Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-01664/USCOURTS-casd-3_07-cv-01664-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal

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1 Case No. 07CV1664 WQH (LSP)

PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MAZEN HINDI, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

EXXONMOBIL OIL CORPORATION, a New 

York Corporation and DOES 1-100, Inclusive, 

Defendants. 

Case No. 07CV1664 WQH (LSP) 

ORDER GRANTING JOINT MOTION & 

PROTECTIVE ORDER 

Complaint Filed: July 19, 2007 

Ct. Rm: 4 

Judge: Hon. William Q. Hayes 

M. Judge: Hon. Leo S. Papas 

Trial Date: Not Set 

The parties having filed a joint motion and stipulation, and GOOD CAUSE APPEARING 

THEREFORE, it is hereby ordered that: 

1. This Protective Order shall govern the use and dissemination of all information, 

documents, and/or materials as may be produced by the parties and/or admitted into evidence during 

deposition or trial within the above-captioned action. 

2. Discovery in this action may involve disclosure of trade secrets, confidential research, 

development or commercial information, proprietary materials including manuals, business 

strategies, financial data, client and vendor information, marketing plans, medical information 

pertaining to any party, confidential employee and salary information, computer software programs, 

and other confidential, proprietary or non-public business, technical, employee, and financial 

information. This Protective Order shall govern the production in this action of all documents or 

other information through formal discovery procedures, including, without limitation, documents in 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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written or electronic form produced as initial disclosures, in response to requests for production of 

documents, answers to special interrogatories, requests for admission, and deposition or other oral 

testimony (collectively “Discovery Materials”). This may include but shall not be limited to 

correspondence, memoranda, notes, deposition transcripts and exhibits, business plans, training 

materials, policies and procedures, financial records, personnel records, marketing materials, thirdparty contracts, sales invoices and other sales information. 

3. This Order is entered solely for the purpose of facilitating the exchange of documents 

and information between the parties to this action without involving the Court unnecessarily in the 

process. Nothing in this Order or the production of any information or documents under the terms of 

this Order or any proceedings pursuant to this Order shall be deemed to have the effect of an 

admission or waiver by either party on the merits of this action. 

4. Nothing in this Protective Order shall be deemed to restrict in any manner the use by 

any party of any information in its own documents and materials. 

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:

5. Any document, thing, material, testimony, or other information derived there from, 

and any other form of evidence which, in the good-faith opinion of the party providing such 

discovery material (“Producing Party”), contains any trade secret or other confidential or proprietary 

information or any information that involves privacy concerns regarding any third party, any party or 

the employee, officer, director or representative of a party may be designated by the Producing Party 

as “CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.” Confidential Information, designated as such in 

accordance with this Protective Order, shall be used by the party who has propounded the discovery 

request seeking the Confidential Information (“Requesting Party”) only for the purposes of 

preparation of this matter for trial and may be disclosed or made available only to persons specified 

in paragraph 8 herein. 

6. Confidential Information may be identified and made subject to this Order as follows: 

a. with respect to documents or copies of documents provided by one party to 

the other, by marking the initial page and any page or pages upon which any Confidential 

Information appears with the legend “CONFIDENTIAL. SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER:” 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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b. testimony or information disclosed at a deposition, conference or hearing may 

be designated by a party as Confidential Information by indicating on the record at the deposition, 

conference or hearing the specific testimony which contains Confidential Information that is to be 

made subject to the provisions of this Order. Alternatively, a party may designate testimony or 

information disclosed at a deposition or other proceeding as Confidential Information by notifying 

all parties in writing within thirty (30) days of receipt of the transcript (or within a shorter time as 

agreed by the parties in the event the deposition transcript or information cannot be received thirty 

(30) days prior to a hearing or conference, at which a party intends to use the transcript or 

information), of the specific pages and lines of the transcripts that are to be designated Confidential 

Information. Each party shall attach a copy of such written statement to the face of the transcript 

and each copy thereof in its possession, custody or control. Whether or not designation is made at 

the time of a deposition or other proceeding, all depositions or other transcripts shall be treated as 

