Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_24-cv-00473/USCOURTS-caed-2_24-cv-00473-2/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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28 STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

Kristen Lake Cardoso, CSB No. 338762 

KOPELOWITZ OSTROW P.A. 

One West Las Olas Boulevard, Suite 500

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 

Tel: 954-990-2218 

cardoso@kolawyers.com 

[Additional Counsel in Signature Block]

Attorney for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Classes 

Bethany G. Lukitsch, CSB No. 314376 

BAKER & HOSTETLER LLP 

11601 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1400 

Los Angeles, CA 90025 

Tel: 310-820-8800

blukitsch@bakerlaw.com 

Attorney for Defendant 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

GANESH SANKAR, ERIKA TITUS-LAY,

JARED CAVANAUGH, and KIMBERLY

VONGNALITH, individually, and on behalf

of all others similarly situated, 

Plaintiffs,

v.

CALIFORNIA NORTHSTATE

UNIVERSITY, LLC, 

Defendant.

Lead Case No: 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP

Member Case: 2-24-cv-01231-DAD-JDP

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE 

ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 1 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

4859-5403-7746, v. 1

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between Plaintiffs Ganesh 

Sankar, Erika Titus-Lay, Jared Cavanaugh, and Kimberly Vongnalith (collectively, “Plaintiffs”),

and Defendant California Northstate University, LLC (“Defendant”) (collectively, the “Parties”), 

by and through their respective counsel of record, as follows:

WHEREAS, the Parties agree that disclosures and discovery activity in the above-titled 

action (“Action”) is likely to involve production of confidential, proprietary, or private information 

for which special protection may be warranted. Accordingly, the Parties hereby stipulate to and 

petition the Court to enter the following Stipulated Protective Order (“Protective Order”). The 

Parties acknowledge that this Protective 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 5, below, 

that this Protective Order does not entitle them to file Confidential Information under seal; Local 

Civil Rule 140 and 141, and the Standing Orders of this Court, set 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;

WHEREAS, the Parties agree that such “Confidential,” “Highly Confidential” or 

“Attorneys’ Eyes Only” information should only be disclosed pursuant to the terms of this 

Protective Order;

WHEREAS, the Parties agree that the confidential nature of certain information, 

particularly personally identifiable information, establishes good cause for the issuance of this 

Protective Order; and

THEREFORE, the Parties seek entry of an order, governing the disclosure of documents 

and information therein designated as “Confidential,” “Highly Confidential,” or “Attorneys’ Eyes 

Only” on the terms set forth herein, as well as an order governing the return of privileged 

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 2 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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information, documents, and data and affording the Parties certain protections on the terms set 

forth herein.

1. DEFINED TERMS

In this Protective Order, the words set forth the below shall be defined as follows:

a) “Attorneys’ Eyes Only” material shall include but are not limited to extremely 

commercially sensitive information, the disclosure of which to another party or 

non-party would create a risk of serious harm that could not be avoided by less 

restrictive means. Such information shall include but is not limited to trade secrets; 

confidential research and development; highly confidential IT and network security 

documents, the disclosure of which could subject Defendant to cyber risk; 

accounting/financial information, books, and records that are not made public; any 

non-public technical, marketing, pricing and revenue information; and any other 

commercially sensitive trade secret information.

b) “Confidential Information” shall mean information that a Designating Party 

identifies as “Confidential.” Only information meeting the following criteria may 

be designated as “Confidential” (unless the Parties expressly agree otherwise): 

Information (regardless of how generated, stored, or maintained) that the 

Designating Party in good faith believes: (1) contains sensitive personally

identifiable information, the disclosure of which may have the effect of causing 

harm to any Party, or person from whom the information was obtained, or to the 

Parties’ or third-parties’ legitimate privacy interests; or (2) contains information 

over which the Designating Party has a duty or obligation to maintain 

confidentiality. Confidential Information shall include but are not limited to the 

following documents and tangible things produced or otherwise exchanged: 

documents containing information that a Producing Party is obligated by law to 

maintain in confidence; customer information and data; information that is subject 

