Small Scheduling Update: Next Major Date In Merck v. Merck Will Be September 25 — A Three Month Delay, After Decades Of Global Litigation…

We wrote most recently just a week ago — about German Merck’s legal team seeking to push off a trial date, yet again — under the guise of a likely medical-related leave for one of the lawyers on its team. That proposal was seeking a date later into November 2023, for the final pre-trial conference.

That has been ratcheted-back, by the able judge — to October 12, 2023 — while still accommodating what is clearly a fundamental human dignity issue, as to medical leave. Here’s that overnight joint letter — and the order of this morning, below:

…The Court has considered the parties’ positions in the April 26, 2023 joint letter [D.E. 222] and the Court’s own schedule. The parties must submit the Final Pretrial Order (both filed on the docket and 2 courtesy hard copies provided to chambers) on or before September 25, 2023.

The Final Pretrial Conference shall proceed, in person, before the Undersigned on October 12, 2023, at 11:00 a.m..

So Ordered by Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer on 4/27/2023….

So — the metaphorical Bataan Death March… continues. Grin….

नमस्ते