Beth Labson Freeman
How Judge Freeman rules, drawn from 33 signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
How Judge Freeman decides
Patterns drawn from this judge's own signed orders. Every observation links to the order it came from.
What persuades
When an arbitration clause delegates questions of arbitrability, the judge leaves challenges to the provision's validity for the arbitrator. If it remains uncertain whether the claims will stay in arbitration, she may stay the case instead of dismissing it outright.
“Because it is not certain that Ramirez’s claims will remain in arbitration, outright dismissal is not appropriate, and the Court stays this action pending the completion of arbitration.”
A contract-reformation claim based on mutual mistake needs facts showing the parties' shared intention when they executed the agreement. Later conduct alone did not supply a reasonable inference of that contemporaneous intent in the reviewed dispute.
“Wag Labs needs to plead more facts regarding the parties’ mutual intention at the time the Settlement Agreement was executed if it wishes to proceed with its counterclaim for reformation based on mutual mistake.”
Procedural preferences
A discovery stay tied to a potentially dispositive pleading motion is kept limited in duration. In the reviewed antitrust case, the judge stopped the stay at the answer or hearing date so the parties could resume discovery with clearer knowledge of the surviving claims.
“This limited stay of discovery, therefore, does not unduly prejudice Plaintiffs and allows all parties to commence discovery with a better understanding of which claims, if any, they must answer.”
Material connected to substantive preliminary-injunction briefing must satisfy the compelling-reasons standard and be redacted narrowly. Confidential business information may qualify when disclosure would harm competitive standing.
“The Court finds that compelling reasons exist to seal the materials Google identifies, because the ‘compelling reasons’ standard is met for confidential business information that would harm a party’s competitive standing if publicly disclosed.”
Cautions
Rule 11 is reserved for exceptional filings that are clearly frivolous, legally unreasonable, foundationless, or brought for an improper purpose. Losing a remand motion did not itself meet that threshold.
“Rule 11 sanctions should be reserved for the ‘rare and exceptional case where the action is clearly frivolous, legally unreasonable or without legal foundation, or brought for an improper purpose.’”
Signed rulings
A grounded sample of orders signed by this judge, with the verbatim dispositive language.
“the Court GRANTS EA's Motion to Compel Arbitration and STAYS the case pending the outcome of the arbitration.”
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 1. Wag Labs' ninth and tenth affirmative defenses are STRICKEN WITH LEAVE TO AMEND; 2. Wag Labs' counterclaims are DISMISSED WITH LEAVE TO AMEND”
“For the foregoing reasons, Defendant's Motion for Rule 11 Sanctions is DENIED.”
“For the reasons discussed above, Defendants' motion to compel arbitration is GRANTED.”
“Plaintiff Synopsys, Inc.'s motion for default judgment is GRANTED.”
“Google's motion is GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART as follows: ... Google's motion to dismiss Plaintiffs' claim No. 1 for unfair practices in violation of the UCL is GRANTED WITHOUT LEAVE TO AMEND.”
“Plaintiffs' motion for partial summary judgment against the County is GRANTED on Claims 1, 2, and 3, insofar as those claims are based on the County's policy or custom ... Plaintiffs' motion against the County otherwise is DENIED.”
“The County Defendants' motion for summary judgment is DENIED. The CFMG Defendants' motion for summary judgment is DENIED.”
“Accordingly, Plaintiff's motion for reconsideration and/or motion to alter is DENIED.”
“For the foregoing reasons, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Defendant Roahn Wynar's motion for judgment on the pleadings is GRANTED.”
“Summary Judgment is GRANTED for Plaintiff on the first issue that Defendant is vicariously liable for calls made by its corporate agents and sales associates ... Summary Judgment is DENIED on Plaintiff's second issue.”
“Summary Judgment is DENIED for Defendant on Plaintiff's TCPA claims; and ... Summary Judgment is GRANTED for Defendant on Plaintiff's UCL claim.”
“Plaintiff County's motion to remand is GRANTED; (2) This action is REMANDED to the Santa Clara County Superior Court.”
“Accordingly, the motion to remand is DENIED.”
Caseload & timing
From public federal docket records for this judge.
Freeman's San Jose caseload includes substantial technology, intellectual-property, consumer, and statutory-privacy litigation, along with criminal matters and the constitutional cases noted in her biography. Recurring subjects include arbitration clauses, consumer communications, fraud, trademarks, online platforms, firearms regulation, and children's privacy.
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