Opinion

3C Engineering, Inc. v. Central Coast Community Energy

Court
District Court, C.D. California
Filed
Sep 23, 2022
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 16.4%

even stipulated 14 protective orders require good cause showing

How later courts described this case

  • even stipulated 14 protective orders require good cause showing

Written by the judges who cited it.

The opinion

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 1 of 19 Page ID #:276

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8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

9 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

10 3C ENGINEERING, INC., a California ) CASE NO. 2:22-CV-01395-SB-

corporation, ) RAO

11 )

Plaintiff, ) Judge: Hon. Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr

12 ) Magistrate Judge: Hon. Rozella A.

v. Oliver

)

13

)

CENTRAL COAST COMMUNITY STIPULATED PROTECTIVE

14 ENERGY, a business entity form ) ORDER 1

unknown, and DOES 1 through 10, )

15 inclusive, )

)

16 Defendants. ) Complaint filed: March 1, 2022

)

17 )

18

19 1. A. PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS

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

21 proprietary or private information for which special protection from public

22 disclosure and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may

23 be warranted. Accordingly, the parties hereby stipulate to and petition the Court

24 to enter the following Stipulated Protective Order. The parties acknowledge that

25 this Order does not confer blanket protections on all disclosures or responses to

26 discovery and that the protection it affords from public disclosure and use extends

27

1 This Stipulated Protective Order is substantially based on the model protective

28

order provided under Magistrate Judge Rozella A. Oliver’s Procedures.

-1-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 2 of 19 Page ID #:277

1 only to the limited information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment

2 under the applicable legal principles.

3 1.1 GOOD CAUSE STATEMENT

4 This action is likely to involve customer and pricing lists and other valuable

5 research, development, commercial, financial, technical and/or proprietary

6 information for which special protection from public disclosure and from use for

7 any purpose other than prosecution of this action is warranted. Such confidential

8 and proprietary materials and information consist of, among other things,

9 confidential business or financial information, information regarding confidential

10 business practices, or other confidential research, development, or commercial

11 information (including information implicating privacy rights of third parties),

12 information otherwise generally unavailable to the public, or which may be

13 privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure under state or federal statutes,

14 court rules, case decisions, or common law. Accordingly, to expedite the flow of

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

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

17 keep confidential, to ensure that the parties are permitted reasonable necessary

18 uses of such material in preparation for and in the conduct of trial, to address their

19 handling at the end of the litigation, and serve the ends of justice, a protective order

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

21 information will not be designated as confidential for tactical reasons and that

22 nothing be so designated without a good faith belief that it has been maintained in

23 a confidential, non-public manner, and there is good cause why it should not be

24 part of the public record of this case.

25 ///

26 ///

27 ///

28 ///

-2-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 3 of 19 Page ID #:278

1 1.2 ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF PROCEDURE FOR FILING

2 UNDER SEAL

3 The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 12.3, below, that

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

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

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

7 from the court to file material under seal.

8 There is a strong presumption that the public has a right of access to judicial

9 proceedings and records in civil cases. In connection with non-dispositive

10 motions, good cause must be shown to support a filing under seal. See Kamakana

11 v. City and County of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1176 (9th Cir. 2006); Phillips v.

12 Gen. Motors Corp., 307 F.3d 1206, 1210-11 (9th Cir. 2002); Makar-Welbon v.

13 Sony Electrics, Inc., 187 F.R.D. 576, 577 (E.D. Wis. 1999) (even stipulated

14 protective orders require good cause showing), and a specific showing of good

15 cause or compelling reasons with proper evidentiary support and legal

16 justification, must be made with respect to Protected Material that a party seeks to

17 file under seal. The parties’ mere designation of Disclosure or Discovery Material

18 as CONFIDENTIAL does not—without the submission of competent evidence by

19 declaration, establishing that the material sought to be filed under seal qualifies as

20 confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable—constitute good cause.

