Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_24-cv-00563/USCOURTS-azd-2_24-cv-00563-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Contract Dispute

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Nikola Corporation,

Plaintiff,

v. 

Trevor R Milton,

Defendant.

No. CV-24-00563-PHX-DJH

ORDER 

The Court is in receipt of an April 25, 2024, Letter filed by Hughes Hubbard & Reed

on behalf of Defendant Trevor R. Milton (“Milton”) (Doc. 41) (the “Letter”). Hughes 

Hubbard & Reed is a law firm representing Milton, and its Letter objects to the Court’s 

April 25, 2024, Order (Doc. 40) (the “April Order”) requiring Milton to produce documents 

responsive to Plaintiff Nikola Corporation’s Request For Production (“RFP”) Nos. 7 and 8

1

by noon on April 26, 2024. (See generally id.) Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s position is that

“[g]iven the confidential and sensitive personal financial information sought by [RFP Nos.] 

7 and 8, . . . a protective order should be entered prior to producing the information sought 

by those Requests.” (Doc. 41 at 1). Hughes Hubbard & Reed further represents that it will 

1 RFP No. 7 seeks “[d]ocuments and communications relating to any negotiation, 

discussion, or contemplation of the consideration to be received by You or an entity or 

another person resulting from the Transfers” of Nikola stock at issue in this case. 

(Doc. 29 at 17). RFP No. 8 seeks “[d]ocuments and communications sufficient to show 

the entire extent of Your assets and liabilities, including but not limited to Your monthly 

income and expenses. For the avoidance of doubt, the relevant time period for this Request 

is from November 17, 2023 through [March 27, 2024.” (Id.)

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not be possible to provide documents responsive to RFP No. 8 within 24 hours due to the 

breadth of Milton’s assets. (Id.) So, Hughes Hubbard & Reed requests the following relief

on behalf of Milton: 

(1) the date for the production of documents responsive to Request 7 be 

modified, such that production would be due within 24 hours of the 

Court’s entry of a protective order; 

(2) the date for the production of documents responsive to Request 8 be 

modified, such that Mr. Milton will produce information showing the 

beginning and ending amounts of his bank balances on a monthly 

basis from November 17, 2023 to March 27, 2024 within 24 hours of 

the Court’s entry of a protective order, and if that is not deemed 

sufficient to address Nikola’s allegations, Mr. Milton will produce any 

additional information required to show the “entire extent” of his 

assets and liabilities within 30 days thereafter. 

(Id. at 2). 

The Court will construe the Letter as a motion for extension of time to respond to 

RFP Nos. 7 and 8 in light of relief sought.

2

 And, given that RFP Nos. 7 and 8 seek 

information relating to Milton’s personal financial information, the Court will grant 

Milton’s requests that his response deadlines be modified to 24 hours after the Court issues 

a protective order.3 However, the Court will not afford Milton the option to supplement 

his responses to RFP No. 8 within 30 days after his initial production. Milton shall

supplement his initial production within 21 days thereafter, as Milton has been on notice 

of the Court’s order for expedited discovery since March 27, 2024 (See Doc. 30), and 

cannot now claim he is unaware that his finances would be scrutinized. Milton is further

cautioned that the Court will not entertain any further objections or extensions relating to 

RFP Nos. 7 and 8, absent extraordinary circumstances.

/ / /

2 Milton’s Counsel is admonished for filing the objection in the form of letter as opposed 

to a motion in compliance with the Local Rules.

3 The Court is in receipt of the parties’ Joint Notice of Discovery Dispute (Doc. 42) with 

respect to entry of a protective order and will address the dispute by way of a separate 

order. 

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Accordingly,

IT IS ORDERED that the April 25, 2024, Letter filed by Hughes Hubbard & Reed 

on behalf of Defendant Trevor R. Milton (Doc. 41) is construed as a motion for extension 

of time to respond to Plaintiff Nikola Corporation’s RFP Nos. 7 and 8 and granted in part

as stated herein.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the deadline for Milton to produce documents 

responsive to RFP No. 7 shall be extended to within 24 hours of the Court’s entry of a 

protective order. No further extensions of this deadline will be granted absent 

extraordinary circumstances.

IT IS FINALLY ORDERED that the deadline for Milton to produce documents 

responsive to RFP No. 8 shall be modified as follows: Milton shall produce information 

showing the beginning and ending amounts of his bank balances on a monthly basis from 

November 17, 2023 to March 27, 2024 within 24 hours of the Court’s entry of a 

protective order; and Milton shall produce any additional information required to show 

the entire extent of his assets and liabilities within twenty-on (21) days thereafter. No 

further extensions of these deadline will be granted absent extraordinary circumstances.

Dated this 30th day of April, 2024.

Honorable Diane J. Humetewa

United States District Judge

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