Garcia v. Standard Life Insurance Company
Filing
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney on 10/8/14. (Mena-Sanchez, L)
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WARREN H. NELSON, JR., # 104744
A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
6161 El Cajon Blvd., # 273
San Diego, CA 92115
Telephone: 619 269 4212
Facsimile: 619 501 7948
Email: nelson@rolando.sdcoxmail.com
Attorney for Defendant
Standard Insurance Company, erroneously
sued as Standard Life Insurance Company
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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KATHLEEN GARCIA,
Plaintiff,
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vs.
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STANDARD LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY, et al.
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Defendants.
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Case No.: 2:13-cv-02164-WBS-CKD
STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER
FOR CONFIDENTIALITY DURING
PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS
[Local Rule 141.1]
No hearing set or required.
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Plaintiff Kathleen Garcia and Defendant Standard Insurance Company
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(“Standard”), erroneously sued as Standard Life Insurance Company, stipulate and
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respectfully request that the Court enter the following proposed Stipulated
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Protective Order for Confidentiality During Pretrial Proceedings (the “Protective
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Order”) on the understanding that (i) the Protective Order applies only during
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pretrial proceedings (see ¶ 14, infra), and, (ii) each party must seek and obtain
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Court permission prior to filing any matter under seal (see ¶ 8, infra).
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WHEREAS, Local Rule 141.1(c)(1) requires that Plaintiff Kathleen Garcia
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and Standard (Plaintiff and Standard are sometimes hereinafter collectively
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referred as “the Parties”), describe “the types of information eligible for
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protection” the Parties jointly state that the matters to be protected during
[PROPOSED] STIP’D PROTECTIVE ORDER FOR CONFIDENTIALITY (PRETRIAL) – 2:13-cv-02164-WBS-CKD - 1
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discovery fall into the following two categories, first, documents and information
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of Standard that are of value to its competitors, including (i) guidelines for claims
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processing, administration and handling, (ii) guidelines for training (iii)
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information on reserves, and, (iv) Standard’s contracts with Plaintiff’s insurance
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agent for the Policy at issue, and, second, documents and information on third
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parties in the possession of either of the Parties;
WHEREAS, Plaintiff has requested and may make further requests for the
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production of documents and information on or related to such topics as the
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internal claims handling procedures and policies of Standard, any guidelines and
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training related to or explaining the internal claims handling guidelines, procedures
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and policies of defendant Standard, the setting of reserves, and Standard’s
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contracts with Plaintiff’s insurance agent, and may wish to discuss these matters at
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deposition;
WHEREAS, Plaintiff has also requested and may make additional requests
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for documents and information that are subject to protection on grounds of third
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party privacy in written discovery and may also do so at deposition;
WHEREAS, Standard may request documents and information that are
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subject to protection on grounds of third party privacy in written discovery and
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may also do so at deposition;
WHEREAS, documents or information on claim handling guidelines, such
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as procedures or policies and/or training guidelines and similar documents or
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information, discovery on reserves, and, Standard’s contracts with Plaintiff’s
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insurance agent that have been or may yet be requested in this action, have been
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generated by Standard and/or its vendors for Standard’s internal use and contain
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and constitute trade secrets, and/or copyrighted material, and confidential, private
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and proprietary business information having value to Standard and its competitors
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(“Protected Competitive Information”);
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WHEREAS, Standard will not, at any time prior to entry of this protective
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order, produce Protected Competitive Information on the basis that it contains and
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constitutes trade secrets, copyrighted material, and confidential, private and
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proprietary business information having value to Standard and its competitors and
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that the production of same would violate Standard’s rights, privileges and
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immunities;
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WHEREAS, in light of Standard’s trade secret, copyright and confidentiality
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concerns, Standard and Plaintiff mutually wish to establish procedures that will be
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fair to each of them regarding the discovery and production of Protected
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Competitive Information;
WHEREAS, each of the Parties now has (and will very likely develop (as
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discovery continues) further) legitimate concerns about producing information that
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implicates third party privacy concerns, Standard and Plaintiff mutually wish to
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establish procedures that will be fair to each of them regarding the discovery and
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production of material that is subject to protection as third party information
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(“Third Party Information”).
