Court filing
Report Of Rule 26(f) Conference by Prestamos CDFI, LLC — Marshall v. Prestamos CDFI, LLC (Dkt. 97, E.D. Pa. No. 5:21-cv-04337)
Filed February 21, 2024 in Marshall v. Prestamos CDFI, LLC; one of 344 filings from this case.
Record facts
| Court | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Filed | 2024-02-21 |
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania · No. 5:21-cv-04337-JMG · Doc. 97 · 2024-02-21 · Docket on CourtListener
Full text
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
ALICIA MARSHALL, DANIEL
PRONSKY, PARIS TOWNSEND,
NANCILEE HOLLAND, LEONA
OWSLEY, KOLAWOLE AHMADOU,
KIANA DERVIN, KRISTINA
HENDERSON, DUSTIN INNIS, KELLY
STALNAKER and JAMIE JONES,
individually and on behalf of all others
similarly situated,
Plaintiffs,
v.
PRESTAMOS CDFI, LLC,
Defendant.
Case No. 5:21-cv-04337-JMG
JOINT RULE 26(f) REPORT
In accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f) and the Court’s instruction dated February 21,
2024, counsel for the parties conferred on February 29, 2024, and submit the following report of
their meeting for the Court’s consideration:
VII.
Anticipated Scope of Discovery
Plaintiffs
A. Summarize with specificity those issues on which the Parties will need to conduct
discovery. Identify categories of information each Party needs in discovery and
why.
Plaintiffs generally anticipate that the scope of discovery will be coincident with
the existing scope of discovery, which has been the subject of substantial and
ongoing discussions among the parties, the primary exceptions being discovery
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 1 of 32
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regarding the PPP loans of Plaintiffs in this action, and issues related to class
members in the states in which Plaintiffs reside.
B. Anticipated number of interrogatories per Party:
20.
C. Anticipated number of depositions per Party:
40.
D. To the extent either Party proposes to exceed the presumptive limits in the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure for discovery, explain the basis for that proposal.
This case involves what Plaintiffs believe may be hundreds or thousands of
proposed class members, and many millions of dollars or more in disputed and
unfunded PPP loan proceeds as Prestamos committed to funding more PPP loans
in 2021 than any other lender according to the SBA. Plaintiffs will therefore need
to pursue substantial discovery commensurate with the scope of this case as is
common under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for complex litigation
including this case.
E. Do the Parties anticipate the need for any third-party discovery? If so, identify the
likely third-parties and the discovery to be sought.
Yes. Plaintiffs anticipate seeking non-party discovery from Blueacorn and the
SBA regarding their communications and dealings with Defendants concerning
Plaintiffs’ and class members’ PPP loans, as well as other third-parties including
any third-parties to whom Defendants may have transferred any applicable PPP
loan proceeds or fees that Plaintiffs contend should be paid to Plaintiffs and the
class.
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F. Do the Parties anticipate the need for experts? If so, identify the subjects on which
the expert(s) may opine.
Yes. Plaintiffs presently anticipate needing experts. For example, Plaintiffs
anticipate needing one or more experts to opine as to the alleged damages
incurred by the members of the class and any subclasses. Plaintiffs also anticipate
needing one or more experts in forensic accounting and related areas depending
on Defendants’ disposition of PPP loan proceeds Plaintiffs contend should be paid
to Plaintiffs and the class.
Defendant
A. Summarize with specificity those issues on which the Parties will need to conduct
discovery. Identify categories of information each Party needs in discovery and why.
i. Information about each of Named Plaintiff’s business, including history,
financial and revenue information, tax returns, and the impact on their
business caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to assess the Plaintiff’s
eligibility for a second-draw PPP loan.
ii. Information verifying the representations each Named Plaintiff made to
SBA, Blueacorn, Prestamos, or others during the application process for a
second-draw PPP loan to assess the veracity of information provided in
the application process and the Plaintiff’s eligibility for a second-draw
PPP loan.
iii. All communications each Named Plaintiff had with SBA, Blueacorn, their
bank, and others about their application for a second-draw PPP loan to
assess the veracity of information provided in the application process, the
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Plaintiff’s eligibility for a second-draw PPP loan, and the Plaintiff’s
knowledge with respect to the status of their application for a second-draw
PPP loan.
iv. Information regarding each Named Plaintiff’s efforts to secure
disbursement of loan proceeds from Prestamos or another entity, and
efforts to apply for a second-draw PPP loan from any other lender to
assess the veracity of the Plaintiff’s allegation that they regularly inquired
about the status of their loan and were unable to secure a second-draw PPP
loan from another source.
v. Information about the bank accounts into which each Named Plaintiff
sought to have their second-draw PPP loan deposited to assess the
Plaintiff’s eligibility for a second-draw PPP loan and to investigate
reasons why the Plaintiff’s loan disbursement may have been rejected or
otherwise delayed.
vi. Information detailing and verifying any harm each Named Plaintiff
allegedly suffered as a result of any delay in receiving a second-draw PPP
loan.
B. Anticipated number of interrogatories per Party:
35 .
