Holliday et al v. General Electric Company et al

Filing 20

ORDER GRANTING Joint Motion to Stay Proceeding Or, in the Alternative, to Continue Case Management Deadline and Conference, and to Extend Time. Signed by Judge Jeffrey S. White on 2/9/09. (jjo, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 2/9/2009) Modified on 2/9/2009 (jjo, COURT STAFF).

Case 3:08-cv-05440-JSW

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ATTORNEYS AT LAW 222 RUSH LANDING ROAD P O BOX 6169 NOVATO, CALIFORNIA 94948-6169 [phone]

ALAN R. BRAYTON, ESQ., S.B. #73685 DAVID R. DONADIO, ESQ., S.B. #154436 FRANK J. ANDERS, ESQ., S.B. #227208 BRAYTON~PURCELL LLP Attorneys at Law 222 Rush Landing Road P.O. Box 6169 Novato, California 94948-6169 [phone] [phone] (Fax No.) Attorneys for Plaintiffs UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION SHIRLEY RUBY HOLLIDAY, et al., Plaintiffs, vs. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) No. C08-05440-JSW JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINE AND CONFERENCE, AND TO EXTEND TIME; [PROPOSED] ORDER TO STAY; [PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE] ORDER TO CONTINUE

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BRAYTON~PURCELL LLP

GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, et al., Defendants.

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 December 3, 2008 (Document 2) and the Order Setting Case Management Conference and Requiring Joint Case Management Conference Statement filed January 15, 2009 (Document 15), for the following good cause: On January 8, 2009, Defendant GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY filed 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 (Document 9, Attachment 1.) Counsel for Defendant GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY hereby confirms that notice has been mailed to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation
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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES ­ No. C08-05440-JSW

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Case 3:08-cv-05440-JSW

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("JPML") pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407; said notice to the JPML from counsel being necessary to initiate the transfer process. On July 29, 1991, the 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 proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407. (In re Asbestos Products Liability Litigation (no. VI). MDL No. 875., 771 F.Supp. 415 (1991)). 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. 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 including the deadlines imposed by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 26, will pass before the Clerk of the JPML acts. 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. For the reasons above, the parties hereby STIPULATE to and respectfully request the Court VACATE its Case Management Scheduling Order filed December 3, 2008 (Document 2) and the Order Setting Case Management Conference and Requiring Joint Case Management Conference Statement filed January 15, 2009 (Document 15), and that the Court issue an Order STAYING this action pending the outcome of the MDL Panel's decision on the merits of the
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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES ­ No. C08-05440-JSW

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Case 3:08-cv-05440-JSW

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transfer. In the alternative, the parties hereby STIPULATE to and respectfully request that this Court vacate and continue the dates set forth in the Case Management Scheduling Order filed December 3, 2008 (Document 2) and the Order Setting Case Management Conference and Requiring Joint Case Management Conference Statement filed January 15, 2009 (Document 15), pending the outcome of the JPML's decision on the merits of the transfer. Dated: February 3, 2009 BRAYTON~PURCELL LLP /s/ David R. Donadio By: David R. Donadio Attorneys for Plaintiffs

Dated: February 3, 2009

SEDGWICK, DETERT, MORAN & ARNOLD, LLP /s/ Derek S. Johnson By: ______________________________ Derek S. Johnson Attorneys for Defendant General Electric Company

Dated: February 3, 2009

CHARTER DAVIS LLP /s/ Maria S. Rosenfeld By: ______________________________ Maria S. Rosenfeld Attorneys for Defendant Viad, Corp.

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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES ­ No. C08-05440-JSW

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Case 3:08-cv-05440-JSW

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[PROPOSED]

ORDER TO STAY

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the hearing date and deadlines specified in the Case Management Scheduling Order filed December 3, 2008 (Document 2) and the Order Setting Case Management Conference and Requiring Joint Case Management Conference Statement filed January 15, 2009 (Document 15), are hereby VACATED and that this action is STAYED pending the outcome of the JPML's decision to transfer. February 9, 2009 Dated: _____________________ _____________________________ Jeffrey S. White United States District Judge [PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE] ORDER TO CONTINUE IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the hearing date and deadlines specified in the Case Management Scheduling Order filed December 3, 2008 (Document 2) and the Order Setting Case Management Conference and Requiring Joint Case Management Conference Statement filed January 15, 2009 (Document 15), are hereby VACATED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the following case management deadlines are continued as follows: 1. The Case Management Conference is [set for a date after June 1, 2009 to wit:]

______________, 2009; at 1:30 p.m., Courtroom 2, 17th Floor, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, California. 2. Last day to meet and confer re initial disclosures, early settlement, ADR process

selection, and discovery plan is 21 days before the Case Management Conference in paragraph 1, above. 3. Last day to file Joint ADR Certification with Stipulation to ADR process or

Notice of Need for ADR Phone Conference is 21 days before the Case Management Conference in paragraph 1, above. //// //// ////
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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES ­ No. C08-05440-JSW

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4.

Last day to complete initial disclosures or state objection to Rule 26(f) Report,

file/serve Case Management Statement and file/serve Rule 26(f) Report is 5 court days before the Case Management Conference in paragraph 1, above. Dated: _____________________ _____________________________ Jeffrey S. White United States District Judge

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JOINT MOTION AND STIPULATION TO STAY PROCEEDING OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, TO CONTINUE CASE MANAGEMENT DEADLINES ­ No. C08-05440-JSW

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