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  • Arjuna C Fernando v. Karen Ellemann, Thorkil Juul, Jan Henriksen, Lise Beder, Lene Conrad, Henrik Horster, Nini Christensen, Helle Haxgart, Jette Rogild, Annette Gregersen, Julie Bronden-Wijngaard, Andrea Jedrzejwska, Lone Buhl, Louise Brydov Torts - Other (NYPL 260.10) document preview
  • Arjuna C Fernando v. Karen Ellemann, Thorkil Juul, Jan Henriksen, Lise Beder, Lene Conrad, Henrik Horster, Nini Christensen, Helle Haxgart, Jette Rogild, Annette Gregersen, Julie Bronden-Wijngaard, Andrea Jedrzejwska, Lone Buhl, Louise Brydov Torts - Other (NYPL 260.10) document preview
  • Arjuna C Fernando v. Karen Ellemann, Thorkil Juul, Jan Henriksen, Lise Beder, Lene Conrad, Henrik Horster, Nini Christensen, Helle Haxgart, Jette Rogild, Annette Gregersen, Julie Bronden-Wijngaard, Andrea Jedrzejwska, Lone Buhl, Louise Brydov Torts - Other (NYPL 260.10) document preview
  • Arjuna C Fernando v. Karen Ellemann, Thorkil Juul, Jan Henriksen, Lise Beder, Lene Conrad, Henrik Horster, Nini Christensen, Helle Haxgart, Jette Rogild, Annette Gregersen, Julie Bronden-Wijngaard, Andrea Jedrzejwska, Lone Buhl, Louise Brydov Torts - Other (NYPL 260.10) document preview
						
                                

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FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF NEW YORK ---------------------------------------------------------------x : ARJUNA C. FERNANDO, : : Petitioner, : : -against- : I.A.S. Part to be assigned : KAREN ELLEMANN, THORKIL JUUL, JAN : Index No. 159641/2016 HENRIKSEN, MERETE PANTMANN, LISE : GRY BEDER, LENE CONRAD, HENRIK : Motion Seq. No. 001 HORSTER, NINI CHRISTENSEN, HELLE : HAXGART, JETTE RØGILD, ANNETTE : GREGERSEN, JULIE BRØNDEN WIJNGAARD, : ANDREA JEDRZEJOSKA, LONE BUHL, AND : LOUISE BRYDOV, : : Respondents. : : ---------------------------------------------------------------x PROPOSED INTERVENORS’ MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF THEIR MOTION TO INTERVENE AND TO STAY THE PROCEEDINGS Dated: New York, New York January 30, 2017 DUANE MORRIS LLP 1540 Broadway New York, New York 10036-4086 (212) 692-1000 Attorneys for Proposed Intervenors Danish Ministry for Children and Social Affairs and the Danish National Social Appeals Board 1 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF AUTHORITIES .......................................................................................................... ii PRELIMINARY STATEMENT .....................................................................................................1 STATEMENT OF FACTS ..............................................................................................................3 ARGUMENT ...................................................................................................................................6 a. This Court Should Permit Proposed Intervenors to Intervene as a Matter of Right As the Real Parties In Interest ....................................................................... 6 b. This Court Should Allow Proposed Intervenors to Intervene on a Permissive Basis ..................................................................................................... 8 c. This Court Should Allow Stay The Proceedings Pursuant to C.P.L.R. 2201 Until This Application To Intervene Is Decided..................................................... 9 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................10 i 2 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Cases Berkoski v. Bd. of Trustees of Incorporated Village of Southampton, 67 A.D.3d 840, 889 N.Y.S.2d 623 (2d Dep’t 2009) ..................................................................8 Gen. Ins. Co. of Am. v. Tilcon N.Y., Inc., 1996 WL 389265 (S.D.N.Y. July 11, 1996) ..............................................................................3 Israel v. Wood Dolson Co., 1 N.Y.2d 116, 151 N.Y.S.2d 1 (1956) .......................................................................................6 Lamboy v. Gross, 129 Misc. 2d 564, 493 N.Y.S.2d 709 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co. 1985), aff’d, 126 A.D.2d 265, 513 N.Y.S.2d 393 (1st Dep’t 1987) ......................................................8 Odhiambo v. Republic of Kenya, 930 F. Supp. 2d 17 (D.D.C. 2013), aff’d, 764 F.3d 31 (D.C. Cir. 2014), cert. denied, 136 S. Ct. 2504 (U.S. 2016) ........................................7 Research Corp. v. Singer-Gen. Precision, Inc., 36 A.D.2d 987, 320 N.Y.S.2d 818 (3d Dep’t 1971) ..................................................................9 Samantar v. Yousuf, 560 U.S. 305 (2010) .......................................................................................7 Smith Rocke Ltd. v. Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela, No. 12 Cv. 7316 (LGS), 2014 WL 288705 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 27, 2014) ..............................................................................7 St. Joseph’s Hosp. Health Ctr. v. Dep’t of Health, 224 A.D.2d 1008, 637 N.Y.S.2d 821 (4th Dep’t 1996) .............................................................8 Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp. v. State Bd. of Equalization & Assessment, 34 A.D.2d 1033, 311 N.Y.S.2d 46 (3d Dep’t 1970) ..................................................................6 United Servs. Auto. Ass’n v. Graham, 21 A.D.2d 657, 249 N.Y.S.2d 788 (1st Dep’t 1964) .................................................................8 Vantage Petroleum v. Bd. of Assessment Review of the Town of Babylon, 61 N.Y.2d 695 (1984) .....................................................................................................................6 Yuppie Puppy Pet Prod., Inc. v. St. Smart Realty, LLC, 77 A.D.3d 197, 906 N.Y.S.2d 231 (1st Dep’t 2010) ..................................................................................................8 Zonghetti v. Jeromack, 150 A.D.2d 561, 541 N.Y.S.2d 235 (2d Dep’t 1989) ................................................................9 ii 3 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 Statutes and Rules 28 U.S.C. § 1602 ..............................................................................................................................2 C.P.L.R. 103(c) ................................................................................................................................1 C.P.L.R. 1012(a) ........................................................................................................................1, 10 C.P.L.R. 1012(a)(2) .........................................................................................................................6 C.P.L.R. 1013.........................................................................................................................1, 8, 10 C.P.L.R. 2201...........................................................................................................................1, 3, 9 New York Penal Law § 260.10(1) ...............................................................................................1, 4 New York Penal Law § 260.10(2) ...............................................................................................1, 4 iii 4 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 The Danish Ministry for Children and Social Affairs (the “Ministry”) and the Danish National Social Appeals Board (the “Appeals Board”) (collectively, the “Proposed Intervenors”), by and through their undersigned counsel, Duane Morris LLP, respectfully submit this Memorandum of Law, along with the accompanying Affirmation of Jane Vinther dated January 30, 2017 (the “Vinther Affirmation”); the Affirmation of Evangelos Michailidis dated January 30, 2017, together with exhibits annexed thereto (the “Michailidis Affirmation”); and the Emergency Affirmation of Evangelos Michailidis dated January 30, 2017 (“Michailidis Emergency Affirmation”) in support of their ex parte motion for an Order: (1) pursuant to C.P.L.R. 1012(a) and 1013 granting Proposed Intervenors leave to intervene as the real parties in interest in place of the named defendants Karen Ellemann, Thorkil Juul, Jan Henriksen, Merete Pantmann, Lise Gry Beder, Lene Conrad, Henrik Horster, Nini Christensen, Helle Haxgart, Jette Røgild, Anette Gregersen, Julie Brønden Wijngaard, Andrea Jedrzejoska, Lone Buhl, and Louise Brydov (collectively, the “Foreign Official Defendants”); and (2) pursuant to C.P.L.R. 2201 staying this action as against the Foreign Official Defendants. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT Plaintiff pro se Arjuna Fernando (“Plaintiff Pro Se”) filed his Petition with this Court on November 16, 2016 against the Foreign Official Defendants, all of whom are current and former officials of the Ministry or the Appeals Board, which are agencies and/or instrumentalities of the Kingdom of Denmark, alleging that they violated New York Penal Law §§ 260.10(1) and 260.10(2) by denying him visitation and custody of his daughter, who is also a resident in Denmark.1 Setting aside the issue of whether Plaintiff Pro Se can bring a civil suit in New York 1 Although denominated as a Petition, the pro se pleading should in actuality be construed as a Complaint. See C.P.L.R. 103(c). Consequently, Proposed Intervenors refer to Mr. Fernando as 5 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 state court for alleged violations of New York’s criminal statutes against Danish governmental officials, the allegations set forth in the Petition relate solely to the actions of Foreign Official Defendants in their official capacity as current and former officials of agencies and instrumentalities of the Danish Government. As a result, any determination rendered in this case would necessarily implicate the interests of the Kingdom of Denmark, including its immunity from suit in the United States, as well as the concomitant immunity of its governmental officials and employees. As such, Proposed Intervenors seek leave of this Court to intervene in order to protect their sovereign interests, as well as those of its officials and employees. Once leave is granted, Proposed Intervenors intend to remove this case to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York under Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1602 et seq. (the “FSIA”). Under that statute, Plaintiff Pro Se’s claims are subject to dismissal for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The Petition is subject to dismissal on numerous other bases, all of which will be addressed in the appropriate federal forum once this case is timely removed to that court. In addition to foreign sovereign immunity and foreign official immunity, among the other bases for dismissal that Proposed Intervenors intend to raise in federal court is that Plaintiff Pro Se is collaterally estopped from bringing the claims in his Petition. In three separate cases, the federal courts have dismissed nearly identical claims brought by Plaintiff Pro Se’s claims against Danish government officials, including many of the Foreign Official Defendants named in the instant Petition. At bottom, Plaintiff Pro Se is engaged in a campaign of serial litigation against “Plaintiff Pro Se” and the Danish officials named as respondents as “Foreign Official Defendants.” 2 6 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 Danish government officials in United States federal court and seeking to game the system by shifting the individuals named in this case in an unavailing attempt to evade the preclusive effect of the earlier dismissals. Indeed, Plaintiff Pro Se implicitly acknowledges as much in his Petition, in which he contends that “Collateral Estoppel is also not applicable to any of the Respondents listed in this Petition, because New York State, where this suit is filed against Respondents by Petitioner, is a sovereign State within the United States of America.” (Pet. ¶ 7.) Consequently, intervention is necessary so that the Danish Government can seek appropriate relief to ensure that Plaintiff Pro Se’s misuse of the United States courts comes to an end. Additionally, a stay of this action is appropriate as to the Foreign Official Defendants pursuant to C.P.L.R. 2201 who are immune from suit for the alleged actions taken in their official capacities as current and former officials of the Danish Government. Proposed Intervenors respectfully request that this Court grant them leave to intervene as the real parties in interest in place of the Foreign Official Defendants and stay this action as against the Foreign Official Defendants.2 STATEMENT OF FACTS3 In the Petition, Plaintiff Pro Se, a resident of Denmark, alleges that the Foreign Official Defendants, all of whom are current and former officials of agencies and/or instrumentalities of 2 This matter is time sensitive because certain authority suggests that Proposed Intervenors’ thirty-day period within which to remove this case to federal court begins to run from the date of this application. See Gen. Ins. Co. of Am. v. Tilcon N.Y., Inc., 1996 WL 389265, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. July 11, 1996) (“Courts confronting the special issue of the timeliness of removal by an intervener rather than a defendant have held that the thirty day statutory periods begins to run either on the date an intervention petition is filed in the state court from which removal is sought or on the date the state court grants the motion to intervene.”) (emphases added). (Michailidis Emergency Aff. ¶ 7.) 3 Proposed Intervenors hereby incorporate the facts set forth in the accompanying Vinther Affirmation and Michailidis Affirmation. 