Judge Henry J. Ricardo — United States District Court, Southern District of New York

Consent to Proceed Before US Magistrate Judge

AO 85 (Rev. 02/17) Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Civil Action to a Magistrate Judge UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT for the __________ District of __________ ) ) ) ) ) Plaintiff v. Civil Action No. Defendant NOTICE, CONSENT, AND REFERENCE OF A CIVIL ACTION TO A MAGISTRATE JUDGE Notice of a magistrate judge’s availability. A United States magistrate judge of this court is available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action (including a jury or nonjury trial) and to order the entry of a final judgment. The judgment may then be appealed directly to the United States court of appeals like any other judgment of this court. A magistrate judge may exercise this authority only if all parties voluntarily consent. You may consent to have your case referred to a magistrate judge, or you may withhold your consent without adverse substantive consequences. The name of any party withholding consent will not be revealed to any judge who may otherwise be involved with your case. Consent to a magistrate judge’s authority. The following parties consent to have a United States magistrate judge conduct all proceedings in this case including trial, the entry of final judgment, and all post-trial proceedings. Printed names of parties and attorneys Signatures of parties or attorneys Dates Reference Order IT IS ORDERED: This case is referred to a United States magistrate judge to conduct all proceedings and order the entry of a final judgment in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 73. Date: District Judge’s signature Printed name and title Note: Return this form to the clerk of court only if you are consenting to the exercise of jurisdiction by a United States magistrate judge. Do not return this form to a judge. Print Save As... Reset

Consent to Proceed Before US Magistrate Judge on a Specific Motion

AO 85A (Rev. 02/17) Notice, Consent, and Reference of a Dispositive Motion to a Magistrate Judge UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT for the __________ District of __________ ) ) ) ) ) Plaintiff v. Civil Action No. Defendant NOTICE, CONSENT, AND REFERENCE OF A DISPOSITIVE MOTION TO A MAGISTRATE JUDGE Notice of a magistrate judge’s availability. A United States magistrate judge of this court is available to conduct all proceedings and enter a final order dispositive of each motion. A magistrate judge may exercise this authority only if all parties voluntarily consent. You may consent to have motions referred to a magistrate judge, or you may withhold your consent without adverse substantive consequences. The name of any party withholding consent will not be revealed to any judge who may otherwise be involved with your case. Consent to a magistrate judge’s consideration of a dispositive motion. The following parties consent to have a United States magistrate judge conduct any and all proceedings and enter a final order as to each motion identified below (identify each motion by document number and title). Motions: Printed names of parties and attorneys Signatures of parties or attorneys Dates Reference Order IT IS ORDERED: The motions are referred to a United States magistrate judge to conduct all proceedings and enter a final order on the motions identified above in accordance with 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). Date: District Judge’s signature Printed name and title Note: Return this form to the clerk of court only if you are consenting to the exercise of jurisdiction by a United States magistrate judge. Do not return this form to a judge. Print Save As... Reset

Fillable Form for Electronic Device General Purpose

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT   SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK           IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION   TO BRING PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE(S) OR GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTING DEVICE(S) INTO THE COURTHOUSES OF THE   SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK FOR   USE IN A PROCEEDING OR TRIAL         The following Order is subject to the definitions, obligations and restrictions imposed pursuant to   Standing Order M10-468, as Revised. Upon submission of written application to this Court, it is hereby   ORDERED that the following attorney(s) are authorized to bring the Personal Electronic Device(s) and/ or the General Purpose Computing Device(s) (collectively, "Devices") listed below into the Courthouse for use in a proceeding or trial in the action captioned:   ___________________________________________________________________.   ORDERED that for the device(s) checked below SDNY Courtroom WI-FI access shall be provided.   The date(s) for which such authorization is provided is (are).   Attorney   E-Mail Device(s)   Courtroom WIFI Granted                                       (Attach Extra Sheet If Needed)     The attorney(s) identified in this Order must present a copy of this Order when entering the Courthouse. Bringing any authorized Device(s) into the Courthouse or its Environs constitutes a certification by the attorney that he or she will comply in all respects with the restrictions and obligations set forth in Standing Order M10-468, as Revised.     SO ORDERED:       Dated:

United States Judge       Revised: July 1, 2019.

Individual Practices in Civil Pro Se Cases

Revised: March 2, 2026 INDIVIDUAL PRACTICES IN CIVIL PRO SE CASES HENRY J. RICARDO, UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Pro Se Intake Unit United States District Court Southern District of New York 500 Pearl Street, Room 200 New York, NY 10007 (212) 805-0175 ProSe@nysd.uscourts.gov

I. Communications with Chambers A. By a Pro Se Party. A pro se party must not send any document or filing directly to Chambers. A pro se party should deliver all filings and communications with the Court to the Pro Se Intake Unit located at 500 Pearl Street, Room 200, New York, NY 10007 by mail, in- person, or drop box (if outside of normal business hours). A pro se party may also deliver filings and communications in PDF format by email to ProSe@nysd.uscourts.gov. Submissions requiring immediate attention should be hand-delivered to the Pro Se Intake Unit. Unless the Court orders otherwise, all communications with the Court will be docketed upon receipt; such docketing shall constitute service on any user of the ECF system. If any other party is not a user of the ECF system (e.g., if there is another pro se party in the case), a pro se party must send copies of any filing to the party and include proof of service affirming that he or she has done so. Copies of correspondence between opposing parties shall not be sent to the Court. B. By Parties Represented by Counsel. Except as otherwise provided below, communications with the Court by a represented party shall be governed by Judge Ricardo’s Individual Rules and Practices for Civil Cases.

II. Filing of Papers A. Docketing of Letters. Absent a request to file a letter under seal, the Court will docket any substantive letter on ECF, a publicly accessible database. B. Papers Filed by Pro Se Parties. A pro se party must send all papers to be filed with the Court to the Pro Se Intake Unit conference in conformance with the procedures in Section I.A above.