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 3 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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to the privacy interests of any individual; social security numbers or financial 

account numbers; credit reports, credit history, or debt history; certain business and 

marketing plans, strategies, analyses, or surveys that are not otherwise categorized 

as Highly Confidential; contracts and agreements or any draft negotiations, or 

summaries thereof; and more general information that is related to network security

that is not otherwise designated Highly Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only. 

c) “Designating Party” shall mean the Party or Non-Party that designates information 

produced in this Action as “Confidential,” “Highly Confidential,” or, when 

appropriate, “Attorneys’ Eyes Only”

d) “Expert” shall mean any individual with specialized knowledge or expertise who is 

retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an expert witness or as a consultant in 

the Action.

e) “Highly Confidential Information” shall mean information that a Designating Party 

identifies as “Highly Confidential.” Only information meeting the following 

criteria may be designated as “Highly Confidential” (unless the Parties expressly 

agree otherwise): (1) sensitive technical information, including current research, 

development and manufacturing information and patent prosecution information, 

(2) sensitive business information, including highly sensitive financial or marketing 

information and the identity of suppliers, distributors and potential or actual 

customers, (3) competitive technical information, including technical analyses or 

comparisons of competitor’s products, (4) competitive business information, 

including non-public financial or marketing analyses or comparisons of 

competitor’s products and strategic product planning, or (5) any other information

the disclosure of which the Producing Party reasonably and in good faith believes 

would likely cause harm.

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 4 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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f) “PII” means “personally identifiable information” and includes every data element 

protected by state or federal law including, but not limited to, name, payment card 

numbers, financial account numbers, Social Security numbers, addresses, phone 

numbers, email addresses, driver’s license numbers or other state identification 

numbers, Employer Identification numbers, Tax Identification numbers, passport 

numbers, or a foreign government equivalent of any of these numbers or identifiers.

g) “Producing Party” shall mean a Party or Non-Party that produces information in 

the Action.

h) “Protected Material” shall refer to any information designated as “Confidential,” 

“Highly Confidential,” or “Attorneys’Eyes Only” pursuant to this Protective Order.

i) “Receiving Party” shall mean a Party that receives information from a Producing 

Party in the Action.

j) “Vendors” shall refer to individuals or entities engaged for the purpose of providing 

litigation support services (e.g., ESI vendors; photocopying; videotaping; 

translating; preparing exhibits or demonstrations; organizing, storing, retrieving 

data in any form or medium; investigators and consultants; and court reporters), as 

well as their employees, independent contractors, and subcontractors.

2. SCOPE

The protections conferred by this Protective Order cover not only Protected Material (as 

defined above) but also (1) any information copied or extracted therefrom; (2) all copies, excerpts, 

summaries, or compilations thereof; and (3) any testimony, conversations, or presentations by 

Parties or their counsel to or in Court or in other settings that might reveal Protected Material.

However, the protections conferred by this Agreement do not cover information that is in 

the public domain or becomes part of the public domain through trial.

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 5 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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3. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL

3.1 Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection. Each party 

or non-party that designates information or items for protection under this Agreement must take 

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

standards. 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 warranted are not swept 

unjustifiably within the ambit of this Agreement.

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 delay 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, the Designating Party must promptly notify all other 

parties that it is withdrawing the mistaken designation.

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

Protective Order, all information, documents, and data to be designated as Protected Material must 

be clearly designated as such prior to any disclosure of same. Designations shall be made in the 

following manner:

a) Protected Material produced in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic documents 

and deposition exhibits, but excluding transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial 

proceedings), shall be marked with the designation “CONFIDENTIAL,” “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL,” or, when appropriate “ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” on each page 

that contains Protected Material. If only a portion of the material on the page qualifies 

for designation as Protected Material, that portion shall be clearly designated as 

Protected Material and the level of protection asserted for each such portion must be 

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 6 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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specified. Documents produced in native formats will have Confidentiality Designations 

indicated in the production file name or as specified in any Stipulated Protocol on the 

Discovery of Electronically Stored Information the Parties may enter into. Should the 