3 7 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 the Danish Government, violated New York Penal Law §§ 260.10(1) and 260.10(2) by denying him visitation and custody of his daughter, who is also a resident in Denmark. (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 4 & Ex. A.) Each of the Foreign Official Defendants is a current or former officer or employee of an agency or instrumentality of the Kingdom of Denmark. (Vinther Aff. ¶¶ 4-19; Michailidis Aff. ¶¶ 4-5.) Although the caption of the Petition names the Foreign Official Defendants “in their official and individual capacities,” the allegations set forth in Plaintiff Pro Se’s Petition relate solely to actions claimed to have been taken by the Foreign Official Defendants in their official capacity as officers and employees of the various agencies and instrumentalities of the Danish government. (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 5 & Ex. A, Pet. ¶¶ 10-21.) For example, in his Petition, Plaintiff Pro Se contends that this Court has jurisdiction over his claims because “[t]he Government of Denmark, whom Respondents are employed by, transacts business and provides services within New York State and uses and possesses real property situated within New York State to conduct business and to provide the services.” (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 6 & Ex. A, Pet. ¶ 3.) Further, Plaintiff Pro Se makes unsubstantiated and false allegations against the Danish Government such as the following: “any case that involves foreign nationals, including American citizens, such as Petitioner and his daughter SK, that is handled by Danish Government officials and their employees, such as Respondents, the civil rights of foreign nationals in Denmark will be wil[l]fully and flagrantly violated with impunity.” (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 7 & Ex. A, Pet. ¶ 26.) 4 8 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 An immediate stay of the instant action is of particular importance in light of the issues of sovereign immunity implicated by the pro se Petition. Proposed Intervenors assert foreign sovereign immunity, and seek leave to intervene – whether as a matter of right or on a permissive basis – as the real parties in interest for the purpose of removing the instant action to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. In addition, the Proposed Intervenors assert foreign official immunity on behalf of the Foreign Official Defendants. (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 9.) A stay of this action is also warranted because Plaintiff Pro Se has engaged in a campaign of serial litigation in United States federal courts concerning his child custody proceeding in Denmark against various Danish officials. In each of three federal cases, the courts have dismissed his claims, and two of those rulings were affirmed on appeal. (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 10 & Ex. B.) Despite the preclusive effect of those courts’ rulings, Plaintiff Pro Se is seeking to game the system by effectively rehashing his earlier dismissed claims, by filing with this Court and naming different Danish government officials as parties. (See id. Ex. B.) Indeed, the pro se Petition tacitly acknowledges that Plaintiff Pro Se’s claims in this action are subject to attack based on collateral estoppel. Plaintiff Pro Se alleges as follows: Collateral Estoppel is also not applicable to any of the Respondents listed in this Petition, because New York State, where this suit is filed against Respondents by Petitioner, is a sovereign State within the United States of America. Therefore, any civil or criminal action taken against Respondents, together or individually, in a court of law of the State of New York can be adjudicated, irrespective of whether civil action has been initiated against any of the Respondents in a U.S. Federal Court.”). (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 11 & Ex. A, Pet. ¶ 7.) Once the action is removed to federal court, the Proposed Intervenors intend to move to dismiss the action based on lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the FSIA, as well as 5 9 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 several other bases, including, but not limited to: (1) collateral estoppel; (2) lack of personal jurisdiction; (3) improper venue; (4) insufficient service of process; and (5) failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. In addition, in light of Plaintiff Pro Se’s serial filings, Proposed Intervenors intend to seek