Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-00341/USCOURTS-cand-3_13-cv-00341-13/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Alere Home Monitoring, Inc.
Defendant
John Falkenberg
Plaintiff
Steven Ingargiola
Plaintiff

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20175962v1 1. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

ERIC A. GROVER (SBN 136080) 

eagrover@kellergrover.com 

CAREY G. BEEN (SBN 240996) 

cbeen@kellergrover.com 

KELLER GROVER LLP 

1965 Market Street 

San Francisco, California 94103 

Telephone: (415) 543-1305 

Facsimile: (415) 543-7861 

Jeremiah Frei-Pearson (Pro Hac Vice)

jfrei-pearson@mpnsb.com 

D. Greg Blankinship (Pro Hac Vice) 

gblankinship@mpnsb.com 

MEISELMAN, PACKMAN, 

NEALON, 

SCIALABBA & BAKER P.C. 

1311 Mamaroneck Avenue 

White Plains, New York 10605 

Telephone: (914) 517-5000 

Fax: (914) 517-5005 

Counsel for Plaintiffs 

SEDGWICK LLP

STEPHANIE SHERIDAN (Bar No. 135910) 

stephanie.sheridan@sedgwicklaw.com 

MEEGAN BROOKS (Bar. No. 298570) 

meegan.brooks@sedgwicklaw.com 

SEDGWICK LLP 

333 Bush Street, 30th Floor 

San Francisco, California 94104-2835 

Telephone: (415) 781-7900 

Facsimile: (415) 781-2635 

Counsel for Defendant 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

JOHN FALKENBERG and STEVEN 

INGARGIOLA, on behalf of themselves and 

all others similarly situated, 

Plaintiffs, 

v. 

ALERE HOME MONITORING, INC., 

Defendant. 

Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER AND 

QUALIFIED PROTECTIVE ORDER FOR 

LITIGATION INVOLVING PROTECTED 

HEALTH INFORMATION 

 Hon. Jon S. Tigar 

Plaintiffs JOHN FALKENBERG and STEVEN INGARGIOLA (“Plaintiffs”) and 

Defendant ALERE HOME MONITORING, INC. (“Defendant”), by and through their attorneys, 

hereby stipulate to and petition the Court to enter the following Protective Order, which is based 

on the Northern District of California’s “Model Protective Order for Litigation Involving 

Patents, Highly Sensitive Confidential Information and/or Trade Secrets.” 

/// 

Case 3:13-cv-00341-JST Document 72 Filed 05/27/15 Page 1 of 20
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20175962v1 2. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

1. PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS

Disclosure and discovery activity in this action are likely to involve production of 

documents for which special protection from public disclosure and from use for any purpose 

other than prosecuting this litigation may be warranted. Such documents may include private, 

confidential personal medical and/or patient records; trade secrets; commercial information; 

proprietary materials including manuals, business strategies, client and vendor information; 

personnel or other employment records; medical information pertaining to any party or third 

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

financial information as is contemplated by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c)(1)(G). The 

parties acknowledge that this Order does not confer blanket protections on all disclosures or 

responses to discovery and that the protection it affords from public disclosure and use extends 

only to the limited information or items that are entitled to confidential treatment under the 

applicable legal principles. The parties further acknowledge, as set forth in Section 13.3, below, 

that this Stipulated Protective Order does not entitle them to file confidential information under 

seal; Civil Local Rule 79-5 sets forth the procedures that must be followed and the standards that 

will be applied when a party seeks permission from the court to file material under seal. 

2. DEFINITIONS

2.1 Challenging Party: a Party or Non-Party that challenges the designation of 

information or items under this Order. 

2.2 “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless of how it is 

generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that qualify for protection under Federal Rule 

of Civil Procedure 26(c). 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 or other employment records, medical records, 

marketing materials, third-party contracts, and any other form of evidence which, in the goodfaith 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 

Case 3:13-cv-00341-JST Document 72 Filed 05/27/15 Page 2 of 20
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20175962v1 3. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

representative of a party. The Parties recognize that not all correspondence, memoranda, notes, 

deposition transcripts and exhibits, business plans, training materials, policies and procedures, 

financial records, personnel or other employment records, medical records, marketing materials, 

third-party contracts are necessarily “CONFIDENTIAL.” 

