The opinion
1 Ruben A. Castellon (SBN 154610)
CASTELLON & FUNDERBURK LLP
2 811 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1025
3 Los Angeles, CA 90017
Telephone: (213) 623-7515
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Facsimile: (213) 532-3984
5 rcastellon@candffirm.com
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Attorney for KRAMER METALS, INC.
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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14 LOS ANGELES WATERKEEPER, Case No. 2:20-cv-10480 - CBM (MAA)
a public benefit non-profit
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corporation, STIPULATED PROTECTIVE
16 ORDER
Plaintiff,
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v.
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KRAMER METALS, INC., a
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California corporation
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Defendant.
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23 1. PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS
24 Discovery in this Action is likely to involve production of confidential,
25 proprietary, or private information for which special protection from public
26 disclosure and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may
27 be warranted. Accordingly, Los Angeles Waterkeeper (“LA Waterkeeper”) and
28 Kramer Metals, Inc. (“Kramer Metals”) (referred to herein individually as a
1 “Party,” and collectively as the “Parties”) hereby stipulate to and petition the Court
2 to enter the following Stipulated Protective Order. The Parties acknowledge that
3 this Stipulated Protective Order does not confer blanket protections on all
4 disclosures or responses to discovery, and that the protection it affords from public
5 disclosure and use extends only to the limited information or items that are entitled
6 to confidential treatment under the applicable legal principles. The Parties further
7 acknowledge, as set forth in Section 13.3 below, that this Stipulated Protective
8 Order does not entitle them to file confidential information under seal; Local Rule
9 79-5 sets forth the procedures that must be followed and the standards that will be
10 applied when a Party seeks permission from the Court to file material under seal.
11 Discovery in this type of action may involve production of confidential, proprietary,
12 or private information for which special protection from public disclosure and from
13 use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may be warranted.
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15 2. GOOD CAUSE STATEMENT
16 This Action may involve disclosure or production of confidential and
17 proprietary materials and information for which special protection from public
18 disclosure, and from use for any purpose other than prosecution of this Action, is
19 warranted. Such confidential and proprietary information may consist of customer
20 and pricing lists,business agreements entered into with third parties, information
21 regarding the volume of material processed, sold, and/or acquired by Kramer
22 Metals, and the company’s financial informationotherwise generally unavailable to
23 the public, or which may be privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure under
24 state or federal statutes, court rules, case decisions, or common law. Accordingly,
25 to expedite the flow of information, to facilitate the prompt resolution of disputes
26 over confidentiality of discovery materials, to adequately protect information the
27 Parties are entitled to keep confidential, to ensure that the Parties are permitted
28 reasonable necessary uses of such material in preparation for and in the conduct of
1 trial, to address their handling at the end of the litigation, and to serve the ends of
2 justice, a protective order for such information is justified in this matter. It is the
3 intent of the Parties that information will not be designated as confidential for
4 tactical reasons and that nothing be so designated without a good faith belief that it
5 has been maintained in a confidential, non-public manner, and there is good cause
6 why it should not be part of the public record of this case.
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9 3. DEFINITIONS
10 3.1. Action: Los Angeles Waterkeeper v. Kramer Metals, Inc., Case No.
11 2:20-cv-10480 - CBM (MAA)
12 3.2. Challenging Party: A Party or Nonparty that challenges the
13 designation of information or items under this Stipulated Protective
14 Order.
15 3.3. “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: Information (regardless of
16 how it is generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that
17 qualify for protection under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c), and
18 as specified above in the Good Cause Statement.
19 3.4. Counsel: Outside Counsel of Record, In-House Counsel, and/or
20 Corporate Counsel (as well as their support staff).
21 3.5. Designating Party: A Party or Nonparty that designates information or
22 items that it produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as
23 “CONFIDENTIAL.”
24 3.6. Disclosure or Discovery Material: All items or information, regardless
25 of the medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or
26 maintained (including, among other things, testimony, transcripts, and
27 tangible things), that is produced or generated in disclosures,
28 inspections, or responses to discovery in this matter.
1 3.7. Expert: A person with specialized knowledge or experience in a
2 matter pertinent to the litigation who has been retained by a Party or its
3 counsel to serve as an expert witness or as a consultant in this Action.