relief from the federal court in the form of an order enjoining him from filing additional suits against Danish government officials in United States courts based on his custody dispute in Denmark. (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 12.) ARGUMENT THIS COURT SHOULD GRANT LEAVE TO INTERVENE AND STAY THE CURRENT PROCEEDINGS AS AGAINST THE FOREIGN OFFICIAL DEFENDANTS a. This Court Should Permit Proposed Intervenors to Intervene as a Matter of Right As the Real Parties In Interest A nonparty may intervene as a matter of right “when the representation of the person’s interest by the parties is or may be inadequate and the person is or may be bound by the judgment.” See C.P.L.R. 1012(a)(2). Whether a person seeking intervention will be bound by the judgment is determined by its res judicata effect. See Vantage Petroleum v. Bd. of Assessment Review of the Town of Babylon, 61 N.Y.2d 695, 698 (1984). The circumstances in which the principles of res judicata can bind a person who is not a party to an action are few in number. However, a finding of “privity” between one of the parties and the person to be bound is required. See Israel v. Wood Dolson Co., 1 N.Y.2d 116, 119, 151 N.Y.S.2d 1, 3-4 (1956) (“In such situations when the complaining party has been given a full opportunity to litigate those issues against one of the parties, and has been defeated on grounds other than a personal defense, he is not permitted to relitigate the same issue in a new action against the other.”); see also Teleprompter Manhattan CATV Corp. v. State Bd. of Equalization & Assessment, 34 A.D.2d 1033, 1034, 311 N.Y.S.2d 46, 47 (3d Dep’t 1970) (holding that the city, as the real party in interest, had the right to intervene in challenging the Board’s assessment). 6 10 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 As such, Proposed Intervenors – while asserting their foreign sovereign immunity – seek leave to intervene, whether as a matter of right or on a permissive basis, as the real parties in interest for the purpose of removing the instant action to federal court. The interests of the Proposed Intervenors are not adequately represented in the instant action and they are required to defray the costs of the Foreign Official Defendants’ defense in this action given that the allegations in the pro se Petition pertain solely to the alleged actions of the Foreign Official Defendants in their official capacity as current and former officials of the Danish Government. (Vinther Aff. ¶ 20.) Thus, as a matter of right, the Proposed Intervenors should be permitted to intervene in order to remove this case to federal court under the FSIA. Thereafter, Proposed Intervenors may properly move to dismiss this action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the FSIA, as well as on the bases of a plethora of other deficiencies in the pro se Petition. See Odhiambo v. Republic of Kenya, 930 F. Supp. 2d 17, 34 (D.D.C. 2013) (dismissing a suit against Kenyan government and its officials in their official capacity under FSIA because “the Kenyan government was ‘the real party in interest’”), aff’d, 764 F.3d 31 (D.C. Cir. 2014), cert. denied, 136 S. Ct. 2504 (U.S. 2016). Where, as here, an official is sued in his or her official capacity, and where, as here, the action is clearly against the foreign state, the case should be treated as an action against the foreign state itself, as the state is the real party in interest. See Samantar v. Yousuf, 560 U.S. 305, 334-35 (2010); see also Smith Rocke Ltd. v. Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela, No. 12 Cv. 7316 (LGS), 2014 WL 288705, at *11 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 27, 2014) (“The Supreme Court noted that where an official is sued in his official capacity, and where the action is clearly against the foreign state itself as the real party in interest, the case may be treated as an action ‘against the foreign state itself, as the state is the real party in interest.’”) (quoting Samantar, 560 U.S. at 325). 