2.3 Covered Entities: those entities defined by 45 C.F.R. § 160.103 (2003). 

2.4 Counsel (without qualifier): Outside Counsel of Record and House Counsel (as 

well as their support staff). 

2.5 Designating Party: a Party or Non-Party that designates information or items that 

it produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”. 

2.6 Designated House Counsel: attorneys who are employees of a party to this action 

who act on behalf of the company in matters related to this action. 

2.7 Disclosure or Discovery Material: all items or information, regardless of the 

medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or maintained (including, among other things, 

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

responses to discovery in this matter. 

2.8 Expert: a person with specialized knowledge or experience in a matter pertinent to 

the litigation who (1) has been retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an expert witness or 

as a consultant in this action, (2) is not a past or current employee of a Party or of a Party’s 

competitor, and (3) at the time of retention, is not anticipated to become an employee of a Party 

or of a Party’s competitor. 

2.9 “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” Information or 

Items: extremely sensitive “Confidential Information or Items,” disclosure of which to another 

Party or Non-Party would create a substantial risk of serious harm that could not be avoided by 

less restrictive means. 

2.10 “HIPAA”: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 

codified primarily at 18, 26 & 42 U.S.C. (2003). 

/// 

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20175962v1 4. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

2.11 House Counsel: attorneys who are employees of a party to this action. House 

Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of Record or any other outside counsel. 

2.12 Non-Party: any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal 

entity not named as a Party to this action. 

2.13 Outside Counsel of Record: attorneys who are not employees of a party to this 

action but are retained to represent or advise a party to this action and have appeared in this 

action on behalf of that party or are affiliated with a law firm which has appeared on behalf of 

that party. 

2.14 Party: any party to this action, including all of its officers, directors, employees, 

consultants, retained experts, all Outside Counsel of Record (and their support staffs), and all 

non-parties that a court may subsequently recognize as a signatory of this qualified protective 

order. 

2.15 Parties: All Parties to this action. 

2.16 “PHI”: protected health information, as that term is used in HIPAA and the 

Privacy Standards and defined in 45 C.F.R. §§ 160 & 164 (2003). Without limiting the definition 

and merely for purposes of providing relevant examples, PHI includes, but is not limited to, 

health information, including demographic information, relating to either: the past, present, or 

future physical or mental condition of an individual; the provision of care to an individual; and 

the payment for care provided to an individual that identifies the individual or which reasonably 

could be expected to identify the individual. 

2.17 Privacy Standards: the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health 

Information. See 45 C.F.R. §§ 160 & 164 (2003). 

2.18 Producing Party: a Party or Non-Party that produces Disclosure or Discovery 

Material in this action. 

2.19 Professional Vendors: persons or entities that provide litigation support services 

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

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

subcontractors. 

Case 3:13-cv-00341-JST Document 72 Filed 05/27/15 Page 4 of 20
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20175962v1 5. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

2.20 Protected Material: Disclosure or Discovery Material containing PHI or 

employment records, or any other material that is designated as “CONFIDENTIAL,” or as 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

2.21 Receiving Party: a Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material from a 

Producing Party. 

3. SCOPE

The protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order cover not only Protected Material 

(as defined above), but also (1) any information copied or extracted from Protected Material; (2) 

all copies, excerpts, summaries, or compilations of Protected Material; and (3) any testimony, 

conversations, or presentations by Parties or their Counsel that might reveal Protected Material. 

However, the protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order do not cover the following 

information: (a) any information that is in the public domain at the time of disclosure to a 

Receiving Party or becomes part of the public domain after its disclosure to a Receiving Party as 

a result of publication not involving a violation of this Order, including becoming part of the 

public record through trial or otherwise; and (b) any information known to the Receiving Party 

prior to the disclosure or obtained by the Receiving Party after the disclosure from a source who 

obtained the information lawfully and under no obligation of confidentiality to the Designating 

Party. Any use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by a separate agreement or order. 

