Excerpt: ...l — and some fail for clear reasons. The Court is also required to limit sanctions, if any, to those that will deter the behavior. In this case, the request for attorney fees was by statute or case law, and by a reasonable extension of case law. Nonetheless, the Court does not view it as the sort of abusive conduct it finds sanctionable (and I have, indeed, found conduct sanctionable, and have issued sanctions designed to deter the adverse cond...

Excerpt: ...and the California Judicial Canons all require the Court to treat trial dates as firm. With regret, the Court believes it has an affrmative obligation to grant the motion under these circumstances. The Court is not at all persuaded by Plaintiff's claim that this amendment could not have been effectuated earlier. But Higgins v. Del Faro (1981) 123 Cal.App.3d 558, 565 instructs that trial courts should be very liberal indeed as to allow-ng amendmen...

Excerpt: ...ural unconscionability and some degree of substantive unconscionability. The Court finds that the agreement at issue is unenforceable due to unconscionability. The Court finds that procedural unconscionability is shown by the fact this is a contract of adhesion, there is no claim that the terms were negotiable, and under either party's factual assertions, there was some requirement to sign and return the documents to be hired. The offer also expi...

Excerpt: ...s wasn't accurate, and the Court ordered that the motion be immediately filed. Defense counsel indicated that the motion had already been prepared. The Court sanctioned counsel $750 to be paid to Plaintiff's counsel to pay for his time and efforts in appearing and going through two separate packets which did not contain points and authorities. The Court has discretion whether to accept the points and authorities, and uses that discretion to do so...

Excerpt: ...ponses are confusing and fail to identify whether Plaintiff possesses any materials responsive to the subject requests. Moreover, with regard to the asserted objections, the responses fail to identify the materials subject to the same and fail to provide sufficient information (or a privilege log) for the defense's use in determining whether the claimed privileges apply. Lastly, the responses fall to prov-de adequate support for Plaintiff's claim...

Excerpt: ...a Diaz v. General Motors LLC: "This Court once again reminds the Erskine Law Group, Inc. not to cite to unpublished Superior Court cases. (T8G Ins. Service Corp. v. Superior Court (2CM) 96 Cal.App.4th 443, 447, fn2.) Further reminders will come with sanctions." This further reminder comes from an opposition filed three weeks later. The Court suggests that counsel take a stronger interest in the rules governing attorney conduct. The Erskine Law Gr...

Excerpt: ...ute a conflict. (End disclosure). Prior contnuance: The Court begins by noting that at the ex parte hearing on June 8, 2023, continuing the then-set trial date to October, Plaintiffs' counsel agreed with the assertion that liability was and remains a serious issue. Further, at that hearing, all parties represented that the primary delay issue was mediation and that the Court's delayed ruling on the Motion for Summary Judgment contributed to the d...

Excerpt: ...on of the LICL; a First Amended complaint adding a PAGA claim was filed shortly afterward. The subject settlement agreement and proposed notice are attached as exhibits to Attorney Bokhour's declaration in support of the motion herein. The motion is also supported by a declaration from Attorney Falakassa (primarily as to the experience of class counsel and reasonableness of the charged fees) and by a declaration from the representative plaintiff,...

Excerpt: ...itatons to Superior Court cases are not permitted. (TBG Ins. Service Corp. v. Superior Court (2002) 96 Cal.App.4th 443, 447, fn2.) There are good reasons for this rule; the Court does not have access to every trial court ruling, and cherry-picking is unhelpful. Further, I have an ethical obligation to be an independent jurist." Despite being aware of this rule, Plaintiff chose to file a brief that re-argued that this court should consider other t...

Excerpt: ...rapy was unnecessary. As to harm, Dr. Schmidt at paragraph 20 asserts as follows: "Ms. McCoy's harm from the administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy/radiation therapy included incontinence, fatigue, and depression. She claims also to spend at least 4 hours per day on the toilet with diarrhea. None of these conditions she claims to have had prior to being administered the chemotherapy/radiation therapy, according her declaration and these condi...

Excerpt: ...ant Second Amended Complaint, which eliminated the Sixth and Seventh Causes of Acton from the pleading altogether. Therefore, the instant demurrer attacks causes of action to which the defense's previous demurrer was overruled, purportedly on the "new" ground that Plaintiff fails to sufficiently allege exhaustion of administrative remedies, as is required prior to bringing claims based on FEHA. This argument was raised in Defendant's reply brief ...

Excerpt: ...6 Cal.App.4th 443, 447, fn2.) There are good reasons for this rule; the Court does not have access to every trial court ruling, and cherry-picking is unhelpful. Further, I have an ethical obligation to be an independent jurist. FACTUAL SUMMARY A separate case filed on November 14, 2019 by Brianna Dennis in Santa Clara Superior Court involved the same Defendant and similar issues. This case was filed on June 22, 2020. Ross answered on July 23, 202...

Excerpt: ...nds that the papers demonstrate insufficient meet-and-confer efforts prior to submission of the instant motion. For example, it appears that the defense has proposed a stipulated protective order which would arguably permit the production of several of the items in dispute. Therefore, the Court has concluded that the parties have not yet exhausted the potential for them to further narrow and/or resolve the issues presented herein with the pursuit...

