Federal National Mortgage Association v. JDM Washington Street LLC
- Lewis Liman
- 1:25-cv-01728
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Federal National Mortgage Association v. JDM Washington Street LLC, Judge Liman allowed counsel to withdraw, paused deadlines, and required JDM to retain new counsel.
JDM Washington Street LLC must obtain new counsel and have that counsel file an appearance by July 11, 2025 or risk default. The case’s existing deadlines were postponed indefinitely, and the parties must file a new proposed case management plan by July 21, 2025. Joseph Moinian may represent himself.
What happened
Federal National Mortgage Association v. JDM Washington Street LLC concerns a motion by counsel for JDM Washington Street LLC and Joseph Moinian to withdraw and temporarily pause the case while the defendants sought replacement counsel.
The court granted the motion to withdraw for the reasons given during a May 29, 2025 telephone conference. JDM cannot appear in court without a lawyer and must secure new counsel, who must file a notice of appearance, by July 11, 2025. If no appearance is filed, JDM may be at risk of default. The existing case deadlines were postponed indefinitely, and the parties must submit a new proposed case management plan by July 21, 2025.
Judge Lewis J. Liman also stated that the June 13, 2025 deadline for submitting a mediation date was intended to be suspended while JDM sought counsel. The court noted that Moinian may represent himself and identified a City Bar Justice Center clinic offering free legal services to people without lawyers.
The detailed version
- Federal National Mortgage Association v. JDM Washington Street LLC · No. 1:25-cv-01728
- Lewis Liman
- May 29, 2025
Background
Counsel for JDM Washington Street LLC (JDM) and Joseph Moinian moved to withdraw as counsel and requested a temporary pause in the proceedings so the defendants could retain replacement counsel. The opinion states that a retaining lien was being asserted, but does not explain the lien’s basis or terms.
Court’s Rulings
The court granted the motion to withdraw for the reasons stated on the record during a telephone conference on May 29, 2025.
The court stated that JDM may not appear in court without an attorney. It ordered JDM to secure new counsel by July 11, 2025, and required the new counsel to file a notice of appearance on the docket by that date. If no appearance is filed, JDM would be at risk of default.
The court postponed indefinitely all dates in the case management plan and scheduling order while JDM’s new attorney is sought. The parties must file a new proposed case management plan by July 21, 2025. The court also stated that it intended to suspend the June 13, 2025 deadline for submitting a mediation date during that period. The order does not expressly state a separate disposition of the requested temporary stay beyond these scheduling directives.
Other Information
The court noted that Moinian, as an individual, has the right to represent himself. It also provided contact information for a City Bar Justice Center clinic that offers free legal services to people representing themselves in federal court.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.