21 Further, if a party requests sealing related to a dispositive motion or trial,

22 then compelling reasons, not only good cause, for the sealing must be shown, and

23 the relief sought shall be narrowly tailored to serve the specific interest to be

24 protected. See Pintos v. Pacific Creditors Ass’n, 605 F.3d 665, 677-79 (9th Cir.

25 2010). For each item or type of information, document, or thing sought to be filed

26 or introduced under seal in connection with a dispositive motion or trial, the party

27 seeking protection must articulate compelling reasons, supported by specific facts

28 and legal justification, for the requested sealing order. Again, competent evidence

-3-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 4 of 19 Page ID #:279

1 supporting the application to file documents under seal must be provided by

2 declaration.

3 Any document that is not confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable

4 in its entirety will not be filed under seal if the confidential portions can be

5 redacted. If documents can be redacted, then a redacted version for public

6 viewing, omitting only the confidential, privileged, or otherwise protectable

7 portions of the document shall be filed. Any application that seeks to file

8 documents under seal in their entirety should include an explanation of why

9 redaction is not feasible.

10 2. DEFINITIONS

11 Action: this pending federal lawsuit, 3C Engineering Inc. v. Central Coast

12 Community Energy, United States District Court, Central District of California,

13 Case No. 2:22-CV-01395-SB-RAO.

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

15 information or items under this Order.

16 “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless of how

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

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

19 Cause Statement.

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

21 support staff).

22 Designating Party: a Party or Non-Party that designates information or

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

24 “CONFIDENTIAL.”

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

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

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

28 or generated in disclosures or responses to discovery in this matter.

-4-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 5 of 19 Page ID #:280

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

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

3 as an expert witness or as a consultant in this Action.

4 “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”

5 Information or Items: extremely sensitive “Confidential Information or Items,”

6 disclosure of which to another Party or Non-Party would create a substantial risk

7 of serious harm that could not be avoided by less restrictive means.

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

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

10 counsel.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 their support staffs).

20 Producing Party: a Party or Non-Party that produces Disclosure or

21 Discovery Material in this Action.

22 Professional Vendors: persons or entities that provide litigation support

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

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

25 and their employees and subcontractors.

26 Protected Material: any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is designated

27 as “CONFIDENTIAL.”

28 / / /

-5-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 6 of 19 Page ID #:281

1 Receiving Party: a Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material

2 from a Producing Party.

3 3. SCOPE

4 The protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order cover not only

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

6 extracted from Protected Material; (2) all copies, excerpts, summaries, or

7 compilations of Protected Material; and (3) any testimony, conversations, or

8 presentations by Parties or their Counsel that might reveal Protected Material.

9 Any use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by the orders of the

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

11 However, the protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order do not

12 cover the following information: (a) any information that is in the public domain

13 at the time of disclosure to a Receiving Party or becomes part of the public domain

14 after its disclosure to a Receiving Party as a result of publication not involving a

15 violation of this Order, including becoming part of the public record through trial

16 or otherwise; and (b) any information known to the Receiving Party prior to the

17 disclosure or obtained by the Receiving Party after the disclosure from a source

18 who obtained the information lawfully and under no obligation of confidentiality

19 to the Designating Party.

20 4. DURATION

21 Once a case proceeds to trial, information that was designated as

22 CONFIDENTIAL or maintained pursuant to this protective order used or

23 introduced as an exhibit at trial becomes public and will be presumptively

24 available to all members of the public, including the press, unless compelling

25 reasons supported by specific factual findings to proceed otherwise are made to

26 the trial judge in advance of the trial. See Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1180-81

27 (distinguishing “good cause” showing for sealing documents produced in

28 discovery from “compelling reasons” standard when merits-related documents are

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2}P2-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 7of19 Page ID #:282

| || part of court record). Accordingly, the terms of this protective order do not extend

2 || beyond the commencement of the trial.

3 || 5. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL

4 5.1 Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for

5 || Protection: Each Party or Non-Party that designates information or items for

6 || protection under this Order must take care to limit any such designation to specific

7 || material that qualifies under the appropriate standards. The Designating Party

8 || must designate for protection only those parts of material, documents, items or

9 || oral or written communications that qualify so that other portions of the material,

10 || documents, items or communications for which protection is not warranted are not

11 || swept unjustifiably within the ambit of this Order.

