UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
TEXARKANA DIVISION
THE STATE OF TEXAS,
Plaintiff,
v.
THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY; R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY; BROWN & WILLIAMSON TOBACCO CORPORATION; B.A.T. INDUSTRIES, P.L.C.; PHILIP MORRIS, INC.; LIGGETT GROUP, INC.; LORILLARD TOBACCO COMPANY, INC.; UNITED STATES TOBACCO COMPANY; HILL & KNOWLTON, INC.; THE COUNCIL FOR TOBACCO RESEARCH - USA, INC. (Successor to Tobacco Institute Research Committee); and THE TOBACCO INSTITUTE, INC.
Defendants.
Civil Action No. 5:96CV91
JUDGE: DAVID G. FOLSOM
MAGISTRATE JUDGE: WENDELL C. RADFORD
JURY
CONFIDENTIALITY ORDER
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:
1. This Confidentiality Order ("Confidentiality Order") shall
govern the use and dissemination of all information or material designated
as Confidential or Highly Confidential produced in this action after the
date of this Order. For production after the date of this Order, this Order
supersedes and replaces the Confidentiality Order entered in this action
on November 14, 1996.
2. The term "document" or "documents" shall have the
same meaning as "writings and recordings" as defined in Fed.
R. Evid. 1001(1).
3. "Trade Secrets" are defined for purposes of this Order as
documents or information not in the public domain, or otherwise publicly
available, that constitute information so proprietary and competitively
sensitive that its disclosure to a competitor would cause competitive injury
to the disclosing party.
4. Given the State of Texas? legitimate interest in the health and safety
of its citizens and residents however, notwithstanding any other provision
in this Order, Defendants shall not designate portions of any documents
or other information identifying any ingredient of cigarettes or other
tobacco products produced by Defendants which are either (a) reasonably
known to be, reasonably believed to be, or reasonably suspected to be harmful
to animals or humans or (b) suggested to be harmful to animals or humans
in documents or other information generated by a Defendant. Likewise, no
portion of any document or other information pertaining to the health effects
of nicotine, nicotine analogs or smoke constituents shall be designated
or considered Confidential or Highly Confidential. In the event a document
contains both (1) information designated Confidential or Highly Confidential
under this Order and (2) information not entitled to confidentiality, the
dissemination of only that information entitled to confidentiality pursuant
to this Order is restricted.
Confidential Information
5. Any party to this action or other person who produces or supplies information,
documents or other tangible items for use in this action in the course
of discovery (hereinafter the "Designating Party" or the "Producing
Party") may designate as "Confidential" documents or information
generated by it that it reasonably and in good faith believes constitutes
or contains true Trade Secrets, personnel information afforded confidentiality
by the laws of foreign countries, information about employees that violates
their personal privacy rights, and information about lobbying activities
that may have protection under the 1st Amendment of the Constitution
of the United States. However, documents that have been or are hereafter,
produced in other litigation that either (a) are not designated as confidential
in that litigation or (b) are not otherwise subject to restrictions on
use or disclosure in that litigation shall not be designated or considered
Confidential in this action. Likewise, documents that are publicly available
or in the public domain shall not be designated or considered Confidential
information.
6. Documents, information and other tangible items, if Confidential,
shall be so marked: "CONFIDENTIAL ? SUBJECT TO CONFIDENTIALITY
ORDER IN CIVIL ACTION NO. 5:96CV91, U.S.D.C., EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
- TEXARKANA DIVISION."
7. Confidential information shall not be disclosed other than as expressly
authorized in this Confidentiality Order and may be disclosed only to:
a. This Court and its personnel.
b. Other courts in which cases involving issues similar to those in this
case.
c. A deponent, but only during the course of a deposition, unless otherwise
provided in this Order.
d. Counsel of record in this litigation (public and private) and their
staffs.
e. Any consultant, investigator or expert (collectively, "Consultant")
who is assisting in the preparation and trial of this litigation, but only
to the extent counsel in good faith believes reasonably necessary to enable
the Consultant to render assistance.
