Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-01867/USCOURTS-caed-1_07-cv-01867-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Product Liability

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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JACK B. MCCOWAN, JR. (SBN: 062056) 

JUAN D. WALKER (SBN: 208008) 

GORDON & REES LLP 

Embarcadero Center West 

275 Battery Street, Suite 2000 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

Telephone: (415) 986-5900 

Facsimile: (415) 986-8054 

Attorneys for Defendants 

ROBERT BOSCH TOOL CORPORATION 

and HOME DEPOT U.S.A., INC. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

FRESNO DIVISION 

RAMZ ALI, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

ROBERT BOSCH TOOL CORPORATION, ET 

AL., 

Defendants. 

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CASE NO. 1:07-CV-01867-AWI-GSA 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE 

ORDER 

 

1. PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS

The parties stipulate that disclosure and discovery activity in this action will involve 

production of confidential, proprietary, or private information for which special protection from 

public disclosure and from use for any purpose other than prosecuting, defending, or attempting 

to settle this litigation would be warranted. Accordingly, the parties hereby stipulate to and 

petition the court to enter the following Stipulated Protective Order. 

2. DEFINITIONS

2.1. Party: Any party to this action, including all of its present or past officers, 

directors, employees, consultants, retained experts, and outside counsel (and their support staff). 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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2.2. Disclosure or Discovery Material: All items or information, regardless of 

the medium or manner generated, stored, or maintained (including, among other things, 

testimony, transcripts, or tangible things) that are produced or generated in disclosures or 

responses to discovery in this matter. 

2.3. “Confidential” Information or Items: Information (regardless of how 

generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things for which confidential treatment is designated 

by a party or non-party pursuant to the provisions of the Stipulated Protective Order. This 

includes all information and data obtained, downloaded or printed from Robert Bosch Tool 

Corporation or Home Depot U.S.A., Inc’s computer equipment and photographs taken of said 

computer equipment. 

2.4. Receiving Party: A Party that receives disclosure or discovery material 

from a producing party. 

2.5. Producing Party: A Party or non-party that produces Disclosure or 

Discovery Material in this action. 

2.6. Designating Party: A Party or non-party that designates information or 

items that it produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as “Confidential.” 

2.7. Protected Material: Any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is 

designated as “Confidential.” 

2.8. Outside Counsel: Attorneys who are not employees of a Party but who are 

retained to represent or advise a Party in this action. 

2.9. House Counsel: Attorneys who are employees of a Party. 

2.10. Counsel (without qualifier): Outside Counsel and House Counsel (as well 

as their support staffs). 

2.11. Expert: A person with specialized knowledge or experience in a matter 

pertinent to the litigation who has been retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an expert 

witness or as a consultant in this action. This definition includes a professional jury or trial 

consultant retained in connection with this litigation. 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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2.12. Professional Vendors: Persons or entities that provide litigation support 

services (e.g., photocopying; videotaping; translating; preparing exhibits or demonstrations; 

organizing, storing, retrieving data in any form or medium; etc.) and their employees and 

subcontractors. 

3. SCOPE

The protections conferred by this Stipulated Protective Order (“Order”) cover not only 

Protected Material (as defined above), but also any information copied or extracted therefrom, as 

well as all copies, excerpts, summaries, or compilations thereof, plus testimony, conversations, 

or presentations by parties or counsel to or in court or in other settings that might reveal 

Protected Material. 

4. DURATION

Even after the termination of this litigation, the confidentiality obligations imposed by 

this Order shall remain in effect until a Designating Party agrees otherwise in writing or a court 

order otherwise directs. 

5. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL

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

Order, or as otherwise stipulated or ordered, material that qualifies for protection under this 

Order must be clearly so designated before the material is disclosed or produced. 

Designation in conformity with this Order requires: 

5.1.1. For information in documentary form (apart from transcripts of 

depositions and other pretrial or trial proceedings), that the Producing Party affix the legend 

“Confidential Information” at the top of each document. For documents disclosed before 

execution of this Order, the parties agree that such documents may be designated 

“CONFIDENTIAL” pursuant to the terms of this Order. 

5.1.2. For testimony given in deposition or in other pretrial or trial 

proceedings, that the Party or non-party offering or sponsoring the testimony identify on the 

record, before the close of the deposition, hearing, or other proceeding, all protected testimony. 