Confidential Information from the taking of the deposition or other proceeding until within thirty 

(30) days of receipt of the transcript (or within a shorter time as agreed by the parties in the event the 

deposition transcript or information cannot be received thirty (30) days prior to a hearing, or 

conference at which a party intends to use the transcript or information), or until receipt of the notice 

referred to in this paragraph, whichever occurs sooner; 

c. in the case of responses to interrogatories, responses to other discovery 

requests, affidavits, briefs, memoranda or other papers filed with the Court, information contained 

therein may be designated as Confidential Information by prominently marking such papers 

“CONFIDENTIAL;” 

d. tangible objects may be designated as Confidential Information by affixing the 

object or its container a label or tag marked “CONFIDENTIAL. SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE 

ORDER.” 

7. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any employee, agent, advisor, representative or 

person affiliated with a party who is not qualified to receive Confidential Information under 

Paragraph 8 herein may attend a deposition or other proceeding at which Confidential Information 

may be disclosed. In such event, a party seeking to designate Confidential Information must 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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designate the specific testimony or information containing Confidential Information by indicating on 

the record at the deposition or other proceeding that such Confidential Information is subject to the 

provisions of this Order. The party making such designation shall have the right to exclude such 

persons from the deposition or other proceeding only during the period any Confidential Information 

is disclosed or discussed. 

8. Confidential Information produced pursuant to this Order to Requesting Party may be 

disclosed or made available by that party only to: 

a. the Requesting Party (and their officers, directors, managing agents or other 

representatives who are engaged in or are assisting in the preparation of this action for trial or other 

resolution, except as otherwise provided herein) provided that it has executed this Protective Order: 

b. the Court and its officers, any special master, referee or mediator authorized to 

act in this proceeding; 

c. counsel of record in this action and their employees or employee equivalents 

(e.g., contract paralegals, copy vendors, etc.) who are assisting counsel in the preparation of this 

action for trial or other resolution; 

d. independent experts or consultants retained by counsel or the Requesting 

Party with respect to preparation of this action for trial or other resolution, and their employees or 

employee equivalents who are assisting such experts or consultants with respect to the preparation of 

this action for trial or other resolution; 

e. court reporters and their staff, to the extent necessary to perform their duties; 

f. a witness at any deposition or other proceeding in this action; and 

g. any other person to whom the parties agree in writing. 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY:

9. Any Producing Party may further designate certain discovery material or testimony 

which contains financial information and/or corporate ownership information of a highly 

confidential and/or proprietary nature or employee information of a highly confidential or private 

nature such as employee disciplinary matters, salary information and/or other private information as 

“ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” in the manner described in paragraphs 1 through 6, above, except 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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that the applicable legend for such information shall be: “ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” SUBJECT 

TO PROTECTIVE ORDER.” Attorneys’ Eyes Only Material, and the information contained 

therein, shall be disclosed only to the Court, counsel for the Requesting Party (including the 

paralegal, clerical, and secretarial staff employed by such counsel) to the above-captioned litigation, 

and other persons identified in paragraph 8(d) above but shall not be disclosed to the Requesting 

Party itself, or to an officer, director or employee of Requesting Party, or anyone else unless 

otherwise agreed to in writing or ordered. The procedures regarding disclosure of Confidential 

Material at a deposition set forth in paragraph 6(b) shall apply to Discovery Material designated 

under this paragraph. 

GENERAL PROVISIONS:

10. Material designated under this Order, the information contained therein, and any 

summaries, copies, abstracts, or other documents derived in whole or in part from designated 

Confidential Information or Attorneys’ Eyes Only, shall be used only for the purpose of the 

prosecution, defense, or settlement of this action, and for no other purpose. 

11. A copy of this Protective Order shall be served with any subpoena or deposition 

notice compelling the production of documents or information from any third party. 

