Excerpt: ...ion Payward, Inc.'s motion to seal is denied without prejudice. To enable a court to make the specific findings required by California Rule of Court 2.550(d), a party moving to seal court records must present "specific enumeration of the facts sought to be withheld and specific reasons for withholding them." (See H.B. Fuller Co. v. Doe (2007) 151 Cal.App.4th 879, 894.) Here, while portions of documents are laundry-listed, the specific facts sough...

Excerpt: ...igation case (CGC-20-587022). In 2021, the parties stipulated that "resolution of the disputes currently pending in the arbitration may bear upon or relate to claims asserted in the instant litigation" and "the parties hereby agree that a stay of this litigation will avoid divergent outcomes and promote judicial economy." Thus, this court stayed the litgation "pending the final adjudication of all claims in the arbitration." Plaintiff first moved...

Excerpt: ...- a claim the City denied. Plaintiffs FAC, however, pleads a fall on a "negligently maintained sidewalk" some five blocks away "at or near 2501 Clement St." The City first demurs as to plaintiffs failure to meet the requirement that a government claim state the "place" of the alleged occurrence. (Govt. Code 910(c).) Plaintiff concedes the discrepancy between her government claim and her complaint, but argues that the former properly "listed the '...

Excerpt: ...ummary Judgment And Summary Adjudication Motions Conditionally Filed under Seal Payward, Inc.'s motion to seal is denied without prejudice. To enable a court to make the specific findings required by California Rule of Court 2.550(d), a party moving to seal court records must present "specific enumeration of the facts sought to be withheld and specific reasons for withholding them." (See H.B. Fuller Co. v. Doe (2007) 151 Cal.App.4th 879, 894.) He...

Excerpt: ...l 3, 2024. Plaintiffs allege that they developed silicosis from fabricating countertops. Defendant (one of 41 putative defendants) is a Texas LLC that distributes slabs supplied by a Vietnamese entity. (Nguyen Dec. 2:12-16.) Defendant manager/owner An Nguyen declares that its distribution is "primarily' outside California. (ld. at 2:22-26.) However, he acknowledges some California contacts. First, on "very rare occasions," defendant sells "quartz...

Excerpt: ...et forth in CRC 2.812 to serve as a temporary judge, has been assigned to hear this motion. Prior to the hearing all parties to the motion will be asked to sign a stipulation agreeing that the motion may be heard by the Pro Tem Judge. If all parties to the motion sign the stipulation, the hearing will proceed before the Judge Pro Tem who will decide the motion with the same authority as a Superior Court Judge. If a party appears by telephone, the...

Excerpt: ...arties via e-mail. Defendants uber Technologies, Inc., Rasier, LLC and Rasier- CA, LLCs motion to compel arbitration and stay is granted. Plaintiff Marygrace Anaya agreed to arbitrate disputes with Defendant Uber Technologies, Inc. (See Ex. G, Section (2), subparts (a)(l) & (a)(4).) And the arbitration agreement appears to encompass the instant dispute. The parties delegated issues of arbitrability to the arbitrator. (See ADR Arbitration Rules an...

Excerpt: ...Attorney Timothy Silverman For Disobeying Two Court Orders To Provide Discovery Before the court is Plaintiff Ranier Mejia's Motion For Evidentiary And Monetary Sanctions Against Defendant CFAM Financial Services, LLC And Attorney Timothy Silverman For Disobeying Two Court Orders To Provide Discovery. The court adopts Judge Pro Tem William Lynn's report and recommendation in full. Thus, the court grants the motion for evidentiary sanctions and en...

Excerpt: ...enied without prejudice. The proposed amendments would prejudice defendants at this stage and are untimely with the case in its current procedural posture. (Record v. Reason (1999) 73 Cal.App.4th 472, 485-487.) Throughout the litigation, the parties acted as if Plaintiff was an exempt employee. The proposed amendments seek to change the tenor of the case, treating Plaintiff as non- exempt and treating her employment as governed by a different set...

Excerpt: ...is denied without prejudice. Key factors in an analysis under Tech-Bilt, Inc. v. Woodward- Clyde & Associates (1985) 38 Cal.3d 488 are "a rough approximation of plaintiffs' total recovery and the settlor's proportionate liability" and "the financial conditions and insurance policy limits of settling defendants." (ld. at 499.) However, beyond a little unsupported and imprecise hyperbole, this crucial information has not been provided to the court....

