Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni Arrive at NYC Court Ahead of Huge Legal Showdown

No end in sight.

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were photographed arriving at the U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Wednesday morning for a final chance at resolving their legal battle ahead of their May trial.

via: People

Lively, 38, arrived by herself at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday, Feb. 11, wearing a pale green suit and sweater. Baldoni, 42, appeared for the settlement conference holding hands with his wife Emily Baldoni. The pair's conference will be overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.

Lively and Baldoni's settlement conference is a standard procedure in federal civil litigation; conferences of this nature are intended to determine whether a case can be resolved without going to trial. Judge Liman, who is presiding over the case, has not yet ruled on Baldoni’s pending summary judgment motion.

The It Ends With Us costars' legal dispute dates back to December 2024, when Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, who also directed the film, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation. The director has denied the allegations and later filed a $400 million countersuit, which has since been dismissed. Lively has alleged she lost $161 million as a result of what she describes as a retaliatory smear campaign. A trial is currently scheduled for May 18.

Ahead of the conference, PEOPLE spoke with legal expert Gregory Doll, a partner at Doll Amir & Eley in Los Angeles, to explain what typically happens during a settlement conference and what the possible outcomes could be. Doll is not representing either party.

Doll told PEOPLE that he would expect the conference to "last a full day," though he noted there is "no limitation to how long" a conference of this nature may last. Doll also shared that any and all statements made by either party during the settlement conference "are 100% confidential and cannot be used at trial" if a settlement is not achieved.

Asked how common it is for cases to settle at this stage, Doll said, "very." "Magistrates pride themselves in settling cases, and by this point in time, the parties are often getting apprehensive about the trial, tired of paying legal bills, and want to make a deal," Doll added.