Doncouse v. Pisces Bar & Tavern
- Rochon
- 1:25-cv-09588
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Doncouse v. Pisces Bar & Tavern, Judge Rochon ordered the parties to meet, discuss standing and settlement, and report whether they settled.
Graciela Doncouse, Pisces Bar & Tavern, Inc., and 541 Construction Corp.; the order requires the parties to take specified settlement and case-management steps.
What happened
Graciela Doncouse sued Pisces Bar & Tavern, Inc. and 541 Construction Corp. in the Southern District of New York. The order does not describe the claims or decide whether Doncouse has standing to sue.
The court ordered the parties to meet for at least one hour within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint. They must make a good-faith effort to settle and discuss whether Doncouse meets the basic legal requirement of standing, as well as whether court-supported mediation or a settlement conference with a magistrate judge could help.
Within 15 more days, the parties must file a joint letter stating whether they settled. If they did not, they must ask to proceed with mediation or a settlement conference, or request an initial status conference. Judge Jennifer L. Rochon issued this procedural order on November 18, 2025.
The detailed version
- Doncouse v. Pisces Bar & Tavern · No. 1:25-cv-09588
- Rochon
- Nov. 18, 2025
Order
The court ordered the parties to meet and confer—that is, meet and discuss the case—for at least one hour within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint. The discussions must include a good-faith attempt to settle the action. The parties must also consider whether the plaintiff has satisfied the threshold requirement of standing, meaning whether she is legally entitled to bring the case in federal court. The opinion cites Calcano v. Swarovski N. Am. Ltd. and Harty v. W. Point Realty, Inc. in connection with that issue.
If the parties cannot settle on their own, they must discuss whether additional settlement discussions through the court's mediation program or before a magistrate judge would be productive at that time.
Reporting Requirement
Within 15 additional days—45 days after service of the summons and complaint—the parties must submit a joint letter telling the court 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 stating which option the parties prefer, or an initial status conference.
Disposition and Scope
This order directs settlement discussions and the next case-management step. It does not decide the standing issue, the merits of the claims, or whether either side is entitled to judgment.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.