Gonzalez v. The Armoury Group Limited
- Garnett
- 1:24-cv-03472
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In Gonzalez v. The Armoury Group, Judge Garnett ordered settlement discussions and a joint status letter before further proceedings.
Jesus Gonzalez, The Armoury Group (US) Limited, and counsel or parties who had not yet appeared.
What happened
In Gonzalez v. The Armoury Group (US) Limited, the court ordered the parties to meet for at least one hour within 30 days after the defendant is served with the summons and complaint. They must make a good-faith effort to settle and discuss whether the plaintiff meets the legal requirement of having standing to bring the case.
If the parties do not settle, they must discuss whether court-connected mediation or a settlement conference with a magistrate judge would be useful. Within 45 days after service, they must send a joint letter telling the court whether they settled and, if not, asking either for settlement assistance or an initial status conference.
Judge Margaret M. Garnett also directed appearing counsel to send this order and the judge’s individual rules to counsel or parties who have not appeared, and to file proof of that notice. The order did not decide standing or the underlying claims.
The detailed version
- Gonzalez v. The Armoury Group Limited · No. 1:24-cv-03472
- Garnett
- May 8, 2024
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 on The Armoury Group (US) Limited. The meeting must include a good-faith attempt to settle the action.
The parties were instructed to discuss whether Jesus Gonzalez has standing, meaning a sufficient legal connection to the dispute to bring the case. The court cited Second Circuit decisions concerning standing, but it did not decide whether Gonzalez has standing.
If the parties cannot settle, they must also discuss whether additional settlement efforts through the district court’s mediation program or before a magistrate judge would be productive. Within 15 additional days—45 days after service—the parties must file a joint letter stating whether they settled. If they did not, the letter must request either referral to mediation or a magistrate judge for a settlement conference, with a preference identified, or an initial status conference.
Notice to Counsel
Counsel who had entered an appearance when the order issued must promptly send the order and Judge Garnett’s Individual Rules and Practices to counsel for parties who had not appeared. If the identity of such counsel was unknown, the materials had to be sent directly to the party. Counsel must also file proof of the notice with the court.
Disposition and Scope
This was a case-management and settlement order. The court did not rule on standing, liability, or any other underlying claim.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.