UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

MIAMI DIVISION

CASE NO. 22-23617-CIV-LENARD/LOUIS

MARCIA ENNIS,

Plaintiff,

vs.

GUARD FORCE INTERNATIONAL, INC.,

Defendant.

________________________________/

ORDER REFERRING STATUS CONFERENCE, DISCOVERY DISPUTES AND

CERTAIN PRETRIAL MOTIONS TO MAGISTRATE JUDGE; DIRECTING PARTIES

TO FILE CERTIFICATES OF INTERESTED PARTIES; DIRECTING PARTIES TO

FILE A NOTICE OF REFILING AND/OR OF RELATED CASES; REQUIRING

COMPLETION OF FORM CONSENTING TO JURISDICTION BY MAGISTRATE

JUDGE; AND REQUIRING COMPLETION OF JOINT SCHEDULING REPORT AND

FORM

THIS CAUSE is before the Court upon a sua sponte review of the file. 

1. THIS MATTER IS REFERRED TO US MAGISTRATE JUDGE LAUREN F. LOUIS FOR

PRETRIALDISCOVERYDISPUTESANDCERTAINNON-CASE-DISPOSITIVEMOTIONS

Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636 and the Magistrate Rules of the Local Rules of the

Southern District of Florida, the above-captioned cause is referred to United States

Magistrate Judge LAUREN F. LOUIS to take all necessary and proper action as required

by law with respect to all discovery disputes and discovery motions as well as noncase-dispositive motions filed under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12, 13, 14 and

15. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that

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Case No. 22-23617-CIV-LENARD/LOUIS

2. THE PARTIES SHALL SUBMIT CERTIFICATES OF INTERESTED PARTIES AND

CORPORATE DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS

Plaintiff, Defendants, Intervenors and Amici Curiae shall each file a Certificate of

Interested Persons and Corporate Disclosure Statement, which shall contain a complete

list of any and all persons, associated persons, firms, partnerships, and/or corporations

that have a financial interest in the outcome of this case, including subsidiaries,

conglomerates, affiliates, parent corporations, and other identifiable legal entities related

to a Party. The Parties shall take notice that this disclosure obligation exceeds the scope

of that required by Rule 7.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. However, if a Party

is a publicly-traded corporation, that Party is directed to so state and need not provide

more information than is required by Rule 7.1. 

The Parties shall have fifteen (15) days from the date of this Order to file the

original Certificate. Throughout the pendency of this action, the Parties shall remain under

a continuing duty to amend, correct and update the Certificate.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that

3. THE PARTIES SHALL FILE NOTICES OF REFILING AND/OR OF RELATED CASES

The attorneys of record for the Plaintiff(s), Defendant(s), or any other party shall file

a Notice of Refiling and/or of Related Cases, containing a list of any action, whether filed

before a court or administrative agency, that is described in Section 2.15.00 of the Internal

Operating Procedures of the Southern District of Florida. In particular, the Notice shall

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Case No. 22-23617-CIV-LENARD/LOUIS

specifically identify and describe any action that constitutes a previous filing of the abovecaptioned cause as well as any action that concerns substantially similar factual allegations

and legal issues. Each Party shall have fifteen (15) days from the date of this Order to

file the Notice, and the attorneys of record shall remain under a continuing duty to amend,

correct and update the Notice. 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that

4. THE PARTIES ARE TO JOINTLY COMPLETE THE ATTACHED FORM CONSENTING TO

JURISDICTION BY A UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

In accordance with the provisions of Title 28, U.S.C. § 636(c), the parties are notified

that a United States Magistrate Judge is available to exercise the Court’s jurisdiction and

to conduct any or all proceedings in this case including a jury or non-jury trial, and the entry

of a final judgment. The Magistrate Judge may only exercise the Court’s jurisdiction,

however, if all parties voluntarily consent.