Parties need to identify which portions of a native document qualify as Protected 

Material, they will meet and confer to resolve the issue.

b) Protected Material disclosed in testimony (in depositions, pre-trial proceedings, or trial 

proceedings) shall be designated as Protected Material either during the testimony or 

by written notice to counsel within thirty (30) days of receiving the transcript of the 

proceedings (or in such other time period as the Parties shall mutually agree is 

appropriate). Notice after the testimony must specifically designate the portion(s) of 

the testimony that are to be designated as Protected Material and the level of protection 

asserted for each such portion must be specified. All transcripts of any testimony in this 

Action shall be designated as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” until fourteen (14) days 

have passed following the receipt of the transcript, or the Parties agree to a different 

designation. If a party or non-party desires to protect Confidential or Highly 

Confidential Information at trial, the issue should be addressed during the pre-trial 

conference.

c) Protected Material disclosed in any form other than a document or testimony must be 

designated “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL,” or “ATTORNEYS’

EYES ONLY” as appropriate, in a prominent manner and in a manner that specifies 

only those portions of the information or data disclosed that are subject to the 

designated protection level.

d) If a Designating Party fails to designate information, documents, or data disclosed as 

Protected Material at the time of disclosure, that Designating Party shall make all 

reasonable efforts to timely designate the Protected Material and to identify the specific 

portion of the information, documents, or data disclosed to be designated as Protected 

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 7 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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Material and the level of protection to be accorded same. Upon notification, the 

Receiving Party shall make reasonable efforts to assure that any additional material 

designated as Protected Material is treated in accordance with the provisions of this 

Protective Order from that point forward. No Party shall be found to have violated this 

Protective Order for failing to maintain the confidentiality of material during a time 

when that material has not been designated Confidential, Highly Confidential, or 

Attorneys’Eyes Only, even where the failure to so designate was inadvertent and where 

the material is subsequently designated Confidential, Highly Confidential, or Attorneys’

Eyes Only. Designation by either Party of information or documents under the terms of 

this Protective Order, or failure to so designate, will not constitute an admission that 

information or documents are or are not confidential or trade secrets.

e) Other tangible items: the Designating Party must affix in a prominent place on the 

exterior of the container or containers in which the information or item is stored the 

word “CONFIDENTIAL,” “Highly CONFIDENTIAL” and, when appropriate, 

“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). 

3.3 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 Agreement for such material. Upon timely correction of a 

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

in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. Neither party may introduce into evidence in 

any proceeding between the parties, other than a motion to determine whether this Protective Order 

covers the information or documents in dispute, the fact that the other party designated or failed to 

designate information or documents under this Protective Order.

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 8 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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4. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS

4.1 Timing of Challenges. Any party or non-party may challenge a designation of 

confidentiality, including an Attorney’s Eyes’ Only designation, 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.

4.2 Written Notice. If the Receiving Party wants to challenge either the designation of 

information, documents, or data as Protected Material, it must first notify the Designating Party in 

writing of both the specific Protected Material challenged and the reason for the challenge. The 

Parties shall make reasonable efforts to resolve the dispute over the designation of the information, 

documents, or data as Protected Material. If the dispute cannot be resolved between the Parties, the 

Designating Party must promptly notify the Receiving Party in writing that it has not changed its 

position on the Protected Material. 

4.3 Meet and Confer. The Parties must make every attempt to resolve any dispute 

regarding confidential designations without court involvement. Any motion regarding confidential 

designations or for a protective order must include a certification, in the motion or in a declaration 

or affidavit, that the movant has engaged in a good faith meet and confer conference with other 

affected parties in an effort to resolve the dispute without court action. The certification must list 

the date, manner, and participants to the conference. A good faith effort to confer requires a faceto-face meeting or a video telephone conference.

