ANDREW J. WISTRICH, Magistrate Judge.
Disclosure and discovery activity in this action are likely to involve production of highly sensitive financial or business information or proprietary information that has not been disseminated to the public at large, which is not readily discoverable by competitors and has been the subject of reasonable efforts by the respective parties to maintain its secrecy, and for which special protection from public disclosure and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation would be warranted. Accordingly, the parties hereby stipulate to and petition the Court to enter the following Stipulated Protective Order. The parties acknowledge that this Order does not confer blanket protections on all disclosures or responses to discovery and that the protection it affords extends only to the limited information or items that are entitled under the applicable legal principles to treatment as confidential. The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 10, below, that this Stipulated Protective Order creates no entitlement to file confidential information under seal.
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2.14.
Any Protected Material (as defined above) may not be disseminated or disclosed outside the parameters of the Order, whether that disclosure embodies the entirety of a designated document or any portion or segment thereof.
Even after the termination of this litigation, the confidentiality obligations imposed by this Stipulation and Order shall remain in effect until a Designating Party agrees otherwise in writing or a court order otherwise directs. Nothing contained herein, however, is intended to limit or prevent parties from introducing evidence at trial to prove its case. The use of any Protected Material at trial, however, is not addressed at this time, but may be the subject of future application to the District Court Judge assigned to this matter as the need may arise. Unless otherwise ordered or agreed in writing by the Producing Party, within sixty (60) days after the final termination of this action, each Receiving Party shall return all Protected Material to the Producing Party, or alternatively, with permission in writing from the Designating Party destroy the Protected Material. If the documents were originally produced without charge, they shall be returned without charge. If they were produced at a charge, they shall be returned for the same cost. As used in this subdivision, "all Protected Material" includes all copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other form of reproducing or capturing any of the Protected Material. For the avoidance of doubt, a Receiving Party may, with permission in writing from the Designating Party, destroy some or all of the Protected Material instead of returning it. Whether the Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving Party must submit a written certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the same person or entity, to the Designating Party) by the sixty day deadline that identifies (by category, where appropriate) all the Protected Material that was returned or destroyed and that affirms that the Receiving Party has not retained any copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or other forms of reproducing or capturing any of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel are entitled to retain an archival copy of all pleadings, motion papers, transcripts, legal memoranda, correspondence or attorney work product, even if such materials contain Protected Material.
5.1.
If it comes to a Party's or a non-party's attention that information or items that it designated for protection do not qualify for protection at all, or do not qualify for the level of protection initially asserted, that Party or non-party must promptly notify all other parties that it is withdrawing the mistaken designation.
5.2.
Designation in conformity with this Order requires:
(a)
A Party or non-party that makes original documents or materials available for inspection need not designate them for protection until after the inspecting Party has indicated which material it would like copied and produced. During the inspection and before the designation, all of the material made available for inspection only to the inspecting Party's Outside Counsel, and shall be deemed "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY." After the inspecting Party's Outside Counsel have identified the documents they want copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which documents, or portions thereof, qualify for protection under this Order, and then, before producing the specified documents, the Producing Party must affix the appropriate legend ("CONFIDENTIAL" or "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY") conspicuously on each page that contains Protected Material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins) and must specify, for each portion, the level of protection being asserted (either "CONFIDENTIAL" or "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY").
(b)
Where, in good faith, it is anticipated by Counsel for the Party or non-party who is testifying that the response to a question or series of questions could qualify as "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY" protection, then, on the record, Counsel for the testifying Party or non-party shall ask all Party representatives or non-parties to leave the deposition room during such testimony. Upon the completion of the questioning that is believed to qualify for "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY" protection, all Party representatives or non-parties shall be allowed to reenter the deposition room.
Transcript pages containing Protected Material shall be separately bound by the court reporter, who shall affix to conspicuously on each such page the legend "CONFIDENTIAL" or "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY," as instructed by the Party or non-party offering or sponsoring the witness or presenting the testimony.