Revised: March 2, 2026 C. ECF Filing by Pro Se Parties. Any nonincarcerated pro se party who wishes to participate in electronic case filing (“ECF”) must file a “Motion for Permission for Electronic Case Filing (for pro se cases)”, available in the Pro Se Intake Unit or at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/forms/motion-permission-electronic-case- filing-pro-se-cases.
D. Consent to Electronic Service by Pro Se Parties. Any nonincarcerated pro se party who wishes to receive documents in their case electronically (by e-mail) instead of by regular mail may consent to electronic service by filing a “Consent to Electronic Service (for pro se cases)” form, available in the Pro Se Intake Unit or at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/forms/consent-electronic-service-pro-se- cases.
E. Service on Pro Se Parties. Except for cases in which the pro se party has received permission to participate in electronic case filing or has consented to electronic service, counsel in cases involving pro se parties must serve the pro se parties with paper copies of any document that is filed electronically or otherwise submitted to the Court and must include a separate proof of service. Submissions without such proof of service will not be considered.

III. Pretrial Procedures.
Each party must submit a Case Report and Proposed Case Management Plan for Pro Se Cases by no later than two (2) business days before the scheduled conference in conformance with the procedures in Section I above. The parties shall use the Template for Case Report and Proposed Case Management Plan template for Pro Se Cases available at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/hon-henry-j-ricardo.
IV. Motions. The procedures for filing motions, including regarding discovery disputes, are governed by Section II of Judge Ricardo’s Individual Rules and Practices for Civil Cases, available at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/hon-henry-j-ricardo.
V. Artificial Intelligence. If any pro se litigant uses an artificial intelligence tool in preparing any filing, the filing must include a signed certification (i) explaining how the tool was used, (ii) stating whether the litigant personally reviewed the filing for accuracy of cited legal authorities and factual assertions, and (iii) if so,

Revised: March 2, 2026 describing in detail the steps taken to verify the accuracy of all legal authorities and factual assertions generated by the tool. Pro se litigants remain individually responsible for verifying the accuracy of any output produced by an artificial intelligence tool, and a litigant’s failure to review an artificial intelligence-generated filing for accuracy, or to provide the required certification, violates this Rule. The Court may strike any filing that fails to comply with this Rule.

Individual Rules and Practices for Civil Cases

Revised: April 7, 2026

INDIVIDUAL RULES AND PRACTICES FOR CIVIL CASES HENRY J. RICARDO, UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Chambers Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse 500 Pearl Street New York, NY 10007 RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov
Courtroom 500 Pearl Street, Room 21D Roberto Diaz, Courtroom Deputy

Cases come before Magistrate Judges in one of two ways: for one or more specific purposes pursuant to an order of reference by the assigned District Judge, or, on consent of the parties, for all purposes pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). When a District Judge approves an all-purposes consent form signed by counsel, the Magistrate Judge assumes the role of the District Judge. Any appeal is directly to the Court of Appeals and the right to a jury trial is preserved.
It is the uniform practice of the Magistrate Judges in this District to schedule trials in civil consent cases for firm dates, which are unlikely to be changed absent unusual circumstances. Should counsel wish to consent to have Judge Ricardo hear their case for all purposes, they should complete and file the necessary form, which is available on the Court’s website at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/AO-3.pdf.
Unless otherwise ordered by Judge Ricardo, matters before him shall be conducted in accordance with the following practices.1 These practices are applicable to cases before Judge Ricardo if the matter is within the scope of the District Judge’s order of reference or if the case is before Judge Ricardo for all purposes pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). Otherwise, the practices of the District Judge to whom the case is assigned apply.

1 Requests for reasonable accommodations on account of disability or religion with respect to these rules may be sent by email to RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov.
Counsel and parties are also invited to inform the Court of their preferred pronouns.

Revised: April 7, 2026

Contents I. Communications with Chambers. ............................................................... 3 A. Letters. ...................................................................................................... 3 B. Telephone Calls. ....................................................................................... 4 C. Emails. ...................................................................................................... 4 D. Faxes. ........................................................................................................ 4 E. Hand Deliveries. ....................................................................................... 4 F. Requests for Adjournments or Extensions of Time. ............................... 4 G. Requests for Adjournments of Court Appearances (including Telephone Conferences). ............................................................................................ 4 H. Urgent Communications. ......................................................................... 5 I. Registering as ECF Filers. ....................................................................... 5 J. Electronic Device Orders. ......................................................................... 5 II. Motions. .................................................................................................... 5 A. Letter-Motions. ......................................................................................... 5 B. Pre-Motion Conferences. .......................................................................... 6

1. Discovery Motions. ................................................................................ 6
2. Motions other than Discovery Motions. ............................................... 7 C. Briefing Schedule on Motions. ................................................................. 7 D. Courtesy Copies. ....................................................................................... 7 E. Memoranda of Law. .................................................................................. 7 F. Searchable Format. .................................................................................. 8 G. Redactions and Filing Under Seal. .......................................................... 8

Redactions Not Requiring Court Approval .......................................... 8 2. Redactions and Sealed Filings Requiring Court Approval ................. 9 3. Procedures for Seeking Court Approval to File Documents with Redactions or Under Seal.
H. Requests for and Participation in Oral Argument. ............................... 10 I. Participation by Junior Attorneys. ........................................................ 10 J. Proposed Stipulations and Orders. ........................................................ 10

Revised: April 7, 2026

K. Motions Requiring Submission of an Excel File. .................................. 11 L. Specific Time Periods Provided by Federal Rules. ................................ 11 M. Media Exhibits ....................................................................................... 11 N. Artificial Intelligence. ............................................................................ 11 III. Pretrial and Trial Procedures. ............................................................... 12

I. Communications with Chambers. A. Letters.
Except as otherwise provided below, communications with the Court should be by letter, filed electronically on ECF. Parties should not submit courtesy copies of letters filed on ECF.
Unless there is a request to file a letter under seal or a letter contains sensitive or confidential information, letters should be filed electronically on ECF in accordance with the S.D.N.Y. “ECF Rules and Instructions.”2 Letters to be filed under seal or containing sensitive or confidential information that a party does not wish to appear on the docket should be sent by email to RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov as a .pdf attachment with all counsel copied, or the pro se litigant if they are unrepresented. Any such email should state clearly in the subject line: (1) the caption of the case, including the lead party names and docket number; and (2) a brief description of the contents of the letter. Parties shall not include substantive communications in the body of the email; such communications shall be included only in the body of the letter.
Unless otherwise permitted by the Court, letters may not exceed four pages in length (excluding any attachments). Letters solely between parties or their counsel or otherwise not addressed to the Court may not be filed on ECF or otherwise sent to the Court.

