com

SHOOK, HARDY & BACON L.L.P.

One Montgomery, Suite 2700

San Francisco, California 94104

Telephone: 415-544-1900

Facsimile: 415-391-0281

Attorneys for Defendant

SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

BERTHA RENEE SCHMITZ,

Plaintiff,

vs.

SANOFI S.A.,

AVENTIS PHARMA S.A., and

SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC,

Defendants.

Case No. 3:16-cv-04619-MMC

STIPULATED REQUEST FOR STAY 

PENDING MDL TRANSFER DECISION;

DECLARATION OF G. GREGG WEBB;

AND [PROPOSED] ORDER 

344546 v1

ORDER GRANTING

DIRECTING PARTIES TO SUBMIT JOINT 

STATUS REPORT

Case 3:16-cv-04619-MMC Document 13 Filed 09/09/16 Page 1 of 5
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STIPULATED REQUEST FOR STAY PENDING MDL TRANSFER DECISION

 CASE NO. 3:16-CV-04619-MMC

Pursuant to Civil L.R. 6-2, Plaintiff Bertha Renee Schmitz and Defendant Sanofi-Aventis 

U.S. LLC1 (collectively, “the Parties”) hereby stipulate and request that the Court enter the 

accompanying Proposed Order staying this action for all purposes pending a decision by the Judicial 

Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (“JPML”) on the previously filed Motion for Transfer seeking to 

centralize this case and all other docetaxel cases filed nationally into a Multidistrict Litigation 

(“MDL”) proceeding (the “MDL Motion”). As described below, Defendant Sanofi-Aventis U.S. 

LLC did not oppose creation of an MDL. The JPML has set the MDL Motion for hearing on 

September 29, 2016, and the Parties anticipate that the JPML will issue its ruling shortly thereafter. 

Granting a brief stay of this action will ensure that the JPML has an opportunity to hear and rule 

upon the pending Motion for Transfer and will prevent potentially unnecessary and duplicative 

proceedings before this Court, thereby conserving both this Court and the Parties’ time and 

resources. 

In support of this Stipulation, the Parties state further as follows: 

The Pending MDL Motion for Transfer

1. On July 22, 2016, plaintiffs filed a Motion for Transfer before the Judicial Panel on 

Multidistrict Litigation, requesting creation of an MDL proceeding to centralize all docetaxel cases 

filed in federal court, including this case. (See In re Taxotere (Docetaxel) Prod. Liab. Litig., MDL 

No. 2740 (MDL Dkt. # 1).) Plaintiffs’ initial motion sought to transfer thirty-three actions (id.), and 

since then, notices of related actions have been filed identifying twenty-six additional actions (see 

MDL Dkt.). In responding to the MDL Motion, Defendant Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC did not oppose 

the creation of a multidistrict litigation proceeding for this action and other included actions pending 

nationwide. (See MDL Dkt. # 42.) The JPML set the hearing on the MDL Motion for its next 

Hearing Session on September 29, 2016, in Washington, D.C., and a ruling on whether this case and 

others will be centralized is anticipated shortly thereafter. (See MDL Dkt. # 27.)

1 Named Defendants Sanofi S.A. and Aventis Pharma S.A. have not been served in this case. By 

filing this Stipulation, Defendants expressly do not waive any claims or defenses, including without 

limitation defenses based on this Court’s lack of personal jurisdiction.

Case 3:16-cv-04619-MMC Document 13 Filed 09/09/16 Page 2 of 5
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STIPULATED REQUEST FOR STAY PENDING MDL TRANSFER DECISION

 CASE NO. 3:16-CV-04619-MMC

2. The Parties agree that good cause exists to stay this action to permit the JPML to 

decide the pending Motion for Transfer. A stay will ensure that the JPML has an opportunity to hear 

and rule upon the Motion and will prevent potentially unnecessary and duplicative proceedings 

before this Court. Should the JPML grant the Motion for Transfer this case likely will be transferred 

away from this Court and into an MDL proceeding established elsewhere. Therefore, a stay will 

conserve both judicial resources and those of the Parties as well as facilitate the efficient conduct of 

this action before this Court and as part of any future MDL proceeding. The Parties further agree 

that a brief stay to permit the JPML to decide the Motion for Transfer will have no adverse effect on 

future proceedings in this action, nor will such a stay prejudice any of the Parties.

