Donnelly et al v. Menu Foods, Inc. et al

Filing 14

Donnelly et al v. Menu Foods, Inc. et al

Doc. 14 Att. 1

Case 1:07-cv-20955-JAL

Document 14-2

Entered on FLSD Docket 05/01/2007

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA CASE NO. 07-20955-CIV-LENARD STEPHEN DONNELLY and JENNIFER HIRNI, On Behalf of Themselves and : All Others Similarly Situated, : Plaintiffs, v. MENU FOODS, INC., a New Jersey : corporation, MENU FOODS INCOME FUND, MENU FOODS HOLDINGS, INC. and MENU FOODS MIDWEST CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, CHEMNUTRA LLC, XUHOU ANYING BIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY : DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD., SUZHOU TEXTILE IMPORT AND : EXPORT COMPANY, Defendants. :

: : : : : : : : : : : : :

STIPULATION AND ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT=S MOTION TO STAY PROCEEDINGS WHEREAS, this case is one of over sixty (60) putative class actions filed in this court and several other courts throughout the country for damages and injunctive relief, arising from the manufacture, distribution and/or sale of pet food products by Defendants, Menu Foods Income Fund, Menu Foods, Inc., Menu Foods Holdings, Inc., and Menu Foods Midwest Corporation (Collectively referred to as AMenu Foods@) and Chemnutra, LLC, Xuhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company Ltd.; and Suzhou Textile Import and Export Company;

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Dockets.Justia.com

Case 1:07-cv-20955-JAL

Document 14-2

Entered on FLSD Docket 05/01/2007

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WHEREAS, on March 30, 2007, a Motion to Transfer and Coordinate or Consolidate Action Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. ' 1407 to the Central District of California with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (AMDL Panel@) was filed by Plaintiff, Shirley Sexton. WHEREAS, on March 30, 2007, a Motion to Transfer and Coordinate or Consolidate Action Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 to the Southern District of Florida with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation by Plaintiff, Christine Troiano. WHEREAS, on March 30, 2007, a Motion to Transfer and Coordinate or Consolidate Action Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1407 to the Western District of Washington with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation by Plaintiffs, Tom Whaley, Stacey Heller, Toinette Robinson, David Rapp, Cecily and Terrance Mitchelle, Suzanne E. Johnson, Craig R. Klemann, Audrey Kornelius, Barbara Smith, Michelle Suggett and Don James. WHEREAS, the MDL Panel will determine whether all actions, including this action, should be transferred and coordinated and/or consolidated under 28 U.S.C. ' 1407 for pretrial proceedings. The MDL Panel has set this matter for hearing on May 31, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada; and WHEREAS, the parties believe that in the short intervening time between now and a decision by the MDL Panel on transfer and coordination and/or consolidation, a stay of these proceedings will conserve party and judicial resources. IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED by and between the Plaintiff and Defendants, Menu Foods Income Fund, Menu Foods, Inc., Menu Foods Holdings, Inc., and Menu Foods Midwest Corporation, through their designated counsel that this matter, including the deadlines for the parties to participate in class certification and other pretrial proceedings, be stayed pending the establishment of In re: Pet
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Case 1:07-cv-20955-JAL

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Food Products Liability Litigation, MDL Docket No. 1850, and the potential subsequent transfer of this case for coordinated pretrial proceedings with other actions pending throughout the country. All parties shall, during the pendency of the stay of this matter, comply with their duty to preserve all evidence that may be relevant to this action. This duty extends to documents, electronic data, and tangible things in the possession, custody and control of the parties to this action, and any employees, agents, contractors, or carriers who possess materials reasonably anticipated to be the subject of discovery in this action. APreservation@ is to be interpreted broadly to accomplish the goal of maintaining the integrity of all documents, data and tangible things reasonably anticipated to be the subject of discovery under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26, 45 and 56(e) in this action. Preservation includes taking reasonable steps to prevent the partial or full destruction, alteration, testing, deletion, shredding, incineration, wiping, relocation, migration, theft or mutation of such material, as well as negligent or intentional handling that would make material incomplete or inaccessible. If the business practice of any party involve the routine destruction, recycling, relocation, or mutation of materials, the party must, to the extent practicable for the pendency of this order, either: i) ii) iii) halt such business practices; sequester or remove such material from the business process; or arrange for the preservation of complete and accurate duplicates or copies of such material, suitable for later discovery if requested.