2 Unless counsel is filing a letter-motion (such as for a request for adjournment or extension of time as discussed in paragraph I(F) and I(G), or for a pre-motion conference to resolve a discovery dispute as discussed in paragraph II(B), infra), counsel should not select the “letter motions” option on ECF; instead, after selecting “civil events” under the “civil” heading on the main menu bar, counsel should select the “other documents” event under “other filings.” A list with the option “letter” will then appear, which should be selected.

Revised: April 7, 2026

B. Telephone Calls.
While communications with Chambers should normally be by letter, telephone calls are permitted for urgent matters.
C. Emails.

While communications with Chambers should normally be by letter, emails to Chambers are permitted for scheduling inquiries. Dates for conferences provided by email will not be deemed scheduled until the Court receives and approves a letter-motion to adjourn or enters a scheduling order. D. Faxes.
Faxes are not permitted except with prior approval of Chambers. E. Hand Deliveries. Hand-delivered mail should be left with the Court Security Officers at the Worth Street entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street, New York, New York 10007 and may not be brought directly to Chambers. Hand deliveries are continually retrieved from the Worth Street entrance by Courthouse mail staff and then forwarded to Chambers. If the hand- delivered submission to the Court is urgent and requires the Court’s immediate attention, ask the Court Security Officers to notify Chambers that an urgent package has arrived that needs to be retrieved by Chambers staff immediately. F. Requests for Adjournments or Extensions of Time. All requests for adjournments or extensions of time must be made in writing and filed on ECF as letter-motions. The letter-motion must state: (1) the original date or dates sought to be extended; (2) the number of previous requests for adjournment or extension; (3) whether these previous requests were granted or denied; (4) the reason for the extension; and (5) whether the adversary consents to the extension and, if not, the reason given by the adversary for refusing to consent.
To the extent a request to extend a particular date requires a change in other scheduled dates, the request must list the proposed changes for all such other dates, giving the actual date for each affected deadline.
Absent an emergency, any request for extension or adjournment shall be made at least 3 days prior to the deadline. Requests for extensions will ordinarily be denied if made after the expiration of the original deadline. G. Requests for Adjournments of Court Appearances (including Telephone Conferences). A request for an adjournment of a court appearance (including a telephone conference) shall be made in writing as soon as a party is aware of the need for the

Revised: April 7, 2026

adjournment and, in any event, at least 7 days prior to the scheduled appearance (absent an emergency). The request should be filed on ECF as a letter-motion and include a statement as to the other parties’ positions on the change in date and at least three proposed dates and times for a rescheduled conference. The appearance is not adjourned unless counsel are thereafter informed by ECF notification that the written application has been granted. H. Urgent Communications. As a general matter, materials filed via ECF are reviewed by the Court the business day after they have been filed. If your submission requires immediate attention, please contact Chambers by email after you file via ECF. I. Registering as ECF Filers. In accordance with the S.D.N.Y. “ECF Rules and Instructions,” counsel are required to register promptly as ECF filers and to enter an appearance in the case.
The pertinent instructions are available on the Court website at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/electronic-case-filing. Counsel are responsible for updating their contact information on ECF, should it change, and they are responsible for checking the docket sheet regularly, regardless of whether they receive an ECF notification of case activity. For questions about ECF rules and procedures, please contact the ECF Help Desk at (212) 805-0800. J. Electronic Device Orders. Orders permitting an attorney to bring an electronic device to Court may be found on the forms page of the S.D.N.Y. website (https://nysd.uscourts.gov/forms) and is entitled Fillable Form for Electronic Devices General Purpose. Please note that only attorneys are eligible for such an order. These orders should not be filed on ECF. Once completed, they may be emailed to RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov for Court approval (and the Court will then email back to counsel a copy of the signed order). II. Motions. A. Letter-Motions.
Letter-motions filed via ECF must comply with the S.D.N.Y. Local Rules and the S.D.N.Y. “ECF Rules and Instructions.” In particular, all requests for adjournments and extensions (as discussed in Rule I(F) and I(G), supra), and pre- motion conferences (including pre-motion conferences with respect to discovery disputes) (as discussed in Rule II(B), infra), should be filed as letter-motions.

Revised: April 7, 2026

B. Pre-Motion Conferences. As described below, unless waived by the Court, pre-motion conferences are required where the proposed motion is returnable before Judge Ricardo, except that no pre-motion conference is required for motions for admission pro hac vice, motions for reconsideration or reargument, motions listed in Fed. R. App. 4(a)(4)(A), any post-judgment motions, and applications made by order to show cause. This Rule applies to non-parties (such as those served with a subpoena pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 45) as well as to parties. 1.
Discovery Motions. No motion relating to discovery (that is, any dispute arising under Rules 26 through 37 or Rule 45 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure) shall be heard unless the moving party has first conferred in good faith by telephone, videoconference, or in person with all other relevant parties in an effort to resolve the dispute. Counsel must respond promptly (normally, within one business day) to any request from another party to confer in accordance with this paragraph unless an emergency prevents such a response. If the conference with the relevant parties has not resolved the dispute, the moving party must inform the other parties during the conference that the moving party intends to seek relief from the Court regarding the dispute. The moving party must thereafter promptly request a conference with the Court pursuant to Local Civil Rule 37.2.
To request a conference with the Court, the moving party shall file on ECF a letter-motion setting forth the basis of the dispute and the need for the anticipated motion. The letter-motion must certify that the required in-person or telephone conference took place between counsel for the relevant parties. The letter-motion must also state: (1) the date, time, and approximate duration of such conference; (2) the names of the attorneys who participated in the conference; (3) the adversary’s position as to each issue being raised (as stated by the adversary during the in- person or telephone conference); and (4) that the moving party informed the adversary during the conference that the moving party believed the parties to be at an impasse and that the moving party would be requesting a conference with the Court. None of these requirements may be satisfied by submitting copies of correspondence between counsel. The party opposing the requested relief should submit a letter to the Court in response as soon as practicable and in any event within three business days, unless the parties agree otherwise (and the Court is informed of the agreed response date by letter), or an extension of time is sought and granted in accordance with paragraph I(F), supra. Non-moving parties are reminded that their letters in response should not be filed as “letter-motions” but rather as “letters.”
The letters may not exceed four pages in length (excluding any attachments).
No replies are permitted.