4 3.8. In-House Counsel: Attorneys who are employees of a Party to this
5 Action. In-House Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of
6 Record or any other outside counsel.
7 3.9. Nonparty: Any natural person, partnership, corporation, association,
8 or other legal entity not named as a Party to this action.
9 3.10. Outside Counsel of Record: Attorneys who are not employees of a
10 party to this Action but are retained to represent or advise a Party to
11 this Action and have appeared in this Action on behalf of that party or
12 are affiliated with a law firm which has appeared on behalf of that
13 party, and includes support staff.
14 3.11. Party: Any Party to this Action, including all of its officers, directors,
15 employees, consultants, retained experts, Counsel (and their support
16 staffs).
17 3.12. Producing Party: A Party or Nonparty that produces Disclosure or
18 Discovery Material in this Action.
19 3.13. Professional Vendors: Persons or entities that provide litigation
20 support services (e.g., photocopying, videotaping, translating,
21 preparing exhibits or demonstrations, and organizing, storing, or
22 retrieving data in any form or medium) and their employees and
23 subcontractors.
24 3.14. Protected Material: Any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is
25 designated as “CONFIDENTIAL.”
26 3.15. Receiving Party: A Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery
27 Material from a Producing Party.
28 4. SCOPE
1 The protections conferred by this Stipulated Protective Order cover not only
2 Protected Material, but also (1) any information copied or extracted from Protected
3 Material; (2) all copies, excerpts, summaries, or compilations of Protected Material;
4 and (3) any testimony, conversations, or presentations by Parties or their Counsel
5 that might reveal Protected Material.
6 Any use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by the orders of the
7 trial judge. This Stipulated Protective Order does not govern the use of Protected
8 Material at trial.
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10 5. DURATION
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12 Once a case proceeds to trial, all of the information that was designated as
13 CONFIDENTIAL or maintained pursuant to this Stipulated Protective Order
14 becomes public and presumptively will be available to all members of the public,
15 including the press, unless compelling reasons supported by specific factual
16 findings to proceed otherwise are made to the trial judge in advance of the trial. See
17 Kamakana v. City and County of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1180-81 (9th Cir. 2006)
18 (distinguishing “good cause” showing for sealing documents produced in discovery
19 from “compelling reasons” standard when merits-related documents are part of
20 court record). Accordingly, the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order do not
21 extend beyond the commencement of the trial.
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23 6. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL
24 6.1. Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection.
25 Each Party or Nonparty that designates information or items for
26 protection under this Stipulated Protective Order must: (a) take care to
27 limit any such designation to specific material consistent with the
28 Good Cause Statement; and (b) identify and explain the basis for the
1 designation with sufficient detail to allow the non-designating party to
2 evaluate the applicability of the privilege asserted. The Designating
3 Party must designate for protection only those parts of material,
4 documents, items, or oral or written communications that qualify so
5 that other portions of the material, documents, items, or
6 communications for which protection is not warranted are not swept
7 unjustifiably within the ambit of this Stipulated Protective Order.
8 Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited.
9 Designations that are shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been
10 made for an improper purpose (e.g., to unnecessarily encumber the
11 case development process or to impose unnecessary expenses and
12 burdens on other parties) may expose the Designating Party to
13 sanctions.
14 If it comes to a Designating Party’s attention that information or
15 items that it designated for protection do not qualify for protection,
16 that Designating Party must promptly notify all other Parties that it is
17 withdrawing the inapplicable designation.
18 6.2. Manner and Timing of Designations.
19 Except as otherwise provided in this Stipulated Protective Order,
20 or as otherwise stipulated or ordered, Disclosure or Discovery Material
21 that qualifies for protection under this Stipulated Protective Order must
22 be clearly so designated before the material is disclosed or produced.
23 Designation in conformity with this Stipulated Protective Order
24 requires the following:
25 (a) For information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic
26 documents, but excluding transcripts of depositions or other
27 pretrial or trial proceedings), that the Producing Party affix at a
28 minimum, the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” (hereinafter
1 “CONFIDENTIAL legend” to each page that contains protected
2 material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page
3 qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly
4 identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate
5 markings in the margins).