C. Anticipated number of depositions per Party:1
40 .2
1 Were the Court to consolidate this matter with Drevnak v. Prestamos CDFI, LLC, No. 2:23-cv-
2777-JMG, as requested by the parties, see infra § XVI, Prestamos would need to depose the
eleven Named Plaintiffs in Marshall and the seven Named Plaintiffs in Drevnak. Any
consolidation, however, would not require any additional deposition of the single Defendant in
this matter, Prestamos.
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D. To the extent either Party proposes to exceed the presumptive limits in the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure for discovery, explain the basis for that proposal.
Defendant believes this case will be resolved with evidence from Named
Plaintiffs, which will establish that they do not have claims for relief. In any event,
Defendant also intends to oppose certification of the plaintiff class and, accordingly,
does not believe class-wide discovery is appropriate at this juncture. There is also
substantial third-party discovery. Prestamos recently served subpoenas upon
Blueacorn, its lender service provider, as well as Evolve Bank & Trust which was
involved in the attempts to fund plaintiffs’ loan transactions.
E. Do the Parties anticipate the need for any third-party discovery? If so, identify the likely
third-parties and the discovery to be sought.
Yes. Defendant anticipates seeking non-party discovery from Blueacorn,
SBA, Evolve, and Plaintiffs’ financial institutions regarding their communications
and dealings with Plaintiffs.
F. Do the Parties anticipate the need for experts? If so, identify the subjects on which the
expert(s) may opine.
Yes. At a minimum, and without waiving the right to retain additional experts,
Defendant anticipates retaining of several experts relating to both Class Certification
and Plaintiffs claims on the merits and to refute Plaintiffs’ claimed damages.
VIII. Status of Discovery
The parties exchanged initial disclosures on January 14, 2022. Plaintiffs served
interrogatories and requests for production on November 16, 2021. Defendant served its
responses and objections on January 19, 2022. Plaintiffs served their first set of requests for
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 5 of 32
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admission on April 5, 2023, and Defendant responded on May 10, 2023. Plaintiffs served a
second set of requests for production on November 27, 2023, and a second set of interrogatories
on November 30, 2023. Defendant served its responses and objections on January 19, 2024.
Defendant served its first interrogatories and first requests for production on July 21,
2023. Plaintiffs responded to the requests for production on August 21, 2023, and to the
interrogatories on August 28, 2023. Plaintiffs served a supplemental response to the
interrogatories on February 2, 2024.
IX.
Proposed Case Management Deadlines:
The parties have agreed to detailed proposed case management plan governing both
actions to address the class certification discovery and class certification which is attached as
Exhibit A. The dates requested by the Court are set forth below.
A.
Deadline to serve initial disclosures under Rule
26(a)(1) (*must be exchanged at least one (1)
business day before Rule 16 conference): ................... exchanged January 14, 2022
B.
Deadline to amend pleadings to add claims or
Parties (*must be as early as practicable to avoid
prejudice or unnecessary delays): ..................................................... See Exhibit A..
C.
Deadline for affirmative expert reports (if any) and
disclosure of lay witness opinion testimony with
related information and documents (if any): ...................................... See Exhibit A
D.
Deadline for rebuttal expert reports (if any): ...................................... See Exhibit A
E.
Deadline to complete discovery: ......................................................... See Exhibit A
F.
If any Party seeks more than 120 days for fact discovery, explain why.
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Defendant has produced hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and
complex financial data. In addition, the large number of named Plaintiffs require
more depositions than the average civil case. The parties agree that discovery is
and will continue to be voluminous and will require more than 120 days to
complete.
G.
Deadline to file motion for summary judgment:................................ See Exhibit A.
H.
Estimated trial ready date: ................................................................. See Exhibit A.
I.
Estimated Number of Days for Trial: ...................................................................15.
X.
Deposition Scheduling
The Court expects the Parties to meet and confer as soon as practicable to set aside dates
to hold open for depositions before the close of discovery. If the Parties have not already done
so, the Court will order the Parties to do so within two weeks of the Rule 16 conference.
Have the Parties set aside dates for deposition? ___ Yes x No
If yes, what are those dates? ________________________________________________
If no, when do the parties intend to confer, and how many dates do they intend to set
aside?
This is a complex class action and the parties will confer with respect to depositions and
complete depositions prior to the close of proposed fact discovery set forth in the Case
Management Plan.
XI.
Electronic Discovery
The parties entered into a stipulated order governing electronically stored information,
which the Court entered on July 21, 2023. ECF 80.
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XII.
Protective Orders and Confidentiality Agreements
The parties filed a Joint Motion for Protective Order on January 14, 2022, ECF 19, which
the Court granted on January 18, 2022, ECF 20.
XIII. Alternative Dispute Resolution
A. Have the Parties engaged in any settlement discussions? If so, set forth the status of
those negotiations. If not, explain why not.
The parties have discussed the possibility of mediation.
B. Have the Parties explored or considered other forms of alternative dispute resolution?
If so, summarize those efforts. If not, state the Parties’ positions with respect to ADR,
as required under Local Rule of Civil Procedure 53.3.
