Opinion
NO. C 09-02563 JW, NO. C 10-00387 CB.
February 17, 2010
ORDER GRANTING MOTIONS TO RELATE CASES
Presently before the Court are the parties' Motions to Relate Cases. (See Docket Item Nos. 30, 34.) The parties move to relate this action with Red, et al. v. Unilever PLC and Unilever United States, Inc., No. C 10-00387 CB, currently assigned to Judge Breyer.
(See Defendant's Response in Support of Red Plaintiffs' Administrative Motion to Consider Whether Cases Should Be Related, Docket Item No. 35.)
Civil Local Rule 3-12(a) provides that an action is related to another when: "(1) The actions concern substantially the same parties, property, transaction or event; and (2) It appears likely that there will be an unduly burdensome duplication of labor and expense or conflicting results if the cases are conducted before different Judges."
Here, Plaintiffs are collectively pursuing putative class action claims against Defendants. The Court finds that the two cases are related within the meaning of Rule 3-12. Accordingly, the Court GRANTS the Motions to relate the cases and ORDERS as follows:
(1) The Clerk shall immediately relate these actions.
(2) On March 8, 2010 at 10 a.m., the parties in both actions shall appear for a Case Management Conference.
(3) On or before February 26, 2009, the parties shall file a Joint Case Management Conference Statement. The Statement shall include, among other things, the parties' positions as to whether these cases should be consolidated into one action, and the parties' proposed schedules on how the cases should proceed.