Morgan v. Group Health Plan Inc.
Filing
19
PROTECTIVE ORDER (Written Opinion) Signed by Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster on 10/24/2024.(DCC)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA
Ashley N. Morgan,
Plaintiff,
Case No. 24-cv-02465 (KMM/DJF)
v.
PROTECTIVE ORDER
Group Health Plan Inc. d/b/a Park Nicollet Health
Care Products,
Defendant.
This matter is before the Court on the parties' Stipulation for Protective Order
("Stipulation”) (ECF No. 17). The Court APPROVES the parties’ Stipulation IN PART. 1 Based
on the Stipulation and for good cause shown, the following shall govern discovery in this case:
1
Definitions. As used in this protective order:
(a)
“attorney” means an attorney who has appeared in this action;
(b)
“confidential document” means a document designated as confidential under this
protective order;
(c)
to “destroy” electronically stored information means to delete from all databases,
applications, and file systems so that the information is not accessible without the
use of specialized tools or techniques typically used by a forensic expert;
1
Material modifications to the parties’ proposed protective order are highlighted for ease
of reference.
1
(d)
“document” means information disclosed or produced in discovery, including at a
deposition;
(e)
“notice” or “notify” means written notice;
(f)
“party” means a party to this action; and
(g)
“protected document” means a document protected by a privilege or the workproduct doctrine.
2
Designating a Document or Deposition as Confidential.
(a)
A party or non-party disclosing or producing a document may designate it as
confidential if the party or non-party contends that it contains confidential or
proprietary information.
(b)
A party or non-party may designate a document as confidential by conspicuously
marking each page with the word “confidential.”
(c)
Deposition testimony may be designated as confidential:
(1)
on the record at the deposition; and
(2)
after the deposition, by notifying the parties and those who were present at
the deposition within twenty-one (21) days after the deposition transcript becomes
available which specific portions of the deposition transcript that should remain
confidential.
(d)
If a witness is expected to testify as to confidential or proprietary information, a
party or non-party may request that the witness’s deposition be taken in the
presence of only those persons entitled to receive confidential documents.
(e)
To the extent that a party – including any non-party that produces documents in
response to a discovery request, subpoena, or Court order in this Action – produces
account records of another party’s customers, those records may be produced as
confidential. Such production is deemed by the Court to fall within the exceptions
set forth in 15 U.S.C. § 6802(e)(2), (3), and (8) of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.
3
Who May Receive a Confidential Document.
(a)
A confidential document may be used only in this action.
(b)
No person receiving a confidential document may reveal it, except to:
(1)
the court and its staff;
(2)
counsel for the parties, whether retained outside counsel or in-house
counsel, and employees of counsel assigned to assist such counsel in the
preparation of this litigation;
(3)
a person shown on the face of the confidential document to have authored
or received it;
(4)
a court reporter or videographer retained in connection with this action;
(5)
a party (subject to paragraph 3(c)); and
(6)
any person who:
(A)
is retained as an expert or consultant in this action; and
(B)
signs a declaration that contains the person’s name, address,
employer, and title, and that is in substantially this form:
I have read, and agree to be bound by, the protective order
in the case captioned: Morgan v. Group Health Plan, Inc., 24-cv2465, in the United States District Court for the District of
Minnesota. As soon as my work in connection with that action has
ended, but not later than 30 days after the termination of that action
(including any appeals), I will return or destroy any confidential
document that I received, any copy of or excerpt from a confidential
document, and any notes or other document that contains
information from a confidential document.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true
and correct.
(c)
A party may supplement the “confidential” mark (see paragraph 2(b)) with the
words “attorney’s eyes only,” in which case a confidential document so designated
may not be revealed to another party.
(d)
If a confidential document is revealed to someone not entitled to receive it, the
parties must make reasonable efforts to retrieve it.
4
Serving This Protective Order on a Non-Party. A party serving a subpoena on a nonparty must simultaneously serve a copy of this protective order and of Local Rule 5.6.
5
Correcting an Error in Designation. A party or non-party who discloses or produces a
confidential document not designated as confidential may, within 7 days after discovering
the error, provide notice of the error and produce a copy of the document designated as
confidential.
6
Use of a Confidential Document in Court.
(a)
Filing. This protective order does not authorize the filing of any document under
seal. A confidential document may be filed only in accordance with LR 5.6.
(b)
Presentation at a hearing or trial. A party intending to present another party’s or a
non-party’s confidential document at a hearing or trial must promptly notify the
other party or the non-party so that the other party or the non-party may seek relief
from the court.
7
Changing a Confidential Document’s Designation.
(a)
Document disclosed or produced by a party. A confidential document disclosed or
produced by a party remains confidential unless the parties agree to change its
designation or the court orders otherwise.
(b)
Document produced by a non-party. A confidential document produced by a nonparty remains confidential unless the non-party agrees to change its designation or
the court orders otherwise after providing an opportunity for the non-party to be
heard.
(c)
Changing a designation by court order. A party who cannot obtain agreement to
change a designation may move the court for an order changing the designation. If
the motion affects a document produced by a non-party then, with respect to the
motion, that non-party is entitled to the same notice and opportunity to be heard as
a party. The party or non-party who designated a document as confidential must
show that the designation satisfies Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c).
8
Handling a Confidential Document after Termination of Litigation.
(a)
Within 60 days after the termination of this action (including any appeals), each
party must:
(1)
return or destroy all confidential documents, including any extracts,
summaries or compilations taken therefrom, but excluding any materials
which in the good faith judgment of counsel are work product materials;
and
(2)
notify the disclosing or producing party that it has returned or destroyed all
confidential documents within the 60-day period.
(b)
Notwithstanding paragraph 8(a), each attorney may retain a copy of any
confidential document submitted to the court and any correspondence that quotes
or describes confidential documents. However, an attorney may not retain
correspondence or other work product that reproduces large portions of the
confidential documents verbatim or that contains images of large portions of the
confidential documents.
9
Inadvertent Disclosure or Production to a Party of a Protected Document.
(a)
Notice.
(1)
A party or non-party who discovers that it has inadvertently disclosed or
produced a protected document must promptly notify the receiving party
and describe the basis of the claim of privilege or protection. If the party or
non-party provides such notice and description, the privilege or protection
is not waived.
(2)
A party who discovers that it may have received an inadvertently disclosed
or produced protected document must promptly notify the disclosing or
producing party or non-party.
(b)
Handling of Protected Document. A party who is notified or discovers that it may
have received a protected document must comply with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(5)(B).
10
Security Precautions and Data Breaches.
(a)
Each party must make reasonable efforts to protect the confidentiality of any
confidential document disclosed or produced to that party.
(b)
A party who learns of a breach of confidentiality must promptly notify the
disclosing or producing party or non-party of the scope and nature of that breach
and make reasonable efforts to remedy the breach.
11
Survival of Obligations. The obligations imposed by this protective order survive the
termination of this action.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: October 24, 2024
s/ Dulce J. Foster
Dulce J. Foster
United States Magistrate Judge
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