Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-05385/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-05385-30/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 830
Nature of Suit: Patent
Cause of Action: 35:183 Patent Infringement

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

Avago Technologies General IP PTE Ltd., 

et al.,

Plaintiffs,

 v.

Elan Microelectronics Corp., et al.,

Defendants. /

NO. C 04-05385 JW 

ORDER OVERRULING DEFENDANTS’

OBJECTIONS TO MAGISTRATE JUDGE

LLOYD’S ORDER GRANTING AVAGO’S

MOTION FOR AN AWARD OF FEES

AND COSTS

On June 20, 2007, Magistrate Judge Lloyd issued an Order granting Plaintiffs’ motion for an

award of fees and costs. (hereafter, “Order,” Docket Item No. 301.) Defendants contend that Judge

Lloyd erred in penalizing them for seeking the Court’s assistance in obtaining discovery (via motion

to compel) on Plaintiffs’ allegedly contradictory statements in this action and in a related action

pending in Taiwan. Defendants further contend that Judge Lloyd erred in denying their motions to

compel, which sought, inter alia, Rule 30(b)(6) depositions of Avago and depositions of Avago’s

Taiwanese counsel on their non-privileged communications with a third party in Asia. (See Docket

Item No. 319.) 

A district court may modify a magistrate judge's ruling on a non-dispositive matter, such as

an order to compel discovery, if the order is "clearly erroneous" or "contrary to law." 28 U.S.C. §

636(b)(1)(A); Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a); Bahn v. NME Hospitals, Inc., 929 F.2d 1404, 1414 (9th Cir.

1991). 

Case 5:04-cv-05385-JW Document 335 Filed 07/06/07 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 2

After denying a discovery motion, the court may require the moving party or its counsel to

pay the reasonable expenses of the opposing party, including attorney fees, unless the court finds (1)

the motion was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust. 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(a)(4)(B). Judge Lloyd reasoned as follows: Since Taiwan is not a signatory to the

Hague Convention, the appropriate method for requiring the appearance of Taiwanese deponents is

the letter rogatory, pursuant to Rule 28(b). Thus, Defendants’ only justification for attempting to

compel depositions pursuant to a Rule 30 notice would be if the Taiwanese deponents were agents

of Plaintiffs. However, Defendants did not make that argument. Instead, Defendants merely

complained about the delay inherent in the letter rogatory process. Judge Lloyd found that sanctions

were merited based on Defendants’ failure to cite to legal authority supporting its Rule 30 course of

action and its concomitant refusal to undertake the Rule 28(b) letters rogatory process. For Judge

Lloyd, these factors caused Defendants’ motions to compel to lack substantial justification. (Order

at 3-4.) To determine Plaintiffs’ fees and costs, Judge Lloyd reviewed the declaration of one of

Plaintiffs’ counsel, Jonathan Steinsapir, and found that the amount requested was reasonable. 

(Order at 4.) 

The Court finds that Judge Lloyd’s Orders on Defendants’ motions to compel and on

Plaintiffs’ motion for an award of fees and costs are not clearly erroneous or contrary to law.

Accordingly, Defendants’ objections are OVERRULED.

Dated: July 6, 2007 

JAMES WARE

United States District Judge

Case 5:04-cv-05385-JW Document 335 Filed 07/06/07 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT COPIES OF THIS ORDER HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO:

Alan J. Heinrich aheinrich@irell.com

David Craig McPhie dmcphie@irell.com

Elizabeth Hannah Rader erader@akingump.com

Gary C. Ma gma@akingump.com

Hsin-Yi Cindy Feng cfeng@akingump.com

Jonathan Philip Steinsapir jsteinsapir@irell.com

Morgan Chu mchu@irell.com

Richard Elgar Lyon rlyon@irell.com

Samuel Kai Lu slu@irell.com

Sang Hui Michael Kim mkim@akingump.com

Yitai Hu yhu@akingump.com

Dated: July 6, 2007 Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: /s/ JW Chambers 

Elizabeth Garcia

Courtroom Deputy

Case 5:04-cv-05385-JW Document 335 Filed 07/06/07 Page 3 of 3