Barchiesi et al v. Charlotte School of Law, LLC et al
Filing
61
ORDER Granting Defendants Motion to Consolidate Merits Discovery, Conduct a Consolidated IAC and Within (14) Days Thereafter, File Their Certificate of IAC. Plaintiffs are Directed to File Their Amended Complaint, Should They Wish to do so, Within Fourteen (14) Days - 10/27/2017 From the Date of Entry of This Order in re 47 Motion to Consolidate. Signed by Senior Judge Graham Mullen on 10/13/2017. (jaw)
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF NORTH CAROLINA
CHARLOTTE DIVISION
3:16CV861
ROBERT C. BARCHIESI and LEJLA
HADZIC, Individually and in a
representative capacity on behalf of a
class of all persons similarly situated,
)
)
)
)
)
Vs.
)
)
CHARLOTTE SCHOOL OF LAW, LLC, )
and INFILAW CORPORATION,
)
)
Defendants.
)
____________________________________)
ORDER
This matter is before the Court upon Defendants’ Motion to Consolidate Merits
Discovery in this case with merits discovery in two other closely related putative class actions
pending in this Court, Krebs v. CSL, Case No. 3:17-cv-00190, and Levy v. CSL, Case No. 3:17CV-00026-GCM. While the Krebs and Levy Plaintiffs have no objection to Defendants’ motion,
the Barchiesi Plaintiffs have filed an opposition.
The three Actions are closely related and all arise from the same core factual allegations.
While the Actions put slightly different legal labels on their claims, Plaintiffs’ pleadings
demonstrate that they primarily base all their claims in the Actions on allegations that
Defendants allegedly misrepresented CSL’s ABA accreditation status and bar passage rates, and
concealed its accreditation status from CSL students.1 Moreover, the parties in the Actions
substantially overlap and the putative class periods differ only slightly.
1
There also are at least twenty related state cases involving over 80 individual plaintiffs pending against Defendants
and others in the North Carolina Business Court that arise from the same or similar allegations set forth in the
operative complaints filed in the federal Actions. See Herrera v. CSL, Case No. 17 CVS 1965 (N.C. Super. Ct) (filed
January 31, 2017).
Rule 42(a)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure allows the Court to consolidate
discovery in multiple cases involving a “common question of law or fact.” “If that threshold
requirement is met, then whether to grant the motion [to consolidate] becomes an issue of
judicial discretion.” Pariseau v. Anodyne Healthcare Mgt., Inc., No. 3:04-CV-630, 2006 WL
325379, at *1 (W.D.N.C. Feb. 9, 2006). The factors the Court considers in determining whether
to grant a motion to consolidate discovery are: (1) the relative burden on the parties and the
witnesses; (2) the relative expenses in multiple suits versus a single suit; (3) judicial economy;
and (4) the length of time required to proceed in multiple suits versus a single suit. Id. at *2; A.B.
v. Burke County Pub. Sch. Bd. Ed., No. 1:13-CV-009, 2013 WL 1411243, at *2 (W.D.N.C. Apr.
8, 2013).
Courts should consolidate discovery in multiple cases where the cases involve
overlapping parties, allegations, and/or claims. See e.g., Manual for Complex Litigation, Fourth,
§ 10.123, at 11 (where there are “two or more separate but related cases,” “[p]retrial proceedings
in these cases should be coordinated or consolidated under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure
42(a)”); Burke Cty., 2013 WL 1411243, at *2 (consolidating discovery where claims arose “out
of the same set of facts”). It is hard to imagine a group of cases where consolidation of merits
discovery would be more appropriate than the Actions herein. All of the Actions share
substantially overlapping parties, facts, claims, and legal issues. Any alleged differences are
negligible and are greatly outweighed by the efficiencies gained by consolidation. In the absence
of consolidation, Defendants would be required to undertake virtually identical discovery in each
of these related cases. Moreover, judicial economy strongly favors consolidating discovery, as
the Court would otherwise be burdened with separately overseeing and managing three different
discovery periods on three separate schedules. The Actions are in a similar procedural postures,
making consolidation easy and efficient to implement. Rather than cause delay, as the Barchiesi
Plaintiffs suggest, the Court finds that consolidation would actually expedite discovery.
Accordingly, all factors weigh in favor of consolidating these cases for merits discovery.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion to Consolidate Merits
Discovery is hereby GRANTED;
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within fourteen (14) days, counsel for the parties in the
Actions are directed to conduct a consolidated IAC and within fourteen (14) days thereafter,
counsel are directed to file their Certificate of IAC pursuant to LCvR 16.1(B); and
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Levy Plaintiffs are directed to file their Amended
Complaint, should they wish to do so, within fourteen (14) days from the date of entry of this
Order.
Signed: October 13, 2017
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