4. DURATION

Even after final disposition 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. Final disposition shall be deemed to be the later of (1) dismissal of all 

claims and defenses in this action, with or without prejudice; and (2) final judgment herein after 

the completion and exhaustion of all appeals, rehearings, remands, trials, or reviews of this 

action, including the time limits for filing any motions or applications for extension of time 

pursuant to applicable law. 

/// 

/// 

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20175962v1 6. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

5. QUALIFIED PROTECTIVE ORDER FOR DOCUMENTS CONTAINING PHI

5.1 The terms of this section are made pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability 

and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations found at 45 C.F.R. § 

164.512(e), and are to serve as the “Qualified Protective Order” requirement set forth in same. 

5.2 The Parties are familiar with HIPAA and the Privacy Standards. 

5.3 During the course of this litigation, it may be necessary for the parties or their 

attorneys to produce, receive, subpoena, and transmit PHI of current and future parties, thirdparties, and non-parties to other parties, third-parties, and non-parties and their attorneys and 

representatives. The Parties and Covered Entities are permitted to release PHI in response to a 

subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process, provided the PHI is relevant to the issues 

presented in this litigation. 

5.4 The Parties agree not to use or disclose the PHI released for this lawsuit for any 

other purpose or in any other proceeding. 

5.5 Due to the sensitive nature of PHI, the Parties agree that any document containing 

PHI may be designated as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.”

5.6 The Parties are permitted to use the PHI in any manner that is reasonably 

connected with this lawsuit. This includes, but is not limited to, investigation, consultation, 

discovery, depositions, trial preparation, trial, appeal, resolution, mediation, or uses incidental to 

the proceeding in the case. Unless expressly agreed to by both parties, a Receiving Party is not 

permitted to contact any person using PHI that it receives from a responsive document. 

5.7 Disclosures of PHI shall be governed by section 8.3. 

5.8 Any document containing PHI is additionally subject to the terms of all other 

paragraphs in this Protective Order. If the terms of this Paragraph conflicts with the terms of 

another paragraph, the more restrictive terms shall apply. 

6. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL

6.1 Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection. Each Party 

or Non-Party that designates information or items for protection under this Order must take care 

to limit any such designation to specific material that qualifies under the appropriate standards. 

Case 3:13-cv-00341-JST Document 72 Filed 05/27/15 Page 6 of 20
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20175962v1 7. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

To the extent it is practical to do so, the Designating Party must designate for protection only 

those parts of material, documents, items, or oral or written communications that qualify – so 

that other portions of the material, documents, items, or communications for which protection is 

not warranted are not swept unjustifiably within the ambit of this Order. 

Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited. Designations that are 

shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been made for an improper purpose (e.g., to 

unnecessarily encumber or retard the case development process or to impose unnecessary 

expenses and burdens on other parties) expose the Designating Party to sanctions. 

If it comes to a Designating Party’s attention that information or items that it designated 

for protection do not qualify for protection at all or do not qualify for the level of protection 

initially asserted, that Designating Party must promptly notify all other parties that it is 

withdrawing the mistaken designation. 

6.2 Manner and Timing of Designations. Except as otherwise provided in this Order 

(see, e.g., second paragraph of section 6.2(a) below), or as otherwise stipulated or ordered, 

Disclosure or Discovery 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: 

(a) for information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic documents, but excluding 

transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial proceedings), that the Producing Party affix the 

legend “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” to 

each page that contains protected material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page 

qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) 

(e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins) and must specify, for each portion, the 

level of protection being asserted. 

A Party or Non-Party that makes original documents or materials available for inspection 

need not designate them for protection until after the inspecting Party has indicated which 

material it would like copied and produced. During the inspection and before the designation, all 

of the material made available for inspection shall be deemed “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

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20175962v1 8. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” After the inspecting Party has identified the documents it wants 

copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which documents, or portions thereof, 

qualify for protection under this Order. Then, before producing the specified documents, the 

Producing Party must affix the appropriate legend (“CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” to each page that contains Protected 

Material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies for protection, the 

Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate 

markings in the margins) and must specify, for each portion, the level of protection being 

asserted. 

