Wu v. Sushi Nomado of Manhattan, Inc.

Background

The case was scheduled for trial from November 13 through November 15, 2023. Reviewing the docket, the court found that Defendants Wei Loong Chan and Sushi Nomado of Manhattan, Inc. were not represented by counsel.

An earlier January 17, 2020 order allowed attorneys Jeffrey J. Levine and David Charles Harrison to withdraw from representing several defendants, including Sushi Nomado. Vincent Wong later appeared for other defendants, but not for Sushi Nomado or Wei Loong Chan. The earlier order warned that a corporate defendant could not continue defending itself in federal court without a lawyer and that an individual defendant without counsel would be expected to proceed without a lawyer and follow the court's rules. It also warned that failing to participate could lead to default judgments.

Court’s Orders

The court noted that Sushi Nomado had not appeared or retained counsel, and that Wei Loong Chan had likewise not appeared or retained counsel. The plaintiffs had not moved for a default judgment against either defendant.

The court ordered Wei Loong Chan to file a docket letter by October 10, 2023, stating whether he intended to proceed without a lawyer. It separately ordered new counsel for Sushi Nomado to file a notice of appearance by October 13, 2023.

The court also scheduled a pretrial conference for October 12, 2023, at 11:30 a.m. in Courtroom 18C of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in New York, New York. Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil issued this scheduling and representation order. The opinion did not decide the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims or enter a default judgment.