7 11 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 b. This Court Should Allow Proposed Intervenors to Intervene on a Permissive Basis In the alternative, a nonparty may intervene on a permissive basis at the discretion of the Court, provided that the intervention will not result in undue delay or prejudice the substantial rights of any party. See C.P.L.R. 1013. In exercising its discretion, the Court should consider the extent to which the proposed intervenor has a “real and substantial interest in the outcome of the proceedings.” See Berkoski v. Bd. of Trustees of Incorporated Village of Southampton, 67 A.D.3d 840, 843, 889 N.Y.S.2d 623, 626 (2d Dep’t 2009); St. Joseph’s Hosp. Health Ctr. v. Dep’t of Health, 224 A.D.2d 1008, 1008, 637 N.Y.S.2d 821, 823 (4th Dep’t 1996); United Servs. Auto. Ass’n v. Graham, 21 A.D.2d 657, 657, 249 N.Y.S.2d 788, 790 (1st Dep’t 1964). The rule also specifies three additional factors that should inform the Court’s exercise of discretion: (1) the potential for undue delay in the determination of the action; (2) the potential for substantial prejudice to any of the original parties, and (3) the timeliness of the motion to intervene. Yuppie Puppy Pet Prod., Inc. v. St. Smart Realty, LLC, 77 A.D.3d 197, 200-01, 906 N.Y.S.2d 231, 235 (1st Dep’t 2010). See also Lamboy v. Gross, 129 Misc. 2d 564, 576, 493 N.Y.S.2d 709, 717 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Co. 1985) (giving consideration to extent to which judicial economy would be served by intervention), aff’d, 126 A.D.2d 265, 513 N.Y.S.2d 393 (1st Dep’t 1987). In the instant case, intervention by the Proposed Intervenors will not result in undue delay or prejudice the substantial rights of any party. The action was only commenced by Plaintiff Pro Se in November 2016, and he has made no effort to prosecute this case since that time. Moreover, as the Proposed Intervenors have a real and substantial interest in the outcome of these proceedings, which concern official actions of the Danish Government. Absent intervention, Plaintiff Pro Se would in effect be allowed to circumvent well-settled principles of 8 12 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 sovereign immunity and the FSIA simply by the tactical omission of the foreign governmental entities that are the real parties at interest. As a consequence, this Court should permit Proposed Intervenors to intervene in order to remove this case to federal court and rightfully invoke foreign sovereign immunity as to Proposed Intervenors and foreign official immunity as to the Foreign Official Defendants. c. This Court Should Allow Stay The Proceedings Pursuant to C.P.L.R. 2201 Until This Application To Intervene Is Decided C.P.L.R. 2201 provides: “Except where otherwise proscribed by law, the court in which an action is pending may grant a stay of proceedings in a proper case, upon such terms as may be just.” The broad language of the statute affords the trial court substantial discretion when considering a stay of the proceedings. See Zonghetti v. Jeromack, 150 A.D.2d 561, 562, 541 N.Y.S.2d 235, 237 (2d Dep’t 1989) (holding that a court has “broad discretion to grant a stay in order to avoid the risk of inconsistent adjudications, application of proof and potential waste of judicial resources”); Research Corp. v. Singer-Gen. Precision, Inc., 36 A.D.2d 987, 988, 320 N.Y.S.2d 818, 820 (3d Dep’t 1971) (holding that the issuance of a stay pursuant to CPLR 2201 is discretionary in the trial court). In the instant case, given the issues of foreign sovereign immunity and foreign official immunity implicated by Plaintiff Pro Se’s Petition, as well as his demonstrated history as a serial litigant, this Court should stay the action as against the Foreign Official Defendants in order to permit Proposed Intervenors to remove this case to federal court under the FSIA, which is the 9 13 of 14 FILED: NEW YORK COUNTY CLERK 01/30/2017 06:44 PM INDEX NO. 159641/2016 NYSCEF DOC. NO. 28 RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/30/2017 appropriate forum for the Danish Government to protect its interests and those of its current and former officials. (Michailidis Aff. ¶ 14; Michailidis Emergency Aff. ¶ 7.)4 CONCLUSION For all of the foregoing reasons, Proposed Intervenors respectfully request that the Court (1) grant them leave to intervene pursuant to N.Y. C.P.L.R. 1012(a) and 1013; (2) stay the proceedings in the instant action as to the Foreign Official Defendants; and (3) grant such further relief as the Court may deem just and proper. Dated: New York, New York January 30, 2017 Respectfully submitted, DUANE MORRIS LLP By: s/ Evangelos Michailidis Evangelos Michailidis Ralph Carter 1540 Broadway New York, New York 10036-4086 Tel: (212) 692-1000 Email: emichailidis@duanemorris.com rcarter@duanemorris.com Attorneys for Proposed Intervenors 4 An additional basis for a stay would be the apparent deficiencies in Plaintiff Pro Se’s attempt to effect service of process on the Foreign Official Defendants. The service deficiencies are set forth in detail in the Michailidis Affirmation. 10 14 of 14