(b) for testimony given in deposition or in other pretrial or trial proceedings, that the Designating 

Party identify on the record, before the close of the deposition, hearing, or other proceeding, all 

protected testimony and specify the level of protection being asserted. When it is impractical to 

identify separately each portion of testimony that is entitled to protection and it appears that 

substantial portions of the testimony may qualify for protection, the Designating Party may 

invoke on the record (before the deposition, hearing, or other proceeding is concluded) a right to 

have up to 21 days to identify the specific portions of the testimony as to which protection is 

sought and to specify the level of protection being asserted. Only those portions of the testimony 

that are appropriately designated for protection within the 21 days shall be covered by the 

provisions of this Stipulated Protective Order. Alternatively, a Designating Party may specify, at 

the deposition or up to 21 days afterwards if that period is properly invoked, that the entire 

transcript shall be treated as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.” 

Parties shall give the other parties notice if they reasonably expect a deposition, hearing 

or other proceeding to include Protected Material so that the other parties can ensure that only 

authorized individuals who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” 

(Exhibit A) are present at those proceedings. The use of a document as an exhibit at a deposition 

shall not in any way affect its designation as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY.”

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20175962v1 9. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Transcripts containing Protected Material shall have an obvious legend on the title page 

that the transcript contains Protected Material, and the title page shall be followed by a list of all 

pages (including line numbers as appropriate) that have been designated as Protected Material 

and the level of protection being asserted by the Designating Party. The Designating Party shall 

inform the court reporter of these requirements. Any transcript that is prepared before the 

expiration of a 21-day period for designation shall be treated during that period as if it had been 

designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” in its entirety unless 

otherwise agreed. After the expiration of that period, the transcript shall be treated only as 

actually designated.

(c) 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” or 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”. If only a portion or portions of 

the information or item warrant protection, the Producing Party, to the extent practicable, shall 

identify the protected portion(s) and specify the level of protection being asserted. 

6.3 Inadvertent Failures to Designate. If timely corrected, an inadvertent failure to 

designate qualified information or items does not, standing alone, waive the Designating Party’s 

right to secure protection under this Order for such material. Upon timely correction of a 

designation, the Receiving Party must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material is 

treated in accordance with the provisions of this Order. 

7. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS

7.1 Timing of Challenges. Any Party or Non-Party may challenge a designation of 

confidentiality at any time. Unless a prompt challenge to a Designating Party’s confidentiality 

designation is necessary to avoid foreseeable, substantial unfairness, unnecessary economic 

burdens, or a significant disruption or delay of the litigation, a Party does not waive its right to 

challenge a confidentiality designation by electing not to mount a challenge promptly after the 

original designation is disclosed. 

/// 

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20175962v1 10. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

7.2 Meet and Confer. The Challenging Party shall initiate the dispute resolution 

process by providing written notice of each designation it is challenging and describing the basis 

for each challenge. To avoid ambiguity as to whether a challenge has been made, the written 

notice must recite that the challenge to confidentiality is being made in accordance with this 

specific paragraph of the Protective Order. The parties shall attempt to resolve each challenge in 

good faith and must begin the process by conferring directly (in voice to voice dialogue; other 

forms of communication are not sufficient) within 14 days of the date of service of notice. 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 or 

establishes that the Designating Party is unwilling to participate in the meet and confer process in 

a timely manner. 

7.3 Judicial Intervention. If the Parties cannot resolve a challenge without court 

intervention, the Designating Party shall file and serve a motion to retain confidentiality under 

Civil Local Rule 7 (and in compliance with Civil Local Rule 79-5, if applicable) within 21 days 

of the initial notice of challenge or within 14 days of the parties agreeing that the meet and 

confer process will not resolve their dispute, whichever is earlier. In the event that either Party 

brings two consecutive unsuccessful motions regarding confidentiality, the burden of filing and 

serving a motion will shift to that party for the third challenge; the Designating Party would 

retain the burden of persuasion. Each such motion must be accompanied by a competent 

declaration affirming that the movant has complied with the meet and confer requirements 

imposed in the preceding paragraph. Failure by the Designating Party to make such a motion 

including the required declaration within 21 days (or 14 days, if applicable) shall automatically 

waive the confidentiality designation for each challenged designation. In addition, the 

Challenging Party may file a motion challenging a confidentiality designation at any time if there 

is good cause for doing so, including a challenge to the designation of a deposition transcript or 

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20175962v1 11. Case No. 3:13-cv-00341-JST 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

any portions thereof. Any motion brought pursuant to this provision must be accompanied by a 

competent declaration affirming that the movant has complied with the meet and confer 

requirements imposed by the preceding paragraph. 

