Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co.

306 F.R.D. 234, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45386, 2015 WL 1520304
District Court, N.D. California·Decided April 3, 2015·No. Case No.: 5:11-cv-01846-LHK-PSG·Published·Cited by 27 cases

Opinion

ORDER RE: MOTIONS TO COMPEL

(Re: Docket Nos. 3212, 3213)

PAUL S. GREWAL, United States Magistrate Judge

Day 1,449 in this case.

[237] Following remand by the district judge on two issues arising out of the undersigned’s January 29, 2014 sanctions order, Plaintiff Apple Inc., Defendants Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. et al. and non-party Nokia Corporation dispute whether Samsung may withhold as privileged 279 tabbed documents submitted for in camera review. Through a combination of its privilege log, briefs, declarations and this court’s in camera review, Samsung succeeds in showing the documents it submitted were, as a whole, privileged. But by placing the contents of the documents at issue, distributing them and disclosing what they say and do not say in the sanctions proceedings, Samsung waived that privilege. The result is that the court GRANTS Apple’s and GRANTS-IN-PART Nokia’s motions to compel, as explained below.

I.

The Ninth Circuit describes elements of the attorney-client privilege this way: “(1) [w]hen legal advice of any kind is sought (2) from a professional legal adviser in his or her capacity as such, (3) the communications relating to that purpose, (4) made in confidence (5) by the client, (6) are, at the client’s instance, permanently protected (7) from disclosure by the client or by the legal adviser (8) unless the protection be waived.”1 “Because it impedes full and free discovery of the truth, the attorney-client privilege is strictly construed.”2 Claims of privilege must be particularized.3

The party asserting the privilege bears the burden of establishing all necessary elements.4 In particular, a party asserting privilege must “describe the nature of the documents ... in a manner that, without revealing information itself privileged or protected, will enable other parties to assess the claim.”5 The most common way to do this is with a privilege log. In the Ninth Circuit, a privilege log must identify- “(a) the attorney and client involved, (b) the nature of the document, (c) all persons or entities shown on the document to have received or sent the document, (d) all persons or entities known to have been furnished the document or informed of its substance, and (e) the date the document was generated, prepared, or dated.”6 The failure to substantiate privilege in a log also may waive the privilege.7 But claims of privilege may pass muster despite an inadequate privilege log.8 Briefs, declarations or other proof may establish the purpose of the communication or the specific role of the sender and each individual recipient.9 In camera review, often a court’s last [238] resort, also may enlighten the court’s assessment of the privilege of the documents.10

This court previously held that Samsung and its attorneys violated the protective order by repeatedly distributing unredaeted copies of an expert report from Dr. David Teece.11 As part of its evaluation, the court conducted an exhaustive in camera review of voluminous documents claimed by Samsung as privileged. The result was an order to Samsung to show cause why sanctions were not warranted, and why privilege was claimed as to 11 particular documents.12 Not satisfied with Samsung’s response on sanctions, and because the Teece report plainly disclosed information confidential to both Apple and Nokia, the court awarded both Apple and Nokia their fees and costs.13

After the sanctions order issued, both Samsung and Nokia moved for relief. Samsung’s motion made a narrow request: that the court reconsider whether Samsung had waived the attorney-client privilege as to seven particular documents addressed in the order.14 In granting Samsung’s motion, the district judge agreed with Samsung that its prior offer to produce the documents did not waive privilege.15 But rather than simply decide whether Samsung had waived privilege on alternative grounds or whether Samsung is not entitled to assert privilege over the documents for other reasons, the district judge remanded the matter for further consideration.16 The district judge denied Samsung’s additional motion for relief from the award of fees and costs.17 In granting-in-part Nokia’s motion for relief for access to documents submitted by Samsung in camera,18 the district judge again remanded the matter, so that the undersigned could consider further whether the privilege shielded the in camera documents. If the documents are indeed privileged, then the undersigned must consider whether due process requires that Nokia receive access.19

Back on this end of the fourth floor, Apple and Nokia filed new motions to compel.20 Apple’s motion seeks only the seven offered documents,21 while Nokia seeks all documents reviewed in camera to which privilege does not attach. Apple and Nokia raise three principle arguments. First, Samsung failed adequately to substantiate its assertions of privilege. In particular, Samsung did not meet its burden to show privilege because Samsung’s claims are too sweeping and generic. Second, Samsung waived any [239] privilege by putting at issue what the documents do or do not disclose and by making selective and partial disclosures including to numerous people with no apparent connection to this litigation. Third, Nokia should receive access to the documents, even if they are privileged, to fairly evaluate the court’s conclusions regarding protective order violations and sanctions.22

II.

The district court has jurisdiction under 15 U.S.C. § 1121 and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1338 and 1367. The matter was referred to the undersigned pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a).

III.

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Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 306 F.R.D. 234, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 45386, 2015 WL 1520304 (N.D. Cal. 2015).

306 F.R.D. 234 (Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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