Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00783/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00783-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Brannon Harper-Kent
Defendant
Mikuni Midtown, Ltd.
Defendant
Nicole Wong
Plaintiff

Document Text:

ELIZABETH ISON, State Bar No. 138382

THE ISON LAW GROUP

3220 M Street

Sacramento, CA 95816-5231

Telephone: (916) 492-6555

Facsimile: (916) 492-6556

Email: eison@theisonlawgroup.com

Attorney for Defendant

MIKUNI MIDTOWN, LTD., a California

corporation

JOHNNY L. GRIFFIN, III, State Bar #118694

VICTORIA M. CIGANDA, State Bar #215719

LAW OFFICES JOHNNY L. GRIFFIN III

1010 F Street, Suite 200

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 444-5557

Attorneys for Plaintiff

NICOLE WONG

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

NICOLE WONG,

Plaintiff,

v.

MIKUNI MIDTOWN, LTD., a corporation;

BRANNON HARPER-KENT; and DOES I

through XX, inclusive,

Defendant.

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CASE NO.: 2:07-CV-00783-GEB-GGH

STIPULATION AND PROTECTIVE

ORDER 

GOOD CAUSE FOR THIS ORDER: The above-entitled action involves employment

claims, including claims of sexual harassment. In connection with this action, Plaintiff Nicole

Wong (“Plaintiff”) and Defendant Mikuni Midtown, Ltd. (“Defendant”) either have sought

information or anticipate seeking information that includes confidential personnel and personal

information, proprietary business information, financial information and/or other confidential

information. The parties have good cause to protect the confidentiality of this information and, to

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the extent such information is relevant to this case, it is entitled to special protection from

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

WHEREAS, Plaintiff and Defendant, having stipulated to the following provisions herein

and having requested that the Court issue a protective order pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c) to

protect the confidentiality of nonpublic information that may need to be disclosed to adversary

parties in connection with discovery in this case, and the parties having consented to the form of

this Order, and the Court having found that good cause exists for issuance of an appropriately

tailored confidentiality order governing the pretrial phase of this action;

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that any person or party subject to this Order -- including

without limitation the parties to this action, their representatives, agents, experts and consultants,

all third parties providing discovery in this action, and all other interested persons with actual or

constructive notice of this Order -- shall adhere to the following terms:

1. This Order shall govern the production, disclosure, maintenance and use of all

information deemed confidential or proprietary by either Plaintiff or Defendant (hereinafter

“Confidential Information”).

2. Confidential Information shall include any document, transcribed testimony or

response to a discovery request, including any extract, abstract, chart, summary, note or copy

made therefrom, that is designated by Plaintiff or Defendant as containing proprietary business

information or financial information, personnel or personal information and/or trade secrets.

3. Such documents produced or information may be designated as “Confidential” in

the following manner:

a. By imprinting the word “Confidential” on the first page or cover of any

document produced;

b. By imprinting the word “Confidential” next to or above any response to a

discovery request;

c. With respect to transcribed testimony, by giving written notice to opposing

counsel designating such portions as “Confidential” no later than ten days after receipt of the

transcribed testimony; and

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d. With respect to records produced to either Plaintiff or Defendant by a third

party (such as medical records produced pursuant to subpoena), by giving written notice to

opposing counsel identifying such documents with specificity and designating such documents as

“Confidential” no later than ten days after receipt of documents.

4. All documents and information designated as “Confidential” shall be subject to the

following restrictions:

a. They shall be used only for the purpose of this litigation and not for any

business or other purposes whatsoever;

b. They shall not be communicated or disclosed in any manner, either directly

or indirectly, to anyone other than:

(1) The court and stenographers transcribing the testimony or argument

at hearing, trial, deposition or post-trial motions in this action or any appeal therefrom;

(2) Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s respective counsel in this action and

attorneys, clerical, paralegal and secretarial staff regularly employed by Plaintiff’s and

Defendant’s counsel;

(3) Plaintiff and Defendant, provided that each signs a declaration in the

form attached hereto as Exhibit A agreeing to be bound by this Protective Order;

(4) Experts consulted by Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s counsel in

connection with this action, but only to the extent necessary to assist Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s

counsel in the prosecution of this litigation, and provided that each such expert sign a declaration

in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A agreeing to be bound by this Protective Order and

consenting to the jurisdiction of the Court;

(5) Deponents during the course of their depositions; and

(6) Such other persons as the Court may specifically approve after

notice and hearing, but only subject to any terms or conditions imposed by the Court and provided

that each such person sign a declaration in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A agreeing to be

bound by this Protective Order and consenting to the jurisdiction of the Court.