The parties are receptive to considering ADR at an appropriate stage of the
proceedings.
C. Identify the individual who will attend the Rule 16 conference who will have
authority to discuss settlement.
For Plaintiffs:
Lawrence J. Lederer
Bart D. Cohen
BAILEY & GLASSER LLP
For Defendant:
Marcel S. Pratt
Timothy D. Katsiff
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
Daniel A. Arellano
HERRERA ARELLANO LLP
XIV. Consent to Send Case to a Magistrate Judge
Both Parties consent to Magistrate Judge Carlos maintaining responsibility for resolving
discovery disputes.
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XV.
Policies and Procedures
Judge Gallagher’s Policies and Procedures are available for the Parties to review on the
Court’s website. By signing below, counsel for each Party and/or each pro se Party represents
that he or she has reviewed the Judge’s Policies and Procedures and acknowledges the
requirements contained therein. The Parties and their counsel further acknowledge by signing
below that Judge Gallagher will strike pleadings and other submissions that do not comply with
his Policies and Procedures.
XVI. Other Matters
The factual and legal issues in this matter substantially overlap with those in Drevnak v.
Prestamos CDFI, LLC, No. 2:23-cv-2777-JMG, which is also before this Court. Moreover, the
respective parties in Drevnak and Marshall are represented by the same counsel. Prior to the
November 16, 2023 Rule 16 Pretrial Scheduling Conference in Drevnak (“Rule 16 Conference”),
the parties filed a Joint Rule 26(f) Report (the “Report”). The Report, including the Proposed
Case Management Schedule (attached to the Report), is appended here as Exhibit B. The Report
notes that the parties anticipate seeking consolidation of the two cases and that, if the Court
agrees, the Plaintiffs in Marshall and Drevnak will seek to file a consolidated amended
complaint. Further, at the Rule 16 Conference, the parties and the Court discussed consolidation
of these matters and issuance of a single scheduling order.
The parties continue to support consolidating Marshall and Drevnak and moving forward
with these matters as a single action. The parties therefore request that the Court enter the
attached Proposed Case Management Schedule, appended here as Exhibit A, which updates the
proposed schedule previously filed with the Report in Drevnak.
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 9 of 32
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RULE 26(F) MEETING AND THE ABOVE SUBMISSION
TO THE COURT:
Dated: March 1, 2024
BAILEY & GLASSER LLP
By: /s/ Lawrence J. Lederer .
Lawrence J. Lederer (Pa. ID 50445)
Bart D. Cohen (Pa. ID 57606)
1622 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T: 215-274-9420
F: 202-463-2103
llederer@baileyglasser.com
bcohen@baileyglasser.com
Michael L. Murphy (admitted pro hac vice)
1055 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Suite 540
Washington, DC 20007
T: 202-548-7789
F: 202-463-2103
mmurphy@baileyglasser.com
NOLAN HELLER KAUFFMAN LLP
Justin A. Heller (admitted pro hac vice)
Matthew M. Zapala (admitted pro hac vice)
80 State Street, 11th Floor
Albany, NY 12207
T: 518-449-3300
F: 518-432-3123
jheller@nhkllp.com
mzapala@nhkllp.com
Counsel for Plaintiffs and Proposed Class
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
By: /s/ Timothy D. Katsiff
Timothy D. Katsiff (Pa. ID 75490)
Marcel S. Pratt (Pa. ID 307483)
J. Chesley Burruss (Pa. ID 331521)
Henry W. Longley (Pa. ID 328847)
1735 Market Street, 51st Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T: 215-665-8500
F: 215-864-8999
prattm@ballardspahr.com
katsifft@ballardspahr.com
burrussc@ballardspahr.com
longleyh@ballardspahr.com
HERRERA ARELLANO LLP
Roy Herrera (admitted pro hac vice)
Daniel A. Arellano (admitted pro hac vice)
Jillian Andrews (admitted pro hac vice)
Austin T. Marshall (admitted pro hac vice)
1001 North Central Avenue, Suite 404
Phoenix, AZ 85004
T: 602-567-4820
Roy@ha-firm.com
Daniel@ha-firm.com
Jillian@ha-firm.com
Austin@ha-firm.com
Counsel for Defendant
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 10 of 32
EXHIBIT A
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 11 of 32
EXHIBIT A
PROPOSED CASE MANAGEMENT SCHEDULE
FOR CONSOLIDATED ACTION
Event
Proposed Deadline
Consolidated Amended
Complaint
4/19/2024
Prestamos’ response to SAC
5/20/2024
Substantial completion of Class
Certification discovery
3/3/2025
Plaintiffs’ identification of Class
Certification Experts and Rule 26
disclosures and summary
3/3/2025
Plaintiffs’ Class Certification
Expert Reports
4/14/2025
Plaintiffs’ production of materials
relied upon by experts in their
Class Certification Expert Reports
4/21/2025
Defendant’s Class Certification
Expert Reports
7/9/2025
Defendant’s production of
materials relied upon by experts
in their Class Certification Expert
Reports
7/16/2025
Plaintiffs’ Rebuttal Class
Certification Expert Reports
8/15/2025
Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class
Certification Combined for Both
Cases (40 pages, not including
exhibits)
8/15/2025
Plaintiffs’ production of materials
relied upon by experts in their
Rebuttal Class Certification
Expert Reports
8/22/2025
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 12 of 32
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Event
Proposed Deadline
Deadline for expert discovery
with respect to class certification
issues
9/19/2025
Defendant’s Opposition to
Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class
Certification (not to exceed 40
pages, without exhibits)
