Judge: Glenn R. Salter, Case: 22-1260680, Date: 2022-12-01 Tentative Ruling

Motion to be Relieved (Arteen Ataian)

Attorney Daniel R. Gutenplan and the law firm of Enenstein Pham & Glass have moved to be relieved as attorney of record for plaintiff Arteen Ataian.  Curiously, the movants seem ready to remain counsel of record for the other plaintiffs—Nasreen Khajavi and Hootsa Gladkikh—because the motion does not make any mention of them.

It is not clear how all this is intended to work, or just how involved those other plaintiffs are here.  Whatever the relationship, this “case” is a mess.

First, the court notes a motion to be relieved as attorney of record for this plaintiff was also made by movants in the related case of Ataian v. Ataian, 21-1211533, which is before Judge Gastelum. That motion is set to be heard April 11, 2023, just over five months out.  But there, Arteen Ataian is the only plaintiff.

There is even a third case, Ataian v. HSA Realty Group, 19-1091141, which is before Judge Scott.  But there, the plaintiff is Hootan Ataian.  Arteen Ataian is not a party to that action.  However, movants here were relieved just recently as counsel of record for defendants there—Abrahim Haary and HSA Realty Group, LLC. 

Second, although the motion is unopposed and may be granted, this and the related cases are a family dispute gone viral.  It seems the prime dispute centers on ownership and control of a (family) business.  But the dispute has bled over into family lawsuits over many tangential things—such as who owns the mother’s place of residence and apparently whether the mother can/should be pushed out.

It seems indisputable that one judicial officer should handle all three cases.  At the prior hearing, neither counsel seriously challenged that view.  Even so, it does not appear that counsel have discussed how these cases may best be dealt with.

Accordingly, and on the court’s own motion, the court sets a Status Conference for December 22, 2022, at 8:30 am in Department N-6.  Counsel are ORDERED to appear.  Given that the motion to be relieved as attorney of record here would not appear to let the movants out of the lawsuit, and that the motion to be relieved in the second case is not scheduled be heard until April of 2023, the motion to be relieved is CONTINUED to the same date as the Status Conference, December 22, 2022, at 8:30 am.

Demurrer/Case Management Conference

Also on calendar is a demurrer to the amended complaint and a Case Management Conference.  On the court’s own motion, those matters are CONTINUED to December 22, 2022, at 8:30 am.

Notice

The plaintiffs shall give notice.