f. Counsel of record (and staffs) in any other lawsuit involving issues
similar to those in this case; provided that prior to disclosure, each
attorney or staff member shall execute the Confidentiality Agreement attached
hereto as Exhibit A ("Confidentiality Agreement A"). These attorneys
and staff shall not further disclose Confidential information in another
lawsuit except as provided herein or as allowed by further order of this
Court. An order to that effect will issue if a confidentiality order providing
adequate protection of Confidential information is entered in the other
litigation.
g. A court reporter, after he has executed Confidentiality Agreement A.
h. Witnesses, potential witnesses, and persons who have had previous access
to the Confidential material, provided that prior to disclosure, he executes
Confidentiality Agreement A.
i. Any governmental or law enforcement agency conducting official business,
including but not limited to the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Center for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration,
Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and counsel for units
of local government.
8. If a party wishes to disclose information designated Confidential pursuant
to this Order to any person not described in paragraph 7, permission to
disclose must be requested in writing from the Designating Party. If the
Designating Party objects to the proposed disclosure in writing and files
an appropriated motion with the Court within 5 days of being notified of
the anticipated disclosure, no further disclosure may be made until the
Court rules on the motion.
9. Any person to whom Confidential information may be disclosed pursuant
to Paragraphs 7 and 8, except this Court, its personnel, counsel of record
and their staff, shall first be shown and read a copy of this Confidentiality
Order and agree in writing to be bound by its terms by signing a copy of
Confidentiality Agreement A. Counsel for the party obtaining the person's
signature on the Confidentiality Agreement will retain the original signed
agreement.
10. Where any Confidential information is included in any papers filed
with the Court, this information shall be marked "CONFIDENTIAL
? PROTECTIVE ORDER" and placed in a sealed envelope marked with
the caption of the case and held under seal in accordance with the local
rules and practices of this Court for sealed pleadings and documents.
Highly Confidential Information
5. Any party to this action or other person who produces or supplies information,
documents or other tangible items for use in this action in the course
of discovery ("Designating Party" or "Producing Party")
may designate as "Highly Confidential," only (a) information
it has generated that has current applicability and (b) which concerns
product formulas, specifications, recipes, manufacturing processes, new
product or technological developments, and business and marketing plans
and methods, which it reasonably and in good faith believes is so proprietary
and competitively sensitive that its disclosure to competitors or the public
at large would cause irreparable competitive injury. Notwithstanding any
other provision, however, documents and information that have been or are
hereafter produced in other litigation which are not entitled to confidentiality
in that litigation, or that are not otherwise subject to restrictions on
use or disclosure in that litigation, shall not be designated or considered
Highly Confidential in this action. Likewise, documents that are publicly
available or in the public domain shall not be designated or considered
Highly Confidential information.
6. The designation of information, if Highly Confidential, shall be made
by marking the document or material: "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL ? SUBJECT
TO CONFIDENTIALITY ORDER IN CIVIL ACTION NO. 5:96CV91, U.S.D.C., EASTERN
DISTRICT OF TEXAS - TEXARKANA DIVISION."
7. Only portions of depositions that contain Highly Confidential information
may be designated Highly Confidential by counsel for the Designating Party
by written page and line number designation served on Administrative Liaison
Counsel for the opposing party within 10 days after receiving the transcript
of the deposition.
11. Highly Confidential Information shall not be disclosed other than as
expressly authorized in this Confidentiality Order and may be disclosed
only as follows:
a. This Court and its personnel.
b. Other courts in which cases involving issues similar to those in this
case.
c. Three attorneys associated with each private law firm of record representing
the party seeking discovery and four attorneys from the Attorney General's
Office ("Designated Attorneys").
d. The attorney general and one private attorney representing a party to
any other lawsuit involving issues similar to those in this case. Prior
to disclosure to persons under Paragraph 14(d), each attorney shall execute,
file with this Court, and serve on Administrative Liaison Counsel the Confidentiality
Agreement A. These attorneys shall not further disclose Highly Confidential
information in another lawsuit except as provided herein or as allowed
by further order of this Court. An order to that effect will issue if a
confidentiality order providing adequate protection of Highly Confidential
information is entered in the other litigation.
