Ferrie v. Woodford Research LLC

THE HONORABLE RONALD B. LEIGHTON [5] 6 U.S. DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON [7] DOUGLAS FERRIE, an individual, [8] NO. 3:19-cv-05798-RBL [9] Plaintiff, STIPULATED MOTION AND ORDER 10 TO STAY PROCEEDINGS PENDING vs. MEDIATION [11] WOODFORD RESEARCH, LLC, a Kentucky 12 limited liability company; HUBERT SENTERS, an individual; KAREN ARVIN, an individual; [13] ROSS GIVENS, an individual; JARED 14 CARTER, an individual; DPT INNOVATIONS, LLC d/b/a ARBITRAGING.CO, a 15 foreign company; DAVID PETERSON a/k/a JEREMY ROUNSVILLE, an individual; 16 HORIZON TRUST COMPANY, LLC, a foreign limited liability company; GREG HERLEAN, [17] an individual; DANIEL ENSIGN, an individual; 18 INFOGENESIS CONSULTING GROUP, LLC; a Nevada limited liability company; KURT F. 19 WEINRICH, SR., an individual, 20 Defendants. [22] 23 Plaintiff, Douglas Ferrie, and Defendants, Woodford Research LLC, Hubert Senters, 24 Karen Arvin, Ross Givens, Jared Carter, Horizon Trust Company LLC, Greg Herlean, 25 Infogenesis Consulting Group LLC, and Kurt Weinrich, Sr., by and through their counsel, have 26 been conferring and have determined that their dispute is amenable to mediation. As such, [27] 1 pursuant to LCR 10(g) and 39.1(c)(1) they now jointly seek a short stay of proceedings to allow 2 the mediation to take place. This District encourages early and less expensive approaches to 3 resolving disputes, finding that “the use of alternative dispute resolution procedures promotes 4 timely and affordable justice while reducing calendar congestion.” LCR 39.1(a)(1); see also 28 5 U.S.C. § 651 , et seq. 6 “The power to stay proceedings is incidental to the power inherent in every court to 7 control the disposition of the causes on its docket with economy of time and effort for itself, for 8 counsel, and for litigants.” Landis v N. Am. Co., 299 U.S. 248, 254 , 57 S. Ct. 163 , 81 L. Ed. 9 153 (1936). In exercising this power, the Court must “weigh competing interests and maintain 10 an even balance.” Id. at 255. Five factors inform the Court’s decision: (1) the plaintiff’s 11 interests in proceeding expeditiously with the action balanced against prejudice to the plaintiff 12 resulting from the delay; (2) the burden on defendants; (3) the convenience to the Court; (4) the 13 interests of any non-parties to the civil litigation; and (5) the public interest. Koulouris v. 14 Builders Fence Co., 146 F.R.D. 193, 194 (W.D. Wash. 1991). 15 Here, the Parties move jointly to stay proceedings until mid-December pending the 16 outcome of a good-faith attempt to resolve or narrow their dispute with the help of a mediator. 17 Many defendants have not yet answered,1 discovery has not yet commenced, and no trial date 18 has been set. Under these circumstances, neither Plaintiff nor the moving Defendants will be 19 prejudiced or unduly burdened by the requested stay. Further, mediation has the potential to 20 save the Court time and promote judicial efficiency. Finally, the moving parties are aware of 21 no non-parties with particular interests that would be impacted by the stay. Plaintiff and the 22 moving Defendants therefore respectfully request that the Court vacate the pending deadlines [24] 25 1 Defendants Woodford Research, LLC, Hubert Senters, Karen Arvin, Ross Givens, and Jared Carter filed an Answer with Affirmative Defenses to Plaintiff’s complaint on September 30, [26] 2019. Dkt. # 12. [27] 1 and stay proceedings until December 20, 2019. If no resolution is achieved, the Parties will 2 advise the Court and seek a status conference. 3 RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED AND DATED this 15th day of November, 2019. [4] TERRELL MARSHALL LAW RUSSELL LAW OFFICES 5 GROUP PLLC 6 By: /s/ Beth E. Terrell, WSBA #26759 By: /s/ Robie G. Russell, WSBA #20579 Beth E. Terrell, WSBA #26759 Robie G. Russell, WSBA #20579 7 Email: bterrell@terrellmarshall.com Email: robielaw@gmail.com 936 North 34th Street, Suite 300 77 South Main Street [8] Seattle, Washington 98103-8869 Seattle, Washington 98104-2513 9 Telephone: (206) 816-6603 Telephone: (206) 621-2102 Facsimile: (206) 319-5450 10 Attorneys for Defendants InfoGenesis David C. Silver Consulting Group, LLC and Kurt F. 11 Email: dsilver@silvermillerlaw.com Weinrich, Sr. Jason S. Miller [12] Email: jmiller@silvermillerlaw.com 13 Todd R. Friedman Email: tfriedman@silvermillerlaw.com 14 SILVER MILLER 11780 West Sample Road 15 Coral Springs, Florida 33065 Telephone: (954) 516-6000 [16] 17 Attorneys for Plaintiff 18 K&L GATES LLP WALTERKIPLING PLLC [19] By: /s/ Aaron E. Millstein, WSBA #44135 By: /s/ Marjorie A. Walter, WSBA #40078 20 Michael D. McKay, WSBA #7040 Michael E. Kipling, WSBA #7677 Email: mike.mckay@klgates.com Email: mike@walterkipling.com 21 Aaron E. Millstein, WSBA #44135 Marjorie A. Walter, WSBA #40078 Email: aaron.millstein@klgates.com Email: marjorie@walterkipling.com 22 Daniel-Charles V. Wolf, WSBA #48211 1546 NW 56th Street, Suite 735 Email: dc.wolf@klgates.com Seattle, Washington 98107 [23] 925 4th Avenue, Suite 2900 Telephone: (206) 545-0347 24 Seattle, Washington 98104-1158 Telephone: (206) 623-7580 Attorneys for Defendants Greg Herlean and 25 Horizon Trust Company LLC Attorneys for Defendants Woodford 26 Research, LLC, Hubert Senters, Karen Arvin, Ross Givens, and Jared Carter [27] ORDER [1] 2 IT IS SO ORDERED that the pending deadlines are vacated, and proceedings are stayed 3 until December 20, 2019, at which time the parties will advise the Court and seek a status 4 conference. [5] 6 Dated this 15th day of November, 2019. A [7] 8 Ronald B. Leighton United States District Judge