Meshekoff v. Best Buy Stores, L.P.

Reassignment

The case was reassigned to United States District Judge Arun Subramanian. The court directed all counsel to familiarize themselves with the judge’s Individual Practices. Unless the court later ordered otherwise, prior orders, dates, and deadlines remained in effect.

Joint Status Letter

The court ordered the parties to file a joint letter on the electronic filing system by Monday, August 21, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. The letter could not exceed five pages. To the extent relevant, it had to separately address:

- Counsel’s names and current contact information, along with the lead trial counsel for each party; - The nature of the case and principal defenses; - The basis for federal jurisdiction and venue; - Why diversity of citizenship existed when the case was removed to federal court; - All existing deadlines and cutoff dates; - Previously scheduled conferences that had not occurred; - Outstanding motions and the relief sought; - Pending appeals; - Discovery completed and any discovery needed for meaningful settlement discussions; - The status of settlement discussions without revealing exact offers or demands; - Whether alternative dispute resolution would be appropriate, including a settlement conference, district mediation, or a private mediator; - The estimated length of trial; and - Any other information that could help move the case toward settlement or trial, including dispositive or novel issues.

The order specifically stated that residence alone is insufficient to establish an individual’s citizenship. It required the parties to identify an individual’s state of citizenship, meaning the person’s domicile. For entities, the letter had to provide the information required for the entity type, including places of incorporation and principal places of business for corporations and the citizenship of relevant members, shareholders, partners, or trustees for other listed entities.

Settlement, Termination, and Extensions

If the case had already been settled or otherwise terminated, counsel did not have to file the joint letter or appear, so long as proof of termination was filed before the submission deadline using the appropriate electronic filing event. Requests to extend a deadline or adjourn an appearance had to be made by a letter-motion filed at least 48 hours beforehand, absent compelling circumstances. The request had to identify the original and requested new dates, the reasons, prior extension or adjournment requests and their results, and whether opposing counsel consented.

Disposition and Classification

The court entered a case-management order concerning reassignment and required reporting. It did not decide the parties’ underlying legal claims or defenses. The matter is therefore classified as a procedural order.