e. Any governmental or law enforcement agency conducting official business,
including but not limited to the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Center for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration,
Federal Trade Commission, state attorneys general, and counsel for units
of local government.
f. Paragraph 10 of this Order shall apply to any disclosure to the Court
of Highly Confidential information, but the cover page of the filed document
shall be marked: "HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION ? DISSEMINATION
RESTRICTED BY COURT ORDER." Other than Designated Attorneys (defined
herein), Designated Co-Counsel (defined in paragraph 14(h)), and counsel
for the Designating Party, counsel shall not be served with copies of court
filings of Highly Confidential Information, but instead shall have access
solely in accordance with paragraph 14.
g. Highly Confidential information shall be produced directly to the custody
of one of the private Designated Attorneys. Highly Confidential information
shall be maintained in a locked filing cabinet within a locked and otherwise
reasonably secure room at the Designated Attorney's law offices. Highly
Confidential information shall not be removed from the secure room for
review except where reasonable security measures are taken to prevent unauthorized
disclosure. Access to the secure room shall be restricted to Designated
Attorneys and their staff (to the extent necessary to process the information)
and Consultants authorized, in accordance with paragraph 14(i) to have
access to Highly Confidential information.
h. Outside counsel for co-defendants of a Designating Party shall have
access to Highly Confidential information only after it has been designated
for use as a deposition exhibit or submitted to the Court as an exhibit.
Such access shall be limited to three attorneys from each firm of record
representing the co-defendant ("Designated Co-Counsel"). Designated
Co-Counsel must execute Confidentiality Agreement A and shall maintain
Highly Confidential information as described in paragraph 14. Absent further
order of the Court, Designated Co-Counsel shall not further disclose Highly
Confidential information.
i. Disclosure of Highly Confidential information may be made to Consultants
who are actively assisting in the preparation and trial of this action.
Prior to disclosing any Highly Confidential information to any Consultant:
(1) Counsel for the party contemplating such disclosure shall determine
that (i) disclosure to a Consultant of particular Highly Confidential information
is, in that counsel's good faith judgment, reasonably necessary to that
party's prosecution of the case, (ii) the Consultant is not, and is not
believed to intend to become, affiliated with or employed by any entity
that is or intends to be in the cigarette or tobacco business or in the
business of supplying ingredients or machinery used in the manufacture
of cigarettes or other tobacco products, and (iii) counsel has no knowledge
that the Consultant has previously violated any confidentiality agreement
or order.
(2) Prior to disclosure, each Consultant must execute the Confidentiality
Agreement annexed hereto as Exhibit B ("Confidentiality Agreement
B").
15. Without further order of the Court, a party may use Highly Confidential
information in deposing (a) individuals who are or were eligible to have
access to the Highly Confidential information by virtue of their employment
with the Designating Party, or (b) a Consultant (who has executed Confidentiality
Agreement B and meets the conditions of Paragraph 14(i)). In these circumstances,
at least 5 days before the deposition, counsel noticing the deposition
shall notify counsel for the Designating Party of the fact that Highly
Confidential information may be used at deposition. The identifying information
shall not include the substance of the Highly Confidential information.
The Designated Attorneys may personally remove the document or material
from the secure room to a nearby copying station and make one copy of the
Highly Confidential Information for transport to the location of the deposition.
The original must be returned to and kept in the secure room and the copy
must either be destroyed after the conclusion of the deposition or, if
it is made a deposition exhibit, it shall be placed in a sealed envelope,
marked in accordance with Paragraph 14(f).
16. No one may attend the portions of a deposition or review the transcripts
of the portions of any deposition during which Highly Confidential information
is shown or discussed, other than those identified in Paragraph 14, counsel
for the Designating Party, Designated Co-Counsel, the deponent and counsel
for the deponent (provided deponent and deponent's counsel have previously
executed the Confidentiality Agreement A).
