Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ared-4_07-cv-00082/USCOURTS-ared-4_07-cv-00082-0/pdf.json

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

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

WESTERN DIVISION

AG SERVICES, LLC PLAINTIFF

v. 4:07CV00082-WRW

SYNGENTA SEEDS, INC. DEFENDANT

CONSENT CONFIDENTIALITY ORDER

Whereas, the parties to this Consent Confidentiality Order (“parties”) have stipulated that

certain discovery material is and should be treated as confidential, and have agreed to the terms of

this order; accordingly, it is this 26th day of September, 2007, ORDERED:

1. Scope. All documents produced in the course of discovery, all responses to discovery

requests and all deposition testimony and deposition exhibits and any other materials which may be

subject to discovery (hereinafter collectively “documents”) will be subject to this Order concerning

confidential information as set forth below. 

2. Form and Timing of Designation. Confidential documents will be so designated

by placing or affixing the word “CONFIDENTIAL” on the document in a manner which will not

interfere with the legibility of the document and which will permit complete removal of the

Confidential designation or by such other clearly identifiable means, such as by Bates Number.

Documents will be designated CONFIDENTIAL prior to, or contemporaneously with, the

production or disclosure of the documents. Inadvertent or unintentional production of documents

without prior designation as confidential will not be deemed a waiver, in whole or in part, of the

right to designate documents as confidential as otherwise allowed by this Order.

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 1 of 9
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 The attorney who reviews the documents and certifies them to be CONFIDENTIAL must be admitted to

the Bar of at least one state but need not be admitted to practice in the Eastern District of Arkansas and need

not apply for pro hac vice admission. By signing the certification, counsel submits to the jurisdiction of this

Court in regard to the certification.

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3. Documents Which May be Designated Confidential. Any party may designate

documents as confidential but only after review of the documents by an attorney1

 who has, in good

faith, determined that the documents contain information protected from disclosure by statute,

sensitive personal information, trade secrets, or confidential research, development, or commercial

information. The certification will be made concurrently with the disclosure of the documents, using

the form attached as Attachment A which will be executed subject to the standards of Rule 11 of the

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Information or documents which are available in the public sector

may not be designated as confidential. 

4. Depositions. Portions of depositions will be deemed confidential only if designated

as such when the deposition is taken or within twenty days after receipt of the transcript. Such

designation will be specific as to the portions to be protected.

5. Protection of Confidential Material. 

a. General Protections. Documents designated CONFIDENTIAL under this Order

will not be used or disclosed by the parties or counsel for the parties or any other

persons identified below (¶ 5.b.) for any purposes whatsoever other than preparing for

and conducting the litigation in which the documents were disclosed (including any

appeal of that litigation).

b. Limited Third Party Disclosures. Counsel of record and their law firms and

employees shall have access to all documents and shall comply with the terms of this

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 2 of 9
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order. The parties and counsel for the parties will not disclose or permit the disclosure

of any documents designated CONFIDENTIAL under the terms of this Order to any

other person or entity except as set forth in subparagraphs (1)-(6) below, and then only

after the person to whom disclosure is to be made has executed an acknowledgment (in

the form set forth as Attachment B), that he or she has read and understands the terms

of this Order and is bound by it. Subject to these requirements, the following categories

of persons may be allowed to review documents which have been designated

CONFIDENTIAL based on this Order:

(1) parties and employees of a party to this Order;

(2) court reporters and videographers engaged for depositions and those persons, if

any, specifically engaged for the limited purpose of making photocopies of

documents; 

(3) consultants, investigators, or experts (hereinafter referred to collectively as

“experts”) employed by the parties or counsel for the parties to assist in the

preparation and trial of the lawsuit; 

(4) persons who have independent knowledge of the documents, such as authors or

recipients;

(5) deponents and witnesses, to the extent reasonably necessary for trial preparation;

and 

(6) other persons only upon consent of the producing party or upon order of the

Court and on such conditions as are agreed to or ordered.

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 3 of 9
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c. Control of Documents. Counsel for the parties will take reasonable efforts to

prevent unauthorized disclosure of documents designated as Confidential based on the

terms of this order. Counsel will maintain a record of those persons, including

employees of counsel, who have reviewed or been given access to the documents along

with the originals of the forms signed by those persons acknowledging their obligations

under this Order.

d. Copies. All copies, duplicates, extracts, summaries or descriptions (hereinafter

referred to collectively as “copies”), of documents designated as Confidential under this

Order or any portion of such a document, will be immediately affixed with the

designation “CONFIDENTIAL” if the word does not already appear on the copy. All

such copies will be afforded the full protection of this Order.

6. Filing of Confidential Materials. In the event a party seeks to file any material that

is subject to protection under this Order with the court, that party will take appropriate action to

insure that the documents receive proper protection from public disclosure including: (1) filing a

redacted document with the consent of the party who designated the document as confidential; (2)

where appropriate (e.g. in relation to discovery and evidentiary motions), submitting the documents

solely for in camera review; or (3) where the preceding measures are not adequate, seeking

permission to file the document under seal. Absent extraordinary circumstances making prior

consultation impractical or inappropriate, the party seeking to submit the document to the Court will

first consult with counsel for the party who designated the document as confidential to determine

if some measure less restrictive than filing the document under seal may serve to provide adequate

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 4 of 9
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protection. This duty exists irrespective of the duty to consult on the underlying motion. Nothing

in this Order may be construed as a prior directive to the Clerk of Court to allow any document be

filed under seal. 