Excerpt: ...te of judicial judgment. (See, e.g. Britz, Inc. v. Alfa-Laval Food & Dairy Co. (1995) 34 Cal.App.4th 1085, 1106– 1107.) Moreover, the Court Þnds that Pe
Ÿ
Ÿoners have demonstrated their en
Ÿtlement to recover costs in the amount of $17,140, represen
Ÿng the a
©orney's fees awarded by the arbitrator and the Þling fees incurred in connec
Ÿon with this ac
Ÿon. However, the Court lacks power to award arbitra
Ÿon costs that should have bee...

Excerpt: ...oot as to him. The Court anticipates that the motion as to Aurora is not being pursued given the opportunity afforded to speak to her on August 9. Under Code Civ. Proc. S 2024.020, any party shall be entitled as a matter of right to complete discovery proceedings on or before the day, and to have motions concerning discovery heard on or before the 15th day, before the date initially set for trial, and except as provided in S 2024.050, a continuan...

Excerpt: ...mpetent expert testimony that they acted at all times within the applicable standard of care. Ko Declaration, paragraphs 5 — 11; and Monjazeb Declaration, paragraphs 6 — 11. This expert testimony is sufficient to shift the burden under Code Civ. Proc. section 437c(p)(2) to plaintiffs to provide evidence of breach of the standard of care. Causation must be proven within a reasonable medical probability based on competent expert testimony. Broo...

Excerpt: ...and conditions set forth therein and the Gross Settlement Amount and the allocation of payments. The proposed settlement terms are as follows: (1) Gross Settlement Amount of $480,000.00; (2) Attorney's Fees of $160,000.00 (1/3 of the Gross Settlement Amount) and costs of up to $10,000.00; (3) Settlement administration costs of approximately $10,500.00; (4) $10,000.00 allocated for PAGA Penalties under the Private Attorney General Acton of 2004 ("...

Excerpt: ...d not dispute the amount in either its opposition or its response to the separate statement. (See UMF's 44-45) As such, the Court is mandated to grant the motion. The Court orders Plaintiff to prepare an amended order consistent with this ruling. The Court also adopts its prior tentative ruling, as follows: Defendants do not dispute that the loan, lease and guaranty agreements were entered into or that the defendants have not fulfilled their obli...

Excerpt: ...in their favor. Specifically, the express language of the Property Management Agreement dictates that the contractual terms were effective at the time of Plaintiff's injury. (See, e.g., UMF 8.) In interpreting an express indemnity agreement, the courts look first to the words of the contract to determine the intended scope of the indemnity agreement. (Centex Golden const. co. v. Dale Tile co. (2000) 78 cal.App.4th 992, 996-997, citation omitted.)...

Excerpt: ...tends that as the contract is not attached and the allegations are insuffciently precise, the complaint as a whole fails. Defendant further alleges that a lack of specificity as to which Defendant did which things is fatal. Defendant is correct. The Demurrer The First Cause of Action for Declaratory Relief This cause of action is based on the parties' respective rights under the insurance contract, and therefore the sufficiency of the allegations...

Excerpt: ...Judicial Notice - DENIED. As to Plaintiff's requests for judicial notice, none need be taken for the Court to consider published state or federal cases. The California cases are legal authority, and the federal case may be persuasive. The Court finds Defendant's request for judicial notice of unpublished state court cases disingenuous at best. There is a case directly on point. (TBG Ins. Service Corp. v. Superior Court (2002) 96 Cal.App.4th 443, ...

Excerpt: ...certifying the merger. The merger is the sole issue that Defendants contest, and therefore the Court is required to give Defendants an opportunity to respond. However, the Court currently views the request as valid. Defendants do not dispute that the loan, lease and guaranty agreements were entered into or that Defendant have not fulfilled their obligations under the agreements. Defendants only dispute Plaintiff's contention that CIT Bank, N.A. w...

Excerpt: ... had an existing SBA and construction loan agreement with ATI relative to its construction project at the hotel property but that the Bank served a notce of default against ATI based on a "negligent mischaracterization" of ATI's renovation project involving demolition of the hotel lobby as destruction of collateral which represented security for the loan. In addition, the Bank withheld further constructon funding it had promised to provide under ...

Excerpt: ...laint, or of any separate issue or of any number of causes of action or issues, preserving the right of trial by jury required by the Constitution or a statute of this state or of the United States. Keystone contracted with RGM to manage the property. Keystone's breach of contract cause of action in the cross-complaint against RGM concerns the amount of insurance obtained. The Property Management Contract contains an express defense and indemnity...

Excerpt: .... 5382; Cal. Rules of Ct., rule 3.769.) Good cause appearingto the satisfaction of the Court, the Court is inclined to find that the proposed settlement and the associated fees and costs are approved as set forth in the motions and supporting papers, as follows: The gross settlement amount is $170,000. Of that, $56, 666.67 is apportioned for attorney fees, $16,368.58 in costs, $7,500 for named Plaintiff, $8,972 in administrative fees, and $7,500 ...