12. A condition precedent to disclosure of any Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only 

Information to any experts or consultants as provided for in paragraph 8(d) or any Confidential 

Information to any witness provided for pursuant to paragraph 8(f) or the person whom the parties 

agree may receive information under paragraph 8(g) is that person must: acknowledge receipt of this 

Order; agree to be bound thereby; agree to use such information and materials solely for this 

litigation; agree not to disclose any such information or materials to any other person, firm, or 

concern; and agree never to use the information, directly or indirectly, in competition with the party 

that disclosed it nor allow any other person to do so. 

Each expert or consultant to whom Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information is to be 

provided pursuant to paragraph 8(d), each witness to whom Confidential Information is to be 

provided pursuant to paragraph 8(f) and each person to whom the parties may agree pursuant to 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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paragraph 8(g) shall execute a declaration acknowledging the foregoing in the form set forth as 

follows: 

ATTACHMENT A

AGREEMENT TO COMPLY WITH PROTECTIVE ORDER

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America and the 

State of California that I have read and agree to comply with and be bound by the terms of the 

Protective Order entered in Mazen Hindi v. ExxonMobil Oil Corporation, United States District 

Court for the Southern District of California, Case No. 07CV1664 WQH (LSP). I hereby consent to 

the jurisdiction of said Court for purposes of enforcing this Order. 

Date: Signature 

 Print Name 

13. Counsel for the party obtaining a person’s signature to Attachment A shall retain the 

original signed and dated acknowledgment. 

14. If another court or administrative agency subpoenas or orders production of 

Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information that a party has obtained under the terms of this 

Protective Order such party shall, if there are fewer than ten (10) days to comply, within two (2) 

days, if possible, or immediately, if not, or if there are more than ten (10) days to comply, at least 

seven (7) court days prior to the due date for compliance, notify the Producing Party of the pendency 

of the subpoena, public records request, or order, in writing, and shall not produce the designated 

information until the Producing Party has taken appropriate steps to protect the material. It shall be 

the responsibility of the Producing Party to obtain relief from the subpoena, public records request, 

or order prior to the date of compliance, and, to give the Producing Party an opportunity to obtain 

such relief, the party from whom the information is sought shall not make the disclosure before the 

actual due date of compliance set forth in the subpoena, public records request, or other order. 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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15. All documents and materials filed with the Court in matters related to discovery 

motions or proceedings, including, but not limited to, deposition transcripts, exhibits, discovery 

responses, briefs or memoranda, which comprise or contain Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only 

Information shall be filed with the Court in sealed envelopes or other appropriately sealed 

containers, complying with all applicable rules of Court, on which shall be endorsed the title of this 

action, an indication of the nature of the contents, the identity of the party filing the materials, the 

phrase “CONFIDENTIAL,” and a statement the materials in the sealed envelope or container are 

“TO BE FILED UNDER SEAL PURSUANT TO COURT ORDER IN THIS ACTION DATED 

_____________.” 

16. In all matters other than discovery motions or proceedings, the party seeking to 

submit Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information will lodge any documents or materials 

which comprise or contain Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information with the Court in 

sealed envelopes or other appropriately sealed containers, complying with all applicable rules of 

Court, on which shall be endorsed the title of this action, an indication of the nature of the contents, 

the identity of the party filing the materials, the phrase “CONFIDENTIAL,” and a statement the 

materials in the sealed envelope or container are “LODGED CONDITIONALLY UNDER SEAL 

PURSUANT TO COURT ORDER IN THIS ACTION DATED ______________.” That party shall 

personally serve the opposing party with the lodged documents on the date of any lodgment. The 

party will either contemporaneously move to seal these records or provide written notice to the 

Producing Party that it does not intend to bring such a motion. The party that designated the 

Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information will then have 10 court days to seek an order of 

the Court, or an order extending time to seek the same, that these documents or material be filed 

under seal. Any motion to seal shall comply with all applicable rules of Court. If the party who 

initially designated the Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information does not object to its being 

filed in the Court’s public record, it will notify counsel for the opposing party. Upon such 

notification, or if no notification is provided within the time set forth above, the filing party may 

then file with the Court the documents or material previously lodged. 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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17. Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information obtained from a Producing Party 

pursuant to pretrial discovery in this action, may be used and disclosed only for purposes of this 

action. No person or party shall make any other use of any such Information, including, but not 

limited to, use for commercial or competitive purposes or use in any other legal proceeding, except 

as permitted by a Court order. 