Excerpt: ...ation and (3) unfair competition. Defendants argue that plaintiffs view of the bonus is contrary to an "offer letter" referred to in the complaint, and thus the first and third counts are barred. However, the offer letter is not attached to the complaint as an exhibit, nor does the complaint plead all the offer's principal terms. Thus, defendants' demurrer improperly relies on unpled extrinsic matter. (Blank v. Kirwan (1985) 39 cal.3d 311, 318.) ...

Excerpt: ...plaint's allegations must be accepted as true on demurrer. (Memo. 9:15-17; Del E. Webb v. Structural Materials Corp. (1981) 123 Cal.App.3d 593, 604.) Moreover, where, as here, a contract is attached to the complaint, plaintiff's interpretation of it must be accepted as correct on demurrer. (Aragon-Haas v. Family Security Ins. Services, Inc. (1991) 231 Cal.App.3d 232, 239.) The complaint adequately pleads breach of fiduciary duty against Gupta. (I...

Excerpt: ...t is "CCP 664.6 enforceable." (Harker Decl., Ex. A.) he terms of the parties' Long-Form Release, confidentiality, and non-disparagement agreements are sufficiently definite to be enforced. After entering into their initial settlement, they agreed on the terms of those covenants. (Harker Reply Decl„ pars. 6-12.) This motion, however, is premature. The settlement provides that payment is due "within 30 days of fully-executed agreement & W9." The ...

Excerpt: ...Wednesday, December 20, 2023, line 10. Plaintiffs "motion to dismiss defendants Mike Smith and Linda Galijan's appeal of the order, decision, or award [OADI of the labor commissioner for failure to post undertaking mandated by Labor Code 98.2(b)" is denied. Plaintiff claimed unpaid employment by the San Francisco Zen Center, of which Smith and Galijan were managers. The September 6, 2022 OAD found for plaintiff in the amount of $149,177.15 agains...

Excerpt: ... under the elder abuse statute (Welfare & Institutions Code ("W&I") section 15657) must show physical abuse or neglect. W&I 15610.57 defines "neglect" and notes that it applies to persons "having the care or custody of an elder." In Winn v. Pioneer Medical Group, Inc. (2016) 63 Cal.4th 148, 158, the court explains that the neglect definition contemplates "the existence of a robust caretaking or custodial relationship-that is, a relationship where...

Excerpt: ...of James Zehnder, M.D. demonstrates that defendant did not breach its duty of care or cause decedent's death. When a defendant mcwes for summary judgment and supports its motion with an expert declaration that its conduct fell within the standard of care, the defendant is entitled to summary judgment unless the plaintiff comes forward with conflicting expert evidence. (See Munro v. Regents of the University of California (1989) 215 Cal.App.3d 977...

Excerpt: ...acts sufficient to state a cause of acton upon which relief can be granted. (See Code Civ. Proc., 430.10, subd. (e).) Indeed, the complaint includes no discernible facts and the court is unable to discern cognizable facts from the attachments, many of which are in Spanish unaccompanied by any translation. Additionally, the complaint is uncertain in that it is ambiguous and unintelligible as submitted. (See Code Civ. Proc„ 430.10, subd. Further,...

Excerpt: ...al Act (PAGA) acton. It involves employees in one department at a Dignity Health hospital in Stockton. (SAC 5:16-19.) Plaintiff pleads that she and her cohort were ordered to work remotely starting with the Covid-19 pandemic, but have not been fully reimbursed for their internet and cellphone expenses. (ld. at 3:9-5:10.) Defendants argue that this action should be abated or stayed because it is duplicative of an earlier-filed PAGA action in Los A...

Excerpt: ...ents set forth in CRC 2.812 to serve as a temporary judge, has been assigned to hear this motion. Prior to the hearing all parties to the moton will be asked to sign a stipulation agreeing that the motion may be heard by the Pro Tem Judge. If all parties to the motion sign the stipulation, the hearing will proceed before the Judge Pro Tem who will decide the motion with the same authority as a Superior Court Judge. If a party appears by telephone...

Excerpt: ...assigned to hear this motion. Prior to the hearing all parties to the moton will be asked to sign a stipulation agreeing that the motion may be heard by the Pro Tem Judge. If all parties to the motion sign the stipulation, the hearing will proceed before the Judge Pro Tem who will decide the motion with the same authority as a Superior Court Judge. If a party appears by telephone, the stipulation may be signed via fax or consent to sign given by ...