6 A Party or Nonparty that makes original documents
7 available for inspection need not designate them for protection
8 until after the inspecting Party has indicated which documents it
9 would like copied and produced. During the inspection and
10 before the designation, all of the material made available for
11 inspection shall be deemed “CONFIDENTIAL.” After the
12 inspecting Party has identified the documents it wants copied
13 and produced, the Producing Party must determine which
14 documents, or portions thereof, qualify for protection under this
15 Stipulated Protective Order. Then, before producing the
16 specified documents, the Producing Party must affix the legend
17 “CONFIDENTIAL legend” to each page that contains Protected
18 Material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page
19 qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly
20 identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate
21 markings in the margins).
22 (b) For testimony given in depositions, that the Designating Party
23 identify the Disclosure or Discovery Material on the record,
24 before the close of the deposition, all protected testimony.
25 (c) For information produced in some form other than documentary,
26 and for any other tangible items, that the Producing Party affix
27 in a prominent place on the exterior of the container or
28 containers in which the information is stored the legend
1 “CONFIDENTIAL.” If only a portion or portions of the
2 information warrants protection, the Producing Party, to the
3 extent practicable, shall identify the protected portion(s).
4 (d) for potential evidence collected (e.g. photos, images, video) during,
5 or that result from (e.g. sample analysis), a Rule 34 site inspection, LA
6 Waterkeeper shall initially treat as Protected Material, and provide
7 copies of the information and items collected/acquired to Kramer
8 Metals within 7 days. Kramer Metals shall designate any items that
9 qualify as CONFIDENTIAL within 7 days of its receipt of copies of
10 the information or items, after which point only information and items
11 designated CONFIDENTIAL will be treated as Protected Material
12 (subject only to paragraph 6.3).
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15 6.3. Inadvertent Failure to Designate.
16 If timely corrected, an inadvertent failure to designate qualified
17 information or items does not, standing alone, waive the Designating
18 Party’s right to secure protection under this Stipulated Protective Order
19 for such material. Upon timely correction of a designation, the
20 Receiving Party must make reasonable efforts to assure that the
21 material is treated in accordance with the provisions of this Stipulated
22 Protective Order.
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24 7. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS
25 7.1. Timing of Challenges.
26 Any Party or Nonparty may challenge a designation of
27 confidentiality at any time that is consistent with the Court’s
28 Scheduling Order.
1 7.2. Meet and Confer.
2 The Challenging Party shall initiate the dispute resolution
3 process, which shall comply with Local Rule 37.1 et seq., and with
4 Section 4 of Judge Audero’s Procedures (“Mandatory Telephonic
5 Conference for Discovery Disputes”).1
6 7.3. Burden of Persuasion.
7 The burden of persuasion in any such challenge proceeding shall
8 be on the Designating Party. Frivolous challenges, and those made for
9 an improper purpose (e.g., to harass or impose unnecessary expenses
10 and burdens on other parties) may expose the Challenging Party to
11 sanctions. Unless the Designating Party has waived or withdrawn the
12 confidentiality designation, all Parties shall continue to afford the
13 material in question the level of protection to which it is entitled under
14 the Producing Party’s designation until the Court rules on the
15 challenge.
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17 8. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIALS
18 8.1. Basic Principles.
19 A Receiving Party may use Protected Material that is disclosed
20 or produced by another Party or by a Nonparty in connection with this
21 Action only for prosecuting, defending, or attempting to settle this
22 Action. Such Protected Material may be disclosed only to the
23 categories of persons and under the conditions described in this
24 Stipulated Protective Order. When the Action reaches a final
25 disposition, a Receiving Party must comply with the provisions of
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1 Judge Audero’s Procedures are available at
28 https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/honorable-maria-audero.
1 Section 14 below.
2 Protected Material must be stored and maintained by a
3 Receiving Party at a location and in a secure manner that ensures that
4 access is limited to the persons authorized under this Stipulated
5 Protective Order.
6 8.2. Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items.
