Founder
Over the last year, there has been a slow, but steady migration of Schedule A cases. Plaintiffs have sought greener pastures as the Northern District of Illinois becomes increasingly chilly to Schedule A plaintiffs. One such destination is the Western District of Pennsylvania. Not so fast. Last week, Judge Nicholas Ranjan of the Western District of Pennsylvania issued an extraordinary “SCHEDULE A CASE STANDING ORDER,” which does not portend well for Schedule A plaintiffs. Indeed, it essentially stops the Schedule A vehicle in its tracks. The court’s standing order prohibits: joinder of unrelated defendants; generalized assertions of personal jurisdiction; service by email; asset freezes without evidence that the defendant is trying to move assets; and finally, sealed complaints. By removing the essentials of Schedule A, Judge Ranjan has dealt a sockdolager to plaintiffs. Of course, he is only one judge. But if a critical mass of judges on the Western District of Pennsylvania adopt at least some of these provisions, Schedule A plaintiffs will likely pull up stakes.