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

intervention, the Designating Party shall file and serve a motion to retain confidentiality and in 

compliance with Civil Local Rule 141, if applicable) within twenty one (21) days of the initial 

notice of challenge or within fourteen (14) days of the Parties agreeing that the meet and confer 

process will not resolve their dispute, whichever is earlier. Each such motion must be accompanied 

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 9 of 21
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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

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by a competent declaration affirming that the movant has complied with the meet and confer 

requirements imposed in the preceding paragraph. Failure by the Designating Party to make such 

a motion including the required declaration within twenty one (21) days (or fourteen (14) days, if 

applicable) shall automatically waive the confidentiality designation for each challenged 

designation. In addition, the Receiving Party may file a motion challenging 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. 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 burden of persuasion in 

any such challenge proceeding shall be on the Designating Party. Unless the Designating Party has 

waived the confidentiality designation by failing to file a motion 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.

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.

5. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

5.1 Basic Principles. The Receiving Party shall keep all Protected Material secure 

except as permitted below and shall take reasonable efforts to place such documents in a secure 

area and limit access to the Protected Material to the extent reasonably necessary for this Action.

The Receiving Party may only use Protected Material for the purpose of prosecuting, defending, 

or attempting to resolve the Action and the Protected Material may only be disclosed in the manner 

and to the categories of recipients identified below. Until the Action is concluded, all Protected 

Material must be maintained and stored consistent with its designation.

5.2 Procurement and Retention of “Acknowledgements and Agreements to Be Bound”. 

The Producing Party or Protected Material shall procure and retain copies of their respective 

“Acknowledgements and Agreements to Be Bound” (see Exhibit A) until at least sixty (60) days 

Case 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP Document 30 Filed 11/04/24 Page 10 of 21
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after the termination of this Action. Unless the requesting person establishes prima facie evidence 

of a violation of this Protective Order, the Parties’ “Acknowledgements and Agreements to Be 

Bound” need not be produced.

5.3 Disclosure of Protected Material. 

a) Unless otherwise ordered by the Court or permitted in writing by the Designating Party, 

a Receiving Party may disclose any Protected Material that is designated as 

“CONFIDENTIAL” may be disclosed to:

i. the counsel of record in this Action, as well as employees of said 

counsel of record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the 

information for this litigation;

ii. the Parties themselves, including officers, directors, and employees 

(including in-house counsel) of a party who have a reason to know 

the information, so long as each such employee has signed the 

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

iii. Experts (as defined in this Protective Order) to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the 

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

iv. the Court and its personnel, including any agreed-upon or designated 

mediator(s), and court reporters and their staff;

v. professional jury or trial consultants, to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the 

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

vi. professional Vendors, such as litigation support and copy Vendors, to 

whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation;

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vii. a Party’s insurer and its staff who have responsibility for the insurer’s 

obligations in connection with the Action. All such staff shall be 

subject to the provisions of this Protective Order;

viii. a mediator jointly retained by the Parties and the mediator’s 

personnel;

ix. the author or recipient of a document containing the information or a 

custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or reasonably knew 

the Protected Material;

x. witnesses and potential witnesses providing testimony in either a 

deposition, hearing, trial, or other proceeding where a party deems it 

reasonably necessary for the witness to review the Protected Material 

in preparation and/or to provide testimony regarding the Protected 

Material; and 

xi. such other persons as the Parties mutually agree may be shown the 

Protected Material. All such persons shall be required to sign the 

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A).

b) All disclosures of Protected Material marked “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” are to be 

limited. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court or permitted in writing, a Party may 

disclose any information or item designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” only to: 

i. the counsel of record in this Action, as well as employees of said 

counsel of record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the 

information for this litigation;

ii. Experts (as defined in this Protective Order) 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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iii. the Court and its personnel, including any agreed-upon or designated 

mediator(s), and court reporters and their staff;

iv. professional jury or trial consultants, to whom disclosure is 

reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the 

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

v. professional Vendors, such as litigation support and copy Vendors, to 

whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation;

vi. a Party’s insurer and its staff who have responsibility for the insurer’s 

obligations in connection with the Action. All such staff shall be 

subject to the provisions of this Protective Order;

vii. a mediator jointly retained by the Parties and the mediator’s 

personnel; and

viii. the author or recipient of a document containing Protected Material or 

a custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew the 

information.

