IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO

Civil Action No.: 11-cv-02364-REB-MEH

KANDACE OLSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

NE COLORADO CELLULAR, INC.,

Defendant.

_____________________________________________________________________________ 

PROTECTIVE ORDER

_____________________________________________________________________________

The Court, upon joint motion of the Parties for entry of a Protective Order pursuant to Rule

26(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure concerning the treatment of Confidential Information

DOES ORDER:

1. Entry of this Protective Order is proper to protect against the use or disclosure of

Confidential Information outside the scope of this litigation which could result in significant injury

to business or privacy interests of one or more of the Parties or of non-parties. 

2. “Confidential Information” means any document, file, portions of files, transcribed

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

or copy made therefrom - not made available to the public - and designated by one of the Parties in

the manner provided in paragraph 3 below as containing confidential personnel information,

confidential medical information, confidential financial information, information subject to

confidentiality obligations owed to third parties, or other confidential information. Any information

designated by a party as confidential must first be reviewed by a lawyer whose designation of the

information as confidential shall constitute the lawyer’s certification that the designation is based

Case 1:11-cv-02364-REB-MEH Document 11 Filed 11/22/11 USDC Colorado Page 1 of 7
on a good faith belief that the information is confidential or otherwise entitled to protection under

Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)(7).

3. Where Confidential Information is produced, provided or otherwise disclosed by a

Party in response to any discovery request, it will be designated 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; and

c. With respect to transcribed testimony by deposition or otherwise, by giving

written notice to opposing counsel designating such portions as “Confidential” no later than ten

calendar days after receipt of the transcribed testimony, or by placing an appropriate statement on

the record during a deposition.

4. All Confidential Information provided by a Party in response to a discovery request

or transcribed testimony shall be subject to the following restrictions:

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

or other purpose whatsoever;

b. It shall not be communicated or disclosed by any Party’s counsel or a Party

in any manner, either directly or indirectly, to anyone except for purposes of this case and unless an

affidavit in the form of Exhibit A has been signed. 

Case 1:11-cv-02364-REB-MEH Document 11 Filed 11/22/11 USDC Colorado Page 2 of 7
5. Individuals authorized to review Confidential Information pursuant to this Protective

Order shall include: (1) counsel for the parties and staff employed by counsel and assisting with the

litigation; (2) named parties, and representatives of the corporate defendant assisting with the

litigation; (3) expert witnesses retained by the parties; and (4) witnesses to whom Confidential

Information is disclosed for purposes of testimony at deposition or trial or preparation for such

testimony. All such qualified recipients shall hold Confidential Information in confidence and shall

not divulge the Confidential Information, either verbally or in writing, to any other person, entity

or government agency unless authorized to do so by court order.

6. The Party’s counsel who discloses Confidential Information shall be responsible for

assuring compliance with the terms of this Protective Order with respect to persons to whom such

Confidential Information is disclosed and shall obtain and retain the original affidavits signed by

qualified recipients of Confidential Information, and shall maintain a list of all persons to whom any

Confidential Information is disclosed.

7. During the pendency of this action, opposing counsel may upon court order or

agreement of the parties inspect the list maintained by counsel pursuant to paragraph 6 above upon

a showing of substantial need in order to establish the source of an unauthorized disclosure of

Confidential Information and that opposing counsel are unable otherwise to identify the source of

the disclosure. If counsel disagrees with opposing counsel’s showing of substantial need, then

counsel may seek a court order requiring inspection under terms and conditions deemed appropriate

by the Court.

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

counsel in this litigation and such copies shall be made and used solely for purposes of this

litigation.

Case 1:11-cv-02364-REB-MEH Document 11 Filed 11/22/11 USDC Colorado Page 3 of 7
9. During the pendency of this litigation, counsel shall retain custody of Confidential

Information, and copies made therefrom pursuant to paragraph 8 above.

