Bankers Standard Insurance Company v. Tyco International (US), Inc.

Filing 20

ORDER GRANTING STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER by Magistrate Judge Suzanne H. Segal re Stipulation for Protective Order 19 . (See order for details) (hr)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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BANKERS STANDARD INSURANCE )
COMPANY, a corporation,
)
)
Plaintiff,
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vs.
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TYCO INTERNATIONAL, (US), INC., )
a corporation; and DOES 1-50, inclusive, )
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Defendants.
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Case No.: 2:17-cv-09235-DMG (SSx)
Judge: Hon. Dolly M. Gee
Ctrm.: 8C
DISCOVERY DOCUMENT:
REFERRED TO MAGISTRATE
JUDGE SUZANNE H. SEGAL
ORDER GRANTING STIPULATED
PROTECTIVE ORDER
Complaint Filed: October 31, 2017
Trial Date:
March 26, 2019

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The Court, having considered the Parties’ Stipulated Protective Order, and for
good cause appearing, hereby GRANTS the Stipulation, and ORDERS the following:

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1.

A.

PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS

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Discovery in this action is likely to involve production of confidential,

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proprietary, or private information for which special protection from public disclosure

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and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may be warranted.

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Accordingly, the parties hereby stipulate to and petition the Court to enter the

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ORDER GRANTING STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER
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following Stipulated Protective Order. The parties acknowledge that this Order does

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not confer blanket protections on all disclosures or responses to discovery and that the

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protection it affords from public disclosure and use extends only to the limited

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information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment under the applicable

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legal principles. The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 12.3, below,

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that this Stipulated Protective Order does not entitle them to file confidential

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information under seal; Civil Local Rule 79-5 sets forth the procedures that must be

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followed and the standards that will be applied when a party seeks permission from

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the court to file material under seal.

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B.

GOOD CAUSE STATEMENT

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The parties anticipate that discovery in this matter will include production or

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disclosure of documents and other information which constitutes trade secrets and/or

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other confidential research, development, or commercial, financial, and proprietary

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information, including, but not limited to:

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inspection, testing, and installation information, as well as supplier, customer and

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other nonpublic financial information relating to and/or referencing Tyco Fire

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Products LP, Central Sprinkler Company and sprinkler heads, adapters, and/or any

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component parts. (“Protected Material”). Tyco Fire Products LP has a cognizable

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interest in maintaining the secrecy of the Protected Material. The parties claim a need

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for the Protected Material in their respective prosecution and defense of this action,

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and that this need can be balanced against public disclosure by limiting the persons

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who will have access to the Protected Material and the use to which those persons

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may put the Protected Material as provided herein. Accordingly, to expedite the flow

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of information, to facilitate the prompt resolution of disputes over confidentiality of

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discovery materials, to adequately protect information the parties are entitled to keep

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confidential, to ensure that the parties are permitted reasonable necessary uses of such

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material in preparation for and in the conduct of trial, to address their handling at the

design, engineering, manufacturing,

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end of the litigation, and serve the ends of justice, a protective order for such

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information is justified in this matter. It is the intent of the parties that information

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will not be designated as confidential for tactical reasons and that nothing be so

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designated without a good faith belief that it has been maintained in a confidential,

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non-public manner, and there is good cause why it should not be part of the public

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record of this case.

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2.

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DEFINITIONS
2.1

Action: Bankers Standard Insurance Company, a corporation, vs. Tyco

International, (US), Inc., a corporation; and Does 1-50, inclusive; United States
District Court, Central District of California; Case No.: 2:17-cv-9235-DMG-SS.
2.2

Challenging Party: a Party or Non-Party that challenges the designation

of information or items under this Order.
2.3

“CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless of

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how it is generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that qualify for protection

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under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c), and as specified above in the Good

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Cause Statement.

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2.4

Counsel: Outside Counsel of Record and House Counsel (as well as their

support staff).
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Designating Party: a Party or Non-Party that designates information or

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items that it produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as

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“CONFIDENTIAL.”

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Disclosure or Discovery Material: all items or information, regardless of

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the medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or maintained (including,

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among other things, testimony, transcripts, and tangible things), that are produced or

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generated in disclosures or responses to discovery in this matter.

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2.7

Expert: a person with specialized knowledge or experience in a matter

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pertinent to the litigation who has been retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an

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expert witness or as a consultant in this Action.

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House Counsel: attorneys who are employees of a party to this Action.

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House Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of Record or any other outside

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counsel.

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2.9

Non-Party: any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, or

other legal entity not named as a Party to this action.

