Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_18-cv-02573/USCOURTS-cand-4_18-cv-02573-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 890
Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions
Cause of Action: 28:2201 Declaratory Judgement

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 STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

Case No. 4:18-cv-02573-YGR

1303438 

KEKER, VAN NEST & PETERS LLP

SIMONA A. AGNOLUCCI - # 246943 

sagnolucci@keker.com 

NICHOLAS D. MARAIS - # 277846 

nmarais@keker.com 

ABRAHAM H. FINE - # 292647 

afine@keker.com 

JESSELYN K. FRILEY - # 319198 

jfriley@keker.com 

633 Battery Street 

San Francisco, CA 94111-1809 

Telephone: 415 391 5400 

Facsimile: 415 397 7188 

Attorneys for Defendant 

UPCOUNSEL, INC. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

OAKLAND DIVISION 

LEGALFORCE RAPC WORLDWIDE, 

P.C.; and LEGALFORCE, INC., 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

UPCOUNSEL, INC., 

Defendant. 

Case No. 4:18-cv-02573-YGR

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

*as modified by the Court* 

Judge: Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers 

Date Filed: May 2, 2018 

Trial Date: September 30, 2019 

Case 4:18-cv-02573-YGR Document 54 Filed 10/11/18 Page 1 of 18
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1. PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS 

Disclosure and discovery activity in this action are likely to involve production of 

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

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

Accordingly, the parties hereby stipulate to and petition the court to enter the following Stipulated 

Protective Order. The parties acknowledge that this Order does not confer blanket protections on 

all disclosures or responses to discovery and that the protection it affords from public disclosure 

and use extends only to the limited information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment 

under the applicable legal principles. The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 

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

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

the standards that will be applied when a party seeks permission from the court to file material 

under seal. 

2. DEFINITIONS 

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

information or items under this Order. 

2.2 “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless of how it is 

generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that qualify for protection under Federal Rule 

of Civil Procedure 26(c). 

2.3 Counsel: Outside Counsel of Record (as well as their support staff). 

2.4 Designating Party: a Party or Non-Party that designates information or items that it 

produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”. 

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

medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or maintained (including, among other things, 

testimony, transcripts, and tangible things), that are produced or generated in disclosures or 

responses to discovery in this matter. 

2.6 Expert: a person with specialized knowledge or experience in a matter pertinent to 

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the litigation who (1) has been retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an expert witness or 

as a consultant in this action, (2) is not a past or current employee of a Party or of a Party’s 

competitor, and (3) at the time of retention, is not anticipated to become an employee of a Party 

or of a Party’s competitor. 

2.7 “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” Information or 

Items: extremely sensitive “Confidential Information or Items,” disclosure of which to another 

Party or Non-Party would create a substantial risk of serious harm that could not be avoided by 

less restrictive means. 

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

Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of Record or any other outside counsel. 

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

entity not named as a Party to this action. 

2.10 Outside Counsel of Record: attorneys who are not employees, directors, or owners 

of any entity that is party to this action but who are retained to represent or advise a party to this 

action and have appeared in this action on behalf of that party or are affiliated with a law firm 

which has appeared on behalf of that party. 

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

consultants, retained experts, and Outside Counsel of Record (and their support staffs). 

2.12 Producing Party: a Party or Non-Party that produces Disclosure or Discovery 

Material in this action. 

2.13 Professional Vendors: persons or entities that provide litigation support services 

(e.g., photocopying, videotaping, translating, preparing exhibits or demonstrations, and 

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

subcontractors. 

2.14 Protected Material: any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is designated as 

“CONFIDENTIAL,” or as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

2.15 Receiving Party: a Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material from a 

Producing Party. 

Case 4:18-cv-02573-YGR Document 54 Filed 10/11/18 Page 3 of 18
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3. SCOPE 

The protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order cover not only Protected Material 

(as defined above), but also (1) any information copied or extracted from Protected Material; (2) 

all copies, excerpts, summaries, or compilations of Protected Material; and (3) any testimony, 

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

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

information: (a) any information that is in the public domain at the time of disclosure to a 

Receiving Party or becomes part of the public domain after its disclosure to a Receiving Party as 

a result of publication not involving a violation of this Order, including becoming part of the 

public record through trial or otherwise; and (b) any information known to the Receiving Party 

prior to the disclosure or obtained by the Receiving Party after the disclosure from a source who 

obtained the information lawfully and under no obligation of confidentiality to the Designating 

Party. Any use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by a separate agreement or order. 

