Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-01649/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-01649-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Shereen Attia
Plaintiff
Whitehall Jewellers
Defendant

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Confidentiality Stipulation and Protective Order 

2:07-CV-01649-FCD-KJM 

Steven R. Blackburn, State Bar No. 154797 

Rachel S. Hulst, State Bar No. 197330 

EPSTEIN BECKER & GREEN, P.C. 

One California Street, 26th Floor 

San Francisco, California 94111-5427 

Telephone: 415.398.3500 

Facsimile: 415.398.0955 

sblackburn@ebglaw.com

rhulst@ebglaw.com

Attorneys for Defendant, 

WHITEHALL JEWELERS, INC. 

(formerly known as“WHITEHALL JEWELLERS, 

INC.) 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SACRAMENTO DIVISION 

SHEREEN ATTIA, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

WHITEHALL JEWELLERS, INC., a 

Delaware corporation 

Defendants. 

CASE NO. 2:07-CV-01649-FCD-KJM 

CONFIDENTIALITY STIPULATION 

AND PROTECTIVE ORDER 

(Court modifications shown in 

strikeout/underline format) 

Removed to Federal Court: August 10, 2007

Trial Date: January 27, 2009

The parties in this matter, by and through their respective counsel of record, hereby 

stipulate and request that the Court enter the following Order regarding the protection of 

confidential information: 

1. The procedures for protecting information set forth in this Order shall govern all 

information produced by any party that is designated as“Protected Information”or“Confidential” in 

the manner set forth below, including without limitation: (i) answers to written discovery; (ii) 

documents produced in response to requests for production; (iii) documents and information 

produced voluntarily in response to informal requests; (iv) interrogatory responses; and (v) 

deposition testimony. 

Case 2:07-cv-01649-FCD-KJM Document 15 Filed 01/18/08 Page 1 of 7
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2. This Order is intended to protect the confidentiality of all documents and 

information that is not in the public domain and which either party has a good faith belief that 

disclosure would violate a personal, financial, or other interest protected by law, and that such 

disclosure threatens to cause serious harm that outweighs the public interest in disclosure of such 

information. 

3. The Court, the parties, corporate counsel, counsel of record, any court reporters 

and mediators employed in this case, and their respective officers, employees, clerks, associates, 

and staffs, serving in this action (collectively the“Authorized Persons”) and any witnesses to be 

called by the parties in this action shall be the only persons afforded access to information 

protected by this Order and marked as“CONFIDENTIAL”(hereinafter the“Protected Information”). 

Experts and consultants employed by counsel or the parties in connection with this case, and the 

staffs of such experts or consultants also shall be considered“Authorized Persons,”provided that 

they have executed an acknowledgment in the form attached as Exhibit A to this Stipulation and 

Order. Additionally, any party wishing to have an additional person other than those described 

in this paragraph listed as an Authorized Person within the meaning of this Order may request in 

writing that the other party stipulate that such person be added to the list of Authorized Persons. 

If no written objection is received within ten days, such person shall become an Authorized 

Person upon execution of the acknowledgment attached to this Stipulation and Order as Exhibit 

A. No Authorized Person shall: (i) use the Protected Information for any purpose other than the 

prosecution or defense of this litigation; or (ii) provide, copy or otherwise disclose any item of 

Protected Information to any person other than the aforementioned Authorized Persons. 

4. Any party who believes in good faith that a particular document or item of 

information is properly protected under this Order shall designate it as such by one or more of 

the following methods: 

(i) provide written notice to all parties describing the information with 

particularity; 

(ii) with respect to documents, mark each page of each such document with 

the phrase“CONFIDENTIAL;” 

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2:07-CV-01649-FCD-KJM 

(iii) with respect to written discovery responses, mark each response with the 

phrase“CONFIDENTIAL;”and 

(iv) with respect to deposition transcripts, mark each page of each such 

transcript with the phrase“CONFIDENTIAL.” 

5. Any party who believes in good faith that a particular document or item of 

information is properly protected under this Order shall implement the procedures set forth in 

paragraph 4 as set forth below: 

(i) in the case of a party transmitting the information to other parties or to the 

Court, before the information is actually transmitted; and 

(ii) in the case of a party receiving information, not more than five business 

days following the receipt thereof, or, in the case of documents produced prior to the entry of this 

Order, within five business days of its entry by the Court. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any party who fails to comply with this paragraph shall 

nevertheless be entitled to provide notice designating such document or information as Protected 

Information: (a) by stipulation of all parties, which stipulation shall not be unreasonably 

withheld; or (b) upon motion to the Court based upon good cause. 

6. Each party shall be responsible for clearly marking all Protected Information in its 

possession, custody and control and for taking all other steps reasonably necessary to ensure that 

persons other than Authorized Persons do not, directly or indirectly, gain access to Protected 

Information. 

7. If Protected Information is included in any papers to be filed in Court, the filing 

party shall seek to file shall be filed such papers under seal in compliance with United States 

District Court, Eastern District of California, Local Rule 39-141. 

