Opinion
C23-1035 TSZ
07-21-2023
CARLA CASTILLO LINN, Plaintiff, v. JO-ANN STORES, LLC, Defendant.
MINUTE ORDER
The following Minute Order is made by direction of the Court, the Honorable Thomas S. Zilly, United States District Judge:
(1) Defendant Jo-Ann Stores, LLC removed this matter from King County Superior Court. Defendant is a limited liability company, and is therefore a citizen of every state in which one of its members is domiciled. Johnson v. Columbia Props. Anchorage, LP, 437 F.3d 894, 899 (9th Cir. 2006). In its Notice of Removal, docket no. 1, defendant indicated that it is “incorporated under the laws of Ohio” and has “its principal place of business in Hudson, Ohio.” In its Local Civil Rule 7.1(a)(2) Disclosure Statements, docket nos. 3 and 4, defendant asserts that it is a citizen of Ohio, but advises that its parent, Needle Holdings, LLC, is a Delaware limited liability company, which is 100% owned by JOANN, Inc., a publicly-traded Delaware corporation. Thus, defendant is a citizen of Delaware and an as-yet unidentified state in which JOANN, Inc. has its principal place of business. Absent additional information, the Court cannot conclude that diversity jurisdiction exists. Defendant shall file additional information within seven (7) days of the date of this Minute Order.
(2) The Clerk is directed to send a copy of this Minute Order to all counsel of record.