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WHEREAS, Local Rule 141.1(c)(2) requires that the Parties make a
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“showing of particularized need for protection as to each category” to be protected,
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the Parties jointly and respectfully submit that (i) the Courts routinely afford
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protection from general disclosure to institutional training and procedural
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guidelines developed and used in handling a party’s business and that the
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calculation of reserves and Standard’s contracts with insurance agents are likewise
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Protected Competitive Information as they are of value to Standard’s competitors,
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and, (ii) third party privacy, such as Third Party Information, is likewise routinely
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afforded judicial protection from unnecessary general disclosure in litigation;
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WHEREAS, Local Rule 141.1(c)(3) requires that the Parties make a
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“showing as to why the need for protection should be addressed by a court order,
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as opposed to a private agreement between or among” the Parties. As to the first
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category to be protected, Protected Competitive Information, the Parties jointly and
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respectfully submit that the impact of unwarranted and wide disclosure of
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Standard’s Protected Competitive Information would be difficult to assess and the
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value of Standard’s Protected Competitive Information to its competitors would,
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likewise, be, at least, very difficult to assess. In these circumstances, the Court’s
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exercise of its in personam jurisdiction as specified in this Order is needed as a
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means to deter and address violations of the stipulated duty to keep confidential
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any Protected Competitive Information Standard may disclose. As to the second
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category to be protected, Third Party Information, the Parties jointly and
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respectfully submit that not only the Parties but also the Court have an interest in
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protecting those whose personal information may be disclosed in this action from
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general public disclosure in circumstances where their rights are not being
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adjudicated and where their personal information need not be made public in order
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to adjudicate this dispute;
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WHEREAS, the Parties sometimes refer to hereinafter Protected
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Competitive Information and Third Party Information collectively as “Confidential
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Information”; and,
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WHEREAS, without waiver of any objections to the discoverability of
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Confidential Information, it is the parties’ intention to provide a mechanism by
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which discovery of relevant information may efficiently be obtained in a manner
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that protects all parties, including nonparties, and third parties to this litigation,
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from the risk of unwarranted disclosure and potential misuse of such Confidential
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Information.
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NOW THEREFORE, the Parties stipulate that each is bound by the terms of
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this Protective Order, the terms of which are now set forth below and as in Exhibit
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A hereto:
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1. The provisions of this Order, to which the parties have already agreed
and stipulated, governs the designation and handling of documents, records, or
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information containing or concerning Confidential Information produced in
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discovery in this lawsuit, whether produced by Standard, Plaintiff, or by third
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parties.
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2. The Parties, as the case may be, shall respectively designate Confidential
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Information as follows. Documents shall be designated as “CONFIDENTIAL” by
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stamping them as “CONFIDENTIAL.” Deposition testimony shall be designated
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as “CONFIDENTIAL” either at the time of the deposition or no later than within
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the time permitted for the witness to make corrections. The CONFIDENTIAL
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portion of any deposition transcript shall be separately bound from non-
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CONFIDENTIAL portions. The Parties shall designate as CONFIDENTIAL only
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such information and documents that it in good faith determines to be and regards
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as Confidential Information.
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3. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court in this action, documents,
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materials and information designated as CONFIDENTIAL will be held by
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Plaintiff, Standard or other receiving party solely for use in connection with this
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litigation and will be maintained and disclosed only in accordance with this
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Protective Order. Experts referred to in paragraph 5(d) who have complied with
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the requirements of paragraph 5 hereof by giving the required certification, as per
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Exhibit A hereto, may review CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and
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information, for purposes of study, analysis, and preparation in connection with the
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case.
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STANDARD’S CLAIMS MANUAL
4. The term “Confidential Information” as used herein shall include (but not
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be limited to) any and all documents, records, materials, and/or information
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contained and/or set forth in Standard’s Group Benefits LTD Claims Manual (the
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“Claims Manual”). Pursuant to this Order, the Claims Manual, and/or any
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documents, records, materials and/or information contained therein, including but
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not limited to the Index and/or Table of Contents, is designated as
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“CONFIDENTIAL.” The production of the Claims Manual will be conducted as
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follows:
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(a) Immediately upon entry of this Protective Order, Standard will produce
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the Table of Contents of the Claims Manual to Plaintiff. The Table of Contents is
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CONFIDENTIAL and the Table of Contents is Confidential Information.