(c)
(d)
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(a) the Receiving Party's Outside Counsel of record in this action (Lisa Borodkin, Attorney at Law and King Holmes Paterno & Berliner LLP for plaintiff and Holland & Knight, LLP for defendant), and independent contractors and employees of said Outside Counsel to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information for this litigation;
(b) the officers, directors, and employees (including In-House Counsel) of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation;
(c) Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the "Agreement to Be Bound by Protective Order" (Exhibit A);
(d) the Court and its personnel;
(e) court reporters, their staffs, and other persons involved in recording or transcribing hearings, trial testimony, or deposition testimony in this action;
(f) during their depositions and for the 30-day deposition transcript review period provided under Paragraph 5.2(b), witnesses in the action to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary. Pages of transcribed deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected Material shall be separately bound by the court reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone except as permitted under this Stipulated Protective Order. Any Party seeking to use CONFIDENTIAL information during a deposition shall obtain a statement on the record that the deponent and any other persons in attendance have agreed to abide by the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order. If the deponent refuses to agree, disclosure of such information to the witness during the deposition shall not constitute a waiver of confidentiality, provided that, under such circumstances, the witness shall be asked to read and sign the original deposition transcript in the presence of the court reporter, and no copy of the transcript or related exhibits shall be given to the deponent. The terms of this Stipulated Protective Order shall apply to those persons in attendance at depositions and shall require the exclusion of persons not subject to the terms of the Stipulated Protective Order from attending that portion of the deposition at which CONFIDENTIAL or ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY information is discussed. In addition, as set forth in Section 5.2(b) above, prior to the disclosure of ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY information or testimony in the deposition, Counsel for the testifying Party or non-party shall ask all Party representatives or non-parties to leave the deposition room during such testimony;
(g) the author and named recipients of the document, persons who have previously had access to the documents or CONFIDENTIAL Information other than through discovery or disclosures in the litigation, and the original source of the information;
(h) jury or trial consultants retained by a Party in this action, providing that any such consultant is not an employee of a Party nor anticipated to become an employee in the near future;
(i) mock jurors engaged by the Parties and/or their consultants in preparation for trial, provided that (i) no Party will use any mock juror who knows any person employed or affiliated with either Party to this action; and (ii) mock jurors will not be allowed to retain any tangible materials that contain or disclose any Protected Material, and (iii) mock jurors first agree in writing to maintain the confidentiality of any materials and information provided to them in connection with being a mock juror; and
(j) Professional Vendors, but only to the extent necessary for the particular litigation support services being rendered for this action and in accordance with the vendor's ordinary operating procedure.
7.3.
(a) the Receiving Party's Outside Counsel of record in this action (Lisa Borodkin, Attorney at Law and King Holmes Paterno & Berliner LLP for plaintiff and Holland & Knight, LLP for defendant), and independent contractors and employees of said Outside Counsel to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information for this litigation;
(b) Experts (as defined in this Order) to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the "Agreement to Be Bound by Protective Order" (Exhibit A);
(c) the Court and its personnel;
(d) court reporters, their staffs, and other persons involved in recording or transcribing hearings, trial testimony, or deposition testimony in this action;
(e) any person who authored and/or was an identified original recipient of the particular "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY" sought to be disclosed to that person, or any deponent when the examining attorney has a good faith basis to believe the deponent is the author and/or was an identified original recipient of the particular "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY" sought to be disclosed to that deponent;
(f) two In-House Counsel, identified in Exhibit B to this Order, and their support staff (secretary, paralegals, and clerical staff).