4. DURATION 

Even after final disposition of this litigation, the confidentiality obligations imposed by 

this Order shall remain in effect until a Designating Party agrees otherwise in writing or a court 

order otherwise directs. Final disposition shall be deemed to be the later of (1) dismissal of all 

claims and defenses in this action, with or without prejudice; and (2) final judgment herein after 

the completion and exhaustion of all appeals, re-hearings, remands, trials, or reviews of this 

action, including the time limits for filing any motions or applications for extension of time 

pursuant to applicable law. 

5. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL 

5.1 Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection. Each Party 

or Non-Party that designates information or items for protection under this Order must take care 

to limit any such designation to specific material that qualifies under the appropriate standards. 

To the extent it is practical to do so, the Designating Party must designate for protection only 

those parts of material, documents, items, or oral or written communications that qualify – so that 

other portions of the material, documents, items, or communications for which protection is not 

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warranted are not swept unjustifiably within the ambit of this Order. 

Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited. Designations that are 

shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been made for an improper purpose (e.g., to 

unnecessarily encumber or retard the case development process or to impose unnecessary 

expenses and burdens on other parties) expose the Designating Party to sanctions. 

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

for protection do not qualify for protection at all or do not qualify for the level of protection 

initially asserted, that Designating Party must promptly notify all other parties that it is 

withdrawing the mistaken designation. 

5.2 Manner and Timing of Designations. Except as otherwise provided in this Order 

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

Disclosure or Discovery Material that qualifies for protection under this Order must be clearly so 

designated before the material is disclosed or produced. 

Designation in conformity with this Order requires: 

(a) for information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic documents, but 

excluding transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial proceedings), that the Producing 

Party affix the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ 

EYES ONLY” to each page that contains protected material. If only a portion or portions of the 

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

protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins) and must specify, for 

each portion, the level of protection being asserted. 

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

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

material it would like copied and produced. During the inspection and before the designation, all 

of the material made available for inspection shall be deemed “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” After the inspecting Party has identified the documents it wants 

copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which documents, or portions thereof, 

qualify for protection under this Order. Then, before producing the specified documents, the 

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Producing Party must affix the appropriate legend (“CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”) to each page that contains Protected 

Material. 

(b) for testimony given in deposition or in other pretrial or trial proceedings, that the 

Designating Party identify on the record, before the close of the deposition, hearing, or other 

proceeding, all protected testimony and specify the level of protection being asserted. When it is 

impractical to identify separately each portion of testimony that is entitled to protection, the 

Designating Party may invoke on the record (before the deposition, hearing, or other proceeding 

is concluded) a right to have up to 21 days to identify the specific portions of the testimony as to 

which protection is sought and to specify the level of protection being asserted. Only those 

portions of the testimony that are appropriately designated for protection within the 21 days shall 

be covered by the provisions of this Stipulated Protective Order. Alternatively, a Designating 

Party may specify, at the deposition or up to 21 days afterwards if that period is properly invoked, 

that the entire transcript shall be treated as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL 

– ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

Parties shall give the other parties notice if they reasonably expect a deposition, hearing or 

other proceeding to include Protected Material so that the other parties can ensure that only 

authorized individuals, as contemplated by this Order, are present at those proceedings. The use 

of a document as an exhibit at a deposition shall not in any way affect its designation as 

“CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.”

Transcripts containing Protected Material shall have an obvious legend on the title page 

that the transcript contains Protected Material, and the title page shall be followed by a list of all 

pages (including line numbers as appropriate) that have been designated as Protected Material and 

the level of protection being asserted by the Designating Party. The Designating Party shall 

inform the court reporter of these requirements. Once the Parties receive any transcript, they shall 

have 21 days to review and, if appropriate, designate that transcript (or portions thereof) in 

accordance with this Protective Order. During that 21-day period, the transcript shall be treated as 

if it had been designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” in its 

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entirety unless otherwise agreed. After the expiration of that period, the transcript shall be treated 

only as actually designated. 