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(b) Plaintiff will then select from the Table of Contents the portions of the
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Claims Manual that she believes are relevant to this action and that she wishes to
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be produced.
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(c) To the extent that Standard agrees that any part of the Claims Manual
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Plaintiff has asked for is to be produced, those parts will be immediately produced
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by Standard and will be designated as CONFIDENTIAL. Production of any part
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of the Claim Manual is not an admission that it is relevant or admissible at trial.
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(d) As to any documents from the Claims Manual that the Parties do not
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mutually agree should be produced, the Parties will submit any such dispute to the
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Court for resolution. Any portion of the Claims Manual, and the contents therein,
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that may for any reason be produced following such dispute, shall be
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CONFIDENTIAL.
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(e) Unless otherwise ordered by the Court in this action, all portions of the
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Claims Manual, and any documents, records, or information contained therein that
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are produced, will be held by Plaintiff or the receiving party solely for use in
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connection with this litigation and will be maintained and disclosed as described
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herein and in accordance with the Order of the Court.
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GENERAL PROVISIONS
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5. Except with, as the case may be, Plaintiff’s or Standard’s prior written
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consent, or upon prior order of this Court obtained upon notice to counsel for all
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parties, Standard’s CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and information shall
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not be disclosed by Plaintiff to any person other than:
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(a) Plaintiff or Standard;
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(b) Plaintiff’s or Standard’s counsel in this litigation;
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(c) Employees or independent contractors of Plaintiff’s or Standard’s
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counsel in this litigation;
(d) experts, consultants, or advisors employed or utilized by Plaintiff’s or
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Standard’s counsel to assist in this litigation, and/or to testify at trial or any other
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proceeding in this litigation;
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(e) the Court and court personnel, including stenographic reporters as
necessarily incident to the preparation for trial of this action;
(f) noticed or subpoenaed deponents and their counsel; and
(g) any person identified as having authored or previously reviewed or
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received CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and information, and any
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documents, records, or information contained therein.
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(h) as the case may be, Plaintiff’s or Standard’s Confidential Information
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and CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and information may be shown to any
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person listed in subparagraphs (d) and (g) of this paragraph only after such person
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has been shown a copy of this Order and advised of its terms, and only after such
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person executes a copy of the form of certification attached to this Order as
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Exhibit “A” (the “Certification”).
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6. Plaintiff’s or Standard’s counsel shall maintain complete records of every
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original signed Certification obtained from any person pursuant to paragraph 5 and
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in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. These Certifications need not be
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disclosed to the opposing parties absent further order of the Court.
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7. Any person receiving or viewing, as the case may be, Plaintiff’s or
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Standard’s Confidential Information or CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents
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and information shall not reveal the same to (or discuss the contents of the
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information with) any person who is not entitled to receive the same.
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8. No material designated as Confidential Information or CONFIDENTIAL
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shall at any time be filed (i) except under seal, or, (ii) without first having obtained
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an order from the Court, on such notice as may satisfactory to the Court, permitting
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public filing of matters designated as CONFIDENTIAL. Subject to further court
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order, nothing shall be filed under seal, and the Court shall not be required to
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take any action, without separate prior order by the Judge before whom the
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hearing or proceeding will take place; after application by the filing party and
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with appropriate notice to opposing counsel. It is further understood and
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agreed that filing under seal shall proceed solely under and pursuant to this
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Court’s published procedures for filings under seal, including as set forth in
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the Local Civil Rules and in rules governing electronic filing.
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9. In the event that a dispute arises between the Parties regarding the
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procedures set forth in this Order, and/or any party’s or third party’s compliance
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with this Protective Order, the parties MUST first attempt to resolve the dispute in
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good faith on an informal basis. ONLY if the dispute cannot be resolved, may
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either party seek any relief from this Court.
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10. All provisions of this Order restricting the communication or use of
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Confidential Information shall continue to be binding after the conclusion of this
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action unless subsequently modified by agreement between the Parties or further
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order of the Court.
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11. This Order has no effect upon, and its scope shall not extend to, as the
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case may be, Plaintiff’s or Standard’s use of her/its own Confidential Information
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and CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and information.
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12. Nothing in the Protective Order constitutes an admission that there
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necessarily are or may be materials responsive to any discovery request herein.
