Brown v. Master Barbers Barber Shop, Inc.
- Rochon
- 1:25-cv-01045
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Brown v. Master Barbers Barber Shop, Inc., Judge Rochon ordered settlement discussions and a joint status letter but did not decide the case’s merits.
The order affects plaintiff Altaune Brown and defendants Master Barbers Barber Shop, Inc. and 1169 2ND AVE LLC by requiring them to participate in settlement discussions and submit a joint letter to the court.
What happened
In Brown v. Master Barbers Barber Shop, Inc., the court ordered the parties to meet for at least one hour within 30 days after the summons and complaint are served. They must make a good-faith effort to settle and discuss whether the plaintiff has satisfied the basic requirement of having standing to sue.
If the parties cannot settle, they must discuss whether mediation through the court’s program or a settlement conference before a magistrate judge would be useful. Within 45 days after service, they must submit a joint letter stating whether they settled and, if not, asking either for mediation or a magistrate-judge settlement conference, or for an initial status conference.
Judge Jennifer L. Rochon issued this case-management order on February 7, 2025. The order did not decide standing, liability, or any other issue on the merits.
The detailed version
- Brown v. Master Barbers Barber Shop, Inc. · No. 1:25-cv-01045
- Rochon
- Feb. 7, 2025
Order
The court ordered Altaune Brown, Master Barbers Barber Shop, Inc., and 1169 2ND AVE LLC to meet and confer within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint. The meeting must last at least one hour, and the parties must make a good-faith attempt to settle the action.
Standing Discussion
The parties were directed to consider whether Brown has satisfied the threshold requirement of standing, meaning a sufficient legal connection to bring the case. The order cited Second Circuit decisions concerning standing, but it did not decide whether Brown has standing.
Further Settlement Steps
If the parties cannot settle on their own, they must discuss whether additional settlement discussions through the district court’s court-annexed mediation program or before a magistrate judge would be productive at that time. Within 15 additional days—45 days after service of the summons and complaint—the parties must submit a joint letter stating whether they settled. If they did not settle, the letter must request either referral to mediation or a magistrate-judge settlement conference, with a preference identified, or an initial status conference.
Disposition
This is a procedural case-management order. It does not resolve the parties’ claims, decide standing, or determine liability. Judge Jennifer L. Rochon entered the order on February 7, 2025.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.