c) All disclosures of Protected Material marked “ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” are to 

be limited. Unless otherwise ordered by the Court or permitted in writing, a Party 

may disclose any information or item designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL” only 

to: 

i. the counsel of record in this Action, as well as employees of said 

counsel of record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the 

information for this litigation;

ii. the Court and its personnel, including any agreed-upon or designated 

mediator(s), and court reporters and their staff;

iii. copy or imaging services retained by counsel to assist in the 

duplication of Attorneys’ Eyes Only material, provided that counsel 

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for the party retaining the copy or imaging service instructs the 

service not to disclose any Protected Material to third parties and to 

immediately return all originals and copies of any Protected Material;

iv. the author or recipient of a document containing Protected Material or 

a custodian; and

v. any person the Parties agree to in writing.

5.5 Filing Protected Material. Before filing any Protected Material or discussing or 

referencing such material in court filings, the filing party shall confer with the Designating Party, 

in accordance with Local Civil Rule141, to determine whether the Designating Party will remove 

the confidential designation, whether the document can be redacted, or whether a motion to seal 

or stipulation and proposed order is warranted. During the meet and confer process, the 

Designating Party must identify the basis for sealing the specific Confidential Information at issue, 

and the filing party shall include this basis in its motion to seal, along with any objection to sealing 

the information at issue. Local Civil Rule 141 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. A party who seeks to maintain the confidentiality of its information must satisfy the 

requirements of Local Civil Rule 141, even if it is not the party filing the motion to seal. Failure 

to satisfy this requirement will result in the motion to seal being denied, in accordance with the 

strong presumption of public access to the Court’s files. 

6. 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 or proceedings 

before any administrative or legislative body that compels disclosure of any information or items 

designated in this Action as “CONFIDENTIAL,” “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL,” or 

“ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” that Party must:

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4859-5403-7746, v. 1

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 Protective Order. Such notification shall include a copy of this 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.

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,” 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL,” or “ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” before a determination by the 

appropriate court, 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.

7. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

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

Material to any person or entity not authorized to receive the Protected Material under this 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 copies of the Protected Material, 

(c) inform the person or entity to whom the Protected Material was disclosed that the disclosure was 

not authorized and demand immediate return and/or destruction of any tangible Protected Material

that was disclosed, and (d) require the person or entity to whom the Protected Material was disclosed 

to sign the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A).

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8. NON-WAIVER

The Parties agree that they do not intend to disclose information subject to a legally 

recognized claim of privilege or other protection (including, without limitation, the attorney-client 

privilege, the work-product doctrine, or other applicable privilege) (“Protected Information”). If, 

nevertheless, the Producing Party discloses Protected Information to another party, such disclosure 

shall not constitute or be deemed a waiver or forfeiture of the privilege or protection from 

discovery in this case or in any other federal or state proceeding by that party. When the Producing 

Party gives notice to receiving parties of a production of Protected Information, 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 

or agreement that provides for production without prior privilege review. The Parties agree to the 

entry of a non-waiver order under Fed. R. Evid. 502(d) as set forth herein; the provisions of Federal 

Rule of Evidence 502(b) are inapplicable to the production of Protected Information under this 

Protective Order.

9. NON TERMINATION AND RETURN OF DOCUMENTS

Unless otherwise agreed or ordered, this Protective Order shall remain in force after 

dismissal or entry of final judgment not subject to further appeal. 

Within sixty (60) days of the termination of this Action (including the expiration of time 

for any appellate challenge thereto), the Receiving Party must either return all Protected Material 

to the Producing Party or securely destroy all Protected Material. The Receiving Party must certify 

in writing that the Protected Material was returned or securely destroyed and that no copies, nor 

any abstracts, compilations, summaries, or other forms of retaining the Protected Material are in 

the Receiving Party’s possession. Notwithstanding this provision, counsel for the Receiving Party 

is entitled to retain an archival copy of all pleadings, motion papers, transcripts, legal memoranda, 

correspondence, deposition and trial exhibits, attorney work, and consultant and Expert work 

product, even if such materials contain Protected Material. Any such archival copies that contain 

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or constitute Protected Material remain subject to this Protective Order and all of the protections 

set forth herein. Receiving Party will comply with all laws that apply to its use, disclosure, storage 

and processing of the PII provided to it by the other party hereunder, and shall at all times protect 

the PII with reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical and physical security controls.