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2.10 Outside Counsel of Record: attorneys who are not employees of a party

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to this Action but are retained to represent or advise a party to this Action and have

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appeared in this Action on behalf of that party or are affiliated with a law firm which

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has appeared on behalf of that party, and includes support staff.

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2.11 Party: any party to this Action, including all of its officers, directors,

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employees, consultants, retained experts, and Outside Counsel of Record (and their

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support staffs).

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2.12 Producing Party: a Party or Non-Party that produces Disclosure or
Discovery Material in this Action.

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2.13 Professional Vendors: persons or entities that provide litigation support

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services (e.g., photocopying, videotaping, translating, preparing exhibits or

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demonstrations, and organizing, storing, or retrieving data in any form or medium)

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and their employees and subcontractors.

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2.14 Protected Material: any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is
designated as “CONFIDENTIAL.”
2.15 Receiving Party: a Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material
from a Producing Party.

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3.

SCOPE

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The protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order cover not only

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Protected Material (as defined above), but also (1) any information copied or extracted

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from Protected Material; (2) all copies, excerpts, summaries, or compilations of

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Protected Material; and (3) any testimony, conversations, or presentations by Parties

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or their Counsel that might reveal Protected Material.
Any use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by the orders of the trial

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judge. This Order does not govern the use of Protected Material at trial.

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4.

DURATION

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Once a case proceeds to trial, all of the information that was designated as

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confidential or maintained pursuant to this protective order becomes public and will

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be presumptively available to all members of the public, including the press, unless

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compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings to proceed otherwise are

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made to the trial judge in advance of the trial. See Kamakana v. City and County of

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Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1180-81 (9th Cir. 2006) (distinguishing “good cause”

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showing for sealing documents produced in discovery from “compelling reasons”

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standard when merits-related documents are part of court record). Accordingly, the

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terms of this protective order do not extend beyond the commencement of the trial.

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5.

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DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL
5.1

Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection.

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Each Party or Non-Party that designates information or items for protection under this

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Order must take care to limit any such designation to specific material that qualifies

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under the appropriate standards. The Designating Party must designate for protection

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only those parts of material, documents, items, or oral or written communications that

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qualify so that other portions of the material, documents, items, or communications

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for which protection is not warranted are not swept unjustifiably within the ambit of

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this Order.
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Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited. Designations

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that are shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been made for an improper

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purpose (e.g., to unnecessarily encumber the case development process or to impose

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unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the Designating Party

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to sanctions.

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If it comes to a Designating Party’s attention that information or items that it

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designated for protection do not qualify for protection that Designating Party must

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promptly notify all other Parties that it is withdrawing the inapplicable designation.

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5.2

Manner and Timing of Designations. Except as otherwise provided in

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this Order (see, e.g., second paragraph of section 5.2(a) below), or as otherwise

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stipulated or ordered, Disclosure or Discovery Material that qualifies for protection

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under this Order must be clearly so designated before the material is disclosed or

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produced.

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Designation in conformity with this Order requires:
(a)

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for information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic

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documents, but excluding transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial

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proceedings), that the Producing Party affix at a minimum, the legend

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“CONFIDENTIAL” (hereinafter “CONFIDENTIAL legend”), to each page that

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contains protected material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page

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qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected

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portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins).

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A Party or Non-Party that makes original documents available for inspection

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need not designate them for protection until after the inspecting Party has indicated

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which documents it would like copied and produced. During the inspection and before

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the designation, all of the material made available for inspection shall be deemed

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“CONFIDENTIAL.” After the inspecting Party has identified the documents it wants

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copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which documents, or
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portions thereof, qualify for protection under this Order. Then, before producing the

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specified documents, the Producing Party must affix the “CONFIDENTIAL legend”

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to each page that contains Protected Material. If only a portion or portions of the

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material on a page qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly

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identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the

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margins).
(b)

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for testimony given in depositions that the Designating Party

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identify the Disclosure or Discovery Material on the record, before the close of the

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deposition all protected testimony.
(c)

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for information produced in some form other than documentary

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and for any other tangible items, that the Producing Party affix in a prominent place

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on the exterior of the container or containers in which the information is stored the

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legend “CONFIDENTIAL.” If only a portion or portions of the information warrants

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protection, the Producing Party, to the extent practicable, shall identify the protected

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portion(s).
5.3

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Inadvertent Failures to Designate. If timely corrected, an inadvertent

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failure to designate qualified information or items does not, standing alone, waive the

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Designating Party’s right to secure protection under this Order for such material.

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Upon timely correction of a designation, the Receiving Party must make reasonable

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efforts to assure that the material is treated in accordance with the provisions of this

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Order.

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6.

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CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS
6.1

Timing of Challenges. Any Party or Non-Party may challenge a

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designation of confidentiality at any time that is consistent with the Court’s

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Scheduling Order.