12 Mass, indiscriminate or routinized designations are prohibited.

13 |} Designations that are shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been made for

14 || an improper purpose (e.g., to unnecessarily encumber the case development

15 || process or to impose unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may

16 || expose the Designating Party to sanctions.

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

18 || it designated for protection do not qualify for protection, that Designating Party

19 || must promptly notify all other Parties that it is withdrawing the inapplicable

20 || designation.

21 5.2 Manner and Timing of Designations. Except as otherwise

22 || provided in this Order (see, e.g., second paragraph of section 5.2(a) below), or as

23 || otherwise stipulated or ordered, Disclosure or Discovery Material that qualifies

24 || for protection under this Order must be clearly so designated before the material

25 || is disclosed or produced.

26 Designation in conformity with this Order requires:

27 (a) For information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic

28 documents, but excluding transcripts of depositions or other

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2}22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 8of19 Page ID #:283

1 pretrial or trial proceedings), that the Producing Party affix at a

2 minimum, the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY

3 CONFIDENTIAL -—- ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”

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

5 contains protected material. If only a portion of the material on

6 a page qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must

7 clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making

8 appropriate markings in the margins).

10 A Party or Non-Party that makes original documents available

1] for inspection need not designate them for protection until after

12 the inspecting Party has indicated which documents it would

13 like copied and produced. During the inspection and before the

14 designation, all of the material made available for inspection

15 shall be deemed “CONFIDENTIAL.” After the inspecting

16 Party has identified the documents it wants copied and

17 produced, the Producing Party must determine which

18 documents, or portions thereof, qualify for protection under this

19 Order. Then, before producing the specified documents, the

20 Producing Party must affix the “CONFIDENTIAL legend” to

21 each page that contains Protected Material. If only a portion of

22 the material on a page qualifies for protection, the Producing

23 Party also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by

24 making appropriate markings in the margins).

25 (b) For testimony given in depositions that the Designating Party

26 identifies the Disclosure or Discovery Material on the record,

27 before the close of the deposition, hearing, or other proceeding,

28 all protected testimony and specify the level of protection being

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2}22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page9of19 Page ID #:284

1 asserted. When it is impractical to identify separately each

2 portion of testimony that is entitled to protection and it appears

3 that substantial portions of the testimony may qualify for

4 protection, the Designating Party may invoke on the record

5 (before the deposition, hearing, or other proceeding is

6 concluded) a right to have up to 21 days to identify the specific

7 portions of the testimony as to which protection is sought and

8 to specify the level of protection being asserted. Only those

9 portions of the testimony that are appropriately designated for

10 protection within the 21 days shall be covered by the provisions

1] of this Stipulated Protective Order. Alternatively, a Designating

12 Party may specify, at the deposition or up to 21 days afterwards

13 if that period is properly invoked, that the entire transcript shall

14 be treated as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY

15 CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.”

16 (c) Transcripts containing Protected Material shall have an obvious

17 legend on the title page that the transcript contains Protected

18 Material, and the title page shall be followed by a list of all

19 pages (including line numbers as appropriate) that have been

20 designated as Protected Material and the level of protection

21 being asserted by the Designating Party. The Designating Party

22 shall inform the court reporter of these requirements. Any

23 transcript that is prepared before the expiration of a 21-day

24 period for designation shall be treated during that period as if it

25 had been designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL —-

26 ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” in its entirety unless otherwise

27 agreed. After the expiration of that period, the transcript shall

28 be treated only as actually designated.

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:42-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 10o0f19 Page ID #:285

| (d) For information produced in some form other than

2 documentary and for any other tangible items, that the

3 Producing Party affix in a prominent place on the exterior of the

4 container or containers in which the information is stored the

5 legend “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL —

6 ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” If only a portion or portions of

7 the information warrants protection, the Producing Party, to the

8 extent practicable, shall identify the protected portion(s).