(g) Professional Vendors, but only to the extent necessary for the particular litigation support services being rendered for this action and in accordance with the vendor's ordinary operating procedure;
(h) jury or trial consultants retained by a Party in this action, providing that any such consultant is not an employee of a Party nor anticipated to become an employee in the near future; and
(i) mock jurors engaged by the Parties and/or their consultants in preparation for trial, provided that (i) no Party will use any mock juror who knows any person employed or affiliated with either Party to this action; and (ii) mock jurors will not be allowed to retain any tangible materials that contain or disclose any Protected Material, and (iii) mock jurors first agree in writing to maintain the confidentiality of any materials and information provided to them in connection with being a mock juror.
Nothing herein, however, is intended to prohibit or proscribe the ability of Outside Counsel to provide to its client informed and meaningful advice, or to prevent Counsel from aggregating and generally summarizing Counsel's interpretation of the implications of such information as it relates to the litigation, so long as it will not reveal or disclose the specific contents of any document or information designated as "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY".
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the parties hereby stipulate and agree that, notwithstanding a designation of "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY," the Mattel Cloud 9 Girls License shall be disclosed solely to the Receiving Party's Outside Counsel of record in this action, as well as employees and consultants of said Outside Counsel to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information for this litigation, and those persons in Paragraph 7.3(b)-(e) and Paragraph 7.3(g)-(i) above (i.e., the Mattel Cloud 9 Girls License shall not be disclosed to Hasbro's In-House Counsel or their support staff).
If it becomes necessary for a Receiving Party's Outside Counsel to seek the assistance of any person, other than those persons referred to in Paragraph 7, and to disclose Protected Material to such person to properly prepare this litigation for trial, the following procedures shall be employed:
(a) Outside Counsel of the Receiving Party shall notify, in writing, Outside Counsel for the Producing Party, stating therein the specific Protected Material to be disclosed and the name, address and position of the person(s) to whom such disclosure is to be made;
(b) If no objection to such disclosure is made by Outside Counsel for the Producing Party within ten (10) business days of such notification, Outside Counsel for the Receiving Party shall be free to make such disclosure to the designated person(s); provided, however, that Outside Counsel for the Receiving Party shall serve upon Outside Counsel for the Producing Party, prior to disclosure, an Acknowledgment and Agreement to be Bound in the form shown in Exhibit A, whereby such person agrees to comply with and be bound by this Order. The acknowledgment shall be retained by Outside Counsel for the Receiving Party, with a copy forwarded to the other side, distributed upon final disposition of this action as set forth in Paragraph 4;
(c) If, within ten (10) business days, Outside Counsel for the Producing Party objects, in writing, to such disclosure, no disclosure shall be made, except by order of the Court upon a regularly noticed motion brought by the Receiving Party. Before filing such a motion, Outside Counsel for the Receiving Party shall meet and confer with Outside Counsel for the Producing Party in a good faith effort to resolve their differences.
If a Receiving Party is served with a subpoena or an order issued in other litigation or Court proceedings that require disclosure of any information or items designated in this action as "CONFIDENTIAL" or "ATTORNEYS' EYES ONLY," the Receiving Party shall notify the Designating Party, in writing promptly and in no event more than four (4) court days after receiving the subpoena or order but before the scheduled date for production. Such notification shall include a copy of the subpoena or court order.
The Receiving Party shall also immediately inform in writing the Party who caused the subpoena or order to issue in the other litigation or proceeding that some or all the material covered by the subpoena or order is the subject to this Protective Order. In addition, the Receiving Party must deliver a copy of this Stipulated Protective Order promptly to the Party in the other action that caused the subpoena or order to issue.
The purpose of imposing these duties is to alert the interested parties to the existence of this Protective Order and to afford the Designating Party in this case an opportunity to try to protect its confidentiality interests in the court from which the subpoena or order issued. The Designating Party shall bear the burden and the expense of seeking protection in that court of its confidential material — and nothing in these provisions should be construed as authorizing or encouraging a Receiving Party in this action to disobey a lawful directive from another court.