8. If a party in possession of information or documents designated as 

“CONFIDENTIAL”receives a subpoena from a non-party to this case which seeks production or 

other disclosure of such documents or information, the party shall immediately give written 

notice to counsel for the party who designated the documents or information as 

“CONFIDENTIAL”stating the Confidential Materials sought and enclosing a copy of the 

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subpoena. Parties shall use their best efforts to give at least 10 days’ notice before production or 

other disclosure pursuant to subpoena should be given. In no event shall production or 

disclosure be made before notice is given and, whenever possible, sufficiently in advance of 

production or disclosure to afford the Party to whom such notice has been given at least three 

business days to take appropriate action, including seeking judicial relief. 

9. Any party who believes that a particular item of Protected Information previously 

designated pursuant to paragraph 4 above is not properly protectable within the meaning of this 

Order shall be free to object at any time. The parties shall attempt to resolve informally any 

objections to the designation of Protected Information. If any Party objects to the designation of 

any Confidential Materials as“CONFIDENTIAL,”that Party shall state the objection by letter to 

counsel for the Party making the designation. The designating party shall then have 15 days in 

which to file a Motion for Protective Order with the Court to protect the disclosure of the 

disclosure of the documents in dispute. The parties may agree in writing to extend this 15 day 

deadline. Until the Court rules on the designating party’s motion, the documents or information 

at issue shall continue to be treated and designated by the parties as“CONFIDENTIAL.” Once the 

Court rules, the confidential nature of the documents or information shall be determined in 

accordance with the Court’sruling. 

10. Nothing in this Order shall be deemed a waiver of any party’sright to seek from 

the Court reduced, different or additional protection with respect to any document or information 

previously designated as Protected Information under this Order or to challenge a party’s use or 

possession of any such document or information. 

11. No party shall be required to object to the designation of any particular document 

or item of information as Protected Information, and failure to make objections at any particular 

time shall not constitute a waiver or otherwise bar a party from objecting at a later date. 

12. This Order shall not abrogate or diminish any party’s contractual, statutory or 

other right or obligation to maintain any information in confidence. 

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13. The fact that a given item of information is or is not Protected Information within 

the meaning of this Order shall not be admissible in evidence or otherwise considered by the trier 

of fact in determining the merits of this case.

13.14. Upon final termination of this action, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by an 

attorney of record for the designating party, the possessor shall destroy or return all documents or 

information designated as Protected Information, including all copies thereof. The possessor of 

the Protected Information may specify whether the documents and information must be 

destroyed or returned. Written confirmation of compliance with this requirement shall be 

provided upon request. This provision shall not bar Defendant from retaining any Protected 

Information which constitutes records that it is required as a corporation to retain under state or 

federal law. 

14. 15. This Protective Order shall not prevent any Party from applying to the Court for 

relief therefrom. 

15. 16. This Protective Order shall not control the use of any evidence during the trial of 

this Action. However, nothing herein shall preclude any Party from seeking the assistance of the 

Court in maintaining the confidential nature of any evidence which is presented at trial. 

16. 17. This Order may not be modified or terminated, in whole or in part, except by 

order of the Court: (i) for good cause shown, or (ii) upon written stipulation of the parties. This 

Order shall survive and remain operative following the termination of this action. 

17. 18. The parties submit this document for the Court’s consideration and approval as an 

Order. It shall not be construed to create a contract between the parties and/or their respective 

counsel. In the event of a dispute regarding the terms of this Order, the parties stipulate and 

agree that no part of this Order shall be construed against either party on the basis of authorship. 

18. 19. By entering into this Confidentiality Stipulation and Protective Order, neither 

party waives any right to withhold from discovery any information on the grounds that the 

information is protectable by or barred from disclosure by privilege, immunity or other 

recognized legal exception to disclosure. 

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IT IS SO STIPULATED AND AGREED: 

DATED: January ___, 2008 EPSTEIN BECKER & GREEN, P.C. 

By: 

Steven R. Blackburn 

Rachel S. Hulst 

Attorneys for Defendant 

WHITEHALL JEWELERS, INC., 

formerly known as Whitehall Jewellers, Inc. 

DATED: January __, 2008 MINAMI TAMAKI LLP 

By: 

Jack W. Lee 

Alex Cleghorn 

Shirin Sinnar 

Attorneys for Plaintiff Shereen Attia 

ORDER GRANTING PROTECTIVE ORDER 

Based on the above stipulation, a Protective Order is granted on the terms and conditions 

set forth above, incorporating the court’s modifications. IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Date: January 17, 2008. 

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Confidentiality Stipulation and Protective Order 

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EXHIBIT A 

AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND BY STIPULATION

AND ORDER REGARDING CONFIDENTIALITY

I, ___________________________, hereby acknowledge that I have read and 

understand the Stipulation and Order Regarding Confidentiality (the“Order”) in the case of 

Shereen Attia v. Whitehall Jewellers, Inc., case number 2:07-CV-01649-FCD-KJM, venued in 

the United States District Court, Eastern District of California, Sacramento Division. I agree to 

comply with all requirements of the Order. This Acknowledgment was executed on 

_____________________, 2008, at _______________________________ California. 

_____________________________________ 

[signature] 

_____________________________________ 

[typed name] 

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