9 5.3 Inadvertent Failures to Designate. If timely corrected, an

10 || inadvertent failure to designate qualified information or items does not, standing

11 || alone, waive the Designating Party’s right to secure protection under this Order

12 || for such material. Upon timely correction of a designation, the Receiving Party

13 || must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material is treated in accordance

14 || with the provisions of this Order.

15 || 6 CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS

16 6.1 Timing of Challenges. Any Party or Non-Party may challenge a

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

18 |} Scheduling Order.

19 6.2 Meet and Confer. The Challenging Party shall initiate the dispute

20 || resolution process under Local Rule 37.1 et seq.

21 6.3 Burden of Persuasion. The burden of persuasion in any such

22 || challenge proceeding shall be on the Designating Party. Frivolous challenges, and

23 || those made for an improper purpose (e.g., to harass or impose unnecessary

24 || expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the Challenging Party to

25 || sanctions. Unless the Designating Party has waived or withdrawn the

26 || confidentiality designation, all parties shall continue to afford the material in

27 || question the level of protection to which it is entitled under the Producing Party’s

28 || designation until the Court rules on the challenge.

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:42-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 11o0f19 Page ID #:286

| || 7. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

2 7.1 Basic Principles. A Receiving Party may use Protected Material

3 || that is disclosed or produced by another Party or by a Non-Party in connection

4 || with this Action only for prosecuting, defending or attempting to settle this Action.

5 || Such Protected Material may be disclosed only to the categories of persons and

6 || under the conditions described in this Order. When the Action has been

7 || terminated, a Receiving Party must comply with the provisions of section 13 below

8 || (FINAL DISPOSITION).

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

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

11 || persons authorized under this Order.

12 7.2 Disclosure _of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items.

13 |} Unless otherwise ordered by the court or permitted in writing by the Designating

14 || Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any information or item designated

15 || “CONFIDENTIAL” only to:

16 (a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this

17 Action, as well as employees of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it

18 is reasonably necessary to disclose the information for this Action;

19 (b) the officers, directors, and employees (including House

20 Counsel) of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary

21 for this Action;

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

23 whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action and who have

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

25 (d) the court and its personnel;

26 (e) court reporters and their staff;

27 (f) professional jury or trial consultants, mock jurors, and

28 Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:42-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 12o0f19 Page ID #:287

1 Action and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be

2 Bound” (Exhibit A);

3 (g) the author or recipient of a document containing the

4 information or a custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew

5 the information;

6 (h) during their depositions, witnesses, and attorneys for witnesses,

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

8 deposing party requests that the witness sign the form attached as Exhibit A

9 hereto; and (2) they will not be permitted to keep any confidential

10 information unless they sign the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be

1] Bound” (Exhibit A), unless otherwise agreed by the Designating Party or

12 ordered by the court. Pages of transcribed deposition testimony or exhibits

13 to depositions that reveal Protected Material may be separately bound by the

14 court reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone except as permitted under

15 this Stipulated Protective Order; and

16 (i) any mediator or settlement officer, and their supporting

17 personnel, mutually agreed upon by any of the parties engaged in settlement

18 discussions.

19 7.3. Disclosure of “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEYS’

20 || EYES ONLY” Information or Items. Unless otherwise ordered by the court or

21 || permitted in writing by the Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any

22 || information or item designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL — ATTORNEYS’

23 || EYES ONLY” only to:

24 (a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this action, as well

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

26 || necessary to disclose the information for this litigation;

27 (b) Designated House Counsel of the Receiving Party (1) who has no

28 || involvement in competitive decision-making, (2) to whom disclosure is reasonably

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:42-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 130f19 Page ID #:288

| || necessary for this litigation, (3) who has signed the “Acknowledgment and

2 || Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), and (4) whose full name, city and state of

3 || his or her residence, and description of his or her current and reasonably

4 || foreseeable future primary job duties and responsibilities has been disclosed to the

5 || Designating Party in sufficient detail to determine if House Counsel is involved,

6 || or may become involved, in any competitive decision-making.