3. The parties in three Central District cases (identified below) have similarly agreed to 

stay all proceedings pending the JPML’s ruling on the MDL Motion:

x Danah Anderson v. Sanofi S.A., et al., Case No. 2:16-CV-06046-JAK-AS;

x Valesta Collins v. Sanofi S.A., et al., Case No. 2:16-CV-05418-R-RAO; and

x Maria Concepcion v. Sanofi S.A., et al., Case No. 2:16-CV-06062-SVW-GJS.

Current Status of This Action

4. On July 20, 2016, Plaintiff Bertha Renee Schmitz (“Plaintiff”) filed her Complaint 

and Demand for Jury Trial (“Complaint”) against Defendants Sanofi S.A., Aventis Pharma S.A., and 

Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC (collectively “Defendants”) (Dkt. #1).

5. On July 22, 2016, Plaintiff served Defendant Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC with her 

Complaint. To date, Defendants Sanofi S.A. and Aventis Pharma S.A., which are both foreign 

defendants located in France, have not been served.

6. Defendant Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC’s deadline to answer, move, or otherwise 

respond to Plaintiff’s Complaint is currently September 14, 2016.

7. In addition, the following early case deadlines currently exist: (1) the Parties’ last 

day to meet-and-confer regarding ADR process, file ADR Certifications, and file either Stipulation 

to ADR Process or Notice of Need for ADR Phone Conference is currently October 20, 2016; (2) an 

Case 3:16-cv-04619-MMC Document 13 Filed 09/09/16 Page 3 of 5
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STIPULATED REQUEST FOR STAY PENDING MDL TRANSFER DECISION

 CASE NO. 3:16-CV-04619-MMC

initial Case Management Conference in this matter is set for November 18, 2016; and (3) the 

attendant Joint CMC Statement is currently due November 10, 2016.

Stipulated Stay

8. For the reasons stated herein, the Parties stipulate to and request a stay of this action 

for all purposes, including without limitation all responsive pleading, discovery, hearings, and other 

deadlines, to permit a ruling on the Motion for Transfer currently pending before the Judicial Panel 

on Multidistrict Litigation, which ruling the Parties expect to receive during the first two weeks of 

October 2016. The Parties agree that this stay shall remain in full force and effect until lifted by 

court order upon motion of one or more Parties or as otherwise ordered by this Court or the MDL 

Court following transfer to an MDL.

9. No previous time modification has been requested by the Parties or ordered by the 

Court in this case. Granting this request will have no adverse effect on future proceedings in this 

matter.

Dated: September 8, 2016 GIBBS LAW GROUP

By: /s/ Karen Barth Menzies

KAREN BATH MENZIES

ERIC H. GIBBS

AMY M. ZEMAN

Attorneys for PLAINTIFF

Dated: September 8, 2016 SHOOK, HARDY & BACON L.L.P.

By: /s/ _G. Gregg Webb_________________

G. GREGG WEBB

Attorneys for Defendant

SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC

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STIPULATED REQUEST FOR STAY PENDING MDL TRANSFER DECISION

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[PROPOSED] ORDER

PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: ________________________________________

HONORABLE MAXINE M.CHESNEY

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED THAT the parties shall file, no later than October 28, 2016, a 

joint status report to apprise the Court of the status of the Motion to Transfer, if the action 

has not been transferred by said date. 

September 9, 2016 ______________________________

HONORABLE MAXINE M.CHESN

Case 3:16-cv-04619-MMC Document 13 Filed 09/09/16 Page 5 of 5