Bartell Ranch LLC v. McCullough

Opinion

O.KENT MAHER (Nev. Bar No. 316) kent@winnemuccalaw.com PO Box 130 W Fourth Street Winnemucca, Nevada 89446 Ph: (775) 623-5277 Fax: (775) 623-2468 Local Counsel for Plaintiffs DOMINIC M. CAROLLO (Or. Bar. No. 093057) Pro Hac Vice dcarollo@carollolegal.com Carollo Law Group LLC Mail: P.O. Box 2456 Roseburg, OR 97470 Office: 2315 Old Highway 99 South Roseburg, OR 97471 Ph: (541) 957-5900 Fax: (541) 957-5923 Attorneys for Plaintiffs UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF NEVADA BARTELL RANCH, LLC, a Nevada limited Case No.: 3:21-cv-00080-MMD-CLB liability company and EDWARD BARTELL, Plaintiffs JOINT MOTION BY BARTELL PLAINTIFFS AND FEDERAL vs. DEFENDANTS FOR STAY OF BRIEFING OF BARTELL PLAINTIFFS’ EAJA MOTION ESTER M. MCCULLOUGH, Winnemucca District Manager, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, Defendants, and LITHIUM NEVADA CORP., Defendant-Intervenor. Plaintiffs Bartell Ranch and Edward Bartell (“Bartell Plaintiffs”) and Federal Defendants the United States Bureau of Land Management and Ester M. McCullough (“Defendants”) hereby move to stay briefing on Bartell Plaintiffs’ Motion/Petition for Attorneys’ Fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act (“EAJA”) to allow for settlement discussions on the motion to proceed. Bartell Plaintiffs filed their motion/petition for attorneys’ fees under EAJA on November

10, 2023. Defendants’ response is therefore due November 24, 2023. Bartell Plaintiffs and Defendants desire an amicable resolution of Bartell Plaintiffs’ EAJA motion. Bartell Plaintiffs’ motion is a “placeholder” designed to satisfy the EAJA motion deadline while allowing the parties to negotiate over fees. See Greenpeace v. Stewart, No. 17-35945, 2020 WL 2465321, *4-5 (9th Cir. Commissioner, May 12, 2020) (approving use of EAJA placeholder motion). Bartell Plaintiffs and Defendants will quickly engage in negotiations to try and resolve Bartell Plaintiffs’ EAJA motion. While negotiations are ongoing Bartell Plaintiffs and Defendants propose to stay all briefing. In the event that settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, Bartell Plaintiffs and Defendants will inform the Court and file a joint schedule which would allow Bartell

Plaintiffs to amend its EAJA motion, submit supporting evidence, and create a briefing schedule. Bartell Plaintiffs and Defendants move the Court for an order finding: 1. That briefing on Bartell Plaintiffs’ EAJA motion is stayed; 2. Bartell Plaintiffs and Defendants will submit a status report updating the Court on the progress of EAJA negotiations within 60 days of the Court’s order on this Joint Motion; and 3. If settlement is unsuccessful, Bartell Plaintiffs and Defendants will file a joint schedule for Bartell Plaintiffs to amend their EAJA motion, submit additional supporting evidence, and creating a briefing schedule. Respectfully submitted this 13th day of November, 2023. /s/ Dominic M. Carollo DOMINIC M. CAROLLO (Or. Bar. No. 093057) O.Kent MAHER (Nev. Bar No. 316) Pro Hac Vice kent@winnemuccalaw.com dcarollo@carollolegal.com PO Box 130 Carollo Law Group LLC 33 W Fourth Street Mail: P.O. Box 2456 Winnemucca, Nevada 89446 Roseburg, OR 97470 Ph: (775) 623-527 Office: 2315 Old Highway 99 South Of Attorneys for Plaintiffs Roseburg, OR 97471 Ph: (541) 957-5900 Of Attorneys for Plaintiffs /s/ Michael K. Robertson Michael K. Robertson (DC Bar 1017183) Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Natural Resources Section P.O. Box 7611 Washington, D.C. 20044-7611 202-305-9609 michael.robertson@usdoj.gov Attorney for Federal Defendants I hereby certify that on November 13, 2023 I filed the foregoing JOINT MOTION BY BARTELL PLAINTIFFS AND FEDERAL DEFENDANTS FOR STAY OF BRIEFING }OF BARTELL PLAINTIFFS’ EAJA MOTION using the United States District Court CM/ECE, which caused all counsel of record to be served electronically. /s/Dominic Carollo DOMINIC M. CAROLLO (Or. Bar No. 093057) [Pro Hac Vice]

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

Db IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: Ct) MIRANDA M. DU

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