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

Party. Frivolous challenges and those made for an improper purpose (e.g., to harass or impose 

unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the Challenging Party to 

sanctions. Unless the Designating Party has waived the confidentiality designation by failing to 

file a motion to retain confidentiality as described above, 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 until the court rules on the challenge. 

8. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL

8.1 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 

section 14 below (FINAL DISPOSITION). 

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. 

At a minimum, any electronic Protected Material should be password-protected. 

8.2 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” only to: 

(a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this action, as well as employees of said 

Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information for 

this litigation, who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit 

A); 

/// 

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(b) 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 

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(c) Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom the Receiving Party has 

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

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(d) the court and its personnel; 

(e) court reporters and their staff; 

(g) professional jury or trial consultants (including mock jurors), and Professional Vendors to 

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

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(h) during their depositions, witnesses in the action to whom a Party has determined that 

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

to Be Bound” (Exhibit A), unless otherwise agreed by the Designating Party or ordered by the 

court. Pages of transcribed deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected 

Material must be separately bound by the court reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone 

except as permitted under this Stipulated Protective Order. 

(i) the author or recipient of a document containing the information or a custodian or other 

person who otherwise possessed or knew the information. 

8.3 Disclosure of “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY”

Information or Items. Except for the procedures regarding experts outlined below, unless 

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

Party may disclose any information or item designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” only to: 

(a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record in this action, as well as employees of said 

Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the information for 

this litigation, who have signed the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit 

A); 

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(b) Designated House Counsel of the Receiving Party, who have signed the “Acknowledgment 

and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 

(c) If a Party determines that disclosure of any information or item designated “HIGHLY 

CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” to an expert is reasonably necessary for this 

litigation, that Party must have the expert sign the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be 

Bound” (Exhibit A) and follow the procedures set forth in paragraph 8.4(a)(2) below before 

disclosing any information or item designated as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ 

EYES ONLY.” This provision applies to the Parties equally without regard to whether the Party 

who seeks to provide any information or item designated as “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” to an expert is the Designating Party or the Receiving Party;; 

(d) the court and its personnel; 

(e) court reporters and their staff; 

(f) professional jury or trial consultants (including mock jurors), and Professional Vendors to 

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

“Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); and 

(g) the author or recipient of a document containing the information or a custodian or other 

person who otherwise possessed or knew the information. 

8.4 Procedures for Approving or Objecting to Disclosure of “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL 

– ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” Information or Items to Designated House Counsel or Experts.

(a)(1) Unless otherwise ordered by the court or agreed to in writing by the Designating Party, a 

Party that seeks to disclose to Designated House Counsel any information or item that has been 

designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” pursuant to paragraph 

8.3(b) first must first provide the following information to the Designating Party: (1) the full 

name of the Designated House Counsel and the city and state of his or her residence, and (2) a 

description of the Designated House Counsel’s current and reasonably foreseeable future 

primary job duties and responsibilities in sufficient detail to determine if House Counsel is 

involved, or may become involved, in any competitive decision-making. 

/// 

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(a)(2) Unless otherwise ordered by the court or agreed to in writing by the other Party, a Party 

that seeks to disclose to an Expert (as defined in this Order) any information or item that has 

been designated “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” pursuant to 

paragraph 8.3(c) first must send a written notification to the other Party that (1) identifies the 

general categories of “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” 

information that the Disclosing Party seeks permission to disclose to the Expert, (2) sets forth the 

full name of the Expert and the city and state of his or her primary residence, (3) attaches a copy 

of the Expert’s current resume, (4) identifies the Expert’s current employer(s), (5) identifies each 

person or entity from whom the Expert has received compensation or funding for work in his or 

her areas of expertise or to whom the expert has provided professional services, including in 

connection with a litigation, at any time during the preceding five years, (6) identifies (by name 

and number of the case, filing date, and location of court) any litigation in connection with which 

the Expert has offered expert testimony, including through a declaration, report, or testimony at a 

deposition or trial, during the preceding five years, and (7) if the information sought to be 

disclosed includes information produced by the other Party, a signed agreement from the Expert 

stating that he or she will not undertake work prior to the termination of the litigation that could 

foreseeably result in an improper use of the Designating Party’s “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – 

ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” information. 

