Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_03-cv-00873/USCOURTS-azd-2_03-cv-00873-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 830
Nature of Suit: Patent
Cause of Action: 15:1126 Patent Infringement

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WO

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

Physician's Choice of Arizona,)

Inc., )

)

Plaintiff, ) No. CIV 03-0873 PHX RCB

)

vs. ) O R D E R

)

Visual Changes Skin Care )

International, Inc., )

)

Defendant. ) )

On March 4, 2005, Plaintiff Physician's Choice of Arizona,

Inc. ("PCA") filed a Motion for Protective Order Regarding

Plaintiff Attorney-Client E-mail Correspondence and a Motion for

Sanctions. Motions (doc. 144). These motions were fully briefed on

March 29, 2005. Reply (doc. 162). Having carefully reviewed the

arguments submitted by the parties, the Court now rules.

PCA's motions are based on events arising from a subpoena

duces tecum issued by Defendant Visual Changes Skin Care

International, Inc. ("Visual Changes"). The parties do not dispute

that on February 4, 2005, Visual Changes served a subpoena duces 

Case 2:03-cv-00873-RCB Document 221 Filed 10/28/05 Page 1 of 3
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tecum on Mickey Miller, commanding production of certain documents.

PCA was not notified of this subpoena. Thereafter, Miller's counsel

provided Visual Changes with email correspondence between Miller,

Margaret Ancira (President of PCA), and counsel for PCA. Visual

Changes did not notify PCA of its receipt of the emails or their

possible privileged nature. However, Visual Changes reviewed the

documents and submitted them as an exhibit to a brief filed with

the Court. See Exbt. B (doc. 119). 

Based on these actions, PCA moves the Court to grant a

protective order regarding the materials discovered from Mickey

Miller and issue sanctions upon Visual Changes and Visual Changes'

counsel. Motions (doc. 144). PCA lists specific remedies and

sanctions it wishes to see imposed and asks the Court to order any

combination of them it deems appropriate. Id. at 9. 

In contrast, Visual Changes argues that PCA's motions should

be denied because the lack of notification of the subpoena was

unintentional. Resp. (doc. 157) at 4-7. Further, Visual Changes

attempts to justify its filing of the discovered emails by

asserting that, due to PCA's lack of objection to the subpoena, it

believed that PCA had waived the attorney-client privilege. Id. at

8. 

Considering the posture and history of this case, the Court

finds Visual Changes' claim regarding the assumed waiver of the

attorney-client privilege to be disingenuous. Moreover, the Court

concludes that certain actions must be taken to remedy this

situation.

Thus, 

IT IS ORDERED that Plaintiff's Motion for Protective Order

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Regarding Plaintiff Attorney-Client E-mail Correspondence and

Motion for Sanctions (doc. 144) are GRANTED with the following

remedies and limitations:

1. The Clerk is directed to seal Exhibit B of the Declaration

of Gregory J. Smith in Support of Brief of Visual Changes

Addressing Outstanding Discovery Issues and Discovery Conference,

Exbt. B (doc. 119);

2. Visual Changes is ordered to disclose to plaintiff all

material subpoenaed from Mickey Miller;

3. Visual Changes' counsel is ordered to disclose to plaintiff

all correspondence with Mickey Miller, however, if any such

correspondence is asserted to be privileged, Visual Changes must

file the privileged portion in camera with the Court;

4. Visual Changes is ordered to cease contact with Mickey

Miller, except through formal discovery processes;

5. The Court shall grant PCA its attorneys' fees in bringing

this motion, subject to a determination of their reasonableness.

PCA may file a statement or declaration of fees within twenty (20)

days of this order. 

DATED this 26th day of October, 2005.

Copies to counsel of record

Case 2:03-cv-00873-RCB Document 221 Filed 10/28/05 Page 3 of 3