10. MISCELLANEOUS

10.1 Right to Further Relief. Nothing in this Protective Order abridges the right of any 

party to seek its modification by the Court in the future.

10.2 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 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.

The confidentiality obligations imposed by this Agreement shall remain in effect until a 

Designating Party agrees otherwise in writing or a court orders otherwise.

10.3 Court’s Authority. The Court retains the right to allow, sua sponte or upon motion, 

disclosure of any subject covered by this Protective Order or to modify this Protective Order at 

any time in the interest of justice.

10.4 No Prior Judicial Determination. This Protective Order is entered based on the 

representations and agreements of the Parties and for the purpose of facilitating discovery. Nothing 

herein shall be construed or presented as a judicial determination that any document or material 

designated Confidential or Highly Confidential by the Parties or their counsel is entitled to 

protection under the Rules of Civil Procedure or otherwise until such time as the Court may rule 

on a specific document or issue.

This Protective Order shall take effect when entered by the Court and shall be binding upon 

all counsel of record and their law firms, the Parties, and persons made subject to this Protective

Order by its terms.

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IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD

Dated: November 4, 2024 BAKER & HOSTETLER LLP

By: /s/ Bethany G. Lukitsch

Bethany G. Lukitsch 

Sean P. Killeen 

Ciara N. Westbrooks

Attorneys for Defendant 

CALIFORNIA NORTHSTATE 

UNIVERSITY, LLC

Dated: November 4, 2024 EDELSBERG LAW, P.A.

By: /s/ Scott Edelsberg 

Scott Edelsberg (SBN 330990)

scott@edelsberglaw.com

1925 Century Park E #1700

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Telephone: 305.975.3320

Dated: November 4, 2024 KOPELOWITZ OSTROW P.A.

By: /s/ Kristen Lake Cardoso

Kristen Lake Cardoso (SBN 338762)

cardoso@kolawyers.com

One West Las Olas Boulevard Suite 500

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Telephone: 954.990.2218 

Dated: November 4, 2024 TURKE & STRAUSS LLP

By: /s/ Andrew G. Gunem

Andrew G. Gunem (SBN 354042)

andrewg@turkestrauss.com 

Cassandra Miller (Pro Hac Vice forthcoming) 

cassandram@turkestrauss.com

613 Williamson Street, Suite 201 

Madison, Wisconsin 53703

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Telephone: 608.237.1775

Facsimile: 608.509.4423

Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Class

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

EXHIBIT A

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

GANESH SANKAR, ERIKA TITUS-LAY,

JARED CAVANAUGH, and KIMBERLY

VONGNALITH, individually, and on behalf

of all others similarly situated, 

Plaintiffs,

v.

CALIFORNIA NORTHSTATE

UNIVERSITY, LLC, 

Defendant.

Lead Case No: 2:24-cv-00473-DAD-JDP

Member Case: 2-24-cv-01231-DAD-JDP

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND

The undersigned hereby acknowledges that he/she has read the Stipulated Protective Order, 

dated October 21, 2024, in the above captioned action and attached hereto, understands the terms 

thereof, and agrees to be bound by its terms. The undersigned submits to the jurisdiction of this 

Court in matters relating to the Stipulated Protective Order and understands that the terms of the 

Stipulated Protective Order obligate him/her to use materials designated as Confidential in 

accordance with the Stipulated Protective Order 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 Order may result in 

penalties for contempt of Court. 

Name: ___________________________________________________________

Job Title: __________________________________________________________

Employer:__________________________________________________________

Date:__________________________

Signature

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[PROPOSED] ORDER

The Court, having considered the parties’ Stipulated Protective Order, and for good cause 

shown, hereby orders as follows: The Stipulated Protective Order is APPROVED and entered into

the record. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 4, 2024 

JEREMY D. PETERSON

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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