Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04447/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04447-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 830
Nature of Suit: Patent
Cause of Action: 35:271 Patent Infringement

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KEVIN L. KEITHLEY,

Plaintiff,

 v.

HOMESTORE.COM, INC., et al,

Defendants. /

No. C-03-04447 MJJ (EDL)

ORDER GRANTING IN PART

DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR

SANCTIONS

On June 12, 2006, this Court granted Defendant’s motion to compel Plaintiff’s deposition,

holding that Plaintiff was not excused from giving his deposition in this patent infringement case

even though he had already been deposed on the same patent in another case in another district

court. Defendant now seeks a sanctions award pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37 and

Civil Local Rule 37-3 of the fees incurred in bringing that successful motion to compel. If a motion

to compel is granted, the court shall make a fee award of the “reasonable expenses incurred in

making the motion, including attorney’s fees, unless the court finds that the motion was filed

without the movant’s first making a good faith effort to obtain the disclosure or discovery without

court action, or that the opposing party’s nondisclosure, response or objection was substantially

justified, or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 37

(emphasis added). 

Defendant seeks fees in the amount of $6,595.00. Those fees consist of $3,987.50 for

preparing the motion to compel (8.5 hours of legal research and preparing the motion at $305.00 per

associate hour and 3 hours of partner review time at $465.00 per hour) and $2,607.50 for preparing

the reply (5.5 hours of legal research and preparing the reply of associate time and 2 hours of partner

Case 3:03-cv-04447-SI Document 142 Filed 09/14/06 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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time to review). See Pleune Decl. in Support of Reply at ¶¶ 15, 16. 

Plaintiff argues that a fee award in this case would be unjust because Plaintiff was pro se at

the time the motion to compel was filed and reasonably believed that he did not have to give another

deposition. Plaintiff, however, is not unsophisticated; he is a patent inventor who has previously

participated in litigation on behalf of his company. While an award of expenses would not be unjust

in this case, the Court declines to award Defendant the full amount of the fee request. The briefing

on the motion was neither lengthy nor legally complex, and the Court decided the motion without

oral argument. Given the circumstances of this case, Defendant’s fee request is reduced by six hours

of associate time and two hours of partner time for a total reduction of $2,760.00. Accordingly,

Defendant’s motion for sanctions is granted in the amount of $3,835.00.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 14, 2006 

ELIZABETH D. LAPORTE

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 3:03-cv-04447-SI Document 142 Filed 09/14/06 Page 2 of 2