Summary
The United States District Court for the Western District of Washington denied LW Investment LLC’s motion for summary judgment without prejudice and granted Defendants’ request for relief under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(d). The court concluded that discovery had only recently begun and that Defendants had adequately identified discovery needed to oppose summary judgment. The parties may refile dispositive motions after meaningfully engaging in discovery.
Court
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Jurisdiction
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
Decision date
November 24, 2025
Docket number
2:25-CV-1667-DWC
Disposition
other
Questions Presented
- Whether Defendants satisfied the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(d) to obtain relief from Plaintiff's premature motion for summary judgment.
- Whether Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment should be denied without prejudice because the parties had not had adequate time to conduct discovery.
Holdings
- Defendants satisfied Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(d) because their affidavit identified specific sources and relevant information sought, the case was in its infancy, discovery had only just begun, and there was no evidence that Defendants had failed to diligently pursue discovery.
- The court denied Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment without prejudice rather than deferring it because discovery had just begun and allowing adequate time for discovery and later dispositive motions would be more efficient.
Court Document
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