(b) A Party that provides the written notification specified in the preceding respective paragraphs 

may disclose the subject Protected Material to the identified Designated House Counsel or 

Expert unless, within 14 days of delivering the request, the Party receives a written objection 

from the Designating Party. Any such objection must set forth in detail the grounds on which it is 

based. A Receiving Party may not object to the disclosure of the Designating Party’s own 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” documents or materials. 

(c) A Party that receives a timely written objection must meet and confer with the Designating 

Party (through direct voice to voice dialogue) to try to resolve the matter by agreement within 

seven days of the written objection. If no agreement is reached, the Party seeking to make the 

disclosure to Designated House Counsel or the Expert may file a motion as provided in Civil 

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Local Rule 7 (and in compliance with Civil Local Rule 79-5, if applicable) seeking permission 

from the court to do so. Any such motion must describe the circumstances with specificity, set 

forth in detail the reasons why the disclosure to Designated House Counsel or the Expert is 

reasonably necessary, assess the risk of harm that the disclosure would entail, and suggest any 

additional means that could be used to reduce that risk. In addition, any such motion must be 

accompanied by a competent declaration describing the parties’ efforts to resolve the matter by 

agreement (i.e., the extent and the content of the meet and confer discussions) and setting forth 

the reasons advanced by the Designating Party for its refusal to approve the disclosure. 

In any such proceeding, the Party opposing disclosure to Designated House Counsel or 

the Expert shall bear the burden of proving that the risk of harm that the disclosure would entail 

(under the safeguards proposed) outweighs the Receiving Party’s need to disclose the Protected 

Material to its Designated House Counsel or Expert. 

9. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED IN OTHER 

LITIGATION

If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other litigation that compels 

disclosure of any information or items designated in this action as “CONFIDENTIAL” or 

“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” that Party must: 

(a) promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification shall include a copy of the 

subpoena or court order; 

(b) promptly notify 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 subject to this 

Protective Order. Such notification shall include a copy of this Stipulated Protective Order; and 

(c) cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be pursued by the Designating 

Party whose Protected Material may be affected.1

If the Designating Party timely seeks a protective order, the Party served with the subpoena or 

court order shall not produce any information designated in this action as “CONFIDENTIAL” or 

 

1

 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. 

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“HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ EYES ONLY” before a determination by the 

court from which the subpoena or order issued, unless the Party has obtained the Designating 

Party’s permission or is required by a court order. The Designating Party shall bear the burden 

and expense 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. 

10. A NON-PARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE PRODUCED IN THIS 

LITIGATION

(a) The terms of this Order are applicable to information produced by a Non-Party in this 

action and designated as “CONFIDENTIAL” or “HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL – ATTORNEYS’ 

EYES ONLY.” Such information produced by Non-Parties in connection with this litigation is 

protected by the remedies and relief provided by this Order. Nothing in these provisions should 

be construed as prohibiting a Non-Party from seeking additional protections. 

(b) In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery request, to produce a NonParty’s confidential information in its possession, and the Party is subject to an agreement with 

the Non-Party not to produce the Non-Party’s confidential information, then the Party shall: 

1. promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the Non-Party that 

some or all of the information requested is subject to a confidentiality agreement with a NonParty; 

2. promptly provide the Non-Party with a copy of the Stipulated Protective 

Order in this litigation, the relevant discovery request(s), and a reasonably specific description of 

the information requested; and 

3. make the information requested available for inspection by the Non-Party. 