When it is impractical to identify separately each portion of testimony that is entitled to 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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protection, and when it appears that substantial portions of the testimony may qualify for 

protection, the Party or non-party that sponsors, offers, or gives the testimony may invoke on the 

record (before the deposition or proceeding is concluded) a right to have up to 20 days to identify 

the specific portions of the testimony as to which protection is sought and to specify the level of 

protection being asserted “CONFIDENTIAL.” Only those portions of the testimony that are 

appropriately designated for protection within the 20 days shall be covered by the provisions of 

this Order. During this 20-day period, all deposition testimony will be treated as 

“CONFIDENTIAL.” Transcript pages containing Protected Material must be separately bound 

by the court reporter, who must affix to the top of each such page the legend 

“CONFIDENTIAL” as instructed by the Party or non-party offering or sponsoring the witness or 

presenting the testimony. 

5.1.3. For information produced in some form other than documentary 

and for any other tangible items, that the Producing Party affix in a prominent place on the 

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

“CONFIDENTIAL.” If only portions of the information or item warrant protection, the 

Producing Party, to the extent practicable, shall identify the protected portions, specifying 

whether they qualify as “CONFIDENTIAL.” 

5.2. Inadvertent Failures to Designate: As a supplement to Section 5.1(a), if 

timely corrected, an inadvertent failure to designate qualified information or items as 

“CONFIDENTIAL” does not, standing alone, waive the Designating Party’s right to secure 

protection under this Order for such material. If material is appropriately designated as 

“CONFIDENTIAL” after the material was initially produced, the Receiving Party, on timely 

notification of the designation, must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material is treated 

in accordance with the provisions of this Order. 

6. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS

6.1. Timing of Challenges: Unless a prompt challenge to a Designating 

Party’s confidentiality designation is necessary to avoid foreseeable substantial unfairness, 

unnecessary economic burdens, or a later significant disruption or delay of the litigation, a Party 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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does not waive its right to challenge a confidentiality designation by electing not to mount a 

challenge promptly after the original designation is disclosed. 

6.2. Meet and Confer: A Party that elects to initiate a challenge to a 

Designating Party’s confidentiality designation must do so in good faith and must begin the 

process by conferring directly (in writing only; oral communications are not sufficient) with 

counsel for the Designating Party. In conferring, the challenging Party must explain the basis for 

its belief that the confidentiality designation was not proper and must give the Designating Party 

an opportunity to review the designated material, to reconsider the circumstances, and, if no 

change in designation is offered, to explain the basis for the chosen designation. A challenging 

Party may proceed to the next stage of the challenge process only if it has engaged in this meet 

and confer process first. 

6.3. Judicial Intervention: A Party that elects to press a challenge to a 

confidentiality designation after considering the justification offered by the Designating Party 

may file and serve a motion that identifies the challenged material and sets forth in detail the 

basis for the challenge. Each such motion must be accompanied by a competent declaration that 

affirms that the movant has complied with the meet and confer requirements imposed in the 

preceding paragraph and that sets forth with specificity the justification for the confidentiality 

designation that was given by the Designating Party in the meet and confer dialogue. 

The burden to persuasion in any such challenge proceeding shall be on the 

Designating Party. Until the court rules on the challenge, 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. 

7. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

7.1. Basic Principles: A Receiving Party may use Protected Material that is 

disclosed or produced by another Party or by a non-party in connection with this case only for 

prosecuting, defending, or attempting to settle this litigation. Such Protected Material may be 

disclosed only to the categories of persons and under the conditions described in this Order. 

When the litigation has been terminated, a Receiving Party must comply with the provisions of 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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Section 11 below. 

Protected Material must be stored and maintained by a Receiving Party at a 

location and in a secure manner that ensures that access is limited to the persons authorized 

under this Order. 

7.2. Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: Unless 

otherwise ordered by the court or permitted in writing by the Designating Party, a Receiving 

Party may disclose any information or item designated “Confidential Information” only to: 

7.2.1. The Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of record in this action, as 

well as employees of said Counsel to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information 

for this litigation and who have signed the “Acknowledgement and Agreement to be Bound” that 

is attached hereto as Exhibit A; 

7.2.2. The officers, directors, and employees (including House Counsel) 

of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who 

have signed the “Acknowledgement and Agreement to be Bound” (Exh. A); 

7.2.3. Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom 

disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the 

“Acknowledgement And Agreement To Be Bound” (Exh. A); 

7.2.4. The Court and its personnel; 

7.2.5. Court reporters, their staffs, and professional vendors to whom 

disclosure is reasonably necessary for this litigation and who have signed the 

“Acknowledgement And Agreement To Be Bound” (Exh. A); 

7.2.6. During their depositions, witnesses in the action to whom 

disclosure is reasonably necessary and who have signed the “Acknowledgement and Agreement 

to be Bound” (Exh. A). 

8. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED 

IN OTHER LITIGATION

If a Receiving Party is served with a subpoena or an order issued in other litigation that 

would compel disclosure of any information or items designated in this action as 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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“CONFIDENTIAL,” the Receiving Party must so notify the Designating Party, in writing (by 

fax, if possible) immediately and in no event more than three (3) court days after receiving the 

subpoena or order. Such notification must include a copy of the subpoena or court order. 

The Receiving Party also must immediately inform 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 the subject of this Protective Order. In addition, the Receiving Party must 

deliver a copy of this Stipulated Protective Order to the Party in the other action that caused the 

subpoena or order to issue. 

The purpose of imposing these duties is to alert the interested parties to the existence of 

this Protective Order and to afford the Designating Party in this case an opportunity to try to 

protect its confidentiality interests in the court from which the subpoena or order issued. The 

Designating Party shall bear the burdens and the expenses 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. 

9. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

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

Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized under this Stipulated 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 persons to whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all the terms of 

this Order, and (d) request such person or persons to execute the “Acknowledgment And 

Agreement To Be Bound” (Exh. A). 

10. FILING PROTECTED MATERIAL

All documents filed with the Court for any purpose which include information designated 

as “CONFIDENTIAL” shall be filed in accordance with Local Rule 39-141. 

11. FINAL DISPOSITION

Unless otherwise ordered or agreed in writing by the Producing Party, within 30 days 

after the final termination of this action, each Receiving Party must return all Protected Material 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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to the Producing Party. As used in this subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, 

abstracts, analyses, compilations, summaries or any other form of reproducing or capturing any 

of the Protected Material and expressly excludes material which qualifies as work product 

protected by the attorney work product privilege. With permission in writing from the 

Designating Party, the Receiving Party may destroy some or all of the Protected Material instead 

of returning it. Whether the Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving Party 

must submit a written certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the same person or entity, 

to the Designating Party) by the 30-day deadline that identifies (by category, where appropriate) 

all the Protected Material that was returned or destroyed and that affirms that the Receiving Party 

has not retained any copies, abstracts, analyses, compilations, summaries or other forms of 

reproducing or capturing any of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel 

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

memoranda, correspondence or attorney work product, even if such materials contain Protected 

Material for the purpose of keeping a legal file. Any such archival copies that contain or 

constitute Protected Material remain subject to this Protective Order as set forth in section 4 

above. 

12. MISCELLANEOUS

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

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

12.2. 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 Stipulated Protective 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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Order. Similarly, no Party waives any right to object on any ground to use in evidence of any of 

the materials covered by this Protective Order. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED, AND APPROVED THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD. 

Dated: March 17, 2008 GORDON & REES LLP 

 By: /s/ Jack B. McCowan, Jr._______________ 

JACK B. McCOWAN, JR. 

Attorneys for Defendants 

ROBERT BOSCH TOOL CORPORATION 

and HOME DEPOT U.S.A., INC. 

Dated: March 17, 208 LAW OFFICES OF EDWARD B. CHATOIAN 

 By:/s/ Edward B. Chatoian_________________ 

EDWARD B. CHATOIAN 

Attorneys for Plaintiff RAMZ ALI 

 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated : April 3, 2008 Gary S. Austin 

 The Honorable Gary S. Austin 

 United States Magistrate Judge 

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STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

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EXHIBIT A

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND

I, ________________________________________________ [print or type full name], 

of _________________________________________________________________________ 

[print or type full address], declare under penalty of perjury that I have received, read in its 

entirety and understand this Stipulated Protective Order. I agree to comply with and to be bound 

by all the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order and I understand and acknowledge that failure 

to so comply could expose me to sanctions and punishment in the nature of contempt. I 

solemnly promise that I will not disclose in any manner any information or item that is subject to 

this Stipulated Protective Order to any person or entity except in strict compliance with the 

provisions of this Order. 

City and State where sworn and signed: _____________________________________________ 

Printed Name: _____________________________________________ 

Signature: _____________________________________________ 

BOSC/1048623/5523135v.1 

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