Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01165/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01165-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Professional Bureau of Collections of Maryland, Inc.
Defendant
Shelly Robertson
Plaintiff

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-1- 

[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

A. LOUIS L. DORNY (SBN: 212054)

ldorny@gordonrees.com 

CONNIE K. CHANG (SBN 280377) 

cchang@gordonrees.com

Gordon & Rees LLP 

633 West Fifth Street, 52nd Floor 

Los Angeles, CA 90071 

Telephone: (213) 576-5000 

Facsimile: (213) 680-4470 

Attorneys for Defendant 

Professional Bureau Of Collections Of Maryland, Inc.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SHELLY ROBERTSON, 

Individually and On Behalf of 

All Others Similarly Situated, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

PROFESSIONAL BUREAU OF 

COLLECTIONS OF MARYLAND, 

INC. 

Defendant.

CASE NO. 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB 

[PROPOSED] STIPULATED 

PROTECTIVE ORDER 

[Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)] 

Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c), Plaintiff SHELLY ROBERTSON 

(“Plaintiff”) and Defendant PROFESSIONAL BUREAU OF COLLECTIONS OF 

MARYLAND, INC. (“PBCM”), through counsel undersigned, jointly submit this 

Stipulated Protective Order to govern the handling of information and materials 

produced in the course of discovery or filed with the Court in this action; 

Case 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB Document 13 Filed 09/19/14 Page 1 of 9
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[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

It is the intent of the parties and the Court that information will not be 

designated as confidential for tactical reasons in this case and that nothing be so 

designated without a good faith belief that there is good cause why it should not be 

part of the public record of this case. This Order shall apply to the parties and, 

without limitation, their representatives, experts and consultants, all third-parties 

discovery in this action, and all other interest persons with actual or construct 

notice of this Order. 

1. Overview: Any person or party subject to this Order who receives 

from any other person or party any information of any kind provided in the course 

of discovery in the action (hereinafter “Discovery Material”) that is designated as 

“Confidential” or “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” pursuant to the terms of 

this Order (hereinafter, the “Confidential Information” or “Confidential Discovery 

Material”) shall not disclose such Confidential Information to anyone else except 

as expressly permitted hereunder. 

2. Material Designated As “Confidential”: The person or party 

disclosing or producing any given Discovery Material may designate as 

“Confidential” such portion of such material as the person or party in good faith 

believes includes information that is not available to the public and is confidential, 

proprietary, commercially sensitive, or constitutes a trade secret. The parties 

request protection of such information on the grounds that if disclosed it could be 

harmful to the parties, or any of them, and that said information, if disclosed, could 

be helpful to the competitors of the parties, or any of them, and that said 

information therefore requires special protection from disclosure pursuant to 

F.R.C.P. 26(c). 

3. Disclosure Of “Confidential” Materials: No person or party subject 

to the Order other than the producing person or party shall disclose any of the 

Case 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB Document 13 Filed 09/19/14 Page 2 of 9
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-3- 

[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Discovery Material designated by the producing person or party as “Confidential” 

to any other person whomsoever, except to: 

(a) the parties to this action and Protective Order, including their 

employees and former employees; 

(b) in-house (or corporate) legal counsel, and outside attorneys 

retained specifically for this action, and fellow employees of each 

such attorneys’ law firms to whom it is reasonably necessary to 

disclose such Confidential Discovery Material; 

(c) its author, its addressee, and any other person indicated on the face 

of the document as having received a copy; 

(d) any employee, or former employee, of any sender or recipient of 

 the document; 

(e) any person retained by a party to serve as an expert witness or 

 otherwise providing specialized advice to counsel in connection 

 with this action, provided such person has first executed a Non-

 Disclosure Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A; 

(f) any deponent, provided such person has first executed a NonDisclosure Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A; 

(g)stenographers engaged to transcribe depositions conducted in this 

action and their support personnel; 

(h) the Court and its support personnel; 

(i) any mediator or settlement officer, whom the parties have elected 

or consented to participate in the case; or 

(j) as required by law or court order upon notice to the designating 

party sufficiently in advance of such disclosure to permit it to seek 

a protective order. 

