Bangkok Bangkok Import & Export Inc. v. 2M Associates, Inc.

Background

The court issued a scheduling and courthouse-protocol order while the case was pending. A pretrial conference had been scheduled for July 8, 2021. The order stated that the parties had conducted no discovery by the July 2, 2021 deadline.

What the Court Ordered

The court adjourned the pretrial conference to July 14, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. It stated that the proceeding would be held in person in Courtroom 1105 of the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse unless the court ordered otherwise. The court also told the parties to promptly notify it if the case settled at the settlement conference scheduled for July 13, 2021.

The court directed counsel to be prepared to show cause—meaning to explain why the court should grant relief—regarding any request for additional discovery time. Counsel also had to be prepared to address whether the plaintiff should be heard concerning defendants’ failure to respond timely to the first set of interrogatories. The court emphasized the requirement of good cause and diligence for modifying a scheduling order, as well as the existing warnings that extensions would generally not be granted after deadlines had passed absent extraordinary circumstances.

Courthouse Procedures

The order required people entering the courthouse, including attorneys and members of the public, to complete a questionnaire and undergo temperature screening. It described mask and social-distancing requirements, limits on courtroom seating, and telephone-only listening access for members of the public because of the public-health situation. It also encouraged the parties to limit the number of people attending in person.

Disposition

Judge Jesse M. Furman directed the Clerk of Court to terminate ECF No. 34. This order addressed scheduling, discovery, and courthouse procedures; it did not resolve the parties’ underlying claims.