17. If a Designating Party wishes to designate portions of depositions
as Highly Confidential, it must advise the court reporter at the conclusion
of the deposition that Highly Confidential information was disclosed during
the deposition and, within 10 days of receiving the deposition transcript,
shall advise the court reporter in writing of the pages and lines in which
Highly Confidential information allegedly appears. The portions of any
deposition transcript so designated and any Highly Confidential documents
that are marked as exhibits, shall be treated as Highly Confidential unless
the Court orders otherwise. Transcript pages and exhibits containing Highly
Confidential information shall be distributed only to those identified
in Paragraph 14. Pending designation of the portions of depositions as
provided in this paragraph, the entire deposition shall be treated as Highly
Confidential and no portion of the deposition shall be disclosed to third
parties.
18. Any presentation of Highly Confidential information to the Court prior
to trial shall be made in the presence of only the presiding officer, an
authorized court reporter (who, unless the reporter is an employee of the
U. S. government, shall have executed Confidentiality Agreement A), Designated
Attorneys, counsel and/or other representatives of the Designating Party,
and Designated Co-counsel, or as the Court may otherwise order.
General Provisions
19. Except to the extent authorized in this Confidentiality Order, neither
Confidential nor Highly Confidential information shall be used or disclosed
for any purpose other than the preparation and trial and appeal of this
case.
20. Any summary, compilation, copy, electronic image or database containing
Confidential or Highly Confidential information shall be subject to the
terms of this Confidentiality Order to the same extent as the material
or information from which such summary, compilation, copy, electronic image
or database is made or derived.
21. This Confidentiality Order precludes a party from objecting to the
disclosure of trade secrets, Confidential and Highly Confidential information
as defined in this Order, on the bases that the documents or information
contain (a) Trade Secrets (b) confidential research, development, or commercial
information, (c) personnel information afforded confidentiality by the
laws of foreign countries, (d) information about employees that allegedly
violates their personal privacy rights, and (e) information about lobbying
activities that allegedly has protection under the 1st Amendment
of the Constitution of the United States, since this Order reasonably and
adequately protects the parties? confidentiality rights.
22. Any party may, at any time after production of material designated
under this Confidentiality Order, object to its designation by notifying
the Designating Party in writing of that objection and specifying the designated
material to which the objection is made. The parties shall, within ten
(10) days of service of the written objections, confer concerning the objection.
If the objection is not resolved, the party designating the material shall,
within five (5) days of the conference, file and serve a noticed motion
to resolve the dispute over the designation of the material and shall bear
the burden of proof on the issue. If no motion is filed within the stated
time period, the material will cease to be subject to the protection of
this Confidentiality Order. If a motion is filed, information subject to
dispute shall, until further order of the Court, be treated consistently
with its designation. The Designating Party shall, at its expense, provide
additional, unmarked copies of any material which ceases to be subject
to the protection of this Confidentiality Order to each party which so
requests.
18. Inadvertent failure to designate any information pursuant to this Confidentiality
Order or to assert a claim of privilege shall not constitute a waiver of
any otherwise valid claim for protection, so long as the claim is asserted
in writing within 5 days of the discovery of the failure. At that time,
arrangements may be made for the Designating Party to substitute properly
labeled copies. If the Court finds a party inadvertently produced privileged
documents, the documents shall be returned forthwith to the party that
produced the document or handled as the Court otherwise orders.
19. Nothing in this Confidentiality Order shall be deemed to restrict a
Designating Party from using its own documents and materials in the usual
and ordinary course of its business. However, if a party discloses (or
has disclosed in the past) information that may have constituted Confidential
or Highly Confidential information, to another party or person without
confidentiality guarantees providing greater or equal protection to those
provided in this Order, that party shall not designate that information
or those documents and shall they not be considered Confidential or Highly
Confidential in this action.
20. Unless otherwise ordered by this Court, material designated as Confidential
or Highly Confidential information shall be treated as "non-public
information" for purposes of the Texas Open Records Act and/or the
Texas Public Information Act only.
21. This Confidentiality Order is not intended to govern the use of Confidential
or Highly Confidential information at any trial of this action. Questions
of the protection of Confidential and Highly Confidential information during
trial will be presented to the Court prior to, or during, trial as a party
deems appropriate or as ordered by the Court.
22. This Court shall have continuing jurisdiction to modify, amend, enforce,
interpret or rescind this Confidentiality Order notwithstanding the termination
of this action.