Revised: April 7, 2026

In most instances, the letters will fully describe the parties’ discovery dispute. Accordingly, if a party believes that the issue should be decided based on more formal briefing, the party must so state in a separate letter application and shall give the reasons therefore. In the absence of such an application, the Court may decide the dispute based solely on the letters. Counsel should seek relief in accordance with these procedures in a timely fashion; if a party waits until near the close of discovery to raise an issue that could have been raised earlier, the party is unlikely to be granted the relief that it seeks, let alone more time for discovery. 2.
Motions other than Discovery Motions. To arrange a pre-motion conference for non-discovery matters, the moving party shall submit a letter setting forth briefly (normally not more than three pages) the nature of the anticipated motion. Parties are encouraged to confer with their adversary in appropriate cases to determine whether a motion is in fact necessary. C. Briefing Schedule on Motions. In instances where the Court has ordered a briefing schedule on a motion, that schedule applies. The parties may agree to a reasonable briefing schedule, which will apply so long as it is disclosed in a letter to the Court filed on ECF at the same time as the initial motion papers. In all other instances, the briefing schedule will instead be in accordance with Local Civil Rule 6.1. Any extension may be sought in accordance with Individual Rule I(F), supra.
A return date should not be given in the Notice of Motion; instead, reference should be made in the Notice to the due date for opposition and reply papers (in accordance with the Court order, parties’ agreement, or Local Civil Rule 6.1 as applicable). If a return date appears in the Notice of Motion, counsel should not appear for argument on that date.
Where no court order as to a briefing schedule is in effect, leave of the Court is not required to effectuate an agreement between the parties to set initially or to extend any deadlines for filing papers. Thus, in such a situation, Individual Rule I(F) does not apply. Any such agreement, however, must be disclosed to the Court in a letter filed on ECF. D. Courtesy Copies. Please do not send courtesy copies to Chambers unless requested by the Court. E. Memoranda of Law. A memorandum of law must accompany all motions and oppositions thereto pursuant to Local Civil Rule 7.1. The typeface, margins, and spacing of motion papers must conform to Local Civil Rule 7.1(b). Unless prior permission has been

Revised: April 7, 2026

granted, memoranda of law (in support of and in opposition to a motion) are limited to 8,750 words, and reply memoranda are limited to 3,500 words. All memoranda of law shall be in 12-point font or larger and be double-spaced. Requests to file memoranda exceeding the word limits set forth herein must be by letter-motion at least 5 days prior to the due date, except with respect to reply memoranda, in which case the request must be made at least 2 days prior to the due date. Memoranda of more than 3,500 words must include a table of contents and a table of authorities (neither of which count against the page limit). If a brief is filed by an attorney or prepared with a computer, it must include a certificate by the attorney, or party who is not represented by an attorney, that the document complies with the word- count limitations. The person preparing the certificate may rely on the word count of the word-processing program used to prepare the document. In addition to legal argument, a memorandum of law must contain a fact section that sets forth all facts relevant to the motion and, for each factual statement, contains one or more citations to the evidence in the record. Factual statements contained within other sections of a memorandum must also be followed by a citation to record evidence.
Sur-reply memoranda will not be accepted without prior permission of the Court. F. Searchable Format. All motion papers, letter-motions, and letters filed on ECF or emailed to Chambers must be in searchable PDF form. Typically, this means that a document created using word-processing software must be printed to or converted to PDF from the original word-processing file. PDF images may not be created by scanning paper documents. G. Redactions and Filing Under Seal. 1. Redactions Not Requiring Court Approval. The parties are referred to the E-Government Act of 2002 and the Southern District’s ECF Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) (https://nysd.uscourts.gov/privacy-policy). There are two categories of information that may be redacted from public court filings without prior permission from the Court: “sensitive information” and information requiring “caution.” Parties should not include in their public filings, unless necessary, the five categories of “sensitive information” (i.e., social security numbers [use the last four digits only], names of minor children [use initials only], dates of birth [use the year only], financial account numbers [use the last four digits only], and home addresses [use only the City and State]). Parties may also, without prior Court approval, redact from their public filings the six categories of information requiring “caution” described in the Privacy Policy (i.e., any personal identifying number,