(c) If the Non-Party fails to object or seek a protective order from this court within 14 days 

of receiving the notice and accompanying information, the Receiving Party may produce the 

Non-Party’s confidential information responsive to the discovery request. If the Non-Party 

timely seeks a protective order, the Receiving Party shall not produce any information in its 

possession or control that is subject to the confidentiality agreement with the Non-Party before a 

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determination by the court.2 Absent a court order to the contrary, the Non-Party shall bear the 

burden and expense of seeking protection in this court of its Protected Material. 

11. 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 unauthorized 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” that is attached hereto as Exhibit A. 

12. INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE PROTECTED 

MATERIAL

When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain inadvertently 

produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other protection, the obligations of the 

Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b)(5)(B). This 

provision is not intended to modify whatever procedure may be established in an e-discovery 

order that provides for production without prior privilege review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of 

Evidence 502(d) and (e), insofar as the parties reach an agreement on the effect of disclosure of a 

communication or information covered by the attorney-client privilege or work product 

protection, the parties may incorporate their agreement in the stipulated protective order 

submitted to the court. 

13. MISCELLANEOUS

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

seek its modification by the court in the future. 

13.2 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 

 

2

 The purpose of this provision is to alert the interested parties to the existence of confidentiality 

rights of a Non-Party and to afford the Non-Party an opportunity to protect its confidentiality 

interests in this court. 

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information or item on any ground not addressed in this Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, 

no Party waives any right to object on any ground to use in evidence of any of the material 

covered by this Protective Order. 

13.3 Filing Protected Material. Without written permission from the Designating Party 

or a court order secured after appropriate notice to all interested persons, a Party may not file in 

the public record in this action any Protected Material. A Party that seeks to file under seal any 

Protected Material must comply with Civil Local Rule 79-5. Protected Material may only be 

filed under seal pursuant to a court order authorizing the sealing of the specific Protected 

Material at issue. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5, a sealing order will issue only upon a 

request establishing that the Protected Material at issue is privileged, protectable as a trade 

secret, or otherwise entitled to protection under the law. If a Receiving Party's request to file 

Protected Material under seal pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5(e) is denied by the court, then 

the Receiving Party may file the Protected Material in the public record pursuant to Civil Local 

Rule 79-5(e)(2) unless otherwise instructed by the court. 

14. FINAL DISPOSITION

Within 60 days after the final disposition of this action, as defined in paragraph 4, each 

Receiving Party must return all Protected Material to the Producing Party or destroy such 

material. As used in this subdivision, “all Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts, 

compilations, summaries, and any other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected 

Material. 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 60-day deadline that (1) identifies (by category, where appropriate) all 

the Protected Material that was returned or destroyed and (2) affirms that the Receiving Party has 

not retained any copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or any other format reproducing or 

capturing any of the Protected Material. Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel are entitled to 

retain an archival copy of all pleadings, motion papers, trial, deposition, and hearing transcripts, 

legal memoranda, correspondence, deposition and trial exhibits, expert reports, attorney work 

product, and consultant and expert work product, even if such materials contain Protected 

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Material. Any such archival copies that contain or constitute Protected Material remain subject to 

this Protective Order as set forth in section 4. 

IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD. 

Dated: May 6, 2015 By: /s/ D. Greg Blankinship 

 Jeremiah Frei-Pearson 

D. Greg Blankinship 

MEISELMAN, PACKMAN, NEALON, 

SCIALABBA & BAKER P.C. 

Eric A. Grover 

Carey G. Been 

KELLER GROVER LLP 

Counsel for Plaintiffs and the Putative 

Class

Dated: May 6, 2015 By: /s/ Stephanie Sheridan 

Stephanie Sheridan 

Kirk Jenkins 

Meegan Brooks 

SEDGWICK LLP 

Counsel for Defendant

Dated: May 27, 2015

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

IT IS SO ORDERED

 Judge Jon S. Tigar 

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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 read in its entirety and understand 

the Stipulated Protective Order that was issued by the United States District Court for the Northern 

District of California on __________ [date] in the case of Falkenberg v. Alere, Case No. 3:13-cv00341-JST. 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. 

I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Northern 

District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order, even if 

such enforcement proceedings occur after termination of this action. 

Date: _________________________________ 

City and State where sworn and signed: _________________________________ 

Printed name: ______________________________ 

 [printed name] 

Signature: __________________________________ 

 [signature] 

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