4. Material Designated As “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only”: The 

person or party disclosing or producing any given Discovery Material may 

Case 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB Document 13 Filed 09/19/14 Page 3 of 9
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[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

designate as “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” such portion of such material as 

the person or party in good faith believes contains especially sensitive business, 

financial, or technical information. Such information may include sales figures, 

customers lists, profit and loss calculations, sales projections, production costs, 

marketing costs, overhead costs, business and marketing plans, research and 

development information, and confidential nonpublic contracts. The parties request 

protection of such information on the grounds that said information is not 

ordinarily available to the public, that said information, if disclosed, could be 

especially harmful to the parties, or any of them, and that said information, if 

disclosed, could be helpful to the competitors of the parties, or any of them, and 

that said information therefore requires special protection from disclosure pursuant 

to F.R.C.P. 26(c). 

5. Disclosure Of “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” Material: No 

person or party subject to this Order other than the producing person or party shall 

disclose any of the Discovery Material designated by the producing person or party 

as “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” to any other person whomsoever, except 

to: 

(a) outside attorneys retained specifically for this action, and fellow 

employees of each such attorneys’ law firms to whom it is reasonably 

necessary to disclose such Confidential Discovery Material; 

(b) outside experts and outside consultants (including their employees 

or clerical assistants) who are employed, retained or otherwise 

consulted by a party or its attorneys for the purpose of analyzing data, 

conducting studies or providing opinions to assist, in any way, in this 

litigation and to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose such 

Confidential Discovery Material, provided such person has first 

executed a Non-Disclosure Agreement in the form attached hereto as 

Exhibit A; 

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[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

(c) the party producing said documents and persons affiliated with the 

party producing said documents, including the producing party’s 

employees and former employees (provided such former employee 

has first executed a Non-Disclosure Agreement in the form attached 

hereto as Exhibit A), during the time they are testifying in deposition 

or at trial, or in connection with written discovery requests; 

(d) Any employee of any sender or recipient of the document; 

(e) stenographers engaged to transcribe depositions conducted in this 

action; 

(f) the Court and its support personnel; 

(g) any mediator or settlement officer, whom the parties have elected 

or consented to participate in the case; or 

(h) as required by law or court order upon notice to the designating 

party sufficiently in advance of such disclosure to permit it to seek a 

protective order. 

6. Deposition Transcripts: With respect to the Confidential portion(s) 

of any Discovery material other than deposition transcripts and exhibits, the 

producing person or party or that person’s or party’s counsel may designate such 

portion(s) as “Confidential” or “Confidential /Attorneys’ Eyes Only” by stamping 

or otherwise clearly marking as “Confidential” or “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes 

Only” the protected portion(s) in a manner that will not interfere with its legibility 

or audibility. With respect to deposition transcripts and exhibits, a producing 

person or party or that person or party’s counsel may indicate on the record that a 

question calls for Confidential Information, in which case the transcript of the 

designated testimony shall be bound in a separate volume and marked 

“Confidential Information Governed by Protective Order” by the reporter. 

7. Documents Under Seal: The designation of documents or 

information as “Confidential” or “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” creates no 

Case 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB Document 13 Filed 09/19/14 Page 5 of 9
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-6- 

[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

entitlement to file such documents or information under seal. Civil Local Rule 79-

5 141 sets forth the procedures that must be followed and reflects the standards that 

will be applied when a party seeks permission from the court to file materials 

under seal. 

8. Separate Non-Disclosure Agreements: Prior to any disclosure of 

any Confidential Discovery Material to any person referred to in paragraph 3e, 3f, 

5b, 5c (as to former employees only) or 5d above, such person shall be provided by 

counsel with a copy of this Protective Order and shall sign a Non-Disclosure 

Agreement in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A. Said counsel shall retain each 

signed Non-Disclosure Agreement, and upon request produce it to opposing 

counsel either prior to such person being permitted to testify (at deposition or trial). 

9. Failure To Designate: If at any time prior to the trial of this action, a

producing person or party realizes that some portion(s) of Discovery Material that 

that person or party previously produced without limitation, or without adequate 

limitation, should be designated as “Confidential” or “Confidential /Attorneys’ 

Eyes Only”, that person or party may so designate by so apprising all parties in 

writing, and providing said parties with appropriately marked copies of said 

Discovery Material, where possible, and such designated portion(s) of the 

Discovery Material will thereafter be treated as “Confidential” or 

“Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” under the terms of this Order. 