Revised: April 7, 2026

medical records, employment history, individual financial information, proprietary or trade secret information, and information regarding an individual’s cooperation with the government). 2. Redactions and Sealed Filings Requiring Court Approval.
Except for redactions permitted by the previous paragraph, all redactions or sealing of public court filings require Court approval. To be approved, any redaction or sealing of a court filing must be narrowly tailored to serve whatever purpose justifies the redaction or sealing and must be otherwise consistent with the presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents. See, e.g., Lugosch v. Pyramid Co. of Onondaga, 435 F.3d 110, 119-20 (2d Cir. 2006). In general, the parties’ consent or the fact that information is subject to a confidentiality agreement between litigants is not, by itself, a valid basis to overcome the presumption in favor of public access to judicial documents. See, e.g., In re Gen. Motors LLC Ignition 9 Switch Litig., No. 14-MD-2543, 2015 WL 4750774, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. Aug. 11, 2015). 3. Procedures for Seeking Court Approval to File Documents with Redactions or Under Seal. Any party seeking to file a document under seal or with redactions that require Court approval should comply with the following four steps: a. File a Copy of the Document(s) Under Seal. The party should file a clean copy of the entire document under seal on ECF. This sealed filing should include all attachments to the main document (such as exhibits), even if not every attachment contains material that the party seeks to redact or seal.
This copy of the full filing will be accessible on ECF to Court users only.
b. File a Letter Motion Seeking Leave to File Documents Under Seal or with Redactions. If the party is seeking leave of the Court to seal or redact the document (i.e., if the redactions are not among the categories of redactions that can be made without Court approval), the party should simultaneously file a letter motion seeking leave to do so. The letter motion must explain the purpose of the redactions, and why the redactions are consistent with the standards discussed in Paragraph G(2), supra, including citations to relevant case law. The letter motion should also state the other parties’ position as to the proposed sealing or redactions. The party should endeavor to draft the letter motion in a form that can be filed publicly on ECF. If, however, the party believes that the letter-motion itself should be sealed or redacted, the party should include its justification in the letter motion and file the motion under seal on ECF. c. Email the Letter Motion and Documents to Chambers. At the same time, the party should email RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov, copying all counsel or the pro se litigant if they are unrepresented: (1) a copy of each document with the proposed redactions highlighted or a clean copy if the party

Revised: April 7, 2026

seeks to seal the entire document; and (2) a clean copy of the letter motion described in Paragraph G(3)(b). d. File a Redacted and/or Sealed Copy of the Document(s) on the Public Docket. If the Court grants the letter motion, thereby approving the proposed sealing or redactions, the party should then file an entirely public version of the documents with the approved redactions or a single page marked “SEALED” in place of any sealed document. This means there will be two sets of filings on the docket: one clean version under seal and viewable by Court users only, and one public version with the approved redactions and sealed pages. For motions, the notice of motion need only be filed once. H. Requests for and Participation in Oral Argument. Parties may request oral argument by separate letter (not letter motion) at the time their motion papers are filed. This is true for both discovery motions and motions on the merits. The Court will determine whether argument will be heard and, if so, will advise counsel of the argument date. I. Participation by Junior Attorneys. Junior members of legal teams representing clients are invited to argue motions that they have helped to prepare. Firms are encouraged to provide this opportunity to junior lawyers. While the Court generally prefers having only one attorney for each side participate at argument, the Court is amenable to permitting more than one lawyer argue different issues if this division of responsibility creates an opportunity for a junior lawyer to participate. Of course, the ultimate decision of who speaks on behalf of the client is for the lawyer in charge of the case and the client, not for the Court. That said, the Court believes it is crucial to provide substantive speaking opportunities to less experienced lawyers, and that the benefits of doing so will accrue to all members of the profession and their clients.
Thus, the Court encourages all lawyers practicing before it to keep this goal in mind. It is the way one generation will teach the next to litigate cases and to maintain our District’s reputation for excellence. J. Proposed Stipulations and Orders. All proposed stipulations and orders must be filed on ECF in accordance with the ECF Rules & Instructions. At the same time, a copy of all proposed stipulations and orders should be emailed in Word format to RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov, copying all counsel or the pro se litigant if they are unrepresented.

Revised: April 7, 2026

K. Motions Requiring Submission of an Excel File. When a party submits any of the following motions to Judge Ricardo, or within fourteen days of the referral of such a motion to Judge Ricardo, the moving Party shall submit an Excel file including the relevant calculations. An Excel file is required even if the motion was already submitted to a District Judge. Excel files are required for the following motions: (1) Inquests on Damages; (2) Motions for Attorney’s Fees; (3) FLSA Damages; and (4) IDEA Reimbursements. The Excel file should be emailed to RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov, copying all counsel or the pro se litigant if they are unrepresented. A letter should also be filed on ECF providing the date and time the Excel file was emailed. L. Specific Time Periods Provided by Federal Rules. Nothing in the Court’s Individual Practices supersedes a specific time period for filing a motion specified by statute or Federal Rule—including but not limited to Rules 50, 52, 54, 59, and 60 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure—where failure to comply with the specified time period could result in forfeiture of a substantive right. M. Media Exhibits A party submitting media files in connection with a motion must, to the extent possible, provide them in a format capable of being played using commonly available media players, e.g., Windows Media Player. If the media unavoidably requires special viewing software, that software must be provided to the Court in a form that does not require administrative privileges for installation or operation.
Any party that submits a video or audio media file to the Court must simultaneously file a transcript of the content of the video or audio file. Because media files cannot currently be uploaded to ECF, a party submitting media files must also file them physically with the Clerk of Court and mail a courtesy copy to Chambers. N. Artificial Intelligence. If any attorney or pro se litigant uses an artificial intelligence tool in preparing any filing, the filing must include a signed certification (i) explaining how the tool was used, (ii) stating whether the attorney or litigant personally reviewed the filing for accuracy of cited legal authorities and factual assertions, and (iii) if so, describing in detail the steps taken to verify the accuracy of all legal authorities and factual assertions generated by the tool. Attorneys and pro se litigants remain individually responsible for verifying the accuracy of any output produced by an artificial intelligence tool, and an attorney’s or litigant’s failure to review an artificial intelligence-generated filing for accuracy, or to provide the required

Revised: April 7, 2026

certification, violates this Rule. The Court may strike any filing that fails to comply with this Rule. III. Pretrial and Trial Procedures. For those cases where the parties have consented pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c) to have all proceedings, including trial, before Judge Ricardo, the Court will file a Scheduling Order containing instructions for the parties’ Proposed Joint Pretrial Order.