10/17/2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Daubert Motions on Class
Certification Experts
10/24/25
Plaintiffs’ Reply in Support of
Motion for Class Certification
(not to exceed 20 pages, without
exhibits)
11/24/2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Oppositions to Daubert Motions
on Class Certification
01/12/2026
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Replies to Daubert Motions on
Class Certification
1/26/2026
Class Certification Hearing
02/06/2026
Fact discovery deadline
6/13/2026
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s Merits
Expert Reports
8/26/2026
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
production of materials relied
upon by experts in their Merits
Expert Reports
8/31/2026
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Rebuttal Merits Expert Reports
11/12/2026
Plaintiffs and Defendant’s
production of materials relied
upon by experts in their Rebuttal
Merits Expert Reports
11/16/2026
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 13 of 32
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Event
Proposed Deadline
Deadline for expert discovery
with respect to merits issues
12/10/2026
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Daubert Motions
1/17/2027
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Oppositions to Daubert Motions
2/15/2027
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Replies in Support of Daubert
Motions
3/1/2027
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Motions for Summary Judgment
4/26/2027
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Oppositions to Motions for
Summary Judgment
5/24/2027
Plaintiffs’ and Defendant’s
Replies in Support of Motions for
Summary Judgment
6/14/2027
Estimated trial ready date
TBD
Estimated Number of Days for
Trial
15
Case 5:21-cv-04337-JMG Document 97 Filed 03/01/24 Page 14 of 32
EXHIBIT B
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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
GEORGINA DREVNAK, JOHN MARTIN,
KATHERINE LOYD, EZRA BEATTIE,
GREGORY LLOYD, ALYSHIA JOHNSON
and LAMETRIA MARVEL, individually and
on behalf of all others similarly situated,
Plaintiffs,
v.
PRESTAMOS CDFI, LLC and CHICANOS
POR LA CAUSA, INC.,
Defendants.
Civil Action No. 2:23-cv-2777-JMG
JOINT RULE 26(f) REPORT
In accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f), counsel for the parties conferred on October 23,
2023, and submit the following report of their meeting for the Court’s consideration:
I.
Counsel
A.
Lead counsel for Plaintiff(s):
Lawrence J. Lederer
Michael L. Murphy
Bart D. Cohen
BAILEY & GLASSER LLP
Lead counsel for Defendant(s):
Timothy D. Katsiff
Marcel S. Pratt
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
Daniel A. Arellano
HERRERA ARELLANO LLP
B.
Counsel who participated in Rule 26(f) conference on behalf of Plaintiff(s):
Lawrence J. Lederer
Bart D. Cohen
Bailey & Glasser LLP
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C.
Counsel who participated in Rule 26(f) conference on behalf of Defendant(s):
Timothy Katsiff
Marcel S. Pratt
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
Daniel A. Arellano
HERRERA ARELLANO LLP
II.
Description of Claims and Defenses
Plaintiffs
Plaintiffs’ claims arise from the same course of conduct by Defendants as plaintiffs’
claims in Marshall v. Prestamos CDFI, LLC, No. 5:21-cv-04337-JMG (“Marshall”), which is
also pending before this Court. After the United States Small Business Administration (“SBA”)
raised the fees payable to lenders for processing Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans,
Defendant Prestamos CDFI, LLC (“Prestamos”) processed nearly 500,000 loans over the course
of only five months. As a result, Prestamos received nearly $1.2 billion in loan processing fees.
Despite its contractual obligations under the same standard form promissory note and
accompanying loan documents to which Prestamos and all class member borrowers were parties,
however, Prestamos failed to fund the loans of borrowers whose loans had been approved by the
SBA. Further, Prestamos failed to fund these SBA-approved loans despite the fact that the PPP
loan proceeds had actually been paid to Prestamos and funded by the Paycheck Protection
Program Liquidity Facility (“PPPLF”) or otherwise. In fact, Prestamos continued to receive
funds from the PPPLF through September 2021, even though the loan application period closed
in May 2021. Prestamos has at all relevant times been wholly-owned by defendant Chicanos Por
La Causa, Inc. (“CPLC”). Plaintiffs allege that CPLC controlled and directed Prestamos’s PPP
lending and was the alter ego of Prestamos. The Court’s personal jurisdiction over CPLC is the
subject of a pending motion in Marshall. Id., ECF 84.
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Plaintiffs are small business owners whose loans were approved by the SBA but were
never funded by Prestamos. SBA records reflect that those loans were in fact disbursed. Internet
sites including Reddit, the website of the Better Business Bureau and other websites are replete
with complaints by other borrowers throughout the country alleging similar misconduct by
Prestamos. Plaintiffs allege breach of contract claims on behalf of statewide classes for
Prestamos’s failure to fund the SBA-approved PPP loans in compliance with the parties’ loan
agreements. PPP lenders including Defendant were also subject to compliance with applicable
rules regarding PPP loans including, among other things, a requirement to fund PPP loans within
10 days after their approval by the SBA.