7 (c) Experts of the Receiving Party (1) to whom disclosure is reasonably

8 || necessary for this litigation, and (2) who have signed the “Acknowledgment and

9 || Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

10 (d) the Court and its personnel;

1] (e) court reporters and their staff, professional jury or trial consultants, and

12 || Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this

13 || litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be

14 || Bound” (Exhibit A); and

15 (f) the author or recipient of a document containing the information or a

16 || custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew the information.

17 || 8. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED

18 PRODUCED IN OTHER LITIGATION

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

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

21 |} “CONFIDENTIAL,” that Party must:

22 (a) promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such

23 notification shall include a copy of the subpoena or court order;

24 (b) promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena

25 or order to issue in the other litigation that some or all of the

26 material covered by the subpoena or order is subject to this

27 Protective Order. Such notification shall include a copy of this

28 Stipulated Protective Order; and

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:42-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 14o0f19 Page ID #:289

(c) cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to

2 be pursued by the Designating Party whose Protected Material

3 may be affected.

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

5 || with the subpoena or court order shall not produce any information designated in

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

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

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

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

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

11 || to disobey a lawful directive from another court.

12 |} 9. ANON-PARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE

13 PRODUCED IN THIS LITIGATION

14 (a) The terms of this Order are applicable to information produced

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

16 information produced by Non-Parties in connection with this litigation is

17 protected by the remedies and relief provided by this Order. Nothing in these

18 provisions should be construed as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking

19 additional protections.

20 (b) In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery

21 request, to produce a Non-Party’s confidential information in its possession,

22 and the Party is subject to an agreement with the Non-Party not to produce

23 the Non-Party’s confidential information, then the Party shall:

24 (1) promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the

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

26 confidentiality agreement with a Non-Party;

27 | ///

28 |] ///

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:42-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 15o0f19 Page ID #:290

1 (2) promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of the

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

3 and a reasonably specific description of the information requested; and

4 (3) make the information requested available for inspection by

5 the Non-Party, if requested.

6 (c) If the Non-Party fails to seek a protective order from this court

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

8 Receiving Party may produce the Non-Party’s confidential information

9 responsive to the discovery request. If the Non-Party timely seeks a

10 protective order, the Receiving Party shall not produce any information in its

1] possession or control that is subject to the confidentiality agreement with the

12 Non-Party before a determination by the court. Absent a court order to the

13 contrary, the Non-Party shall bear the burden and expense of seeking

14 protection in this court of its Protected Material.

15 || 10. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

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

17 || disclosed Protected Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized

18 || under this Stipulated Protective Order, the Receiving Party must immediately (a)

19 || notify in writing the Designating Party of the unauthorized disclosures, (b) use its

20 || best efforts to retrieve all unauthorized copies of the Protected Material, (c) inform

21 || the person or persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all the terms

22 || of this Order, and (d) request such person or persons to execute the

23 || “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” that is attached hereto as Exhibit

24 || A.

25 || 11. INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR

26 OTHERWISE PROTECTED MATERIAL

27 When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain

28 || inadvertently produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 16 of 19 Page ID #:291

1 protection, the obligations of the Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal

2 Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). This provision is not intended to modify

3 whatever procedure may be established in an e-discovery order that provides for

4 production without prior privilege review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence

5 502(d) and (e), insofar as the parties reach an agreement on the effect of disclosure

6 of a communication or information covered by the attorney-client privilege or

7 work product protection, the parties may incorporate their agreement in the

8 stipulated protective order submitted to the court.

9 12. MISCELLANEOUS

10 12.1 Right to Further Relief. Nothing in this Order abridges the right

11 of any person to seek its modification by the Court in the future.

12 12.2 Right to Assert Other Objections. By stipulating to the entry of

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

14 to disclosing or producing any information or item on any ground not addressed

15 in this Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, no Party waives any right to object

16 on any ground to use in evidence of any of the material covered by this Protective

17 Order.

18 12.3 Filing Protected Material. A Party that seeks to file under seal

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

20 Material may only be filed under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing the

21 sealing of the specific Protected Material at issue. If a Party’s request to file

22 Protected Material under seal is denied by the court, then the Receiving Party may

23 file the information in the public record unless otherwise instructed by the court.