Excerpt: ...the suit commenced. (See Cal. Corp. Code sec. 800; Grossetv. Wenaas (2008) 42 Cal.4th 1100, 1119 [plaintiff brining derivative suit must maintain shareholder status throughout pendency of litigation].) Here, Ostrovsky has alleged she was a shareholder "at all relevant times [when] the transactons and occurrences set forth herein occurred." (Compl. Para. 27.) Drawing reasonable inferences from the pleadings, Ostrovsky has adequately pled she was a...

Excerpt: ...tach Order. Plaintiffs application for a writ of attachment is denied. Pretrial attachment is a harsh and disfavored remedy, so the requirements for issuance are strictly construed against the applicant, which bears the burden of proving every element. (CCP 484.090(a); Martin v. Aboyan (1983) 148 cal.App.3d 826, 831; Loeb & Loeb v. Beverly Glen Music, Inc. (1985) 186 cal.App.3d 1110, 1116; Pos-A-Tracton, Inc. v. Kelly-springfield Tire co. (C.D. c...

Excerpt: ...he California Department of Insurance and the Commissioner of the California Department of Insurance and, on the other hand, the contract and bad faith claims against Standard Insurance Company. Nor does the record show a basis for permissive joinder. The fourth cause of achon for writ of mandamus against the California Department of Insurance and the Commissioner of the California Department of Insurance is ordered severed from the other claims ...

Excerpt: ...nd To Increase Damages Claim Based On Subsequently Incurred Damages. Plaintiff Acme Integrated Services, Inc. 's motion for leave to amend its complaint is GRANTED. Defendant Top Line Engineers, Inc. ('ITLE") was the prime contractor to a public works project at the Bayshore CalTrain Staton. TLE subcontracted with ACME to provde scaffolding for the site. In February 2023, ACME began filing stop job notices with the public agency owner claiming TL...

Excerpt: ...717 prevailing party is denied. In this construction defect action, plaintiff won a motion to compel arbitration in San Francisco of its dispute with Winco Window Co. Winco's simultaneous moton to compel arbitration in Missouri was declared moot. Plaintiff now seeks attorney fees for the two motions. The opinion plaintiffs memorandum primarily relies on - Otay River Constructors v. San Diego Expressway (2008) 158 Cal.App.4th 796 - is inapposite. ...

Excerpt: ... (2006) 136 Cal.App.4th 604, 617 [denying discovery requestl.) Defendant fails to establish good cause for the discovery request. Perry denies the sexual assault charges and therefore, can establish falsity to support the defamation claims without information from Rogers. Perry is also privy to a text where Rogers allegedly stated that she "hates" Perry. (Moving points and authorities ("MP&A"), 2:11-12; Rogers Decl., Ex. A (10/26/23).) Conducting...

Excerpt: ...ees and costs is denied. (CCP 396b(b).) CCP 395(b) applies to "an achon arising from an offer or provision of goods, services, loans or extensions of credit intended primarily for personal, family or household use " The case shall be venued in "the superior court in the county where the buyer or lessee in fact signed the contract, where the buyer or lessee resided at the time the contract was entered into, or where the buyer or lessee resides at ...

Excerpt: ...actor Mountain Bay and developer WVN cross-complained against subcontractors including FSAC which installed fire alarm systems at the property. (Mot. 6:8-9; Terani Decl. Para. 3.) FSAC now demurs to the cross-complaint on ground the cross-complaint fails to state facts sufficient to constitute causes of action against for (1) express indemnity; (2) implied indemnity; (3) equitable indemnity; (4) breach of contract; and (5) negligence. The cross-c...

Excerpt: ...ult is denied. Defendant fails to show that plaintiffs service of the summons and complaint in May of 2023 was defective and the subsequent default is void. (CCP 473(d).) The Ko declaration does not clearly disclose where she resided at the time of the service. Moreover, defendant's other court filings suggest that she resided in Sunnyvale, California at the time of the service. Defendant fails to meet her burden for relief under CCP 473(b) and C...

Excerpt: ...ult is denied. Defendant fails to show that plaintiffs service of the summons and complaint in May of 2023 was defective and the subsequent default is void. (CCP 473(d).) The Ko declaration does not clearly disclose where she resided at the time of the service. Moreover, defendant's other court filings suggest that she resided in Sunnyvale, California at the time of the service. Defendant fails to meet her burden for relief under CCP 473(b) and C...

