Outlaw Laboratory, LP v. DG in PB, LLC

I. Background

24 The lengthy facts and procedural history of this matter are familiar to both parties, 25 and the Court will not set them out in detail here. The Court relies on the factual 26 summaries contained in its prior orders. (ECF Nos. 31, 56, 85, 110, 113, 119, 123, 147.) 27 / / / 28 II. Legal Standards a. Rule 19 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“Rules”) “19 and 20 govern the addition of a person as a party to a counterclaim or crossclaim.” Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 13(h); see Aliya Medcare Fin., LLC v. Nickell, No. CV-14-07806-MMM, 2015 WL 4163088, at *12 (C.D. Cal. July 9, 2015) (when a court considers amending a counterclaim to join new parties, it should analyze joinder under Rules 19 and 20).1 Under Rule 19, a person or entity is a “required party” and “must be joined” if feasible when (1) “in that [party]’s absence, the court cannot accord complete relief among existing parties,” or (2) “that [party] claims an interest relating to the subject of the action and is so situated that disposing of the action in the [party]’s absence may . . . as a practical matter impair or impede the [party]’s ability to protect the…