24 13. FINAL DISPOSITION

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

26 60 days of a written request by the Designating Party, each Receiving Party must

27 return all Protected Material to the Producing Party or destroy such material. As

28 used in this subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts,

-16-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 17 of 19 Page ID #:292

1 compilations, summaries, and any other format reproducing or capturing any of

2 the Protected Material. Whether the Protected Material is returned or destroyed,

3 the Receiving Party must submit a written certification to the Producing Party

4 (and, if not the same person or entity, to the Designating Party) by the 60 day

5 deadline that (1) identifies (by category, where appropriate) all the Protected

6 Material that was returned or destroyed and (2) affirms that the Receiving Party

7 has not retained any copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other

8 format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding

9 this provision, Counsel are entitled to retain an archival copy of all pleadings,

10 motion papers, trial, deposition, and hearing transcripts, legal memoranda,

11 correspondence, deposition and trial exhibits, expert reports, attorney work

12 product, and consultant and expert work product, even if such materials contain

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

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

15 (DURATION).

16 //

17 //

18 //

19 //

20 //

21 //

22 //

23 //

24 //

25 //

26 //

27 //

28 //

-17-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:42-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 180f19 Page ID #:293

1 |} 14. VIOLATION

2 || Any violation of this Order may be punished by appropriate measures including,

3 || without limitation, contempt proceedings and/or monetary sanctions.

5 || SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD.

6 || Dated: September 22, 2022

GORDON REES SCULLY

7 MANSUKHANI, LLP

8 By: /s/ Hazel Mae B. Pangan

9 Craig J. Mariam

Hazel Mae B. Pangan

10 Stephanie L. Cobau

11 Attorneys for Defendant

Central Coast Community Energy

12

13

14 Dated: September 22, 2022 COHEN IP LAW GROUP PC

15 By: /s/ Michael N. Cohen

Michael N. Cohen

16 Attorneys for Plaintiff

17 3C Engineering, Inc.

18

19 SIGNATURE ATTESTATION

50 Pursuant to Civil L.R. 5-4.3.4(a)(2)(1), the filer attests that all other

> signatories listed, and on whose behalf this filing is submitted, concur in the

99 filing’s content and have authorized the filing.

74 /s/ Hazel Mae B. Pangan

24

95 FOR GOOD CAUSE SHOWN, IT IS SO ORDERED.

26 Rapelis, QO, O2—

57 Dated: September 23, 2022

HON. ROZELLA A. OLIVER

28 United States Magistrate Judge

-18-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Case 2:22-cv-01395-SB-RAO Document 32 Filed 09/23/22 Page 19 of 19 Page ID #:294

1 EXHIBIT A

2 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND

3 I, _____________________________ [print or type full name], of

4 ___________________________________________ [print or type full address],

5 declare under penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety and understand the

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

7 the Central District of California on _____________ in the case of 3C Engineering

8 Inc. v. Central Coast Community Energy, Case No. 2:22-CV-01395-SB-RAO. I

9 agree to comply with and to be bound by all the terms of this Stipulated Protective

10 Order and I understand and acknowledge that failure to so comply could expose

11 me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of contempt. I solemnly promise

12 that I will not disclose in any manner any information or item that is subject to this

13 Stipulated Protective Order to any person or entity except in strict compliance with

14 the provisions of this Order.

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

16 Court for the Central District of California for enforcing the terms of this

17 Stipulated Protective Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur after

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

19 or type full name] of _______________________________________ [print or

20 type full address and telephone number] as my California agent for service of

21 process in connection with this action or any proceedings related to enforcement

22 of this Stipulated Protective Order.

23 Date: ______________________________________

24 City and State where sworn and signed: ________________________________

25 Printed name: _______________________________

26 Signature: __________________________________

27

28

-19-

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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