Excerpt: ...For Order Barring Him From Being Called As A Witness (Tentative Ruling Part 1 of 2) Pro Tem Judge Robert Kane, a member of the California State Bar who meets all the requirements set forth in CRC 2.812 to serve as a temporary judge, has been assigned to hear this motion. Prior to the hearing all parties to the motion will be asked to sign a stipulation agreeing that the motion may heard by the Pro Tem Judge. If all parties to the motion sign the ...

Excerpt: ...rrogatories General And Request For $3750 In Monetary Sanctions Against Blue Note Therapeutics And Its Counsel, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (Tentative Ruling part 1 of 2) Pro Tem Judge Robert Kane, a member of the California State Bar who meets all the requirements set forth in CRC 2.812 to serve as a temporary judge, has been assigned to hear this motion. Prior to the hearing all parties to the motion will be asked to sign a stipulation agreei...

Excerpt: ...had actual notice of the lawsuit but due to inadvertence/excusable neglect, the papers did not reach the proper person to respond to the complaint. (CCP 473; CCP 1008; Campbell and Fromholz Dec's.) Defendant was diligent and did not apprise the court of this new information because due to a personal emergency, defense counsel could not appear at the hearing on the motion to vacate. In light of this new evidence, the motion to vacate default is gr...

Excerpt: ...tion To Recall And Quash Writ Of Executon And To Return Property Levied Upon" is granted save that plaintiff can retain $816.15. All other funds must be returned to defendant. Judge Quinn is unavailable to hear this motion. Even if CCP 1008 applies, the court exercises its inherent power to grant the requested relief. (See Le Francois v. Goel (2005) 35 Cal.4th 1094, 1107 [court's inherent power to reconsider orders on its own moton].) The funds t...

Excerpt: ...m a retailer in July 2022, executing a contract which included an agreement to arbitrate. Ngo filed a complaint in July 2023 alleging violations of the Song- Beverly Act (breaches of express and implied warranty) and negligent repair. MBUSA now files this moton to compel arbitration and stay proceedings, alleging that it has standing to bring the motion on the grounds of equitable estoppel and its status as a third-party beneficiary of the arbitr...

Excerpt: ... Of Settlement Defendants City and County of San Francisco and John George Ford's motion for order determining the good faith of settlement is denied without prejudice. Assuming arguendo that CCP 877.6 applies to these circumstances, there is not substantial evidence showing that the settlement is in the "ballpark." When determining whether a settlement was entered into in good faith the court should take into account a rough approximation of pla...

Excerpt: ...en assigned to hear this motion. Prior to the hearing all parties to the motion will be asked to sign a stipulation agreeing that the motion may be heard by the Pro Tem Judge. If all parties to the motion sign the stipulation, the hearing will proceed before the Judge Pro Tem who will decide the motion with the same authority as a Superior Court Judge. If a party appears by telephone, the stipulation may be signed via fax or consent to sign given...

Excerpt: ...additional security in the sum of $20,000 not later than December 8, 2023. The unopposed request for judicial notice is granted. The City seeks an increase in the security from $2,000 ordered in January 2023 to an additional roughly $45,000. This is said to be the result of unexpected costs: the facts that (1) plaintiff has not amended a complaint as expected, presumably necessitating a demurrer, and (2) plaintiffs discovery demands were served i...

Excerpt: ...judication is denied. Defendants failed to maintain its burden of production. (CCP 437c(p)(2).) Plaintiff's evidentiary objections to the exhibits 2-11 and 13-14 attached to the Marquis declaration are sustained. Marquis does not properly authenticate the purported discovery responses and the court cannot take judicial notice of the truth of the content of the "court records" per Evidence Code sec. 452(d). (Kilroy v. State of California (2004) 11...

Excerpt: ..., LIP For A Protectve Order As To Plaintiff'S Order For Examination And Deposition (part 1 of 2) Pro Tem Judge Bruce Highman, a member of the California State Bar who meets all the requirements set forth in CRC 2.812 to serve as a temporary judge, has been assigned to hear this motion. Prior to the hearing all parties to the motion will be asked to sign a stipulation agreeing that the motion may be heard by the Pro Tem Judge. If all parties to th...