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6.2

Meet and Confer. The Challenging Party shall initiate the dispute

resolution process under Local Rule 37.1 et seq.
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6.3

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The burden of persuasion in any such challenge proceeding shall be on

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the Designating Party. Frivolous challenges, and those made for an improper purpose

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(e.g., to harass or impose unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may

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expose the Challenging Party to sanctions. Unless the Designating Party has waived or

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withdrawn the confidentiality designation, all parties shall continue to afford the

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material in question the level of protection to which it is entitled under the Producing

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Party’s designation until the Court rules on the challenge.

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7.

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ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL
7.1

Basic Principles. A Receiving Party may use Protected Material that is

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disclosed or produced by another Party or by a Non-Party in connection with this

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Action only for prosecuting, defending, or attempting to settle this Action. Such

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Protected Material may be disclosed only to the categories of persons and under the

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conditions described in this Order. When the Action has been terminated, a Receiving

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Party must comply with the provisions of section 13 below (FINAL DISPOSITION).

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Protected Material must be stored and maintained by a Receiving Party at a

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location and in a secure manner that ensures that access is limited to the persons

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authorized under this Order.

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7.2

Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items. Unless

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otherwise ordered by the court or permitted in writing by the Designating Party, a

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Receiving Party may disclose any information or item designated “CONFIDENTIAL”

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only to:
(a)

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the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this Action, as

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well as employees of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably

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necessary to disclose the information for this Action;
(b)

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the officers, directors, and employees (including House Counsel)

of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action;

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(c)

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Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom

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disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action and who have signed the

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“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

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(d)

the court and its personnel;

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(e)

court reporters and their staff;

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(f)

professional jury or trial consultants, mock jurors, and Professional

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Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action and who have

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signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);
(g)

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the author or recipient of a document containing the information or

a custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew the information;
(h)

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during their depositions, witnesses ,and attorneys for witnesses, in

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the Action to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary provided: (1) the deposing

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party requests that the witness sign the form attached as Exhibit 1 hereto; and (2) they

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will not be permitted to keep any confidential information unless they sign the

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“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), unless otherwise agreed

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by the Designating Party or ordered by the court. Pages of transcribed deposition

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testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected Material may be separately

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bound by the court reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone except as permitted

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under this Stipulated Protective Order; and
(i)

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any mediator or settlement officer, and their supporting personnel,

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mutually agreed upon by any of the parties engaged in settlement discussions.

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8.

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OTHER LITIGATION

PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED IN

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If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other litigation

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that compels disclosure of any information or items designated in this Action as

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“CONFIDENTIAL,” that Party must:

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(a)

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promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification

shall include a copy of the subpoena or court order;
(b)

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promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena or

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order to issue in the other litigation that some or all of the material covered by the

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subpoena or order is subject to this Protective Order. Such notification shall include a

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copy of this Stipulated Protective Order; and
(c)

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cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be

pursued by the Designating Party whose Protected Material may be affected.

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If the Designating Party timely seeks a protective order, the Party served with

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the subpoena or court order shall not produce any information designated in this

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action as “CONFIDENTIAL” before a determination by the court from which the

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subpoena or order issued, unless the Party has obtained the Designating Party’s

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permission. The Designating Party shall bear the burden and expense of seeking

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protection in that court of its confidential material and nothing in these provisions

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should be construed as authorizing or encouraging a Receiving Party in this Action to

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disobey a lawful directive from another court.

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9.

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IN THIS LITIGATION

A NON-PARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE PRODUCED

(a)

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The terms of this Order are applicable to information produced by

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a Non-Party in this Action and designated as “CONFIDENTIAL.” Such information

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produced by Non-Parties in connection with this litigation is protected by the

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remedies and relief provided by this Order. Nothing in these provisions should be

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construed as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking additional protections.
(b)

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In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery request,

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to produce a Non-Party’s confidential information in its possession, and the Party is

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subject to an agreement with the Non-Party not to produce the Non-Party’s

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confidential information, then the Party shall:
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(1)

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promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the

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Non-Party that some or all of the information requested is subject to a confidentiality

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agreement with a Non-Party;
(2)

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promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of the

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Stipulated Protective Order in this Action, the relevant discovery request(s), and a

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reasonably specific description of the information requested; and
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make the information requested available for inspection by

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the Non-Party, if requested.

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(c)

If the Non-Party fails to seek a protective order from this court

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within 14 days of receiving the notice and accompanying information, the Receiving

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Party may produce the Non-Party’s confidential information responsive to the

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discovery request. If the Non-Party timely seeks a protective order, the Receiving

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Party shall not produce any information in its possession or control that is subject to

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the confidentiality agreement with the Non-Party before a determination by the court.

