Tori Belle Cosmetics LLC v. Meek ( 2022 )

1 2 3 4 5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 6 WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE 7 TORI BELLE COSMETICS LLC, 8 Cause No. C21-0066RSL Plaintiff, 9 v. ORDER EXTENDING TIME IN 10 WHICH TO RETAIN COUNSEL NATALIE MEEK, et al., 11 Defendants. 12 13 14 On September 26, 2022, the Court granted a motion to withdraw as counsel for Tori Belle 15 Cosmetics LLC and Laura Hunter, giving the corporate entity thirty days in which to retain new 16 17 counsel. Dkt. # 25. Ms. Hunter filed a motion seeking an extension of time (Dkt. # 98), followed 18 by a declaration asserting that LashLiner, Inc., has filed a bankruptcy petition and that this action 19 should be stayed as to its subsidiary, Tori Belle (Dkt. # 101). Defendant Natalie Meek opposes 20 the extension of time, moves to strike filings made on behalf of a non-represented entity, and 21 argues that the request for a bankruptcy stay is legally untenable. 22 23 The general rule is that an automatic bankruptcy stay protects only the debtor and its 24 property, not that of the debtor’s corporate affiliates. In re Chugach Forest Prods., Inc., 23 F.3d 25 241, 246 (9th Cir. 1994); Dish Network, LLC. v. Jadoo TV, Inc., No. CV 18-9768-FMO (KSX), 26 2019 WL 4544423, at *4 (C.D. Cal. Aug. 14, 2019). A stay would therefore be inappropriate. 27 ORDER EXTENDING TIME 1 The Court will exercise its discretion to grant Tori Belle an additional twenty-five days in which 2 to retain counsel, however. If a notice of appearance is not filed by November 21, 2022, default 3 will be entered against Tori Belle. No further extensions of this deadline will be granted. 4 5 Dated this 1st day of November, 2022. 6 7 Robert S. Lasnik 8 United States District Judge 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 ORDER EXTENDING TIME