If Protected Material, or any portion thereof, is disclosed by the Receiving Party, through inadvertence or otherwise, to any person or party not authorized to receive such Protected Material under this Protective Order, then the Receiving Party shall use its best efforts to retrieve immediately all copies of such Protected Material, and to bind such person to the terms of this Order. In such event, the Receiving Party shall also (a) promptly inform such person of all the provisions of this Order; (b) identify such person immediately to the Producing Party; and (c) request such person to execute the "Acknowledgment and Agreement to be Bound" in the form shown in Exhibit A.
If a Producing Party through inadvertence produces or provides discovery that it believes is subject to a claim of attorney-client privilege or work-product immunity, such action shall not constitute a waiver of the attorney-client privilege and/or work product immunity. The Producing Party may give written notice to the Receiving Party that the document is subject to a claim of attorney-client privilege or work product immunity and request that the document be returned to the Producing Party. Upon receiving written notice, the Receiving Party shall return to the Designating Party all copies of such document and shall return or destroy all excerpts thereof within three (3) business days of receiving such written notice. The Producing Party shall be obligated to keep in a sealed envelope or similar sealed container, all inadvertently produced discovery returned by the Receiving Party that it believes is subject to a claim of attorney-client privilege or work-product immunity until the end of this action, including all appeals. Return of the document by the Receiving Party shall not constitute an admission or concession, or permit any inference, that the returned document is, in fact, properly subject to a claim of attorney-client privilege or work product immunity, nor shall it foreclose the Receiving Party from moving for an order that such document has been improperly designated as subject to a claim of attorney-client privilege or work product immunity or should be produced for reasons other than a waiver caused merely by the inadvertent production. The Receiving Party shall be entitled to prepare a record for its own use containing the date, the author, address(es), and topic of the document and other such information as is reasonably necessary to identify the document and describe its nature to the Court in any motion to compel production of the document. Such a record of the identity and nature of a document may not be used for any purposes other than preparing a motion to compel production of that document in this action. After the return of the document(s), the Receiving Party may challenge the Producing Party's claim(s) of privilege or work-product by making a motion to the Court. Unless previously waived, the inadvertent disclosure of any privileged or immune documents shall not be deemed a waiver of that privilege or immunity as to any other documents, testimony, or evidence.
The Local Rules and applicable Judge's Procedures will govern the filing of Protected Material.
In the event that Counsel for any Party decides to file with or submit to the Court any Protected Material designated by a different Party, Counsel for the filing party (the "filing Party") shall provide written notice to Counsel for the Designating Party as soon as practicable and follow the procedures herein. The filing Party shall request that the Protected Materials be filed under seal by way of a written Application to Seal, with a proposed order and a supporting memorandum as required by the Local Rules and the Judge's Procedures. Recognizing that the Designating Party is in the best position to show good cause for the sealing of its own Protected Materials, the filing Party shall, in its supporting memorandum, refer to this provision of the Protective Order and notify the Court that the Designating Party may file "good cause" evidence in support of the Application to Seal within three (3) court days. Accordingly, the Designating Party may, within three (3) court days, file "good cause" evidence in support of the Application to Seal. Pending a decision on the Designating Party's showing of good cause to seal (if such a showing is offered), the filing Party shall lodge the Protected Materials under seal, in accordance with the Local Rules and the applicable Judge's Procedures.
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IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
I, __________________________________________ [print or type full name], of _____________________________________________________________________ [print or type full company name and address], declare under penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety and understand the Stipulated Protective Order that was issued by the United States District Court for the Central District of California on ___________________ [date] in the case of Elinor Shapiro v. Hasbro, Inc., Case No. 2:15-cv-2964-BRO-AJW. I agree to comply with and to be bound by all the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order and I understand and acknowledge that failure to so comply could expose me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of contempt. I solemnly promise that I will not disclose in any manner any information or item that is subject to this Stipulated Protective Order to any person or entity except in strict compliance with the provisions of this Order.
I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Central District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur after termination of this action.
Subject to Paragraph 7.3(f), the Parties designate the following In-House Counsel: