Asencio v. Miller Brewing Co.
Asencio v. Miller Brewing Co.
Opinion of the Court
MEMORANDUM
Linda Asencio appeals the district court’s order entering judgment on the pleadings in favor of Miller Brewing Company (“Miller”). Because the parties are familiar with the facts and procedural history we do not include them here, except as necessary to explain our disposition. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291
A previous panel of this court held that Asencio could proceed with her claims that Miller’s conduct violated the unlawful and unfair prongs of the Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), Cal. Bus. & Prof.Code § 17200, et seq., even though Asencio was jurisdictionally barred from proceeding with her Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”) claim for failing to obtain a right to sue letter before filing her complaint. Asencio v. Miller Brewing Co., 152 Fed.Appx. 576, 577 (9th Cir. 2005) (unpublished).
After the prior panel issued its decision, the California Court of Appeal decided Bothwell v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc. (In re Vaccine Cases), 134 Cal.App.4th 438, 36 Cal.Rptr.3d 80 (2005). Pursuant to the reasoning in that case, Asencio’s claim under the “unfair” prong of UCL must fail. Although the California Supreme Court in Cel-Tech Communications, Inc. v. Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co., 20 Cal.4th 163, 83 Cal.Rptr.2d 548, 973 P.2d 527, 541-42 (1999), held that even if conduct was not unlawful, the plaintiff could maintain a UCL cause of action on the basis that the defendant’s conduct was unfair, In re Vaccine Cases clarified that where the plaintiff alleges violations of a statute only, the “cause of action alleges unfair competition that is ‘unlawful’ rather than ‘unfair’ or ‘deceptive.’ ” In re Vaccine Cases, 36 Cal. Rptr.3d at 93. Because Asencio’s UCL cause of action was based solely on the alleged FEHA violations, and contained no separate allegations that Miller’s conduct was unfair, her cause of action was one for unlawful, rather than unfair, business practices. See id. The district court therefore properly entered judgment on the pleadings in favor of Miller on Asencio’s claim based on UCL’s “unfair” prong.
The district court also properly entered judgment on the pleadings in favor of Miller on Asencio’s claim based on UCL’s “unlawful” prong. In In re Vaccine Cases the court dismissed the plaintiffs’ claim under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (“the Act”) because the plaintiffs failed to comply with the mandatory pre-suit notice provision of the Act. 36 Cal.Rptr.3d at 92. Once the statutory claim was dismissed, the court
AFFIRMED.
This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by 9th Cir. R. 36-3.
. Miller's argument that we lack jurisdiction because Asencio's notice of appeal was untimely is without merit. No separate document setting forth the judgment was created pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 58(a). Asencio had 180 days within which to file a timely notice of appeal—150 days from
. Asencio argues that In re Vaccine Cases is not controlling because, under Rojo v. Kliger, 52 Cal.3d 65, 276 Cal.Rptr. 130, 801 P.2d 373, 383 (1990), FEHA is not an exclusive remedy. The fact that a plaintiff may be able to pursue a common law cause of action based on the conduct underlying the procedurally barred FEHA claim does not mean that the plaintiff can also pursue a UCL cause of action based on the same conduct. Rojo says nothing about the plaintiff's ability to proceed under UCL and In re Vaccine Cases specifically prohibits such a cause of action.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.