Opinion
21-CV-1066-BEN(WVG)
09-20-2021
FLINT MURFITT, Plaintiff, v. SAFECO INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant.
NOTICE AND ORDER FOR SECOND (1) EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION CONFERENCE and (2) CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
William V. Gallo United States Magistrate Judge
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that a second Early Neutral Evaluation (“ENE”) of your case and Case Management Conference (“CMC”) will be held on October 5, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., before United States Magistrate Judge William V. Gallo. These conferences will be held via Zoom videoconference as set forth in Appendix A. The Court expects the parties to engage in ongoing settlement discussions between the date of this Order and the second ENE/CMC.
I. EARLY NEUTRAL EVALUATION CONFERENCE
The following are mandatory guidelines for the parties preparing for the ENE Conference.
1. Purpose of Conference
The purpose of the ENE is to permit an informal discussion between the attorneys, parties and the settlement judge of every aspect of the lawsuit in an effort to achieve an early resolution of the case. All conference discussions will be informal, off the record, privileged and confidential. Counsel for non-English speaking parties is responsible for arranging for the appearance of an interpreter at the conference.
2. Personal Participation of Parties Required
All parties, adjusters for insured defendants, and other representatives of a party having full and complete authority to enter into a binding settlement, and the principal attorneys responsible for the litigation, must participate in the ENE and be legally and factually prepared to discuss settlement of the case. See S.D. Cal. Civ. L. R. 16.1(c). Given the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related travel and health concerns, the ENE and CMC will be held via Zoom videoconference, the procedures for which are set forth in Appendix A to this Order.
3. Full Settlement Authority Required
In addition to counsel who will try the case, a party or party representative with full settlement authority must participate in the conference. In the case of a corporate entity, an authorized representative of the corporation who is not retained outside counsel must participate and must have discretionary authority to commit the company to pay an amount up to the amount of the plaintiffs prayer (excluding punitive damage prayers). The purpose of this requirement is to have representatives present who can settle the case during the course of the conference without consulting a superior.
“Full authority to settle” means that the individuals at the settlement conference must be authorized to fully explore settlement options and to agree at that time to any settlement terms acceptable to the parties. Heileman Brewing Co., Inc. v. Joseph Oat Corp., 871 F.2d 648 (7th Cir. 1989). The person needs to have “unfettered discretion and authority” to change the settlement position of a party. Pitman v. Brinker Intl., Inc., 216 F.R.D. 481, 485-86 (D. Ariz. 2003). The purpose of requiring a person with unlimited settlement authority to attend the conference includes that the person's view of the case may be altered during the face-to-face conference. Id. at 486. A limited or a sum certain of authority is not adequate. The person with full settlement authority must be able to negotiate a settlement without being restricted by any predetermined level of authority. Nick v. Morgan's Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590 (8th Cir. 2001).
4. Joint Status Report Required
The parties shall jointly file a brief status report on the progression of post-ENE settlement discussions no later than 12:00 p.m. on October 5, 2021 .
5. Time Allotted
The Court generally allots two hours for ENEs. Counsel should be prepared to be succinct and to the point. Requests for additional time must be made in writing in the party's ENE statement, accompanied by a short explanation.
6. Requests to Continue an ENE Conference
No further continuance requests will be granted.
II. CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
If the case does not settle at the ENE, the parties shall be prepared for a Case Management Conference immediately upon completion of the ENE.
Questions regarding this case may be directed to the undersigned's Research Attorney at (619) 557-6384. Please consult the undersigned's Chambers Rules, which are available on the Court's website, before contacting chambers with any questions.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Appendix A - Zoom Videoconference Procedures
1. The Court will use its official Zoom video conferencing account to hold the ENE. The Zoom software is available for download on the Zoom website (https://zoom.us/meetings) or on mobile devices through the installation of a free app.Joining a Zoom conference does not require creating a Zoom account, but it does require downloading the .exe file (if using a computer) or the app (if using a mobile device). Participants are encouraged to create an account, install Zoom and familiarize themselves with Zoom in advance of the ENE. There is a cost-free option for creating a Zoom account.
If possible, participants are encouraged to use laptops or desktop computers for the video conference, as mobile devices often offer inferior performance.
For help getting started with Zoom, visit: https://support.zoom.us/hc/enus/categories/200101697-Getting-Started be prepared to devote their full attention to the ENE as if they were attending in person.
2. Prior to the start of the ENE, the Court will e-mail counsel the meeting login information required to join the Zoom video conference. Participants can join the video conference by following the ZoomGov Meeting hyperlink provided to counsel or by entering the meeting ID and password. Again, if possible, participants are encouraged to use laptops or desktop computers with a camera for the video conference, as mobile devices often offer inferior performance. Participants who do not have Zoom already installed on their device when they click on the ZoomGov Meeting hyperlink will be prompted to download and install Zoom before proceeding. Zoom may then prompt participants to enter the password included in the invitation. All participants will be placed in a waiting room until the ENE begins.
3. Each participant should plan to join the Zoom video conference at least five minutes before the start of the ENE to ensure that the ENE begins promptly at 2:00 p.m.
4. Zoom's functionalities will allow the Court to conduct the ENE as it ordinarily would conduct an in-person ENE. That is, the Court will begin the ENE with all participants joined together in a main session. After an initial discussion in the main session, the Court will divide participants into separate, confidential sessions, which Zoom calls “Breakout Rooms.” In a Breakout Room, the Court will be able to communicate with participants from a single party in confidence. Breakout Rooms will also allow parties and counsel to communicate confidentially without the Court.
For more information on what to expect when participating in a Zoom Breakout Room, visit: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115005769646. In short, the Court will manually place each participant in their respective Breakout Room. When the Court does this, on the participants device, the participant will see a notification regarding joining the Breakout Room. The participant should select the option to join the room. If the Court then wishes to close the Breakout Rooms and converse with all parties and counsel, the participant should choose the option that will appear on his or her device to leave the Breakout Room-this will send the participant to the group room; it will not expel the participant from the conference.
5. No later than September 29, 2021, counsel for each party shall send an e-mail to the Court at efileGallo@casd.uscourts.gov containing the following:
a. The name and title of each participant, including all parties and party representatives with full settlement authority, claims adjusters for insured defendants, and the primary attorney(s) responsible for the litigation;
b. An e-mail address for each participant. This email address should be the same address the participant has used to create his or her Zoom account; and
c. A telephone number where each participant may be reached so that if technical difficulties arise, the Court will be in a position to proceed telephonically instead of by video conference. (If counsel prefers to have all participants of their party on a single conference call, counsel may provide a conference number and appropriate call-in information, including an access code, where all counsel and parties or party representatives for that side may be reached as an alternative to providing individual telephone numbers for each participant.)
6. All participants shall display the same level of professionalism during the ENE and Because Zoom may quickly deplete the battery of a participant's device, each participant should ensure that their device is plugged in or that a charging cable is readily available during the video conference. Participants should also participate in the conference in a location that allows for privacy and which does not contain background noise such as dogs barking, children, or other noise that will disrupt the conference.