Any party may, without adverse substantive consequences, withhold consent. If any

party withholds consent, the identity of the parties consenting or withholding consent will

not be communicated to any Magistrate Judge or to the District Judge to whom the case

has been assigned.

A Party may appeal a judgment that a Magistrate Judge enters directly to the United

States Court of Appeals in the same manner as the Party would appeal any other judgment

of the District Court. Therefore, in light of the advantages that may be offered by trial

before a U.S. Magistrate Judge, such as an earlier, or specially-set trial date, the Parties

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are urged to consider consenting to magistrate jurisdiction for trial and other related

matters. Within thirty (30) days of the date of this Order, counsel shall, after conferring

with their respective clients, meet in person, by telephone or by other comparable means

to complete and file the attached form titled, “Joint Consent to Jurisdiction by a United

States Magistrate Judge.”

To the extent that this Order conflicts with the Local Rules, this Order supercedes

them. The Parties and all counsel are reminded of their ongoing duties to comply with the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules for the Southern District of Florida,

including Rules 5.1(a)-(d) and 7.1(a)-(f). 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that

5. THEPARTIESSHALLPREPAREANDFILEAJOINTSCHEDULINGREPORTANDFORM

Pursuant to Southern District of Florida Local Rule 16.1(B), counsel for all Parties

(or the Party, if proceeding pro se) shall meet in person, by telephone or by other

comparable means for a scheduling conference and shall prepare the Joint Scheduling

Report and Form. 

THEREFORE, 

Within thirty (30) days of the date of this Order, the Parties shall file a Joint

Scheduling Report. The Report shall be submitted jointly by the Parties; unilateral reports

will not be accepted. The Joint Scheduling Report shall include the following information:

a. A discussion of the likelihood of settlement;

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Case No. 22-23617-CIV-LENARD/LOUIS

b. A discussion of the likelihood of appearance in the action of additional

parties;

c. The necessity or desirability of amendments to the pleadings; 

d. A proposal for the formulation and simplification of issues, including

the elimination of frivolous claims or defenses;

e. Suggestions for the avoidance of unnecessary proof and of

cumulative evidence; 

f. A discussion of possible admissions of fact; of possible stipulations

regarding the authenticity of documents; and of the need for advance

rulings from the Court on the admissibility of evidence; 

g. A preliminary estimate of the time required for trial; and

h. Any other information that might be helpful to the Court.

IN ADDITION, 

As an attachment to the Joint Scheduling Report, the Parties shall also file a

completed copy of the attached form, titled “Joint Scheduling Form.” All deadlines

provided in the form shall be date specific, e.g. January 1, 2006. The Court shall issue a

Scheduling Order incorporating, whenever possible, the dates requested by the Parties

and counsel. All Parties and counsel shall comply with the time periods adopted in the

Scheduling Order so as not to disrupt the dates set for the pretrial conference and trial. 

The dates and deadlines established by the Scheduling Order shall not be amended

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Case No. 22-23617-CIV-LENARD/LOUIS

without leave of Court upon a showing of good cause.

The Parties and counsel need not submit a proposed Scheduling Order. 

MEDIATION. In addition to ordering all Parties to participate in mediation following

the close of discovery, the Court may order all parties to participate in initial mediation

within sixty (60) days upon the appearance of all Parties to this action. In the event initial

mediation is unsuccessful in resolving all claims, the Parties shall be required to participate

in a subsequent mediation no later than two (2) weeks after the close of fact discovery.

IT IS ORDERED that

Plaintiff is hereby DIRECTED to provide a copy of this Order to all Parties entering

an appearance or filing a response in this matter who are not currently reflected below.

LAST, IT IS ORDERED that

The body of all filings shall be doubled-spaced (with the exception of block

quotations) and shall be printed in 12 point or larger type in an easily-readable font. All

page limitations set forth by the Local Rules shall be observed. Non-compliant filings

may be stricken from the record.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Miami, Florida this 19th day of

December, 2022.

________________________________

JOAN A. LENARD

Senior United States District Judge

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