(c) for information produced in some form other than documentary and for any other 

tangible items, that the Producing Party affix in a prominent place on the exterior of the container 

or containers in which the information or item is stored the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” or 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”. If only a portion or portions of 

the information or item warrant protection, the Producing Party, to the extent practicable, shall 

identify the protected portion(s) and specify the level of protection being asserted. 

5.3 Inadvertent Failures to Designate. If timely corrected, an inadvertent failure to 

designate qualified information or items does not, standing alone, waive the Designating Party’s 

right to secure protection under this Order for such material. Upon timely correction of a 

designation, the Receiving Party must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material is 

treated in accordance with the provisions of this Order. If the Designating Party originally 

produced such documents without appropriate designations or stamps, that Party shall re-produce 

any newly designated documents within a reasonable time following the correction of designation 

with “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” 

markings as required by Paragraph 5.2. 

6. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS 

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

confidentiality at any time. Unless a prompt challenge to a Designating Party’s confidentiality 

designation is necessary to avoid foreseeable, substantial unfairness, unnecessary economic 

burdens, or a significant disruption or delay of the litigation, a Party does not waive its right to 

challenge a confidentiality designation by electing not to mount a challenge promptly after the 

original designation is disclosed. 

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

process by providing written notice of each designation it is challenging and describing the basis 

for each challenge (the “Challenge”). To avoid ambiguity as to whether a challenge has been 

made, the written notice must recite that the Challenge to confidentiality is being made in 

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accordance with this specific paragraph of the Protective Order. The parties shall attempt to 

resolve each Challenge in good faith and must begin the process by conferring directly, in person 

or by telephone, within 14 days of the date of receipt of the Challenge. In conferring, the 

Challenging Party must explain the basis for its belief that the confidentiality designation was not 

proper and must give the Designating Party an opportunity to review the designated material, to 

reconsider the circumstances, and, if no change in designation is offered, to explain the basis for 

the chosen designation. A Challenging Party may proceed to the next stage of the challenge 

process only if it has engaged in this meet and confer process first or establishes that the 

Designating Party is unwilling to participate in the meet and confer process in a timely manner. 

6.3 Judicial Intervention. If the Parties cannot resolve a challenge without court 

intervention, the parties shall follow the Court’s Standing Order in Civil Cases regarding 

Discovery and Discovery Motions. The parties may file a joint letter brief regarding retaining 

confidentiality within 21 days of the initial notice of challenge or within 14 days of the parties 

agreeing that the meet and confer process will not resolve their dispute, whichever is earlier. 

Failure by a Designating Party to file such discovery dispute letter within the applicable 21 

or 14 day period (set forth above) with the Court shall automatically waive the confidentiality 

designation for each challenged designation. If, after submitting a joint letter brief, the Court 

allows that a motion may be filed, any such motion must be accompanied by a competent 

declaration affirming that the movant has complied with the meet and confer requirements 

imposed in the preceding paragraph. The Court, in its discretion, may elect to transfer the 

discovery matter to a Magistrate Judge. 

In addition, the parties may file a joint letter brief regarding a challenge to a 

confidentiality designation at any time if there is good cause for doing so, including a 

challenge to the designation of a deposition transcript or any portions thereof. If, after 

submitting a joint letter brief, the Court allows that a motion may be filed, any motion 

brought pursuant to this provision must be accompanied by a competent declaration 

affirming that the movant has complied with the meet and confer requirements imposed by 

the preceding paragraph. The Court, in its discretion, may elect to refer the discovery matter 

to a Magistrate Judge. 

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

Party. Frivolous challenges, and those made for an improper purpose (e.g., to harass or 

impose unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the Challenging 

Party to sanctions. Unless the Designating Party has waived the confidentiality designation 

by failing to file a letter brief to retain confidentiality as described above, all parties shall 

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

the Producing Party’s designation until the court rules on the challenge. 

7. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL 

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

produced by another Party or by a Non-Party in connection with this case only for prosecuting, 

defending, or attempting to settle this litigation (i.e., in the case captioned LegalForce RAPC 

Worldwide, P.C. et al. v. UpCounsel, Inc. et al., case no. 18-cv-02573-YGR (N.D. Cal.). In 

addition, the Receiving Party may use, in a separate case captioned LegalForce RAPC Worldwide 

P.C. et al. v. Oliner et al., case no. 18-cv-332509, Superior Court of Santa Clara (the “State Court 

Case”), portions of the Protected Material, provided that those portions are relevant to the State 

Court Case and the Receiving Party complies with the following procedure: 

1. The Receiving Party sends a request to the Producing Party after discovery 

has commenced in the State Court Case to utilize what it identifies as 

relevant portion(s) of the Protected Material in the State Court Case. 

2. In response, within seven (7) days after receiving the request, the 

Producing Party does one of three things: 

a. Producing Party provides consent to the Receiving Party to utilize 

the identified relevant portion(s) of the Protected Material; 

b. Producing Party requests that the Receiving Party meet and confer 

to discuss its request. A meet and confer shall take place within 

fourteen days (14) days after receiving the request; or 

c. Producing Party submits a counter-proposal of what portion(s) of 

the identified relevant portion(s) of the Protected Material it agrees 

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the Receiving Party may use in the State Court Case, if any. 

3. If the Parties are unable to reach agreement, after further meet and confer, 

the Receiving Party may file a motion to compel in, and using procedures 

identified by, the state court. 

If the Receiving Party uses Protected Materials in the State Court case, after receiving 

approval to do so from the Producing Party or from the state court, it will continue to treat those 

materials as Protected Materials. In particular, the Receiving Party agrees to abide by all other 

terms in this Protective Order, both in this case and in the State Court Case, including the 

disclosure and filing obligations set forth in Paragraphs 7 and 14.3. 

Such Protected Material may not be used in connection with any other litigation or 

proceedings. Protected Materials may be disclosed only to the categories of persons and under 

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

must comply with the provisions of section 14 below (FINAL DISPOSITION). 

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

in a secure manner that ensures that access is limited to the persons authorized under this Order. 

7.2 Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items. Unless otherwise ordered 

by the court or permitted in writing by the Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any 

information or item designated “CONFIDENTIAL” only to: 

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

of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information 

for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” that 

is attached hereto as Exhibit A; 

(b) the officers, directors, and employees of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and 

Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

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

reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and 

Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

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(d) the court and its personnel; 

(e) court reporters and their staff, professional jury or trial consultants (and mock jurors 

used by any such consultants1), and Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably 

necessary for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be 

Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(f) during their depositions, witnesses in the action to whom disclosure is reasonably 

necessary and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), 

unless otherwise agreed by the Designating Party or ordered by the court. Pages of transcribed 

deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected Material must be separately 

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

Stipulated Protective Order. 

(g) the author or recipient of a document containing the information or a custodian or 

other person who otherwise possessed or knew the information. 

7.3 Disclosure of “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” 

Information or Items. Unless otherwise ordered by the court or permitted in writing by the 

Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any information or item designated “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” only to: 

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

of said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information 

for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” that 

is attached hereto as Exhibit A; 

(b) Experts of the Receiving Party (1) to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this 

litigation, (2) who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), 

and (3) as to whom the procedures set forth in paragraph 7.4(a)(2), below, have been followed; 

(c) the court and its personnel; 

(d) court reporters and their staff, professional jury or trial consultants (and mock jurors 

 

1

 The Parties may create and use a simplified, precisely tailored Undertaking for mock jurors that 

differs in format from Exhibit A so long as the confidentiality obligations and contempt penalties 

are clearly communicated in the Undertaking. 

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used by any such consultants2), and Professional Vendors to whom disclosure is reasonably 

necessary for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be 

Bound” (Exhibit A); and 

(e) the author or recipient of a document containing the information or a custodian or 

other person who otherwise possessed or knew the information. 

7.4 Procedures for Approving or Objecting to Disclosure of “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” Information or Items to Experts. 

(a) Unless otherwise ordered by the court or agreed to in writing by the Designating Party, 

a Party that seeks to disclose to an Expert (as defined in this Order) any information or item that 

has been designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” pursuant to 

paragraph 7.3(b) first must make a written request to the Designating Party that (1) sets forth the 

full name of the Expert and the city and state of his or her primary residence, (2) attaches a copy 

of the Expert’s current résumé, (3) identifies the Expert’s current employer(s), (4) identifies each 

person or entity from whom the Expert has received compensation or funding for work in his or 

her areas of expertise or to whom the expert has provided professional services, including in 

connection with a litigation, at any time during the preceding five years, and (5) identifies (by 

name and number of the case, filing date, and location of court) any litigation in connection with 

which the Expert has offered expert testimony, including through a declaration, report, or 

testimony at a deposition or trial, during the preceding five years.3

 Nothing in this provision shall 

entitle one Party to depose, or otherwise pursue discovery from, a disclosed Expert, unless and 

until that Expert is identified pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2)(A). 