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Case 1:07-cv-20955-JAL

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IT IS SO STIPULATED. Dated: May 1, 2007 Respectfully submitted, SHEPHERD, FINKELMAN, MILLER & SHAH, LLC By:__S/ Scott R. Shepherd_____ Scott R. Shepherd Attorneys for Plaintiff

Dated: May 1, 2007

Respectfully submitted, ADORNO & YOSS, LLP By:____s/ Robert D. McIntosh___ Robert D. McIntosh Attorney for Menu Foods Defendants

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Case 1:07-cv-20955-JAL

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on May 1, 2007, I electronically filed the foregoing document with the Clerk of the Court using CM/ECF. I also certify that the foregoing document is being served this day on all counsel of record or pro se parties identified on the attached Service List in the manner specified, either via transmission of Notices of Electronic Filing generated by CM/ECF or in some other authorized manner for those counsel or parties who are not authorized to receive electronically Notices of Electronic Filing. By: /s/ Robert D. McIntosh Robert D. McIntosh (FBN: 115490)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA STEPHEN DONNELLY and JENNIFER HIRNI, On Behalf of Themselves and : All Others Similarly Situated, : Plaintiffs, v. MENU FOODS, INC., a New Jersey : corporation, MENU FOODS INCOME FUND, MENU FOODS HOLDINGS, INC. and MENU FOODS MIDWEST CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, CHEMNUTRA LLC, XUHOU ANYING BIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY : DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD., SUZHOU TEXTILE IMPORT AND : EXPORT COMPANY, Defendants. :

: : : : : : : : : : : : :

Case No. 07-20955-CIV-LENARD

ORDER PURSUANT TO STIPULATION, IT IS SO ORDERED. Dated: _______ _________________________________________ The Honorable Joan A. Lenard United States District Court Judge

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Case 1:07-cv-20955-JAL

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Entered on FLSD Docket 05/01/2007

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DONNELLY v. MENU FOODS, et al SERVICE LIST ­ 07-20955-CIV-LENARD

Scott R. Shepherd, Esq. Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller & Shah, LLC Attonreys for Donnelly & Hirni 4400 North Federal Highway Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 954-943-9173 E-Mail: [e-mail]

Natalie Finkelman Bennett, Esq. Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller & Shah, LLC Attorneys for Donnelly & Hirni 35 East Street Media, Pennsylvania 19063 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 610-891-9883

Robert D. McIntosh, Esq. Adorno & Yoss, LLP Attonreys for Menu Defendants 888 Southeast 3rd Avenue, Suite 500 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 954-760-9531 E-Mail: [e-mail]

Mark J. Tamblyn, Esq. Wexler Toriseva Wallace, LLP 1610 Arden Way, Suite 290 Sacramento, California 95815 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 916-568-7890

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Kenneth A. Wexler, Esq. Wexler Toriseva Wallace, LLP One North LaSalle Street, Suite 2000 Chicago, Illinois 60602 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 312-346-0022

Stuart C. Talley, Esq. Kershaw, Cutter & Ratinoff, LLP 980 9th Street, 19th Floor Sacramento, California 95814 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 916-669-4499

Renae Steiner, Esq. Gustafson Gluek 650 Northstar East 608 Second Avenue South Minneapolic, Minnesota 55402 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 612-339-6622

Lawrence E. Feldman, Esq. Lawrence E. Feldman & Associates 432 Tulpechocken Avenue Elkins Park, Pennsylvania 19027 Telephone: [phone] Telefax: 215-885-3303

Attorneys for Plaintiffs and The Class

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