Excerpt: ...d. (a)(5).) This includes the power to disqualify counsel in appropriate cases. (In re Complex Asbestos Litig. (1991) 232 Cal.App.3d 572, 575.) Plaintiffs argue that Richards' representation of Defendant would violate the advocate -witness rule. Rule of Professional Conduct 3.7(a) provides: (a) A lawyer shall not act as an advocate in a trial in which the lawyer is likely to be a witness unless: (1) the lawyer's testimony relates to an uncont...

Excerpt: ...rant a motion for preferenc e that is accompanied by clear and convincing medical documentation that concludes that one of the parties suffers from an illness or condition raising substantial medical doubt of survival of that party beyond six months, and that satisfies the court that the interest of justice will be served by granting the preference. (e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the court may in its discretion grant a motion fo...

Excerpt: ...d applied. (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 583.310, 583.360.) “The provisions of section 583, Code of Civil Procedure, which require an action to be dismissed for want of prosecution if not brought to trial within five years, are mandatory; and the trial court has no discretion but to grant the motion, except where the action has been continued by a written stipulation filed with the court, or where it is shown that the defendant has been absent from ...

Excerpt: ... settled with Plaintiff for $15,000, which is the policy limit of the only applicable insurance policy he had at the time of the subject accident. Defendant City of Fountain Valley filed a timely motion to contest Eulberg's application for determination of good faith settlement. C ode of Civil Procedure section 877.6 applies to a settlement between a plaintiff and an alleged tortfeasor or an alleged coobligor on a contract debt. (Code Civ. Proc....

Excerpt: ...al.App.5th 113, 119, 125126 & fn. 4 (Lawndale) [elements, duty, public entity vicarious liability]; C.A. v. William S. Hart Union High School Dist. (2012) 53 Cal.4th 861, 868 (Hart) [noting “‘the general rule ... that an employee of a public entity is liable for hi s torts to the same extent as a private person [citation] and the public entity is vicariously liable for any injury which its employee causes [citation] to the same extent as a pr...

Excerpt: ...-regarded practice guide has note d that motions to strike and demurrers should be filed as separate documents. (Weil & Brown, Cal. Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (The Rutter Group 2023) ¶ 7:162.1.) In any event, Defendants only reserved one hearing for both the demurrer an d motion to strike. Counsel are reminded that for future motions, accurate reservations for motions must be made so that the court can properly allocate resour...

Excerpt: ...t particular gro und, the matter is properly before the court and the defect in the notice of motion should be disregarded. [Citation].” (Carrasco v. Craft (1985) 164 Cal.App.3d 796, 808.) Here the notice states the Motion is being made upon the accompanying papers. Thus, the defect in the notice is disregarded. Attorneys' Fees “[T]he fee setting inquiry in California ordinarily begins with the “lodestar,” i.e., the number of hours reason...

Excerpt: ...class notice is submitted, a redline showing all changes, deletions and additions must be submitted as well. As to the Settlement: 1. Are there any other actions, whether individual, class, or PAGA (including in the pre -filing LWDA stage) that may be affected by this set tlement? 2. Will employer -side taxes be paid separately from and in addition to the GSA, or will they be paid from the GSA? If the latter, please explain why they are paid fro...

Excerpt: ...ubmitted, a redl ine showing all changes, deletions and additions must be submitted as well. As to the Settlement: 1. The 20% of the NSA allocated to AWS subclass members will be distributed on a workweeks basis. Does the subclass distribution count all workweeks worked by AWS subclass members, or only workweeks while they were subject to an AWS? 2. Waiting time subclass members will get credited with an extra six workweeks. For persons who are b...

Excerpt: ...to provide dis covery. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.010, subd. (g); Van Sickle v. Gilbert (2011) 196 Cal.App.4th 1495, 1516.) If a party fails to obey an order compelling answers to discovery, the court may impose whatever sanctions are just, including issue sanctions, evide nce sanctions, terminating sanctions, and monetary sanctions. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.030.) Imposition of sanctions for misuse of discovery lies within the trial court's discr...

Excerpt: ...part of plai ntiff's Eleventh Cause of Action under PAGA. (Memorandum of Points and Authorities at 6:12 -14, 6:19- 20, 7:10-11, 7:16-17, 7:2425, 8:10 -12 and 11:15- 16.) After filing the motion, however, defendant substituted in new counsel, and then in its reply brief, defendant argued for the first time that plaintiff's “individual PAGA claim” should be arbitrated. This is a new argument that unfairly and improperly expands the scope of d...

Excerpt: ...rve a timely response.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.290, subd. (b).) By failing to serve timely responses, BAT, Inc. waived “any right to exercise the option to produce writings under Section 2030.230, as well as any objection to the interrogatories, including one based o n privilege or on the protection for work product.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 2030.290, subd. (a).) A propounding party may move for an order compelling responses to a demand for...

Excerpt: ... This action was initiated on 08/25/23, when Plaintiff file d the Complaint. The Complaint contains sixteen causes of action relating to her employment at Rubio's and her subsequent termination therefrom. The parties dispute whether a valid arbitration agreement exists between the parties and whether the Endin g Forced Arbitration Act of 2022 (“EFAA”) applies to the entire action. 1. Is There an Agreement to Arbitrate that Covers the Claims ...

