VINCENT L. BRICCETTI, District Judge.
This matter having come before the Court by stipulation of the parties for the entry of a protective order, limiting the review, copying, dissemination and filing of confidential and/or proprietary documents and information to be produced by either party and their respective counsel or by any non-party in the course of discovery in this matter to the extent set forth below; and the parties, by, between and among their respective counsel, having stipulated and agreed to the terms set forth herein, and good cause having been shown;
1. This Stipulation is being entered into to facilitate the production, exchange and discovery of documents and information that the parties agree merit confidential treatment (hereinafter the
2. Either party may designate Documents produced, or Testimony given, in connection with this action as "Confidential" or "Confidential — Attorneys' Eyes Only," either by notation on the document, statement on the record of the deposition, written advice to the respective undersigned counsel for the parties hereto, or by other appropriate means.
3. As used herein:
4. The Receiving party may, at any time, notify the Producing party in writing that the Receiving party does not concur in the designation of a document or other material as Confidential Information. If the Producing party does not agree to declassify such document or material, the Producing party may move before the Court for an order classifying those documents or materials as Confidential Information. If no such motion is filed within 14 days of notification that the Receiving Party does not concur, such documents or materials shall not be treated as Confidential Information. If such motion is filed, the documents or other materials shall be deemed Confidential Information unless and until the Court rules otherwise.
5. Except with the prior written consent of the Producing party or by Order of the Court, Confidential Information shall not be furnished, shown or disclosed to any person or entity except to:
6. Confidential Information shall be utilized by the Receiving party and its counsel only for purposes of this litigation and for no other purposes.
7. a. Before any disclosure of Confidential Information is made to an independent expert witness or consultant pursuant to paragraph 5(c) hereof, counsel for the Receiving party shall provide the expert's written agreement, in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto, to comply with and be bound by its terms. Counsel for the party obtaining the certificate shall supply a copy to counsel for the other party at the time of the disclosure of the information required to be disclosed, except that any certificate signed by an expert or consultant who is not expected to be called as a witness at trial is not required to be supplied.
8. All depositions shall presumptively be treated as Confidential Information and subject to this Stipulation during the deposition and for a period of fifteen (15) days after a transcript of said deposition is received by counsel for each of the parties. At or before the end of such fifteen-day period, the deposition shall be classified appropriately.
9. Should the need arise for any of the parties to disclose Confidential Information during any hearing or trial before the Court, including through argument or the presentation of evidence, such party may do so only after taking such steps as the Court, upon motion of the disclosing party, shall deem necessary to preserve the confidentiality of such Confidential Information.
10. This Stipulation shall not preclude counsel for the parties from using during any deposition in this action any documents or information which have been designated as "Confidential Information" under the terms hereof. Any court reporter and deposition witness who is given access to Confidential Information shall, prior thereto, be provided with a copy of this Stipulation and shall execute the certificate annexed hereto. Counsel for the party obtaining the certificate shall supply a copy to counsel for the other party.
11. A party may designate as Confidential Information subject to this Stipulation any document, information, or deposition testimony produced or given by any non-party to this case, or any portion thereof. In the case of Documents, designation shall be made by notifying all counsel in writing of those documents which are to be stamped and treated as such at any time up to fifteen (15) days after actual receipt of copies of those documents by counsel for the party asserting the confidentiality privilege. In the case of deposition Testimony, designation shall be made by notifying all counsel in writing of those portions which are to be stamped or otherwise treated as such at any time up to fifteen (15) days after the transcript is received by counsel for the party asserting the confidentiality privilege. Prior to the expiration of such fifteen (15)-day period (or until a designation is made by counsel, if such a designation is made in a shorter period of time), all such documents shall be treated as Confidential Information.
