Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_13-md-02420/USCOURTS-cand-4_13-md-02420-112/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 410
Nature of Suit: Antitrust
Cause of Action: 15:15 Antitrust Litigation

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IN RE:

LITHIUM ION BATTERIES ANTITRUST 

LITIGATION

Case No. 13-md-02420-YGR (DMR)

ORDER RE SEOK HWAN KWAK

Re: Dkt. No. 1130

Plaintiffs moved to compel Defendants LG Chem Ltd. and LG Chem America, Inc. (“LG 

Chem”) to produce Seok Hwan Kwak, a former Vice President of LG Chem’s battery business, for 

deposition. [Docket No. 764.] On September 15, 2015, the court granted the motion and ordered 

LG Chem to make Kwak available for deposition within 30 days. [Docket No. 836.] LG Chem 

filed objections to the order which the Honorable Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers denied. [Docket Nos. 

852 (Motion for Relief), 938 (Order Denying Objections).] In her order denying the objections, 

Judge Gonzalez Rogers ordered LG Chem to make Kwak available for deposition by December 

18, 2015, warning, “[o]therwise, the Court will consider appropriate discovery sanctions.” Id.

On December 18, 2015, LG Chem filed a letter to the court in which it stated “LG Chem 

cannot comply with the November 6 Order to produce Mr. Kwak by December 18, 2015” and 

submitted a declaration describing LG Chem’s unsuccessful attempts to convince Kwak to appear 

for deposition. [Docket No. 996, 996-1.] At a subsequent hearing before the undersigned, the 

court ordered the parties to submit a joint letter brief regarding whether Kwak’s deposition could 

be taken in Korea using Hague Convention procedures, including addressing any barriers or 

disadvantages to using such process to compel his appearance for deposition. [Docket No. 1130.] 

Case 4:13-md-02420-YGR Document 1675 Filed 02/14/17 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

The parties submitted a joint letter brief in which LG Chem asserted that “Korean law does not 

provide a procedure for compelling the deposition of an unwilling Korean citizen, and does not 

recognize depositions as a pretrial procedure,” and that “[b]ecause Korea’s internal law does not 

permit compulsory depositions, it appears unlikely that the Hague Convention could be used to 

require an unwilling Korean citizen to sit for a deposition.” [Docket No. 1130 at 5.] Plaintiffs 

agree, asserting that “[t]he pursuit of [Kwak’s] deposition testimony under [t]he Hague 

Convention is likely to result in countless hours wasted with very little chance of success.” They 

ask the court for evidentiary sanctions against LG Chem. Id. at 4.

Given the barriers associated with Hague Convention procedures and the unlikelihood that 

such procedures would secure Kwak’s testimony, the court declines to order the parties to pursue 

Kwak’s deposition through the Hague Convention. Judge Gonzalez Rogers will take up the matter 

of appropriate sanctions for LG Chem’s failure to comply with the court orders regarding Kwak’s 

deposition in the context of summary judgment or trial. In the meantime, LG Chem shall continue 

its efforts to produce Kwak for deposition or to otherwise secure his testimony.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 14, 2017

______________________________________

Donna M. Ryu

United States Magistrate Judge

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Donna M. Ryu

Case 4:13-md-02420-YGR Document 1675 Filed 02/14/17 Page 2 of 2