Archive - January 2017

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Citing “Diminishing Returns,” Court Declines to Compel Additional Discovery
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Ortega v. Management and Training Corp. (D. N.M., 2017)
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OOO Brunswick Rail Mgmt. v. Sultanov (N.D. Cal., 2017)
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Jackson v. Haynes & Haynes (N.D. Ala., 2017)
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Brand Services, LLC v. Irex Corp. (E.D. La., 2017)
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Simon v. City of New York, 2017 WL 57860, No. 14-cv-8391-JMF (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 5, 2017)
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Perez v. KDE Equine, LLC, No. 3:15-cv-00562 (W.D. Ky. Jan. 4, 2017).
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Helget v. City of Hays (10th Cir., 2017)

Citing “Diminishing Returns,” Court Declines to Compel Additional Discovery

Armstrong Pump, Inc. v. Hartman, No. 10-CV-446S, 2016 WL 7208753 (W.D.N.Y. Dec. 13, 2016)

“Implicit in both the language and the spirit of the 2015 Amendments is the obligation, at any stage of a case, to prevent parties from expending increasing time and energy pursuing diminishing returns.”

In this case, despite having viewed all of the at-issue documents and printing “approximately half of the total pages” (albeit under strict protocols), Plaintiff sought to compel “formal production” of all of the documents pursuant to the parties’ protective order, arguing that the documents did not contain “actual programming.” Defendant argued that the documents were “functionally equivalent to source code” and should not be subject to production.  Ultimately, the Court reasoned that discovery had “reached the point of diminishing returns” and declined to compel production, with limited exceptions.

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Ortega v. Management and Training Corp. (D. N.M., 2017)

Key Insight: Can documents be compelled to be produced in multiple formats, or in a certain specified format?

Nature of Case: Employment

Electronic Data Involved: Business documents, personnel files

Keywords: Multiple formats, native format

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OOO Brunswick Rail Mgmt. v. Sultanov (N.D. Cal., 2017)

Key Insight: necessity of preservation order

Nature of Case: misappropriation of trade secrets

Electronic Data Involved: laptop, mobile phone, email

Keywords: email providers, deleted emails, significant concerns, threats to preservation, capability to preserve, irreparable harm, ex parte, seizure order, expedited discovery

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Jackson v. Haynes & Haynes (N.D. Ala., 2017)

Key Insight: being negligent and irresponsible in maintaining information and knowing of the obligation to preserve the integrity of the information are not sufficient to show an intent to deprive

Nature of Case: improper termination

Electronic Data Involved: ESI concerning arrival and departure times

Keywords: Spoliation sanctions, intent to deprive, obligation to preserve, adverse inference

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Brand Services, LLC v. Irex Corp. (E.D. La., 2017)

Key Insight: How much access of a party’s electronic information system does rule 34(a) give a party?

Nature of Case: Trade secrets

Electronic Data Involved: Responsive documents

Keywords: ESI protocol, Forensic images, overly broad

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Perez v. KDE Equine, LLC, No. 3:15-cv-00562 (W.D. Ky. Jan. 4, 2017).

Key Insight: Interrogatories asking for evidence proving or disproving engagement in interstate commerce are improper due to requesting conclusions of law.

Nature of Case: fair labor standards act violations

Keywords: interstate commerce

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Helget v. City of Hays (10th Cir., 2017)

Key Insight: Measures to cure prejudice should be no greater than necessary, but if a party acts with intent to deprive, the court may presume unfavorability, issue an adverse inference, or dismiss and enter a default. You must raise your spoliation motions before summary judgment is ruled on.

Nature of Case: Unlawful termination

Electronic Data Involved: relevant electronic communications and documents

Keywords: prejudice, spoliation, intent to deprive, adverse influence

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