In Marshall, the Court held that plaintiffs maintain standing to represent state-wide
classes, denied Defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims, and ordered
further proceedings as to the Court’s personal jurisdiction over CPLC, in an Opinion and Order
dated March 30, 2023. Marshall, ECF 56-57. Plaintiffs’ Complaint in this action accounts for
that Order and Opinion.
In light of the substantial overlap of both factual and legal issues in this action and
Marshall, the parties anticipate seeking consolidation of the two cases. If the Court agrees to
that, Plaintiffs will seek to file a consolidated amended complaint encompassing the claims of
plaintiffs in both cases.
Defendants
Defendant Prestamos CDFI, LLC (“Prestamos”), is a certified Community Development
Financial Institution who, like other lending institutions across the United States, participated in
the Paycheck Protection Program, a program enacted by Congress and administered by the SBA
to facilitate the distribution of financial aid—in the form of federally-backed, forgivable loans—
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to small businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Defendant Chicanos Por La Causa, Inc.
(“CPLC”) is an Arizona non-profit corporation organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code, and is the sole member of Prestamos. CPLC is not a lender, and it does not
appear on any of Plaintiffs’ loan documents. Defendants deny Plaintiffs’ allegations of
wrongdoing, and Plaintiffs’ claims fail for the same reason as those in the Marshall action.
Specifically, none of the documents that purportedly governed Plaintiffs’ applications for
PPP loans incorporated any requirements under the CARES Act or related rules and guidelines,
or obligated Prestamos to disburse money to Plaintiffs within a certain time period, or at all.
Whatever agreements Prestamos may have had with SBA cannot be enforced by non-parties like
Plaintiffs. And the Promissory Note each Plaintiff signed contains a broad release provision that
bars Plaintiffs’ lawsuit. Finally, Plaintiffs cannot prove any damage on any of their claims.
In light of the substantial overlap of both factual and legal issues in this action and
Marshall, Defendants do not oppose the consolidation of the two cases for the purpose of
discovery.
Stipulated Facts
1.
Defendant Prestamos is a limited liability company organized under the laws of
the state of Arizona, having its principal place of business at 1024 E. Buckeye Road, Suite 270,
Phoenix, Arizona 85034, with additional offices in Tucson, Arizona, Las Vegas and Reno,
Nevada, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
2.
Prestamos is a Community Development Financial Institution certified by the
United States Treasury as a Loan Fund.
3.
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19
outbreak a “pandemic.”
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4.
On March 13, 2020, the United States declared a national emergency due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
5.
Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
(“CARES Act”) at least in part to provide assistance for individuals, families, and businesses
affected by the pandemic.
6.
Prestamos participated in the Paycheck Protection Program, implemented
pursuant to the CARES Act, as a lender of federally-guaranteed, forgivable loans.
7.
Prestamos entered into an agreement with Blueacorn PPP, LLC, a lender service
provider, whereby Prestamos compensated Blueacorn for its assistance with, inter alia,
facilitating the PPP loan application paperwork, collection, and approval process.
8.
Prestamos, like other lenders participating in the PPP, received fees from SBA in
connection with processing PPP loan applications.
III.
Jurisdiction
Plaintiffs
This Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act
because at least one member of the proposed class is a citizen of a different state than defendant
Prestamos; there are more than 100 members of the proposed class; and the aggregate amount in
controversy exceeds $5,000,000.00 exclusive of interest and costs. See 28 U.S.C.
§ 1332(d)(2)(A).
Defendants
Defendants contend that this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction because Plaintiffs
lack Article III standing to bring this suit. Specifically, Plaintiffs did not suffer a cognizable
injury-in-fat from any delay in disbursement of loan funds because they cannot demonstrate that
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they were entitled to receive those funds; and Plaintiffs cannot demonstrate that any injury
caused by an alleged delay in receiving loan funds is traceable to any action taken by
Defendants.
Further, Defendants maintain that the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over CPLC,
because CPLC has not directed any activities toward this jurisdiction, is not a party to any
Plaintiff’s loan documents, and is not the alter ego of Prestamos.
Insurance Coverage and Deductibles
Defendants do not, under the information presently available to them, intend to rely on
any insurance coverage related to potential liability in this action. Nonetheless, and without
waiving their right to argue that insurance coverage is unavailable as to any potential liability in
this litigation, Defendants will identify relevant insurance agreements in its initial disclosures.
IV.
Dispositive Motions
Defendant CPLC intends to file a motion to dismiss Plaintiffs’ complaint under Fed. R.
Civ. P. 12(b)(2) and 12(b)(6) pending this Court’s ruling on Defendant CPLC’s Motion to
Dismiss in Marshall. Defendant Prestamos and, if its motion to dismiss is denied, Defendant
CPLC, intend to file a motion for summary judgment under Fed. R. Civ. P. 56. In addition both
CPLC and Prestamos intend to oppose class certification of this matter.
