Opinion ID: 63560
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Newby MDL Scheduling Order

Text: In its July 11, 2003 scheduling order in the Newby MDL case, the district court stated that all other suits [except for those brought by plaintiffs who had decided to proceed under the Newby consolidated amended complaints] shall be stayed as to the filing of amended pleadings and/or responsive pleadings until the motions for class certification in Newby . . . are resolved by the Court, but discovery may proceed. The district court did not rule on the Newby class certification until July 5, 2006. The Fleming Firm argues that the district court admitted in its December 12, 2006 order involving other claims not subject to this appeal that it had intended to toll the statute of limitations for all claims in its July 11, 2003 scheduling order. See In re Enron Corp., No. H-01-3624-CV, et al., 2006 WL 3716669, at  (S.D.Tex. Dec. 12, 2006) (In issuing the July 11, 2003 scheduling order,. . . this Court fully intended to toll the statute of limitations from running in the Newby consolidated and coordinated cases from entry of the order until it certified the class in Newby and gave plaintiffs in the consolidated and coordinated cases a schedule to opt out and to file motions for leave to amend . . . .). In making its argument, however, the Fleming Firm misconstrues the district court's July 11, 2003 scheduling order. In that order, the district court was contemplating cases in which the plaintiffs had already filed a complaint. In particular, the court stated that its scheduling order operated to stay the cases as to the filing of amended pleadings and/or responsive pleadings, not initial complaints. The December 12, 2006 order did not state anything to the contrary, simply noting that the July 11, 2003 order tolled the statute of limitations from running in the Newby consolidated and coordinated cases. Id. Thus, the district court intended to stay the cases in which the plaintiffs had already filed a complaint, not toll the statute of limitations for claims not yet before the court. Accordingly, the district court did not toll the Fleming Firm's proposed state law claims, which the Fleming Firm had not yet filed.