7 Unless otherwise ordered by the Court or permitted in writing
8 by the Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any
9 information or item designated “CONFIDENTIAL” only to:
10 (a) The Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this Action
11 or Corporate Counsel, as well as employees of said Outside
12 Counsel of Record or Corporate Counsel to whom it is
13 reasonably necessary to disclose the information for this Action;
14 (b) The officers, directors, and employees (including In-House
15 Counsel) of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is
16 reasonably necessary for this Action;
17 (c) Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to
18 whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action and
19 who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be
20 Bound” (Exhibit A);
21 (d) The Court and its personnel;
22 (e) Court reporters and their staff;
23 (f) Professional jury or trial consultants, mock jurors, and
24 Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably
25 necessary for this Action and who have signed the
26 “Acknowledgment and Agreement to be Bound” (Exhibit A);
27 (g) The author or recipient of a document containing the
28 information or a custodian or other person who otherwise
1 possessed or knew the information;
2 (h) During their depositions, witnesses, and attorneys for witnesses,
3 in the Action to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary
4 provided: (i) the deposing party requests that the witness sign
5 the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit
6 A); and (ii) the witness will not be permitted to keep any
7 confidential information unless they sign the “Acknowledgment
8 and Agreement to Be Bound,” unless otherwise agreed by the
9 Designating Party or ordered by the Court. Pages of transcribed
10 deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal
11 Protected Material may be separately bound by the court
12 reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone except as permitted
13 under this Stipulated Protective Order; and
14 (i) Any mediator or settlement officer, and their supporting
15 personnel, mutually agreed upon by any of the Parties engaged
16 in settlement discussions.
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18 9. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED
19 PRODUCED IN OTHER LITIGATION
20 If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other litigation
21 that compels disclosure of any information or items designated in this Action as
22 “CONFIDENTIAL,” that Party must:
23 (a) Promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification
24 shall include a copy of the subpoena or court order;
25 (b) Promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena or order
26 to issue in the other litigation that some or all of the material covered
27 by the subpoena or order is subject to this Stipulated Protective Order.
28 Such notification shall include a copy of this Stipulated Protective
1 Order; and
2 (c) Cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be
3 pursued by the Designating Party whose Protected Material may be
4 affected.
5 If the Designating Party timely seeks a protective order, the Party served with
6 the subpoena or court order shall not produce any information designated in this
7 action as “CONFIDENTIAL” before a determination by the Court from which the
8 subpoena or order issued, unless the Party has obtained the Designating Party’s
9 permission. The Designating Party shall bear the burden and expense of seeking
10 protection in that court of its confidential material and nothing in these provisions
11 should be construed as authorizing or encouraging a Receiving Party in this Action
12 to disobey a lawful directive from another court.
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14 10. A NONPARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE
15 PRODUCED IN THIS LITIGATION
16 10.1. Application.
17 The terms of this Stipulated Protective Order are applicable to
18 information produced by a Nonparty in this Action and designated as
19 “CONFIDENTIAL.” Such information produced by Nonparties in
20 connection with this litigation is protected by the remedies and relief
21 provided by this Stipulated Protective Order. Nothing in these
22 provisions should be construed as prohibiting a Nonparty from seeking
23 additional protections.
24 10.2. Notification.
25 In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery
26 request, to produce a Nonparty’s confidential information in its
27 possession, and the Party is subject to an agreement with the Nonparty
28 not to produce the Nonparty’s confidential information, then the Party
1 shall:
2 (a) Promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the
3 Nonparty that some or all of the information requested is subject
4 to a confidentiality agreement with a Nonparty;
5 (b) Promptly provide the Nonparty with a copy of the Stipulated
6 Protective Order in this Action, the relevant discovery
7 request(s), and a reasonably specific description of the
8 information requested; and
9 (c) Make the information requested available for inspection by the
10 Nonparty, if requested.
11 10.3. Conditions of Production.
12 If the Nonparty fails to seek a protective order from this Court
13 within fourteen (14) days after receiving the notice and accompanying
14 information, the Receiving Party may produce the Nonparty’s
15 confidential information responsive to the discovery request. If the
16 Nonparty timely seeks a protective order, the Receiving Party shall not
17 produce any information in its possession or control that is subject to
18 the confidentiality agreement with the Nonparty before a
19 determination by the Court. Absent a court order to the contrary, the
20 Nonparty shall bear the burden and expense of seeking protection in
21 this Court of its Protected Material.
22
23 11. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL
24 If a Receiving Party learns that, by inadvertence or otherwise, it has disclosed
25 Protected Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized under this
26 Stipulated Protective Order, the Receiving Party immediately must (1) notify in
27 writing the Designating Party of the unauthorized disclosures, (2) use its best
28 efforts to retrieve all unauthorized copies of the Protected Material, (3) inform the
1 person or persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all the terms of
2 this Stipulated Protective Order, and (4) request such person or persons to execute
3 the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to be Bound” (Exhibit A).