V.
Anticipated Scope of Discovery
Plaintiffs
A.
Summarize with specificity those issues on which the Parties will need to conduct
discovery. Identify categories of information each Party needs in discovery and why.
Plaintiffs generally anticipate that the scope of discovery will be coincident with
the scope of discovery in Marshall, which has been the subject of substantial and
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ongoing discussions among the parties, the primary exceptions being discovery
regarding the PPP loans of Plaintiffs in this action, and issues related to class
members in the states in which Plaintiffs reside. If the Court agrees to consolidate
this case with the Marshall case, discovery in the Marshall case would comprise a
portion of the record in this case.
B.
Anticipated number of interrogatories per Party: .................................................20.
C.
Anticipated number of depositions per Party: ......................................................40.
D.
To the extent either Party proposes to exceed the presumptive limits in the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure for discovery, explain the basis for that proposal.
This case involves what Plaintiffs believe may be hundreds or thousands of
proposed class members, and many millions of dollars or more in disputed and
unfunded PPP loan proceeds as Prestamos committed to funding more PPP loans
in 2021 than any other lender according to the SBA. Plaintiffs will therefore need
to pursue substantial discovery commensurate with the scope of this case as is
common under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for complex litigation
including this case.
E.
Do the Parties anticipate the need for any third-party discovery? If so, identify the
likely third-parties and the discovery to be sought.
Yes. Plaintiffs anticipate seeking non-party discovery from Blueacorn and the
SBA regarding their communications and dealings with Defendants concerning
Plaintiffs’ and class members’ PPP loans, as well as other third-parties including
any third-parties to whom Defendants may have transferred any applicable PPP
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loan proceeds or fees that Plaintiffs contend should be paid to Plaintiffs and the
class.
F.
Do the Parties anticipate the need for experts? If so, identify the subjects on which
the expert(s) may opine.
Yes. Plaintiffs presently anticipate needing experts. For example, Plaintiffs
anticipate needing one or more experts to opine as to the alleged damages
incurred by the members of the class and any subclasses. Plaintiffs also anticipate
needing one or more experts in forensic accounting and related areas depending
on Defendants’ disposition of PPP loan proceeds Plaintiffs contend should be paid
to Plaintiffs and the class.
Defendant
A.
Summarize with specificity those issues on which the Parties will need to conduct
discovery. Identify categories of information each Party needs in discovery and why.
i.
Information about each of Named Plaintiff’s business, including history,
financial and revenue information, tax returns, and the impact on their
business caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to assess the Plaintiff’s
eligibility for a second-draw PPP loan.
ii.
Information verifying the representations each Named Plaintiff made to
SBA, Blueacorn, Prestamos, or others during the application process for a
second-draw PPP loan to assess the veracity of information provided in
the application process and the Plaintiff’s eligibility for a second-draw
PPP loan.
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iii.
All communications each Named Plaintiff had with SBA, Blueacorn, their
bank, and others about their application for a second-draw PPP loan to
assess the veracity of information provided in the application process, the
Plaintiff’s eligibility for a second-draw PPP loan, and the Plaintiff’s
knowledge with respect to the status of their application for a second-draw
PPP loan. Information regarding each Named Plaintiff’s efforts to secure
disbursement of loan proceeds from Prestamos or another entity, and
efforts to apply for a second-draw PPP loan from any other lender to
assess the veracity of the Plaintiff’s allegation that they regularly inquired
about the status of their loan and were unable to secure a second-draw PPP
loan from another source.
iv.
Information about the bank accounts into which each Named Plaintiff
sought to have their second-draw PPP loan deposited to assess the
Plaintiff’s eligibility for a second-draw PPP loan and to investigate
reasons why the Plaintiff’s loan disbursement may have been rejected or
otherwise delayed.
v.
Information detailing and verifying any harm each Named Plaintiff
allegedly suffered as a result of any delay in receiving a second-draw PPP
loan.
B.
Anticipated number of interrogatories per Party: .................................................35.
C.
Anticipated number of depositions per Party: ......................................................40.
D.
To the extent either Party proposes to exceed the presumptive limits in the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure for discovery, explain the basis for that proposal.
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Defendants believe this case will be resolved with evidence from Named
Plaintiffs, which will establish that they do not have claims for relief. In any
event, Defendants also intend to oppose certification of the plaintiff class.
E.
Do the Parties anticipate the need for any third-party discovery? If so, identify the
likely third-parties and the discovery to be sought.
Yes. Defendants anticipate seeking non-party discovery from Blueacorn, SBA,
and Plaintiffs’ financial institutions, regarding their communications and dealings
with Plaintiffs.
F.
Do the Parties anticipate the need for experts? If so, identify the subjects on which
the expert(s) may opine.
Yes. At a minimum, and without waiving the right to retain additional experts,
Defendant anticipates retaining of several experts relating to both Class
Certification and Plaintiffs claims on the merits and to refute Plaintiffs’ claimed
damages.
VI.
Status of Discovery
Plaintiffs served requests for production on October 18, 2023 which are identical to the
discovery served in Marshall case. The parties have also agreed to exchange initial disclosures
no later than November 15, 2023. Defendants believe that discovery should be consolidated in
both cases so as to avoid duplicating discovery efforts. The parties have not addressed informal
disclosures, as formal discovery has progressed in the Marshall case.
VII.
Proposed Case Management Deadlines:
The parties have agreed to detailed proposed case management plan governing both
actions to address the class certification discovery and class certification which is attached as
Case 2:23-cv-02777-JMG Document 15 Filed 11/06/23 Page 10 of 17
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Exhibit A. The dates requested by the Court are set forth below.
A.
Deadline to serve initial disclosures under Rule
26(a)(1) (*must be exchanged at least one (1)
business day before Rule 16 conference): ................................. November 15, 2023
B.
Deadline to amend pleadings to add claims or
Parties (*must be as early as practicable to avoid
prejudice or unnecessary delays): .............................................. December 1, 2023..
C.
Deadline for affirmative expert reports (if any) and
disclosure of lay witness opinion testimony with
related information and documents (if any): ...................................... See Exhibit A
D.
Deadline for rebuttal expert reports (if any): ...................................... See Exhibit A
E.
Deadline to complete discovery: ......................................................... See Exhibit A
F.
If any Party seeks more than 120 days for fact discovery, explain why.
Defendants have produced hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and
complex financial data. In addition, the large number of named Plaintiffs between
this action and Marshall require more depositions than the average civil case. The
parties agree that discovery is and will continue to be voluminous and will require
more than 120 days to complete.
G.
Deadline to file motion for summary judgment:................................ See Exhibit A.
H.
Estimated trial ready date: ................................................................. See Exhibit A.
I.
Estimated Number of Days for Trial: ...................................................................15.
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VIII. Deposition Scheduling
The Court expects the Parties to meet and confer as soon as practicable to set aside dates
to hold open for depositions before the close of discovery. If the Parties have not already done
so, the Court will order the Parties to do so within two weeks of the Rule 16 conference.
Have the Parties set aside dates for deposition? ___ Yes x No
If yes, what are those dates? ________________________________________________
If no, when do the parties intend to confer, and how many dates do they intend to set
aside?
This is a complex class action and the parties will confer with respect to depositions and
complete depositions prior to the close of proposed fact discovery set forth in the Case
Management Plan.
IX.
Electronic Discovery
The parties in Marshall entered into a stipulated order governing electronically stored
information, which the Court entered on July 21, 2023. Marshall, ECF 80. The parties propose to
use the same stipulated order in this action.
X.
Protective Orders and Confidentiality Agreements
The parties in Marshall agreed to the terms of proposed protective order, which the Court
entered on January 14, 2022. Marshall, ECF 19. The parties propose to use the same order in this
action.
XI.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
A.
Have the Parties engaged in any settlement discussions? If so, set forth the status
of those negotiations. If not, explain why not.
The parties have discussed the possibility of mediation.
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B.
Have the Parties explored or considered other forms of alternative dispute
resolution? If so, summarize those efforts. If not, state the Parties’ positions with respect to
ADR, as required under Local Rule of Civil Procedure 53.3.
The parties are receptive to considering ADR at an appropriate stage of the
proceedings.
C.
Identify the individual who will attend the Rule 16 conference who will have
authority to discuss settlement.
For Plaintiffs:
Lawrence J. Lederer
Michael L. Murphy
Bart D. Cohen
BAILEY & GLASSER LLP
For Defendants:
Timothy D. Katsiff
Marcel S. Pratt
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
Daniel A. Arellano
HERRERA ARELLANO LLP
XII.
Consent to Send Case to a Magistrate Judge
Both Parties consent to Magistrate Judge Carlos maintaining responsibility for resolving
discovery disputes.
XIII. Policies and Procedures
Judge Gallagher’s Policies and Procedures are available for the Parties to review on the
Court’s website. By signing below, counsel for each Party and/or each pro se Party represents
that he or she has reviewed the Judge’s Policies and Procedures and acknowledges the
requirements contained therein. The Parties and their counsel further acknowledge by signing
below that Judge Gallagher will strike pleadings and other submissions that do not comply with
his Policies and Procedures.
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II.
Other Matters
As is set forth above, the Parties would like to discuss the possibility of combining this
action and the Marshall action for the purposes of consideration of Plaintiffs’ anticipated motion
for class certification and discovery.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RULE 26(F) MEETING AND THE ABOVE SUBMISSION
TO THE COURT:
Date: November 6, 2023
BAILEY & GLASSER LLP
By: /s/ Lawrence J. Lederer
Lawrence J. Lederer (Pa. ID 50445)
Bart D. Cohen (Pa. ID 57606)
1622 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T.: 215.274-9420
F.: 202.463-2103
llederer@baileyglasser.com
bcohen@baileyglasser.com
BAILEY & GLASSER LLP
Michael L. Murphy (pro hac vice to be filed)
1055 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW #540
Washington, DC 20007
T.: 202.463-2101
F.: 202.463-2103
mmurphy@baileyglasser.com
NOLAN HELLER KAUFFMAN LLP
Justin A. Heller (pro hac vice to be filed)
Matthew M. Zapala (pro hac vice to be filed)
80 State Street, 11th Floor
Albany, NY 12207
T.: 518.449.3300
F.: 518.432.3123
jheller@nhkllp.com
mzapala@nhkllp.com
Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Proposed
Class
BALLARD SPAHR LLP
By: /s/ Timothy D. Katsiff .