Individual Rules and Practices for Criminal Cases

Revised: March 17, 2025

INDIVIDUAL RULES AND PRACTICES FOR CRIMINAL CASES HENRY J. RICARDO, UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Chambers Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse 500 Pearl Street New York, NY 10007 NYSDRicardoCriminal@nysd.uscourts.gov
Courtroom 500 Pearl Street, Room 21D Roberto Diaz, Courtroom Deputy

I. Criminal Applications A. Warrants Arrest and search warrants, including applications for cell site information, triggerfish, and GPS tracking, should be emailed to NYSDRicardoCriminal@nysd.uscourts.gov specifying the time that the agent and U.S. Attorney are available to swear out the complaint. B. Late-night or Weekend Warrants If you anticipate the need for a late-night or weekend warrant, please send Judge Ricardo an email at NYSDRicardoCriminal@nysd.uscourts.gov. II. Pleas At least 24 hours in advance of a plea, the indictment/information, plea agreement, a summary of the elements of the offense(s), and the maximum and mandatory penalties for each crime/count should be emailed to NYSDRicardoCriminal@nysd.uscourts.gov. III. Misdemeanor Sentencing Pre-sentence submissions for misdemeanors should be submitted no later than 2 weeks before the scheduled meeting.

Settlement Procedures

Revised July 18, 2025

PROCEDURES FOR ALL CASES REFERRED FOR SETTLEMENT TO MAGISTRATE JUDGE HENRY J. RICARDO

Chambers

500 Pearl Street

United States Courthouse

New York, NY 10007

RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov

Introduction

The Court believes the parties should fully explore settlement at the earliest practical opportunity. Early consideration of settlement allows the parties to avoid the substantial cost, expenditure of time, and uncertainty that are typically a part of the litigation process. Even for those cases that cannot be resolved, early consideration of settlement can provide the parties with a better understanding of the factual and legal nature of their dispute and streamline the issues to be litigated.

Consideration of settlement is a serious matter that requires thorough preparation prior to the settlement conference. It also requires the earnest consideration of the other side’s point of view. Set forth below are the procedures the Court will require the parties and counsel to follow and the procedures the Court typically will employ in conducting the conference. 1. Confidential Nature of Conference. All settlement conferences are “off the record.” All communications relating to settlement are strictly confidential and may not be used for any purpose. They are not to be used in discovery and will not be admissible at trial.

Magistrate Judge’s Role. The magistrate judge functions as a mediator, attempting to help the parties reach a settlement. Efficient use of this process requires that counsel and their clients be (a) prepared for the conference, and (b) candid with the mediator.

Pre-Settlement Conference Call. Upon referral for settlement or request for a settlement conference by the parties, the Court will schedule a pre- settlement conference call to discuss settlement procedures and the scheduling of a future settlement conference.

Exchange of Settlement Demands/Offers. If the plaintiff has not already made a settlement demand, such a demand shall be communicated to the opposing party no later than 21 days prior to the conference. If it has not

Revised July 18, 2025

already done so, the opposing party shall respond to any demand no later than 7 days thereafter. Even if plaintiff has made a demand as part of a court-ordered or private mediation previously attended by the parties, plaintiff is still required to make a new demand 21 days prior to the conference, and defendant must respond within 7 days. The parties should not wait for the settlement conference to commence negotiations of a resolution of their dispute.

Ex Parte Settlement Letter. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court, no later than 14 days before the conference, counsel for each party must send the Court by email a letter, marked “Confidential Material for Use Only at Settlement Conference,” which should not be sent to the other parties.

This ex parte letter must not exceed 6 pages, unless permission to do so has been granted by the Court. If a letter is accompanied by attachments and thus exceeds 6 pages in length, the submitting party shall hand deliver or overnight mail a hard copy of the letter plus attachments to the Court.

The letter should include, at a minimum, the following:
(a) the history of settlement negotiations, if any, including any prior offers or demands;
(b) your evaluation of the settlement value of the case and the rationale for it;
(c) any case law authority in support of your settlement position; and
(d) any other facts that would be helpful to the Court in preparation for the conference.
The reason the letter is to be submitted ex parte is to ensure that counsel are candid with the Court as to the strengths and weaknesses of their case, and to provide a realistic assessment of the litigation risks each party faces were the case to be resolved on the merits.
If the defendant is a business entity that intends to argue that it lacks the ability to pay any significant settlement, it should provide supporting documentation.

Pre-Settlement Conference Ex Parte Calls. After receiving each party’s Ex Parte Settlement Letter and Acknowledgment Form, but before the settlement conference, the Court will hold an ex parte call with counsel for each party. In the email to chambers containing their ex parte settlement

Revised July 18, 2025

letter, counsel should indicate their availability for such a call in the days between the submission of their settlement materials and the settlement conference.

Acknowledgment Form. Counsel shall complete the Acknowledgment Form that appears following these Procedures. This Form must be submitted at the same time as the Ex Parte Settlement Letter by email as a PDF attachment, copying all counsel of record who will be participating in the settlement conference. To be crystal clear, the Court expects a party to send the Ex Parte Settlement Letter in one email just to the Court, and to send a separate email to the Court, copying all other counsel, with the Acknowledgment Form.

Attendance of Parties Required. The parties—not just the attorneys— must attend in person. A party’s attendance is essential to the settlement process. It is vital that parties have the opportunity to speak with the mediator outside the presence of any adversary. If a party resides more than 100 miles from the Courthouse and it would be a great hardship for the party to attend in person, upon written application at least 14 days in advance of the conference in the form of a letter-motion to be filed on ECF, I will sometimes excuse that party’s presence, but I will require that party to be available by telephone throughout the settlement conference. Each party must supply its own simultaneous interpreter (who need not have any special certification), if required. The Court does not provide interpreters for settlement conferences.

When a corporate party or labor union is a party, counsel of record must be accompanied by the person with decision-making authority who gives directions to counsel of record (not someone who has received settlement authority from someone else). Where liability insurance is involved, a decision-making representative of each insurance carrier must attend in addition to the insured. This includes each excess carrier unless specifically excused by the Court at least 14 days before the conference. Because it is important that the decision-makers with respect to settlement be available to answer questions from the Court, the person who attends must be the person with responsibility for determining the amount of any ultimate settlement and who has not had limitations placed by another person with respect to his or her authority to settle. That is, corporate parties, labor unions, and insurance companies (or any other party that is not a natural person) must send to the conference the person ultimately responsible for giving settlement authority, not someone who has received authority from someone else.