10. Designations In Good Faith: “Confidential” or 

“‘Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” material shall only include information 

which the designating party in good faith believes will, if disclosed, have the effect 

of causing harm to its competitive position. “Confidential” or 

“Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” material shall not include information that (a) 

was, is or becomes public knowledge, not in violation of this Protective Order or 

any other obligation of confidentiality, or (b) was or is acquired from a third party 

having no direct or indirect obligation of confidentiality to the designating party. 

Case 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB Document 13 Filed 09/19/14 Page 6 of 9
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-7- 

[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

11. Objections To Designations: Any party who either objects to any 

designation of confidentiality, or who, by contrast, requests still further limits on 

disclosure (such as in camera review in extraordinary circumstances), may at any 

time prior to the trial of this action serve upon counsel for the designating person 

or party a written notice stating with particularity the grounds of the objection or 

request. If agreement cannot be reached promptly, counsel for the objecting party 

may seek appropriate relief from the Court in accordance with F.R.C.P 37 and the 

party asserting confidentiality shall have the burden of proving same. If a party 

disagrees with or challenges the grounds or basis for the designation of any 

document or information as Confidential Material, that party nevertheless shall 

treat and protect such material as Confidential Material in accordance with this 

Protective Order unless and until all involved parties shall have agreed in writing, 

or an order of the Court shall have been entered, that provides that such challenged 

Confidential Material may be used or disclosed in a manner different from that 

specified for Confidential Material in this Protective Order. 

12. Use At Trial: Documents designated “Confidential” or 

“Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” may be used by any party without limitation 

at trial. However, any party who wishes to have such documents treated as 

“Confidential” or “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” may renew its request for 

confidentiality before the trial judge at the status conference, through a motion in 

limine and/or as may be otherwise permitted by the court. 

13. Continuing Jurisdiction: This Court shall retain jurisdiction over all 

persons subject to this Order to the extent necessary to enforce any obligations 

arising hereunder or to impose sanctions for any contempt thereof. 

14. Obligations Upon Termination Of Litigation: This Protective 

Order shall survive the termination of the litigation. Within 30 days of the final 

disposition of this action, including all appeals, all Discovery Materials designated 

as “Confidential” or “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” and all copies thereof, 

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-8- 

[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

that have not been annotated, illuminated or otherwise “marked-up” shall be 

promptly returned to the producing person or party (at the producing person’s 

expense) if requested in writing by the producing party, or shall be destroyed. All 

documents marked “Confidential” or “Confidential/Attorneys’ Eyes Only” that 

have been annotated, illuminated or otherwise “marked-up” shall not be returned, 

but shall be destroyed. 

15. Further Modifications: Any party to this action, and any third party 

producer may, at any time, request the modification of this Protective Order, upon 

a noticed motion, unless emergency relief is appropriate, and upon a showing of 

good cause. 

Dated: September 16, 2014 GORDON & REES LLP 

By: /s/ Connie K. Chang A. Louis L. Dorny 

Connie K. Chang 

Attorneys for Defendant 

PROFESSIONAL BUREAU OF 

COLLECTIONS OF 

MARYLAND, INC.

Dated: September 16, 2014 

 By: /s/ Nicholas Bontrager Todd Friedman 

 Nicholas Bontrager 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff SHELLY ROBERTSON 

ORDER 

 Good cause appearing, the Court hereby approves this Stipulation, and 

 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: September 19, 2014.

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[PROPOSED] STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER

Exhibit A 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SHELLY ROBERTSON, 

Individually and On Behalf of 

All Others Similarly Situated, 

Plaintiff, 

vs. 

PROFESSIONAL BUREAU OF 

COLLECTIONS OF MARYLAND, 

INC. 

Defendant.

CASE NO. 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE 

ORDER 

[Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)] 

The undersigned hereby acknowledges that he/she has read the 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER entered in the above captioned litigation, 

and that he/she fully understands and agrees to abide by the obligations and 

conditions thereof. 

Dated: (Signature) 

(Print Name) 

1097317/20748830v.1 

Case 2:14-cv-01165-TLN-EFB Document 13 Filed 09/19/14 Page 9 of 9