4 12. INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE
5 PROTECTED MATERIAL
6 When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain
7 inadvertently produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other
8 protection, the obligations of the Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal
9 Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). This provision is not intended to modify
10 whatever procedure may be established in an e-discovery order that provides for
11 production without prior privilege review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence
12 502(d) and (e), insofar as the Parties reach an agreement on the effect of disclosure
13 of a communication or information covered by the attorney-client privilege or work
14 product protection, the Parties may incorporate their agreement in the Stipulated
15 Protective Order submitted to the Court.
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17 13. MISCELLANEOUS
18 13.1. Right to Further Relief.
19 Nothing in this Stipulated Protective Order abridges the right of
20 any person to seek its modification by the Court in the future.
21 13.2. Right to Assert Other Objections.
22 By stipulating to the entry of this Stipulated Protective Order, no
23 Party waives any right it otherwise would have to object to disclosing
24 or producing any information or item on any ground not addressed in
25 this Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, no Party waives any right
26 to object on any ground to use in evidence of any of the material
27 covered by this Stipulated Protective Order.
28 13.3. Filing Protected Material.
1 A Party that seeks to file under seal any Protected Material must
2 comply with Local Rule 79-5. Protected Material may only be filed
3 under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing the sealing of the
4 specific Protected Material at issue. If a Party's request to file
5 Protected Material under seal is denied by the Court, then the
6 Receiving Party may file the information in the public record unless
7 otherwise instructed by the Court.
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9 14. FINAL DISPOSITION
10 After the final disposition of this Action, within sixty (60) days of a written
11 request by the Designating Party, each Receiving Party must return all Protected
12 Material to the Producing Party or destroy such material. As used in this
13 subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts, compilations,
14 summaries, and any other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected
15 Material. Whether the Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving
16 Party must submit a written certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the
17 same person or entity, to the Designating Party) by the 60-day deadline that
18 (1) identifies (by category, where appropriate) all the Protected Material that was
19 returned or destroyed and (2) affirms that the Receiving Party has not retained any
20 copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other format reproducing or
21 capturing any of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel is
22 entitled to retain an archival copy of all pleadings; motion papers; trial, deposition,
23 and hearing transcripts; legal memoranda; correspondence; deposition and trial
24 exhibits; expert reports; attorney work product; and consultant and expert work
25 product, even if such materials contain Protected Material. Any such archival
26 copies that contain or constitute Protected Material remain subject to this Stipulated
27 Protective Order as set forth in Section 5.
28 15. VIOLATION
Any violation of this Stipulated Order may be punished by any and all
2 || appropriate measures including, without limitation, contempt proceedings and/or
3 || monetary sanctions.
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5 | ITISSO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD.
6
7 || Dated: 03/31/2021 /s/ Jesse Swanhuyser
Attorney(s) for Plaintiff Los Angeles
8 Waterkeeper
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10 || Dated: 03/31/2021 /s/ Ruben A. Castellén
11 Attorney(s) for Defendant Kramer
Metals, Inc.
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FOR GOOD CAUSE SHOWN, IT IS SO ORDERED.
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Dated: 04/01/2021 I .
16 Maria AU udero
17 United States Magistrate Judge
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1 EXHIBIT A
2 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND
3 I, [full name], of
4 [address], declare under penalty of perjury that I have read in its
5 entirety and understand the Stipulated Protective Order that was issued by the
6 United States District Court for the Central District of California on
7 [date] in the case of Los Angeles Waterkeeper v. Kramer Metals, Inc. Case No.
8 2:20-cv-10480 - CBM (MAA). I agree to comply with and to be bound by all the
9 terms of this Stipulated Protective Order, and I understand and acknowledge that
10 failure to so comply could expose me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of
11 contempt. I solemnly promise that I will not disclose in any manner any
12 information or item that is subject to this Stipulated Protective Order to any person
13 or entity except in strict compliance with the provisions of this Stipulated Protective
14 Order.
15 I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court
16 for the Central District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this
17 Stipulated Protective Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur after
18 termination of this action. I hereby appoint [full name]
19 of [address and telephone number]
20 as my California agent for service of process in connection with this action or any
21 proceedings related to enforcement of this Stipulated Protective Order.
22
23 Signature:
24 Printed Name:
25 Date:
26 City and State Where Sworn and Signed:
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28