Timothy D. Katsiff (Pa. ID 75490)
Marcel S. Pratt (Pa. ID 307483)
Thomas J. Gallagher IV (Pa. ID 316269)
Alexa L. Levy (Pa. ID 327973)
1735 Market Street, 51st Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19103
T: 215-665-8500
F: 215-864-8999
PrattM@ballardspahr.com
KatsiffT@ballardspahr.com
GallagherT@ballardspahr.com
LevyA@ballardspahr.com
HERRERA ARELLANO LLOP
Roy Herrera (admitted pro hac vice)
Daniel A. Arellano (admitted pro hac vice)
Jillian Andrews (admitted pro hac vice)
Austin T. Marshall (admitted pro hac vice)
1001 North Central Avenue, Suite 404
Phoenix, AZ 85004
T: 602-567-4820
Roy@ha-firm.com
Daniel@ha-firm.com
Jillian@ha-firm.com
Austin@ha-firm.com
Counsel for Defendants
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EXHIBIT A
PROPOSED CASE MANAGEMENT SCHEDULES
FOR CONSOLIDATED ACTION
Event
Plaintiffs’ Proposed
Deadline
Defendant’s Proposed
Deadline
Consolidated Amended Complaint
November 22, 2023
Prestamos’ response to SAC
December 22, 2023
30 days after filing
Substantial completion of Class
certification discovery
June 7, 2024
October 4, 2024
Plaintiffs’ identification of Class
Certification Experts and Rule 26
disclosures and summary
June 28, 2024
October 4, 2024
Plaintiffs’ Class Certification
Expert Reports
July 19, 2024
November 15, 2024
Plaintiffs’ production of materials
relied upon by experts in their Class
Certification Expert Reports
July 26, 2024
November 22, 2024
Fact discovery deadline
September 13, 2024
January 13, 2025
Defendants’ Class Certification
Expert Reports
September 13, 2024
February 10, 2025
Defendants’ production of materials
relied upon by experts in their Class
Certification Expert Reports
September 20, 2024
February 17, 2024
Plaintiffs’ Rebuttal Class
Certification Expert Reports
November 1, 2024
March 17, 2024
Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class
Certification Combined for Both
Cases (40 pages, not including
exhibits)
July 19, 2024
March 17, 2024
Plaintiffs’ production of materials
relied upon by experts in their
Rebuttal Class Certification Expert
Reports
November 8, 2024
March 24, 2024
Case 2:23-cv-02777-JMG Document 15 Filed 11/06/23 Page 15 of 17
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Event
Plaintiffs’ Proposed
Deadline
Defendant’s Proposed
Deadline
Deadline for expert discovery with
respect to class certification issues
December 6, 2024
April 21, 2024
Defendants’ Opposition to
Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class
Certification (not to exceed 40
pages, without exhibits)
September 13, 2024
May 19, 2024
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Daubert
Motions on Class Certification
Experts
January 10, 2025
May 26, 2024
Plaintiffs’ Reply in Support of
Motion for Class Certification (not
to exceed 20 pages, without
exhibits)
November 1, 2024
June 26, 2024
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’
Oppositions to Daubert Motions on
Class Certification
February 7, 2025
August 14, 2024
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Replies
to Daubert Motions on Class
Certification
February 21, 2025
August 28, 2024
Class Certification Hearing
March 21, 2025
September 8. 2024
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Merits
Expert Reports
April 18, 2025
March 28, 2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’
production of materials relied upon
by experts in their Merits Expert
Reports
April 25, 2025
April 1, 2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Rebuttal
Merits Expert Reports
June 7, 2025
June 13, 2025
Plaintiffs and Defendants’
production of materials relied upon
by experts in their Rebuttal Merits
Expert Reports
June 14, 2025
June 17, 2025
Deadline for expert discovery with
respect to merits issues
July 12, 2025
July 11, 2025
Case 2:23-cv-02777-JMG Document 15 Filed 11/06/23 Page 16 of 17
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Event
Plaintiffs’ Proposed
Deadline
Defendant’s Proposed
Deadline
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Daubert
Motions
August 1, 2025
August 16, 2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’
Oppositions to Daubert Motions
September 19, 2025
September 12, 2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Replies
in Support of Daubert Motions
October 17, 2025
September 26, 2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Motions
for Summary Judgment
August 1, 2025
November 21, 2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’
Oppositions to Motions for
Summary Judgment
September 19, 2025
December 19, 2025
Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’ Replies
in Support of Motions for Summary
Judgment
October 17, 2025
January 9, 2026
Estimated trial ready date
December 1, 2025
Estimated Number of Days for Trial
15
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