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5. This Protective Order shall not apply to any person or entity indicated on the face

of the documents to be its originator, author, or recipient of a copy thereof.

6. Individuals authorized to review Confidential Information pursuant to this

Protective Order shall hold such information in the strictest confidence and shall not divulge the

information, either verbally or in writing, to any other person, entity or government agency unless

ordered to do so by a court of law.

7. No copies of Confidential Information shall be made except by or on behalf of

Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s counsel in this litigation.

8. All documents and information identified as “Confidential,” including all extracts,

abstracts, charts, summaries, notes or copies made therefrom, must be retained in the custody of

counsel or other persons authorized by this Protective Order during the pendency of this litigation,

with the exception of copies loaned to expert witnesses or lodged with the arbitrator, court, or a

court of appeal.

9. In the event that Plaintiff or Defendant shall desire to provide access to information

or documents identified as “Confidential” hereunder to any person or category of persons not

identified above, he or she shall move the Court for an order that such a person or category of

persons may be given access to the information. In the event that the motion is granted, such

person or category of persons may have access to the information; but only subject to any terms or

conditions imposed by the Court, and provided that such person or persons sign a declaration in

the form attached hereto as Exhibit A agreeing to be bound by this Protective Order and

consenting to the jurisdiction of the Court.

10. Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s counsel shall be responsible for taking reasonable steps

to assure compliance with the terms of this Protective Order and for obtaining the prior agreement

to be bound by the terms of the Protective Order from all qualified recipients to whom any

Confidential Information is disclosed in accordance with this Protective Order.

11. If Plaintiff or Defendant objects to the claim that certain information should be

deemed Confidential, he, she, or it shall inform the other Plaintiff and Defendant in writing that

the information should not be so deemed, and the parties shall attempt first to resolve such dispute

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in good faith and on an informal basis. If the parties are unable to resolve their dispute, the

objecting party shall present a motion to the Court objecting to such status or the objection is

waived. The information shall continue to have Confidential status during the pendency of any

such motion.

12. The termination of this action shall not relieve Plaintiff and Defendant and persons

obligated hereunder from their responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of information

designated Confidential pursuant to this Order, and the Court shall retain continuing jurisdiction to

enforce the terms of this Protective Order.

13. By agreeing to the entry of this Protective Order, the parties hereto adopt no

position as to the admissibility of documents produced subject to this Protective Order.

14. Nothing in this Protective Order shall preclude any party from filing a motion

seeking further or different protection from the Court, or from filing a motion with respect to the

manner in which Confidential Information shall be treated at trial, provided good cause for such

protection or orders is shown by the moving party.

Dated:August 8, 2007 LAW OFFICES OF JOHNNY L. GRIFFIN,

III

/s/ Victoria M. Ciganda

(as authorized on August 8, 2007)

Victoria M. Ciganda

Attorney for Plaintiff

NICOLE WONG

Dated: August 8, 2007 THE ISON LAW GROUP

/s/ Elizabeth R. Ison

Elizabeth R. Ison

Attorney for Defendant

MIKUNI MIDTOWN, LTD.

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ORDER **

The Protective Order and its provisions as detailed hereinabove is hereby entered and shall

from this point forward control all parties to this action by and through its terms.

Dated: 8/21/07

/s/ Gregory G. Hollows

United States Magistrate Judge

** (1) This protective order does not apply to court personnel insofar as court

authorized actions may violate the literal terms of this order.

(2) This order does not relieve the parties from seeking permission to file material

under seal according to the local rules of this court and general law.

Wong.ord

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EXHIBIT A

DECLARATION

I, ________________________, declare under penalty of perjury the following:

1. I have read the Stipulated Protective Order (the “Protective Order”) that has

been entered in Wong v. Mikuni Midtown Ltd., et al., United States District Court, Eastern

District of California Case No. 2:07-CV-00783-GEB-GGH (“action”).

2. I promise that I will not divulge to anyone, or undertake to divulge to

anyone, any information shown to me that is designated as Confidential and/or Privileged in the

manner described in the Protective Order. I will not use such Confidential and/or Privileged

Information for any purpose other than in connection with the action.

3. For the purposes of enforcing the terms of the Protective Order, I hereby

submit myself to the jurisdiction of the Court in the action.

Executed this _____ day of ___________, 2007, in Sacramento, California.

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