7. Greater Protection of Specific Documents. With the exception of privilege or work

product issues, no party may withhold information from discovery on the ground that it requires

protection greater than that afforded by this Order unless the party moves for an Order providing

such special protection. 

8. Challenges to Designation as Confidential. Any CONFIDENTIAL designation is

subject to challenge. The following procedures will apply to any such challenge.

a. The burden of proving the necessity of a Confidential designation remains with the

party asserting confidentiality.

b. A party who contends that documents designated CONFIDENTIAL are not entitled

to confidential treatment will give written notice to the party who affixed the

designation of the specific basis for the challenge. The party who so designated the

documents will have twenty (20) days from service of the written notice to determine

if the dispute can be resolved without judicial intervention and, if not, to move for an

Order confirming the Confidential designation. 

c. Notwithstanding any challenge to the designation of documents as confidential, all

material previously designated CONFIDENTIAL will continue to be treated as subject

to the full protections of this Order until one of the following occurs:

(1) the party who claims that the documents are confidential withdraws such

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 5 of 9
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designation in writing;

(2) the party who claims that the documents are confidential fails to move timely

for an Order designating the documents as confidential as set forth in paragraph 8.b.

above; or 

(3) the court rules that the documents should no longer be designated as

confidential information.

d. Challenges to the confidentiality of documents may be made at any time and are not

waived by the failure to raise the challenge at the time of initial disclosure or

designation.

9. Order Remains in Effect. All provisions of this Order restricting the use of documents

designated CONFIDENTIAL will continue to be binding after the conclusion of the litigation

unless otherwise agreed or ordered. 

10. Order Subject to Modification. This Order will be subject to modification on 

motion of any party or any other person who may show an adequate interest in the matter to

intervene for purposes of addressing the scope and terms of this Order. The Order will not,

however, be modified until the parties will have been given notice and an opportunity to be heard

on the proposed modification.

11. No Judicial Determination. This Order is entered based on the representations and

agreements of the parties and for the purpose of facilitating discovery. Nothing herein will be

construed or presented as a judicial determination that any specific document or item of information

designated as CONFIDENTIAL by counsel is subject to protection under Rule 26(c) of the Federal

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 6 of 9
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Rules of Civil Procedure or otherwise until such time as a document-specific ruling will have been

made.

12. Persons Bound. This Order will take effect when entered and will be binding upon:

(1) counsel who signed below and their respective law firms; and (2) their respective clients.

IT IS SO ORDERED this 26th day of September, 2007.

 /s/Wm. R. Wilson, Jr.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

JAMES & HOUSE, P.A

801 West Third Street

P.O. Box 3585

Little Rock, AR 72203-2585

By: /s/ Patrick R. James 

Patrick R. James

Attorneys for Plaintiff

DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP

50 South Sixth Street, Suite 1500

Minneapolis, MN 55402

By: /s/ David Y. Trevor 

David Y. Trevor (admitted pro hac vice)

SHULTS LAW FIRM, LLP

200 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 1600

Little Rock, AR 72201-3637

By: /s/ Steven Shults 

Steven Shults

Attorneys for Defendant

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 7 of 9
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

WESTERN DIVISION

AG SERVICES, LLC PLAINTIFF

v. No. 4:07-CV-82WRW

SYNGENTA SEEDS, INC. DEFENDANT

CERTIFICATION BY COUNSEL OF DESIGNATION 

OF INFORMATION AS CONFIDENTIAL

Documents produced herewith [whose bates numbers are listed below (or) which are

listed on the attached index] have been marked as CONFIDENTIAL subject to the

Confidentiality Order entered in this action which Order is dated _________________, 2007. 

By signing below, I am certifying that I have personally reviewed the marked documents

and believe, based on that review, that they are properly subject to protection under the terms of

Paragraph 3 of the Confidentiality Order.

Check and complete one of the two options below.

“ I am a member of the Bar of the United States District Court for the Eastern

District of Arkansas. My District Court Bar number is ___________.

“ I am not a member of the Bar of the United States District Court for the Eastern

District of Arkansas but am admitted to the bar of one or more states. The state in which I

conduct the majority of my practice is ________________ where my Bar number is ________. 

I understand that by completing this certification I am submitting to the jurisdiction of the United

States District Court for the District of Arkansas as to any matter relating to this certification.

___________________________

Signature of Counsel

___________________________

Printed Name of Counsel

ATTACHMENT A

 

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 8 of 9
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

WESTERN DIVISION

AG SERVICES, LLC PLAINTIFF

v. No. 4:07-CV-82WRW

SYNGENTA SEEDS, INC. DEFENDANT

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

AND

AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND

 

 The undersigned hereby acknowledges that he or she has read the Confidentiality Order

dated__________________, 2007, in the above captioned action, understands the terms thereof,

and agrees to be bound by such terms. The undersigned submits to the jurisdiction of the United

States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas in matters relating to the

Confidentiality Order and understands that the terms of said Order obligate him/her to use

discovery materials designated CONFIDENTIAL solely for the purposes of the above-captioned

action, and not to disclose any such confidential information to any other person, firm or

concern.

The undersigned acknowledges that violation of the Stipulated Confidentiality Order may

result in penalties for contempt of court.

 Name: ________________________________ 

 Job Title: ________________________________ 

 Employer: ________________________________ 

 Business Address: __________________________ 

 __________________________ 

 __________________________

Date: ___________________ ____________________________________

 Signature

ATTACHMENT B

Case 4:07-cv-00082-BRW Document 20 Filed 09/26/07 Page 9 of 9