10. A party may object to the designation of particular Confidential information by

giving written notice to the party designating the disputed information. The written notice shall

identify the information to which the objection is made. If the parties cannot resolve the objection

within ten (10) business days after the time the notice is received, it shall be the obligation of the

party designating the information as Confidential to file an appropriate motion requesting that the

court determine whether the disputed information should be subject to the terms of this Protective

Order. If such a motion is timely filed, the disputed information shall be treated as Confidential

under the terms of this Protective Order until the Court rules on the motion. If the designating party

fails to file such a motion within the prescribed time, the disputed information shall lose its

designation as Confidential and shall not thereafter be treated as Confidential in accordance with this

Protective Order. In connection with a motion filed under this provision, the party designating the

information as Confidential shall bear the burden of establishing that good cause exists for the

disputed information to be treated as Confidential. The parties shall comply with D.C. Colo. LCivR

7.2 and 7.3.

11. In the event Confidential Information is used in any court filing or proceeding in this

action, including but not limited to its use at trial, it shall not lose its confidential status as between

the parties through such use. A party wishing to file or use in court any information designated as

Confidential Information by the opposing party shall first confer with counsel for the designating

party. If the designating party refuses to allow the information to be filed except under seal, the

filing party shall file a motion requesting leave to file documents under seal pursuant to this

Case 1:11-cv-02364-REB-MEH Document 11 Filed 11/22/11 USDC Colorado Page 4 of 7
Protective Order, and it shall then be the burden of the designating party to demonstrate that the

Confidential Information at issue is entitled to protection. 

12. The termination of this action shall not relieve counsel or other persons obligated

hereunder from their responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of Confidential Information

pursuant to this Protective 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 adopt no position as to

the authenticity or admissibility of documents produced subject to it.

14. Upon termination of this litigation, including any appeals, each Party’s counsel shall,

if requested by the producing party, immediately either destroy or return to the producing party all

Confidential Information provided subject to this Protective Order, and all extracts, abstracts, charts,

summaries, notes or copies made therefrom. Upon request of the producing party, counsel shall also

provide to the producing party the list of individuals who have received Confidential Information

which counsel shall have maintained pursuant to paragraph 6 herein, and verification that any

Confidential Information has been destroyed or returned to the producing party.

15. Nothing in this Protective Order shall preclude any Party from filing a motion seeking

further or different protection from the Court under Rule 26(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure, or from filing a motion with respect to the manner in which Confidential Information

shall be treated at trial.

Case 1:11-cv-02364-REB-MEH Document 11 Filed 11/22/11 USDC Colorado Page 5 of 7
Dated this 22nd day of November, 2011, in Denver, Colorado.

BY THE COURT:

Michael E. Hegarty

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 1:11-cv-02364-REB-MEH Document 11 Filed 11/22/11 USDC Colorado Page 6 of 7
EXHIBIT A

AFFIDAVIT

STATE OF COLORADO )

) ss.

COUNTY OF )

___________________, swears or affirms and states under penalty of perjury:

1. I have read the Protective Order in Kandace Olson v. NE Colorado Cellular, Inc.,

Civil Action No. 2011-cv-02364-REB-MEH.

2. I have been informed by ________________, counsel for __________________,

that the materials described in the list attached to this Affidavit are Confidential Information as

defined in the Protective Order.

3. I promise that I have not and will not divulge, or undertake to divulge to any

person or recording device any Confidential Information shown or told to me except as

authorized in the Protective Order. I will not use the Confidential Information for any purpose

other than this litigation.

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

myself to the jurisdiction of the court in the civil action referenced above.

5. I will abide by the terms of the Protective Order.

(Signature)

(Print or Type Name)

Address:

Telephone No.: ( )

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this _____ day of _____________, 2011, by

_________________________.

WITNESS my hand and official seal.

Notary Public

 [S E A L] My Commission Expires: 

Case 1:11-cv-02364-REB-MEH Document 11 Filed 11/22/11 USDC Colorado Page 7 of 7