18. Nothing herein shall be construed as an agreement or admission: (a) that any 

information, document or the like, designated as Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only Information is 

in fact confidential or a trade secret; or (b) with respect to the competency, relevance, materiality, or 

admissibility of any such information, document or the like. 

19. Any party may object to the designation of particular Discovery Materials as 

Confidential or Attorney’s Eyes Only by giving written notice to the party or witness making the 

designation and to all other parties. Such notice shall identify with reasonable specificity the 

Discovery Materials to which the objection is directed and the basis for the objection. The parties 

shall attempt to resolve any such dispute by meeting and conferring. The Producing Party shall have 

the responsibility, within twenty (20) calendar days of the date of mailing of the written notice 

objecting to a designation, to apply to the Court for a determination of the issue. Until the Court 

rules on the motion, Discovery Materials shall continue to be treated and designated as Confidential 

or Attorneys’ Eyes Only. If, however, the Producing Party fails to make such a motion, the 

designation of Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only will be deemed withdrawn. 

20. The inadvertent or unintentional failure by a Producing Party to designate specific 

documents or materials as containing Confidential Information or Attorneys’ Eyes Only shall not be 

deemed a waiver in whole or in part of a party’s claim of confidentiality as to such documents or 

materials. Upon notice to the receiving party of such failure to designate, the receiving party shall 

cooperate to restore the confidentiality of the inadvertently disclosed information, without prejudice. 

21. Nothing herein shall prevent disclosure beyond the terms of this Order if the 

Producing Party consents in writing to such disclosure, or if the Court, after notice to all affected 

parties, orders such disclosure. 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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22. Within sixty (60) days after receipt of a request from the Producing Party, made 

within one hundred twenty (120) days after the time for all possible appeals in the above-captioned 

action has expired, all documents, objects, and other materials produced or designated as 

Confidential or Attorneys’ Eyes Only, including any summaries and copies thereof, shall be returned 

to the Producing Party. Insofar as the provisions of this and any other protective orders entered in 

this action restrict the communication and use of information produced thereunder, such Orders shall 

continue to be binding after the conclusion of this litigation except: (a) that there shall be no 

restriction on documents that are used as exhibits in Court (unless such exhibits were filed under 

seal); and (b) that a party may seek the written permission of the Producing Party or further order of 

the Court with respect to dissolution or modification of any such Protective Order(s). 

23. This Order has been entered to facilitate discovery and production of relevant 

evidence in this action. Neither the entry into this Order nor the designation of any information or 

document, nor the failure to make such designation shall constitute evidence with respect to any 

issue in this action. 

24. This Order is without prejudice to the right of the parties to this litigation to seek 

relief from the Court, upon good cause shown, from any of the restrictions provided above or to 

impose additional restrictions on the disclosure of any information or material produced. 

25. This Protective Order shall not apply to the introduction or presentation of evidence 

at the trial of this matter. The parties agree to meet and confer regarding a procedure at trial for 

maintaining the confidentiality of Confidential and Attorneys’ Eyes Only information and, if 

necessary, seek the Court’s assistance for the same. 

26. Subject to public policy, and further court order, nothing shall be filed under seal, and 

the court shall not be required to take any action, without separate prior order by the Judge before 

whom the hearing or proceeding will take place, after application by the affected party with 

appropriate notice to opposing counsel. 

27. If the Court grants a party permission to file an item under seal, a duplicate disclosing 

all nonconfidential information shall be filed and made part of the public record. The item may be 

redacted to eliminate confidential material from the document. The document shall be titled to show 

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PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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that it corresponds to an item filed under seal, e.g., “Redacted Copy of Sealed Declaration of John 

Smith in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment.” The sealed and redacted documents shall be 

filed simultaneously. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: November 15, 2007 

By: 

U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE 

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