(b) A Party that makes a request and provides the information specified in the preceding 

paragraph may disclose the subject Protected Material to the identified Expert unless, within 14 

 

2

 The Parties may create and use a simplified, precisely tailored Undertaking for mock jurors that 

differs in format from Exhibit A so long as the confidentiality obligations and contempt penalties 

are clearly communicated in the Undertaking. 

3

 It may be appropriate in certain circumstances to restrict the Expert from undertaking certain 

limited work prior to the termination of the litigation that could foreseeably result in an improper 

use of the Designating Party’s “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” 

information. 

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days of delivering the request, the Party receives a written objection from the Designating Party. 

Any such objection must set forth in detail the grounds on which it is based. 

(c) A Party that receives a timely written objection must meet and confer with the 

Designating Party (through direct voice to voice dialogue) to try to resolve the matter by 

agreement within seven days of the written objection. If no agreement is reached, the Party 

seeking to make the disclosure to Designated House Counsel or the Expert may file a motion as 

provided in Civil Local Rule 7 (and in compliance with Civil Local Rule 79-5, if applicable) 

seeking permission from the court to do so. Any such motion must describe the circumstances 

with specificity, set forth in detail the reasons why the disclosure to Designated House Counsel or 

the Expert is reasonably necessary, assess the risk of harm that the disclosure would entail, and 

suggest any additional means that could be used to reduce that risk. In addition, any such motion 

must be accompanied by a competent declaration describing the parties’ efforts to resolve the 

matter by agreement (i.e., the extent and the content of the meet and confer discussions) and 

setting forth the reasons advanced by the Designating Party for its refusal to approve the 

disclosure. 

In any such proceeding, the Party opposing disclosure to Designated House Counsel or the 

Expert shall bear the burden of proving that the risk of harm that the disclosure would entail 

(under the safeguards proposed) outweighs the Receiving Party’s need to disclose the Protected 

Material to its Designated House Counsel or Expert. 

8. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED IN 

OTHER LITIGATION 

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

disclosure of any information or items designated in this action as “CONFIDENTIAL” or 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” that Party must: 

(a) promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification shall include a 

copy of the subpoena or court order; 

(b) promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena or order to issue in the 

other litigation that some or all of the material covered by the subpoena or order is subject to this 

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Protective Order. Such notification shall include a copy of this Stipulated Protective Order; and 

(c) cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be pursued by the 

Designating Party whose Protected Material may be affected.4

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

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

“CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” before a 

determination by the court from which the subpoena or order issued, unless the Party has obtained 

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

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

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

lawful directive from another court. 

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

THIS LITIGATION 

(a) The terms of this Order are applicable to information produced by a Non-Party in 

this action and designated as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”. Such information produced by Non-Parties in connection with 

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

provisions should be construed as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking additional protections. 

(b) In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery request, to produce a 

Non-Party’s confidential information in its possession, and the Party is subject to an agreement 

with the Non-Party not to produce the Non-Party’s confidential information, then the Party shall: 

1. promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the Non-Party that 

some or all of the information requested is subject to a confidentiality agreement with a NonParty; 

2. promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of the Stipulated Protective 

Order in this litigation, the relevant discovery request(s), and a reasonably specific description of 

 

4

 The purpose of imposing these duties is to alert the interested parties to the existence of this 

Protective Order and to afford the Designating Party in this case an opportunity to try to protect 

its confidentiality interests in the court from which the subpoena or order issued. 

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the information requested; and 

3. make the information requested available for inspection by the Non-Party. 

(c) If the Non-Party fails to object or seek a protective order from this court within 14 

days of receiving the notice and accompanying information, the Receiving Party may produce the 

Non-Party’s confidential information responsive to the discovery request. If the Non-Party timely 

seeks a protective order, the Receiving Party shall not produce any information in its possession 

or control that is subject to the confidentiality agreement with the Non-Party before a 

determination by the court.5 Absent a court order to the contrary, the Non-Party shall bear the 

burden and expense of seeking protection in this court of its Protected Material. 

10. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL 

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

Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized under this Stipulated Protective 

Order, the Receiving Party must immediately (a) notify in writing the Designating Party of the 

unauthorized disclosures, (b) use its best efforts to retrieve all unauthorized copies of the 

Protected Material, (c) inform the person or persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were 

made of all the terms of this Order, and (d) request such person or persons to execute the 

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

11. INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE 

PROTECTED MATERIAL 

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

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

Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). This 

provision is not intended to modify whatever procedure may be established in an e-discovery 

order that provides for production without prior privilege review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of 

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

communication or information covered by the attorney-client privilege or work product 

 

5

 The purpose of this provision is to alert the interested parties to the existence of confidentiality 

rights of a Non-Party and to afford the Non-Party an opportunity to protect its confidentiality 

interests in this court. 

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protection, the parties may incorporate their agreement in the stipulated protective order 

submitted to the court. 

12. MISCELLANEOUS 

14.1 Right to Further Relief. Nothing in this Order abridges the right of any person to 

seek its modification by the court in the future. 

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

Order no Party waives any right it otherwise would have to object to disclosing or producing any 

information or item on any ground not addressed in this Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, no 

Party waives any right to object on any ground to use in evidence of any of the material covered 

by this Protective Order. 

14.3 Filing Protected Material. Without written permission from the Designating Party 

or a court order secured after appropriate notice to all interested persons, a Party may not file in 

the public record in this action any Protected Material. A Party that seeks to file under seal any 

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

under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing the sealing of the specific Protected Material at 

issue. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5, a sealing order will issue only upon a request 

establishing that the Protected Material at issue is privileged, protectable as a trade secret, or 

otherwise entitled to protection under the law. If a Receiving Party's request to file Protected 

Material under seal pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5(e) is denied by the court, then the 

Receiving Party may file the Protected Material in the public record pursuant to Civil Local Rule 

79-5(e)(2) unless otherwise instructed by the court. 

14.4 Parties’ Own Protected Material. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this 

Protective Order shall restrict a Party from using its own Protected Material—that is, documents 

that it has produced and designated in this litigation—in any way. 

13. FINAL DISPOSITION 

Within 60 days after the final disposition of this action, as defined in paragraph 4, each 

Receiving Party must return all Protected Material to the Producing Party or destroy such 

material. As used in this subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts, 

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

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

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

Designating Party) by the 60-day deadline that (1) identifies (by category, where appropriate) all 

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

not retained any copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other format reproducing or 

capturing any of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel are entitled to 

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

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

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

Material. Any such archival copies that contain or constitute Protected Material remain subject to 

this Protective Order as set forth in Section 4 (DURATION). 

IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD. 

Dated: October 10, 2018 

By:

KEKER, VAN NEST & PETERS LLP

/s/ Nicholas D. Marais 

 NICHOLAS D. MARAIS

 Attorneys for Defendant 

Dated: October 10, 2018 

By:

LEGALFORCE RAPC WORLDWIDE

/s/ Raj V. Abhyanker

 RAJ V. ABHYANKER

 Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

O R D E R 

Pursuant to stipulation, IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: 

The Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers 

United States District Judge 

 

October 11, 2018

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EXHIBIT A 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND 

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

[print or type full address], declare under penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety and 

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

the Northern District of California on [date] in the case of LegalForce RAPC Worldwide, P.C. et 

al. v. UpCounsel, Inc. et al., case no. 18-cv-02573-YGR (N.D. Cal.). I agree to comply with and 

to be bound by all the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order and I understand and acknowledge 

that failure to so comply could expose me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of contempt. 

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

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

provisions of this Order. 

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

Northern District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this Stipulated Protective 

Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur after termination of this action. 

I hereby appoint __________________________ [print or type full name] of 

_______________________________________ [print or type full address and telephone 

number] as my California agent for service of process in connection with this action or any 

proceedings related to enforcement of this Stipulated Protective Order. 

Date: 

City and State where 

sworn and signed: 

Printed name: 

Signature: 

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