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Absent a court order to the contrary, the Non-Party shall bear the burden and expense

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of seeking protection in this court of its Protected Material.

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10.

UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

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If a Receiving Party learns that, by inadvertence or otherwise, it has disclosed

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Protected Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized under this

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Stipulated Protective Order, the Receiving Party must immediately (a) notify in

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writing the Designating Party of the unauthorized disclosures, (b) use its best efforts

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to retrieve all unauthorized copies of the Protected Material, (c) inform the person or

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persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all the terms of this Order,

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and (d) request such person or persons to execute the “Acknowledgment and

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Agreement to Be Bound” that is attached hereto as Exhibit A.

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11.

INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE

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PROTECTED MATERIAL

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When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain

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inadvertently produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other protection,

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the obligations of the Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal Rule of Civil

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Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). This provision is not intended to modify whatever procedure

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may be established in an e-discovery order that provides for production without prior

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privilege review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 502(d) and (e), insofar as the

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parties reach an agreement on the effect of disclosure of a communication or

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information covered by the attorney-client privilege or work product protection, the

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parties may incorporate their agreement in the stipulated protective order submitted to

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the court.

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12.

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MISCELLANEOUS
12.1 Right to Further Relief. Nothing in this Order abridges the right of any

person to seek its modification by the Court in the future.

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12.2 Right to Assert Other Objections. By stipulating to the entry of this

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Protective Order no Party waives any right it otherwise would have to object to

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disclosing or producing any information or item on any ground not addressed in this

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Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, no Party waives any right to object on any

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ground to use in evidence of any of the material covered by this Protective Order.

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12.3 Filing Protected Material. A Party that seeks to file under seal any

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Protected Material must comply with Civil Local Rule 79-5. Protected Material may

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only be filed under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing the sealing of the

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specific Protected Material at issue. If a Party's request to file Protected Material

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under seal is denied by the court, then the Receiving Party may file the information in

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the public record unless otherwise instructed by the court.

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13.

FINAL DISPOSITION

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After the final disposition of this Action, as defined in paragraph 4, within 60

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days of a written request by the Designating Party, each Receiving Party must return

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all Protected Material to the Producing Party or destroy such material. As used in this

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subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts, compilations,

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summaries, and any other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected

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Material. Whether the Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving Party

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must submit a written certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the same person

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or entity, to the Designating Party) by the 60 day deadline that (1) identifies (by

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category, where appropriate) all the Protected Material that was returned or destroyed

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and (2)affirms that the Receiving Party has not retained any copies, abstracts,

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compilations, summaries or any other format reproducing or capturing any of the

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Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel are entitled to retain an

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archival copy of all pleadings, motion papers, trial, deposition, and hearing transcripts,

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legal memoranda, correspondence, deposition and trial exhibits, expert reports,

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attorney work product, and consultant and expert work product, even if such materials

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contain Protected Material. Any such archival copies that contain or constitute

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Protected Material remain subject to this Protective Order as set forth in Section 4

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(DURATION).

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14.

VIOLATIONS

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Any violation of this Order may be punished by any and all appropriate

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measures including, without limitation, contempt proceedings and/or monetary

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sanctions.

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IT IS SO ORDERED.

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DATED: 4/12/18

/S/
United States District Magistrate Judge
Suzanne H. Segal

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EXHIBIT A

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND

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I, ______________________________ [print or type full name], of

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_______________________________ [print or type full address], declare under

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penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety and understand the Stipulated

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Protective Order that was issued by the United States District Court for the Central

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District of California on [date] in the case of Bankers Standard Insurance Company,

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a corporation, vs. Tyco International, (US), Inc., a corporation; and Does 1-50,

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inclusive; United States District Court, Central District of California; Case No.:

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2:17-cv-9235-DMG-SS. I agree to comply with and to be bound by all the terms of

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this Stipulated Protective Order and I understand and acknowledge that failure to so

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comply could expose me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of contempt. I

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solemnly promise that I will not disclose in any manner any information or item that is

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subject to this Stipulated Protective Order to any person or entity except in strict

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compliance with the provisions of this Order.

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I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court

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for the Central District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this

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Stipulated Protective Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur after

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termination of this action. I hereby appoint __________________________ [print or

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type full name] of _______________________________ [print or type full address

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and telephone number] as my California agent for service of process in connection

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with this action or any proceedings related to enforcement of this Stipulated Protective

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Order.

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Date: ______________________

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City and State where sworn and signed: ____________________________

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Printed name: ________________________________

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Signature: ___________________________________
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