23. After conclusion of this action, the disposition of all documents and
materials designated as Confidential or Highly Confidential pursuant to
this Order (other than exhibits to the official court record) shall be
presented to the Court for determination.
Signed this _______ day of ____________________, 1997.
Hon. David Folsom
United States District Judge
EXHIBIT A
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
TEXARKANA DIVISION
THE STATE OF TEXAS,
Plaintiff,
v.
THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY; R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY; BROWN & WILLIAMSON TOBACCO CORPORATION; B.A.T. INDUSTRIES, P.L.C.; PHILIP MORRIS, INC.; LIGGETT GROUP, INC.; LORILLARD TOBACCO COMPANY, INC.; UNITED STATES TOBACCO COMPANY; HILL & KNOWLTON, INC.; THE COUNCIL FOR TOBACCO RESEARCH - USA, INC. (Successor to Tobacco Institute Research Committee); and THE TOBACCO INSTITUTE, INC.
Defendants.
Civil Action No. 5:96CV91
JUDGE: DAVID G. FOLSOM
MAGISTRATE JUDGE: WENDELL C. RADFORD
JURY
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT A
STATE OF )
) ss.
COUNTY OF ______)
I, ________________, being duly sworn on oath, state the following:
1. I have read and understand the Confidentiality Order to which this Exhibit
A is annexed and I attest to my understanding that access to information
designated Confidential or Highly Confidential may be provided to me and
that such access is pursuant to the terms and conditions and restrictions
of the Confidentiality Order; I agree to be bound by the terms of the Confidentiality
Order with respect to the Court's powers of supervision of the litigation.
2. I shall not use or disclose to others, except in accordance with the
Confidentiality Order, any Confidential or Highly Confidential information
as defined in the Order.
Dated:
Signature
Printed Name
Address
Individual or Entity Represented
Subscribed and sworn to
before me this _____ day of
_______________ 199__. Witness
my hand and official seal.
Notary Public
EXHIBIT B
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
TEXARKANA DIVISION
THE STATE OF TEXAS,
Plaintiff,
v.
THE AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY; R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY; BROWN & WILLIAMSON TOBACCO CORPORATION; B.A.T. INDUSTRIES, P.L.C.; PHILIP MORRIS, INC.; LIGGETT GROUP, INC.; LORILLARD TOBACCO COMPANY, INC.; UNITED STATES TOBACCO COMPANY; HILL & KNOWLTON, INC.; THE COUNCIL FOR TOBACCO RESEARCH - USA, INC. (Successor to Tobacco Institute Research Committee); and THE TOBACCO INSTITUTE, INC.
Defendants.
Civil Action No. 5:96CV91
JUDGE: DAVID G. FOLSOM
MAGISTRATE JUDGE: WENDELL C. RADFORD
JURY
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT B
STATE OF )
) ss.
COUNTY OF )
I, _________________, being first duly sworn on oath, state the following:
1. I have been retained by _________________ [party] to serve as an Expert
in this action. I have read and understand the Confidentiality Order to
which this Exhibit B is annexed and I attest to my understanding that access
to information designated Confidential or Highly Confidential may be provided
to me and that such access is pursuant to the terms and conditions and
restrictions of the Confidentiality Order. I agree to be bound by the terms
of the Confidentiality Order.
2. I am not currently, and agree that, as a means of further protecting
Highly Confidential information, I shall not be an officer, director, employee,
or agent (other than outside Counsel) of any Competitor of the Designating
Party for a period of two years after I am last given access to any Highly
Confidential information. I understand that if I do wish to take a position
that would otherwise be barred by virtue of this provision, I shall consult
with the Designating Party in an effort to reach agreement about whether
my intended activity with or for a Competitor can be structured in such
a way, or the Designating Party can otherwise be reasonably satisfied,
that there is not a material risk of unauthorized use or disclosure of
Highly Confidential information.
3. I shall not use, nor shall I disclose to others, except in accordance
with the Confidentiality Order, any Confidential or Highly Confidential
information.
Dated:
Signature
Printed Name
Address
Subscribed and sworn to
before me this _____ day of
_____________ 199__. Witness
my hand and official seal.
Notary Public
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