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Further, producing, receiving or reviewing, as the case may be, Plaintiff’s or
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Standard’s CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and information, and/or
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otherwise complying with the terms of this Protective Order shall not:
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(a) prejudice in any way the rights of either party to object to the production
of other documents, records, materials and/or information it considers not subject
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to discovery or otherwise protected from or limited in discovery on the basis of
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privilege or otherwise; or
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(b) prejudice in any way the rights of either party to seek a court
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determination whether such other documents, records, materials and/or information
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should be produced; or
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(c) prejudice in any way the rights of a party to ask the Court for any
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additional protection, by way of motion, response to motion or otherwise, with
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respect to the confidentiality of other documents, records, materials and/or
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information as that party may consider appropriate.
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(d) prejudice or impact in any way any argument with respect to the
admissibility of any matter at trial.
13. After the final termination of this action, including all appeals,
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Plaintiff’s or Standard’s (as the case may be) Confidential Information and
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CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and information, and all copies made
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thereof shall, at the option of the party holding such information, either (a) be
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returned within sixty (60) days to the party producing it, or (b) be destroyed, and a
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certificate to that effect shall be provided, as the case may be, to Plaintiff or
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Standard. However, any work product (as defined under applicable law),
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pleadings, deposition transcripts or trial exhibits in this action may be retained by
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counsel, subject to the terms of this Order. The Court and all Court personnel
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are expressly excluded from this provision.
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14. This Order shall govern the production, handling and dissemination of
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Confidential Information and CONFIDENTIAL materials, documents and
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information, and all copies made thereof prior to trial only. During preparations
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for the Pretrial Conference, the parties agree that they shall in good faith and
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cooperatively meet and confer regarding the confidentiality of information to be
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used at trial and documents designated as trial exhibits and, as is necessary, agree
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upon a method for maintaining the confidentiality of such information and
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documents at trial.
15. This Order shall be without prejudice to any application for relief from
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any restriction contained herein or for any order compelling or further restricting
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the production, exchange, or use of any document, testimony, interrogatory
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response, or other information produced, given, or exchanged in the course of
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pretrial discovery in this action.
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16. This Order does not operate as an agreement by any party to produce
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any document or to disclose any information demanded or requested by another
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party or as an admission that any particular documents or information exist or are
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to be produced or otherwise to be disclosed in this action. Nothing herein shall be
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deemed to waive any applicable objection and/or privilege or be construed as an
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acknowledgment of the applicability of any objection and/or privilege.
17. All persons bound by this Order are hereby notified that if this Order is
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in any manner violated, the person or entity who commits such violation shall be
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subject to such sanctions as the Court, on motion and after a hearing, deems just.
18. The Court retains jurisdiction to make such amendments, modifications,
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and additions to this Order as it may deem appropriate.
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IT IS SO STIPULATED.
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Dated: October 4, 2014
s/ Warren H. Nelson, Jr.
WARREN H. NELSON, JR.
A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION
6161 El Cajon Boulevard, # 273
San Diego, CA 92115
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Attorney for Defendant
STANDARD INSURANCE COMPANY,
erroneously sued as Standard Life Insurance
Company
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IT IS SO STIPULATED.
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Dated: October 4, 2014
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/s/ David Allen
David Allen
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DAVID ALLEN & ASSOCIATES
5230 Folsom Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95819
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Attorneys for Plaintiff
KATHLEEN GARCIA
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated: October 8, 2014
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CAROLYN K. DELANEY
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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EXHIBIT A
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I, _________________________________, hereby state and declare that I
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have read and understand the attached “Stipulated Protective Order on
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Confidentiality During Discovery” of the United States District Court for the
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Eastern District of California in the matter of Kathleen Garcia v. Standard Life
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Insurance Company, et al., Case No. 2:13-cv-02164-WBS-CKD, and hereby agree
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to fully comply with the terms and conditions thereof. I further consent to the
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jurisdiction, over me, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of
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California for any purpose related in any way to enforcement of the foregoing
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“Stipulated Protective Order on Confidentiality During Pretrial Proceedings.”
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Executed this ___ day of ____________, 2014, at ____________________,
[City]
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__________.
[State]
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By __________________
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[Name] ______________
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