12. (a) A Receiving Party who seeks to file with the Court any deposition transcripts, exhibits, answers to interrogatories, and other documents which have previously been designated as comprising or containing Confidential Information, and any pleading, brief or memorandum which reproduces, paraphrases or discloses Confidential Information, shall provide all other parties with seven (7) days' written notice of its intent to file such material with the Court, so that the Producing party may file by Order to Show Cause a motion to seal such Confidential Information. The Confidential Information shall not be filed until the Court renders a decision on the motion to seal. In the event the motion to seal is granted, all deposition transcripts, exhibits, answers to interrogatories, and other documents which have previously been designated by a party as comprising or containing Confidential Information, and any pleading, brief or memorandum which reproduces, paraphrases or discloses such material, shall be filed in sealed envelopes or other appropriate sealed container on which shall be endorsed the caption of this litigation, the words "CONFIDENTIAL MATERIAL-SUBJECT TO STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR THE PRODUCTION AND EXCHANGE OF CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION" as an indication of the nature of the contents, and a statement in substantially the following form:
Such documents shall be returned by the Part Clerk upon disposition of the motion or other proceeding for which they were submitted.
13. Any person receiving Confidential Information shall not reveal or discuss such information to or with any person not entitled to receive such information under the terms hereof.
14. Any document or information that may contain Confidential Information that has been inadvertently produced without identification as to its "Confidential" or "Confidential — Attorneys' Eyes Only" nature as provided in paragraphs 2 and/or 11 of this Stipulation may be so designated by the party asserting the confidentiality privilege by written notice to the undersigned counsel for the Receiving party identifying the document or information as "Confidential" or "Confidential — Attorneys' Eyes Only" within a reasonable time following the discovery that the document or information has been produced without such designation.
15. Extracts and summaries of Confidential Information shall also be treated as confidential in accordance with the provisions of this Stipulation.
16. The production or disclosure of Confidential Information shall in no way constitute a waiver of each party's right to object to the production or disclosure of other information in this action or in any other action.
17. This Stipulation is entered into without prejudice to the right of either party to seek relief from, or modification of, this Stipulation or any provisions thereof by properly noticed motion to the Court or to challenge any designation of confidentiality as inappropriate under the Civil Practice Law and Rules or other applicable law.
18. This Stipulation shall continue to be binding after the conclusion of this litigation except (a) that there shall be no restriction on documents that are used as exhibits in Court (unless such exhibits were filed under seal); and (b) that a party may seek the written permission of the Producing party or further order of the Court with respect to dissolution or modification of any the Stipulation. The provisions of this Stipulation shall, absent prior written consent of both parties, continue to be binding after the conclusion of this action.
19. Nothing herein shall be deemed to waive any privilege recognized by law, or shall be deemed an admission as to the admissibility in evidence of any facts or documents revealed in the course of disclosure.
20. Within sixty (60) days after the final termination of this litigation by settlement or exhaustion of all appeals, all Confidential Information produced or designated, and all reproductions thereof, shall be returned to the Producing party or shall be destroyed, at the option of the Receiving party. In the event that any party chooses to destroy physical objects and documents, such party shall certify in writing within sixty (60) days of the final termination of this litigation that it has undertaken its best efforts to destroy such physical objects and documents, and that such physical objects and documents have been destroyed to the best of its knowledge. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, counsel of record for the parties may retain one copy of documents constituting work product, a copy of pleadings, motion papers, discovery responses, deposition transcripts and deposition and trial exhibits. This Stipulation shall not be interpreted in a manner that would violate any applicable cannons of ethics or codes of professional responsibility. Nothing in this Stipulation shall prohibit or interfere with the ability of counsel for any party, or of experts specially retained for this case, to represent any individual, corporation, or other entity adverse to any party or its affiliate(s) in connection with any other matters.
21. This Stipulation may be changed by further order of this Court, and is without prejudice to the rights of a party to move for relief from any of its provisions, or to seek or agree to different or additional protection for any particular material or information.
SO ORDERED.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
I, ___________________________, state that:
1. My address is ___________________________________________.
2. My present employer is __________________________________.
3. My present occupation or job description is _____________.
4. On ______________I received a copy of the Confidentiality Order entered in the above-entitled action.
5. I have carefully read and understand the provisions of the Order.
6. I will comply with all of the provisions of the Order.
7. I will hold in confidence, will not disclose to anyone not qualified under the Order, and will use only for purposes of this action, any Confidential Information that is disclosed to me.
8. I will return all Confidential Information that comes into my possession, and documents or things that I have prepared relating thereto, to counsel for the party by whom I am employed or retained, or to counsel from whom I received the Confidential Information.
9. I hereby submit to the jurisdiction of this court for the purpose of enforcement of the Stipulation in this action.