Revised July 18, 2025

When any government agency is a party, counsel of record must be accompanied by a knowledgeable representative from the agency (or, if the agency official with knowledge is more than 100 miles from the Courthouse, the official must be available to participate by telephone). In addition, in cases where the Comptroller of the City of New York has authority over settlement, the Assistant Corporation Counsel must make arrangements in advance of the conference for a representative of the Comptroller either to attend the conference or to be available by telephone for the duration of the conference to approve any proposed settlement.

Consequences of Non-Compliance with Attendance Requirements. If a party fails to come to the settlement conference with all the required persons (attorney, plus a decision-making employee from the client, plus a decision-making representative from each insurance carrier), that party may be required to reimburse all the other parties for their time and travel expenses, and may face other sanctions.

Conference Procedures. Unless advised otherwise by the Court, the conference will take place Courtroom 21D at 500 Pearl Street. Should the parties wish to have a remote settlement conference, a written application with the consent of all parties must be made to the Court at least 14 days prior to the settlement conference.

The Court will spend the conference meeting separately with each side. In these private meetings, the parties and their counsel should be prepared to discuss their position on settlement, the reasons for their position, the amount of attorneys’ fees and litigation expenses incurred to date, and an estimate of the remaining cost of litigating the case to judgment, including any appeal.

The Court encourages all parties to keep an open mind in order to re-assess their previous positions and to discover creative means for resolving the dispute.

Adjournments of Settlement Conferences. A party may make a written application by letter-motion filed on ECF to adjourn or advance the date of the settlement conference without providing cause as long as the application for a change in date is made at least 14 days prior to the scheduled conference date. Otherwise, counsel should set forth the reasons for seeking the change in date and must make the application by letter-motion as soon as

Revised July 18, 2025

counsel becomes aware of the need of or potential need for the change. In addition, the parties are required to seek a change in the date if (a) an adjournment would permit necessary discovery or exchange of information that would make the conference more fruitful, or (b) a client who would otherwise be permitted to participate by telephone would be available to attend the conference were it held on another date. Requests for an adjournment on the eve of the scheduled settlement conference are strongly disfavored and not likely to be granted. In no circumstances will a telephone request for an adjournment be entertained.

To seek a change in date, the party should first consult with all other counsel as to their and their clients’ (and insurers’ if applicable) availability on at least three dates. Counsel should thereupon contact Chambers by email to determine whether the Court is available for a settlement conference on any of those dates. The party must then file on ECF a letter-motion to adjourn the settlement conference to the agreed-upon date and time. The conference date will not be deemed changed until Chambers receives the letter-motion and it is approved by the Court.

Settlement in Advance of Mediation. If all parties advise the Court in writing that the case has settled prior to the scheduled conference, I will ordinarily adjourn the conference sine die. In these circumstances, the parties should file a letter-motion on ECF requesting an adjournment of the settlement conference sine die, and the Court will then issue a text-only order.

No Effect on Other Deadlines. The scheduling of a settlement conference has no effect on any deadlines or other pending obligations in the case.

Revised July 18, 2025

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

Complete this form, sign and date it, and send it by email as a PDF attachment to (1) Judge Ricardo at RicardoNYSDChambers@nysd.uscourts.gov and (2) to all other attorneys who will be attending the conference no later than 14 calendar days prior to the conference, unless otherwise ordered by the Court. Please read the certifications below carefully as your signature indicates your compliance with them.

Name of Case: ______________________________________________

Docket Number: _____ CV ___________ (______) (HJR)

I acknowledge that my client and I must attend a settlement conference on
___________, 20 at : __.m. in Courtroom 21D, United States Courthouse, 500 Pearl Street, New York, New York.

I am attorney for ___________________________________ [Plaintiff / Defendant]

(For corporate or other non-individual clients): The name of the representative of my client who will attend the conference is:. The title of this representative is:______.

If applicable (for insurance carrier): The name of the representative of the insurance carrier who will attend the conference is:____________________________________________.

CHECK ONE LINE BELOW:

a. ____ The above-named individual will attend in person.

b. ____ The above-named individual will attend by remote means because I certify that (1) such individual lives and works more than 100 miles from the Courthouse (or, if my client is not an individual, the client’s decision- maker lives and works more than 100 miles from the Courthouse), and (2) it would be a great hardship for this individual to attend a settlement conference on this or any other date. This individual understands that he or she must participate by remote means without interruption for the duration of the conference.

c.
____ The above-named individual will attend by remote means because the Court has approved the parties’ joint written application to hold the settlement conference remotely.

Revised July 18, 2025

I certify that the person attending the conference (in person or by remote means) is the person with ultimate responsibility for determining the settlement amount: that is, the person responsible for giving settlement authority, not someone who has received authority from another person. In addition, if there is an insurance carrier with authority over settlement, a representative from such carrier with complete responsibility over settlement will be present in person or by telephone.

I certify that I have read both the Court’s Order scheduling this conference as well as the “Procedures for All Cases Referred for Settlement to Magistrate Judge Ricardo.”

Dated: ____________________

[signature of attorney]

Template for Case Report and Proposed Case Management Plan for Pro Se Case

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

________________, Plaintiff(s), against ________________, Defendant(s). ____ Civ. No. ____ CASE REPORT AND [PROPOSED] CASE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PRO SE CASE

Summary of Claims, Defenses, and Relevant Issues: Plaintiff/Defendant (circle one)

I understand my obligation to preserve information relevant to this action and I am preserving that information now. Plaintiff/Defendant (circle one)

Proposed Schedule: All discovery must be completed by . a. Initial Requests for Documents must be made by . b. Depositions shall be completed by .

i. Neither party may take more than depositions.

c. Documents from Third Parties (such as doctors) will/will not (circle one) be required. If required, the following are the Third Parties from whom the parties will request documents:

.

i. Subpoenas requesting documents from Third Parties must be served by

. Any party that receives a production from a Third Party must provide a copy of that production to all other parties in this action.

d. There will/will not (circle one) be expert testimony in this case. If expert testimony will be needed, please describe the topic on which each expert is expected to testify.

i. Written reports by any expert(s) must be served on the

other parties in this action by .
Depositions of experts must be completed by .