Excerpt: ...ewart Company' is denied. Plaintiff is a vexatious litgant whose case has now consumed an unprecedented 1,481 entries in this court's register of actions. Her current motion makes three arguments, all unavailing. First, plaintiff argues that this law-and-motion department could not hear the August dismissal motion, because plaintiff had filed other motions in other departments in the past. (Memo. 1:6-11, 18-22.) However, plaintiff cites no author...

Excerpt: ...ding existing facts are alleged. (See, e.g., FAC 2:21-24, 3:21- 27, 4:21-25, 5:18-19, 6:7-11, 7:2-4, 7:18-24, 9:16-20.) At the pleading stage, plaintiffs need not "show" defendants knew their representations were false (Memo. 6:5-5); that comes later in the case. Likewise, plaintiffs need not now "establish" justifiable reliance, just plead it, as they have. (ld. at 7:17-18; FAC 9:23- 27, 10:24-25.) Defendants' demurrer to the original complaint'...

Excerpt: ...ONSES TO FORM INTERROGATORIES (SET ONE) TO PLAINTIFF JENNIFER SPALDING AND REQUEST FOR MONETARY SANCTIONS OF $5,825.CO AGAINST JENNIFER SPALDING (PART 3 OF 3 TENTATIVE RULING) In contravention, however, Spalding herself concedes that the Discovery Motions were mail-served, on October 19, 2023. Emerald Fund theorizes that Spalding may have received the Motions on October 19, having been served on October 16. But Spalding submits of the envelope th...

Excerpt: ...PRODUCTION (PART 2 OF 3 TENTATIVE RULING) Result of Excusable Neglect. Under the second element of the Code, the movant must also establish that its "failure to serve a timely response was the result of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect." Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 2031.3Cqa). Here, Hua's attorney, Pete Clancy, explains the reason for the error: "In this instance my office apparently served responses not to the request for production at issue...

Excerpt: ...PRODUCTION (PART 2 OF 3 TENTATIVE RULING) Result of Excusable Neglect. Under the second element of the Code, the movant must also establish that its "failure to serve a timely response was the result of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect." Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 2031.3Cqa). Here, Hua's attorney, Pete Clancy, explains the reason for the error: "In this instance my office apparently served responses not to the request for production at issue...

Excerpt: ...liability; and (3) public nuisance. The City has demurred to all causes of action for failure to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action (CCP S431.10(e)). Plaintiff's First Cause of Action for General Negligence: The elements of negligence are: (1) defendant owed a duty of care to plaintiff; (2) defendant breached that duty; (3) defendant's breach was a substantial factor in causing the damages; and (4) plaintiff was damaged. (Ladd...

Excerpt: ...ameda County action (Jonathan Bullinger v. The Finish Line, Inc. (Case 23CV038515)) is transferred to San Francisco and that action is consolidated with this action (CGC-23-605200) for all purposes. All future filings shall be under case number CGC-23-605200. While plaintiff s dismissal of several of his Labor Code claims in this case reduces the overlap, there remains overlap regarding the enforceability of the parties arbitration agreement. Tha...

Excerpt: ...ent and is accompanied by an attorney's sworn affidavit attesting to his or her mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or neglect, the court must set aside the resulting default. (CCP 473(b).) Here, defense counsel Lawrence E. Hart has filed a sworn declaration attesting to his mistake and neglect in failingto answer plaintiff Jonathan Harms s complaint. (See Declaration of Lawrence E. Hart, paragraphs 10-11.) The motion was filed within six months of ...

Excerpt: ...s to recover statutory damages under Civil Code sec. 52(a). (See Angelucci v. Cent. Supper Club (2007) 41 Cal.4th 160, 175 [explaining Unruh Act standing]; Molski v. M.J. Cable, Inc., 481 F.3d 724, 731 (9th Cir. 2007)[ The litigant need not prove she suffered actual damages to recover the independent statutory damages of $4,000. l; Botosan v. Paul McNally Realty, 216 F.3d 827, 835 (9th Cir. 2000) [ [P]roof of actual damages is not a prerequisite ...

Excerpt: ... near an II-inch drop concealed by planter boxes. (ld. at 3:9-14.) The complaint also pleads a similar incident involving another patron a few days earlier that alerted defendants to the hazard. (ld. at 4:4-16.) With the complaint's other allegations, this suffices to support punitive damages at the pleading stage. Defendants appear to be under the misapprehension that "evidence" must be adduced at this stage. (Rply. 2:5-6.) For the 9:30 a.m. Law...