Jones v. Brooklyn
Clay Lee Jones, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated v. Sozai Brooklyn, LLC
- Rochon
- 1:25-cv-08787
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Jones v. Sozai Brooklyn, Judge Rochon ordered settlement discussions and a joint status letter but did not decide standing or the merits.
The order affects Clay Lee Jones and Sozai Brooklyn, LLC, requiring both parties to participate in settlement discussions and submit a joint letter to the court.
What happened
In Clay Lee Jones v. Sozai Brooklyn, LLC, the court ordered the parties to meet for at least one hour and make a good-faith effort to settle the case. The discussions must include whether Jones has met the legal requirement of standing.
The parties must meet within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint. Within 15 more days, they must jointly tell the court whether they settled and, if not, request mediation, a settlement conference with a magistrate judge, or an initial status conference.
Judge Jennifer L. Rochon issued this order on October 28, 2025. The order did not decide standing, the claims' merits, or whether the case could proceed.
The detailed version
- Jones v. Brooklyn · No. 1:25-cv-08787
- Rochon
- Oct. 28, 2025
Order
The court ordered the parties to meet and confer for at least one hour within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint. They must make a good-faith attempt to settle the action.
Issues for Settlement Discussions
The parties were directed to consider whether the plaintiff satisfied the threshold requirement of standing, meaning whether he has the legal basis required to bring the case. The court did not decide that issue. The parties must also discuss whether additional settlement discussions through the court-annexed mediation program or before a magistrate judge would be productive if they cannot settle the case themselves.
Required Joint Letter
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 settlement conference before a magistrate judge, while indicating a preference between those options, or an initial status conference.
Disposition
Judge Rochon entered a case-management and settlement order. The order did not rule on standing, the merits of the claims, or any motion.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.