Early Settlement or Resolution:

The parties have/have not (circle one) discussed the possibility of settlement. The parties request a settlement conference by no later than . The following information is needed before settlement can be discussed:

Other Matters:

Plaintiff/Defendant (circle one) wishes to discuss the following additional topics at the Initial Case Management Conference.

Respectfully submitted this day of .

Name Counsel for

(if applicable)

Address

Email

Phone Number

Template for Proposed Case Management Plan and Scheduling Order

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

Plaintiff(s), -against-

Defendant(s).

: : : : : : : : : : : :

 CIV. NO.  

[Proposed] Case Management Plan and Scheduling Order

The parties submit this [Proposed] Case Management Plan and Scheduling Order pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(f):

Meet and Confer: The parties met and conferred pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(c) and 26(f) on
via
.

Summary of Claims, Defenses, and Relevant Issues: Plaintiff(s):

Defendant(s):

Basis of Subject Matter Jurisdiction (and any dispute as to jurisdiction):

Subjects on Which Discovery May Be Needed: Plaintiff(s):

Defendant(s):

Initial Disclosures pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1) will be exchanged no later than
. a. Plaintiff(s) has/have disclosed will disclose by
the information required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1).

b. Defendant(s)
has/have disclosed
will disclose by
the information required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1).

Amended Pleadings: a. No additional parties may be joined after
. Any motion to join after this date will need to meet the good cause requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 16.

b. No amended pleadings may be filed after
. Any motion to amend after this date will need to meet the good cause requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 16.

Discovery Plan: a. All fact discovery shall be completed by

                      . 

b. Initial requests for production were/shall be served by .
Any subsequent requests for production must be served no later than 45 days prior to the discovery completion deadline.

c. Initial interrogatories were/shall be served by
.
Any subsequent interrogatories must be served no later than 45 days prior to the discovery completion deadline.

d. Requests to admit shall be served by .

e. Depositions shall be completed by .

f. The parties propose the following limits on discovery:

g. Except as otherwise modified in 7(f) above, the parties are to conduct discovery in accordance with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules of the Southern District of New York.
The interim fact discovery deadlines may be altered by the parties on consent without application to the Court, provided that the parties meet the deadline for completing fact discovery.

h. The parties would like to address at the conference with the Court the following disputes, if any, concerning fact discovery:

Expert Discovery (if applicable): a. The parties do / do not anticipate using testifying experts.

b. Anticipated areas of expertise:

c. Expert discovery shall be completed by . d. No less than 30 days before the end of fact discovery, the parties shall meet and confer on a schedule for expert disclosures, including reports, production of underlying documents, and depositions, provided that (i) expert report(s) of the party with the burden of proof shall be due before those of the opposing party’s expert(s); and (ii) all expert discovery shall be completed by the date set forth above.

e. The parties would like to address at the conference with the Court the following disputes, if any, concerning expert discovery:

Electronic Discovery and Preservation of Documents and Information: a. The parties have / have not discussed electronic discovery. b. If applicable, the parties shall have a protocol for electronic discovery in place by
. c. The parties would like to address at the conference with the Court the following disputes, if any, concerning electronic discovery:

Anticipated Motions (other than summary judgment, if any):

Summary Judgment Motions: No less than 30 days before a party intends to file a summary judgment motion, and in no event later than the close of discovery, the party shall notify this Court, and the District Judge, that it intends to move for summary judgment and, if required by the District Judge’s Individual Practices, request a pre-motion conference. If pre-motion clearance has been obtained from the District Judge where required, summary judgment motions must be filed no later than 30 days following the close of all discovery if no date was set by the District Judge or, if a date was set by the District Judge, in accordance with the schedule set by the District Judge. If no pre-motion conference is required, summary judgment motions must be filed no later than 30 days following the close of discovery. Any summary judgment motion must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules of this District, and the Individual Practices of the District Judge to whom the case is assigned. 12. Pretrial Submissions: The parties shall submit a joint proposed pretrial order and any required accompanying submissions 30 days after decision on the summary judgment motion(s), or, if no summary judgment motion is made, 30 days after the close of all discovery. 13. Trial: a. All parties do / do not consent to a trial before a Magistrate Judge at this time.

b. The case is / is not to be tried to a jury.

c. The parties anticipate that the trial of this case will require
days.

Early Settlement or Resolution: a. Settlement discussions have / have not taken place.

b. The parties have discussed an informal exchange of information in aid of early settlement and have agreed to exchange the following:

c. The parties have discussed use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for use in this case, such as (i) a settlement conference before the Magistrate Judge, (ii) participation in the District’s Mediation Program, and (iii) retention of a private mediator. The parties propose the following alternative dispute mechanism for this case:

d. The parties recommend that the alternative dispute resolution mechanism designated above be employed at the following point in the case (e.g., within the next 30 days; after exchange of specific information; after deposition of plaintiff; etc.):

e. The use of any alternative dispute resolution mechanism does not stay or modify any date in this Order.

Other Matters the Parties Wish to Address (if any):

The Court will fill in the following: □ A status conference will be held before the undersigned on

at
.m. □ The parties shall submit a joint status letter by
no longer than pages.

Respectfully submitted this
day of
,

PLAINTIFF(S): DEFENDANT(S):

ATTORNEY NAME(s): ATTORNEY NAME(s):

ADDRESS ADDRESS

TEL:

TEL:

EMAIL:

EMAIL:

Dated: New York, New York

SO ORDERED.

HENRY J. RICARDO United States Magistrate Judge

View source on SDNY.uscourts.gov →