Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-07592/USCOURTS-cand-3_06-cv-07592-13/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 791
Nature of Suit: Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
Cause of Action: 28:1132 E.R.I.S.A.

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ENIKO PRAKASH,

Plaintiff(s),

v.

PULSENT CORPORATION,

Defendant(s).

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No. C06-7592 SC (BZ)

FOURTH DISCOVERY ORDER

Counsel for all parties and Verseon appeared at the

telephonic hearing today regarding their various discovery

motions filed. For the reasons set forth on the record, IT IS

HEREBY ORDERED as follows:

1. Sun Life’s application for an order to show cause as

to why a contempt citation should not issue against Verseon

(Docket No. 76) is GRANTED, IN PART. Verseon is ORDERED to:

a. By no later than March 3, 2008, produce for

inspection to Sun Life the archive CD of the computer Eniko

used at Verseon. Verseon shall abstract the financial

document on the CD, as discussed at the hearing, and shall

scramble all numbers reflecting Verseon’s proprietary

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28 1 The parties are encouraged to use the Stipulated

Protective Order on the Court’s website.

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financial information without altering the metadata on the CD. 

Verseon shall not scramble any financial data concerning or

relating to Eniko. If the financial document contains

information regarding Eniko, Sun Life is given leave to return

to me and seek a further order for discovery if necessary. 

The CD shall be produced subject to an attorneys eyes only

protective order which shall be filed by no later than

February 29, 20081

. Sun Life shall return the CD within 48

hours of receipt. 

b. Verseon shall set up a time, to occur no later than

March 6, 2008, for Sun Life’s technology expert to come its

office and examine the laptop computer that Eniko used that is

now being used by Sachin Ahuja. The expert’s inspection of

the computer is limited to 2 hours. The expert shall limit

his inspection to portions of the computer that he and Mr.

Ahuja agree upon. Counsel for Sun Life and Version may be

present during the inspection. Mr. Ahuja shall not delete or

remove anything from the laptop prior to the inspection. Sun

Life’s expert shall not copy any information from the

computer, unless Mr. Ahuja consents. If there are any

disputes regarding the inspection, the parties have leave to

contact me.

c. By no later than March 13, 2008, Mr. Ahuja is ORDERED

to file a declaration, under oath, that he has conducted the

following searches: I) for the period between July 2002

through July 2003 and during the year of 2006, all the

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2 If Mr. Ahuja is unable to reconstruct or search the

archives or back-ups, he shall explain his attempts to access

the information to the court in his declaration.

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computers of Verseon employees’ in-boxes and out-boxes for

emails to or from Eniko, as well as all emails regarding

Eniko; ii) if the computers no longer contain the above

information, Mr. Ahuja shall review all back-up tapes or

archives for the information2; and iii) search all Verseon

employee’s computers, as well as, Verseon’s back-up files and

archives for documents referring to Eniko. In the

declaration, Mr. Ahuja shall identify all emails and documents

he locates in the search and Verseon shall produce the emails

and documents to Sun Life by no later than March 13, 2008. 

The remainder of Sun Life’s application is DENIED WITHOUT

PREJUDICE to being renewed if the results of this order

warrant further relief.

2. Sun Life’s Motion to for an order granting leave to

take additional depositions filed (Docket No. 83) is GRANTED,

IN PART. 

Sun Life has leave to take the depositions of Somalee

Datta, for up to 3 hours, of Sunder Velamuri, for up to 2

hours, and of Phillip Albert, if it wishes to do so after

reviewing his report. All depositions shall be completed by

no later than March 14, 2008. The request to depose Dr.

Harris is DENIED. The request to depose Dr. Dye is DENIED,

but Dr. Dye is precluded from giving trial testimony about the

bone scans that is beyond the scope of his deposition

testimony. 

3. Plaintiff’s second motion to compel(Docket No. 87) is

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GRANTED IN PART and DENIED IN PART. 

Sun Life is ORDERED to answer plaintiffs’ interrogatory

number 22, set one. The showing of burden made by Sun Life

does not persuade me that no discovery on bias should be

permitted. As I stated during the hearing, and as plaintiffs

noted in their memorandum, I suggest that Sun Life begin by

asking Dr. Corzatt, and any other doctor that has reviewed Ms.

Prakash’s file, for a list of matters they worked on during

the relevant period, which for the moment I will limit to one

year before each doctor’s review of the Prakash file. I do

not see why it would be necessary for Sun Life to review each

file it has to see if Dr. Corzatt worked on that file. Once

Sun Life has a list of files which Dr. Corzatt reviewed during

the relevant period, Sun Life can then review those files for

the rest of the information. I realize that there will be

some attendant burden but the issue of bias is a recognized

and recurring one, and plaintiffs should not be deprived of

relevant information merely by the way Sun Life has chosen to

maintain its records.

Plaintiffs’ motion to compel is also granted as to her

request for production of documents numbers 3 - 4, set two. 

Sun Life shall serve the further discovery responses by no

later than March 6, 2008.

 Sun Life is further ORDERED to produce Debra Connor for

further deposition, by video, by no later than March 14, 2008. 

Ms. Connor is ordered to answer the question posed to her on

pages 46 - 47, lines 21 - 2 of her deposition transcript, as

well as any follow-up questions required. 

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4. Plaintiff’s motion for attorneys’ fees filed on

February 18 (Docket No. 90) is DENIED. Although I do not

believe an award of attorneys fees is warranted at this time,

Sun Life is ORDERED to pay the costs for the court reporter

and for plaintiffs’ copy of the video transcript of the

further deposition of Ms. Connor.

5. On February 22, 2008, Sun Life also filed a motion to

compel and a second application for an order to show cause

(Docket Nos. 100 and 103). Any oppositions to the motion and

application shall be filed by no later than March 3, 2008 and

any replies shall be filed by March 5, 2008, if necessary. I

will notify the parties if a hearing is required on the

motions. 

6. At the hearing, I admonished the parties that any

failure to adhere to the procedures for bringing discovery

disputes before the court, as set forth in my initial

discovery order, will result in the issuance of an order to

show cause as to why sanctions should not be issued.

Dated: February 29, 2008

 Bernard Zimmerman

United States Magistrate Judge

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