Excerpt: ...annoyance, embarrassmen t, or oppression, or undue burden and expense.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 2025.420(b).) The party seeking a protective order bears the burden of proving that good cause exists for the order. (Emerson Electric Company v. Superior Court (1997) 16 Cal.4th 1101, 11 10.) “Generally, a deponent seeking a protective order will be required to show that the burden, expense, or intrusiveness involved in … [the discovery procedure] ...

Excerpt: ...favor and against the afor ementioned parties as to the five issues regarding Plaintiffs' causes of action for negligence, strict products liability, private nuisance, and trespass which are asserted against Craig. Notice Plaintiff, Citizens Insurance Company of America, (“Plaintiff” or “Citizens”) contends that that motion should be denied as Craig failed to provide proper 75 days' notice as required by Code of Civil Procedure section 4...

Excerpt: ...inst the aforementio ned parties on three issues. Notice Plaintiff, Citizens Insurance Company of America, (“Plaintiff” or “Citizens”) contends that that motion should be denied as Craig failed to provide proper 75 days' notice as required by Code of Civil Procedure section 437c. 75-days' notice is required on a motion for summary judgment. (Code Civ. Proc. § 437c(a)(2).) Code Civil Procedure section 437c(a)(2) states, “Notice of the m...

Excerpt: ... made the initial showi ng by: - Presenting evidence that Defendants CCR and Gleason observed corporate formalities such that imposition of alter ego liability is inappropriate. (SSUMF Nos. 1 -18.) - Presenting evidence that Plaintiff cannot establish the element of damages. (SSUM F Nos. 30-33.) - Presenting evidence that Plaintiff cannot establish the element of intent to disrupt, necessary to sustain his claim for Intentional Interference with ...

Excerpt: ...ng (“APS”) held on 07/24/23 before hearing officer G. Haros (“Haros”). Haros issued his decision following the APS on or about 08/04/23 (“Decision”). Petitioner lodged copies of all evidence (except for a video) produced at the hearing, the hearing transcript (“HT”), and the De cision with the court. The court first notes that Petitioner stipulated to issues of driving, lawful arrest, and advisement of what would happen if Petiti...

Excerpt: ...nses dee med improper by the propounding party; e.g., objections, or evasive or incomplete answers. [Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.300.] Additionally, failing to respond to Form Interrogatories within the time limit waives most objections to the interrogatories, includin g Page 4 of 33 claims of privilege and “work product” protection. [Code Civ. Proc. § 2030.290(a).] In this instance, Plaintiff propounded Form Interrogatories to Connell Chevrolet...

Excerpt: ...finds that in the interest of substantial justice an action should be heard in a forum outside this state, the court shall stay or dismiss the action in whole or in part on any conditions that may be just.” (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 410.30(a), see also § 418.10.) In dete rmining whether to grant a motion based on forum non conveniens, courts usually apply a two -step process. (Stangvik, supra, 54 Cal.3d at p. 751.) In the first step, the cour...

Excerpt: ... (1989) 207 Cal. App. 3d 291, 299) “Motions to disqualify counsel present competing policy considerations. On the one hand, a court must not hesitate to disqualify an attorney when it is satisfactorily established that he or she wrongfully acquired an unfair advantage that undermines the integrity of the judicial process and will have a continuing effect on the proceedings before the court. [Citations.] On the other hand, it must be kept in min...

Excerpt: ...inst it on equitable grounds for extrinsic mistake. “Apart from any statute, courts have the inherent authority to vacate a default and default judgment on equitable grounds such as extrinsic fraud or extrinsic mistake.” (Bae v. T.D. Service Co. of Arizona (2016) 245 Cal.App.4th 89, 97.) In seeking relief, the moving party must: (1) “demonstrate that it has a meritorious case”; (2) “articulate a satisfactory excuse for not presenting a ...

Excerpt: ... punitive damages allegations and the request for attorney's fees from the FAC. Corporations Code section 17708.07(a) states: “A foreign limited liability company transacting intrastate business in this state shall not maintain an action or proceeding in this state unless it has a certi ficate of registration to transact intrastate business in this state.” Corporations Code section 17708.03(a) states: “A foreign limited liability company t...

Excerpt: ...matters include: al legations not essential to the claim, allegations neither pertinent to nor supported by an otherwise sufficient claim or a demand for judgment requesting relief not support by the allegations of the complaint. (Code Civ. Proc., § 431.10(b).) A motion to s trike can also strike legal conclusions. (Weil & Brown (2022) Cal. Prac. Guide, Civil Proc. before Trial, ¶ 7:179.) Conclusory allegations are permitted, however, if they a...

Excerpt: ...ral and con clusory allegations do not suffice; policy of liberal construction of the pleadings will not ordinarily be invoked. Murphy v. BDO Seidman, LLP (2003) 113 Cal. App. 4th 687. That specificity has not been achieved with the representations themselves. Fo r example, paragraphs 17 through 21 are incorporated into the first cause of action, but the allegations of paragraph 44 only serve to confuse those allegations. That paragraph states:...