Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Strongly Urged to Both Attend February Settlement Meeting in Person
- - Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Strongly Urged to Both Attend February Settlement Meeting in Person
Eric Andersson, Elizabeth RosnerDecember 20, 2025 at 4:48 AM
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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. -
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, as well as their attorneys, will meet at a settlement conference in February
On Dec. 9, Judge Lewis J. Liman, who is overseeing the case at U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, directed the parties to meet with a magistrate judge for settlement talks
The judge's order is standard for civil cases litigated in federal court, and the two could still head to trial in May if they don't reach an agreement
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni as well as their attorneys will meet at a settlement conference on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to potentially resolve the ongoing legal dispute stemming from It Ends With Us, according to a Dec. 18 scheduling order from United States Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
The settlement conference, which is standard for civil cases being litigated in federal court, will take place in New York City at U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The order notes that "the presence of each party (the client), in addition to counsel, is essential to the settlement process."
“Almost 100 percent of the time the parties are required to personally attend the settlement conference,” legal expert Gregory Doll, a partner at Amir Doll and Eley in Los Angeles who is not involved in this case, tells PEOPLE.
“Rarely are they excused and seldom allowed to appear by phone," explains Doll. "The magistrate judge wants them there for maximum force and effect.”
According to the document, Cave also directed Lively's side to make a settlement demand to Baldoni by Jan. 28. His side must then respond by Feb. 4.
The document also outlined what will happen when the parties meet next year.
“At the settlement conference, counsel for each side should expect to make a succinct presentation (10–15 minutes) in the presence of all parties and the Court summarizing the issues counsel believes are important for the client(s).. of the opposing party to consider for purposes of formulating a settlement position,” according to Cave’s order.
“After the initial statements, counsel may respond and have their clients speak if they choose,” the order continues.
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Blake Lively; Justin Baldoni
“Following the presentations, the Court will meet separately with each side in private. In these meetings, the parties and their counsel must be prepared to inform the Court of the amount of attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred to date, and an estimate of the remaining costs (including attorneys’ fees) of litigating the case to judgment, including appeal," according to the order.
District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who is overseeing the case between Lively and Baldoni, previously directed them to discuss a settlement with the magistrate judge. He gave the order during a Dec. 9 motion hearing.
Lively, 38, and Baldoni, 41, whose trial date is set for May 18, 2026, could still battle it out in court if they don’t settle.
But Doll previously told PEOPLE that the threat of a trial often spurs parties to come to an agreement, even if they were previously averse to it. “Many settlements occur right before trial. There is something about the looming trial date and reality of what is about to happen that makes parties reconsider their previous views about settlement,” he said.
He added that the magistrate judge will be “hammering” the message that “there is so much risk in going to trial.”
In December 2024, Lively sued her It Ends With Us director and costar Baldoni and several of his associates, alleging sexual harassment and a retaliation campaign after she spoke up about it. She is seeking $160 million in damages. Baldoni, who has denied any wrongdoing, countersued in January for $400 million, but that suit was dismissed by Liman in June.
Though more than 90 percent of civil cases do reach a settlement before a trial, Doll notes that this one between Lively and Baldoni may be an outlier: "This is a deeply personal dispute."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
