Case: 2:15-cv-00448-JLG-EPD Doc #: 51 Filed: 05/08/17 Page: 1 of 5 PAGEID #: 3700 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO EASTERN DIVISION OHIO COAL ASSOCIATION, et al., and MURRAY ENERGY CORPORATION, et al., Plaintiffs, v. R. ALEXANDER ACOSTA,1 SECRETARY OF LABOR, and THE MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, Defendants. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Case No.: 2:14-cv-2646 Related Case No.: 2:15-cv-448 JUDGE JAMES L. GRAHAM MAGISTRATE JUDGE ELIZABETH P. DEAVERS JOINT MOTION FOR STAY OF LITIGATION PENDING SETTLEMENT DISCUSSIONS Plaintiffs Ohio Coal Association, et al. and Murray Energy Corporation, et al. and Defendants R. Alexander Acosta, Secretary of Labor, and The Mine Safety and Health Administration jointly move the Court for a stay of proceedings, so that the parties may explore a potential negotiated resolution of this dispute. The reasons for this request are set forth in the following memorandum in support hereof. Respectfully submitted, CHAD A. READLER Acting Assistant Attorney General Civil Division JUDRY L. SUBAR Assistant Director Federal Programs Branch BENJAMIN GLASSMAN United States Attorney 1 s/Vladimir P. Belo Vladimir P. Belo (0071334) Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP 191 West Nationwide Blvd, Suite 300 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone: (614) 628-6935 Facsimile: (614) 628-6880 vladimir.belo@dinsmore.com Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(d), R. Alexander Acosta, in his official capacity as Secretary of Labor, has been substituted for Thomas E. Perez. Case: 2:15-cv-00448-JLG-EPD Doc #: 51 Filed: 05/08/17 Page: 2 of 5 PAGEID #: 3701 Henry Chajet (Pro Hac Vice) Avi Meyerstein (Pro Hac Vice) HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP 750 17th Street, NW, Suite 900 Washington, D.C. 20006 Telephone: (202) 378-2300 Facsimile: (202) 378-2319 Email: henry.chajet@huschblackwell.com Email: avi.meyerstein@huschblackwell.com s/ Kari E. D’Ottavio by s/Vladimir P. Belo per authorization KARI E. D’OTTAVIO U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch 20 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 Tel: (202) 305-0568 Fax: (202) 616-8470 kari.e.d’ottavio@usdoj.gov Attorneys for Plaintiffs in Case No. 2:14-cv-2646 Counsel for Defendants s/ Vladimir P. Belo Vladimir P. Belo (0071334) Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP 191 West Nationwide Blvd, Suite 300 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone: (614) 628-6935 Facsimile: (614) 628-6880 vladimir.belo@dinsmore.com Thomas M. Connor (0082462) Sarah B. Cameron (0091319) Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 1900 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Telephone: (513) 977-8301 Facsimile: (513) 977-8141 thomas.connor@dinsmore.com sarah.cameron@dinsmore.com Attorneys for Plaintiffs in Case No. 2:15-cv-448 2 Case: 2:15-cv-00448-JLG-EPD Doc #: 51 Filed: 05/08/17 Page: 3 of 5 PAGEID #: 3702 MEMORANDUM Plaintiffs in this case challenge the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) January, 2013 pattern of violations final rule. The case schedule currently provides that the parties will file cross-motions for judgment on the administrative record on May 19, 2017. Rather than concurrently litigating and negotiating a possible settlement of the dispute, the parties are open to negotiating a mutually agreeable resolution that could avoid further litigation. Following a May 1, 2017 meeting of counsel and representatives of the plaintiffs in both related cases, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and MSHA, all parties agreed that such settlement negotiations were sufficiently promising to warrant seeking a stay of this litigation. The parties have since discussed their commitment to a structured series of conferences to consider a negotiated resolution. As such, the parties seek the Court's approval of a 120-day stay of all proceedings in both related cases. This Court has the inherent power to stay a case to achieve “economy of time and effort for itself, for counsel, and for litigants.” Gray v. Bush, 628 F.3d 779, 785 (6th Cir. 2010). The parties believe that a stay of proceedings is appropriate to avoid potentially unnecessary further litigation and to conserve judicial resources. The parties therefore respectfully request that this Court exercise its discretion to stay this case for 120 days because doing so will allow the parties to focus on whether they can resolve this dispute through settlement negotiations. Respectfully submitted, s/ Vladimir P. Belo Vladimir P. Belo (0071334) Dinsmore & Shohl LLP 191 West Nationwide Blvd, Suite 300 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone: (614) 628-6935 Facsimile: (614) 628-6880 vladimir.belo@dinsmore.com CHAD A. READLER Acting Assistant Attorney General Civil Division JUDRY L. SUBAR Assistant Director Federal Programs Branch 3 Case: 2:15-cv-00448-JLG-EPD Doc #: 51 Filed: 05/08/17 Page: 4 of 5 PAGEID #: 3703 BENJAMIN GLASSMAN United States Attorney Henry Chajet (Pro Hac Vice) Avi Meyerstein (Pro Hac Vice) HUSCH BLACKWELL LLP 750 17th Street, NW, Suite 900 Washington, D.C. 20006 Telephone: (202) 378-2300 Facsimile: (202) 378-2319 Email: henry.chajet@huschblackwell.com Email: avi.meyerstein@huschblackwell.com s/ Kari E. D’Ottavio, by s/ Vladimir P. Belo, per authorization KARI E. D’OTTAVIO U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch 20 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20001 Tel: (202) 305-0568 Fax: (202) 616-8470 kari.e.d’ottavio@usdoj.gov Attorneys for Plaintiffs in Case No. 2:14-cv-2646 s/ Vladimir P. Belo Vladimir P. Belo (0071334) Dinsmore & Shohl LLP 191 West Nationwide Blvd, Suite 300 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone: (614) 628-6935 Facsimile: (614) 628-6880 vladimir.belo@dinsmore.com Counsel for Defendants Thomas M. Connor (0082462) Sarah B. Cameron (0091319) Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP 255 East Fifth Street, Suite 1900 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Telephone: (513) 977-8301 Facsimile: (513) 977-8141 thomas.connor@dinsmore.com sarah.cameron@dinsmore.com Attorneys for Plaintiffs in Case No. 2:15-cv-448 4 Case: 2:15-cv-00448-JLG-EPD Doc #: 51 Filed: 05/08/17 Page: 5 of 5 PAGEID #: 3704 Certificate of Service A true and accurate copy of the foregoing was electronically filed on May 8, 2017 via the Court’s ECF filing system, which automatically serves notice on counsel of record in this action. s/ Vladimir P. Belo Vladimir P. Belo (OH 0071334) 5