ORDER

NANCY J. KOPPE, Magistrate Judge.

Pending before the Court is Plaintiff's Motion for an Order Directing a Settlement Conference and Staying These Proceedings. Docket No. 126. The Court has considered Plaintiff's Motion (Docket No. 126), Defendants' Response (Docket No. 129), and Plaintiff's Reply (Docket No. 130). The Court finds this motion appropriately resolved without oral argument. See Local Rule 78-2.

Plaintiff asks the Court to exercise its discretion to direct the parties to attend a settlement conference, pursuant to Local Rule 16-5.1 See Docket No. 126, at 6. Defendants do not dispute that the Court has discretion to order the parties to attend a settlement conference. See Docket No. 129, at 3. Defendants maintain, however, that "a settlement conference in this case would be premature given that discovery has not yet been completed." Id. Defendants also proffer that the parties' settlement positions are currently too far apart for a fruitful settlement conference. Id., at 3.

Plaintiff offers no legal authority in support of its position that the Court should order Defendants to attend a settlement conference against their will. See, e.g., Docket Nos. 126, 130. The Court cannot force the parties to enter into a settlement agreement, and Defendants have informed the Court that a settlement is not likely at this time. Accordingly, the Court finds no utility in directing the parties to attend a settlement conference where the likelihood of reaching a settlement agreement is de minimis.

For the reasons discussed above, Plaintiff's Motion for an Order directing a Settlement Conference and Staying These Proceedings is hereby DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.