Opinion ID: 895162
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Is Mandamus Appropriate?

Text: Mandamus relief is available when the trial court compels production beyond the permissible bounds of discovery. See Am. Optical, 988 S.W.2d at 714 (no adequate appellate remedy existed where the trial court ordered overly broad discovery). Intrusive discovery measures  such as ordering direct access to an opponent's electronic storage device  require, at a minimum, that the benefits of the discovery measure outweigh the burden imposed upon the discovered party. TEX.R. CIV. P. 196.4, 192.4. In re Prudential Ins. Co. of Am., 148 S.W.3d 124, 135-36 (Tex.2004). If an appellate court cannot remedy a trial court's discovery error, then an adequate appellate remedy does not exist. In re Dana Corp., 138 S.W.3d 298, 301 (Tex.2004). In this case, HFG failed to make the good-cause showing necessary to justify the trial court's order. The harm Weekley will suffer from being required to relinquish control of the Employees' hard drives for forensic inspection, and the harm that might result from revealing private conversations, trade secrets, and privileged or otherwise confidential communications, cannot be remedied on appeal. See Walker v. Packer, 827 S.W.2d 833, 843 (Tex.1992) (noting that a party will not have an adequate remedy by appeal when a trial court's order imposes a burden on the producing party far out of proportion to any benefit that may obtain to the requesting party) (citing Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. Ramirez, 824 S.W.2d 558 (Tex. 1992)); Gen. Motors Corp. v. Lawrence, 651 S.W.2d 732, 733 (Tex.1983). Accordingly, Weekley is entitled to mandamus relief.