Borden, Inc. v. Valdez

773 S.W.2d 718, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1620, 1989 WL 63468
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 15, 1989
Docket13-89-186-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 773 S.W.2d 718 (Borden, Inc. v. Valdez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Borden, Inc. v. Valdez, 773 S.W.2d 718, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1620, 1989 WL 63468 (Tex. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

OPINION

UTTER, Justice.

This is a discovery mandamus proceeding. Relators, Borden, Inc., and James Guffey, seek a writ of mandamus directing the Honorable Rogelio Valdez, Judge of the 357th District Court of Cameron County, Texas, to rescind his order commanding Keith King to appear for a deposition and produce various items, or in the alternative, to modify his order to provide that Keith King may only be deposed in Franklin County, Ohio. We deny the writ of mandamus in part and conditionally grant the writ of mandamus in part.

Jose Homer De La Rosa, the real party in interest and plaintiff below, brought suit against relators alleging wrongful termination of employment in contravention of the Texas Workers’ Compensation laws. During the discovery process, De La Rosa learned that Keith King, Borden’s corporate labor counsel, was consulted by three of Borden’s employees prior to De La Rosa’s discharge and that King may be aware of relevant facts underlying the subject matter of the lawsuit. De La Rosa thereafter sought to depose King at De La Rosa’s counsel’s law offices in Hidalgo County, Texas.

Relators filed a motion requesting the trial judge to enter an order quashing De La Rosa’s notice of intention to take King’s oral deposition, and to enter a protective order regarding the subpoena duces tecum served in conjunction with that notice. 1 This motion further requested the trial judge to enter an order requiring De La Rosa to depose King in Franklin County, Ohio, should King be ordered to give an oral deposition.

In support of its motion, relators filed an affidavit of King in which he states that he has been employed as Borden’s corporate labor counsel at all times relevant to the subject matter of this lawsuit, that he regularly transacts business and is based at Borden’s headquarters in Franklin County, Ohio, and that he is licensed to practice law in Ohio. King describes his duties as corporate labor counsel as advising Borden’s representatives in matters involving the employees’ work performance, discipline, and termination of employment. He states that he was consulted by three different managers concerning De La Rosa’s work performance and termination of employment and that he rendered legal advice to these individuals in this regard. He further states that he was responsible for retaining Borden’s legal counsel in this lawsuit and that he continues to oversee this litigation on behalf of Borden, but that he has not been designated as Borden’s corporate representative.

During the hearing on relators' motion, King’s affidavit was the only evidence presented to the trial court. De La Rosa *720 did not present any evidence, and the deposition of Carl Sallinger which has been made a part of the record in our court was not before the trial court at the time it considered relators’ motion. The trial court denied relators’ motion in its entirety.

Mandamus will issue to correct trial court actions when there has been an abuse of discretion and when there is no adequate remedy by appeal. Garcia v. Peeples, 734 S.W.2d 343, 345 (Tex.1987); Jampole v. Touchy, 673 S.W.2d 569, 576 (Tex.1984). When a trial court improperly orders discovery of privileged matters or improperly orders that a deposition be taken at a location contrary to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, the order constitutes an abuse of discretion and remedy is by writ of mandamus. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Street, 754 S.W.2d 153, 155 (Tex.1988); West v. Solito, 563 S.W.2d 240, 244 (Tex.1978).

By their first point, relators contend the trial court abused its discretion by ordering King to give deposition testimony regarding confidential communications occurring prior to the institution of the lawsuit. Re-lators argue that the communications involved the solicitation of legal advice by Borden’s representatives who were entitled to both solicit and act on that advice.

During the hearing on relators’ motion, the trial court orally pronounced that “any communications, et cetera, [made] before the filing of this lawsuit, protection is going to be denied[;] [a]ny communication, writing or advice, et cetera, after that is obviously going to be protected.” However, the written order denied relators’ motion to quash in general terms and does not expressly mention the pronouncement stated above. Although the order was “rendered” when it was orally pronounced in open court, neither the parties nor the trial court has sought to correct the written order in any way. See UMC, Inc. v. Arthur Brothers, Inc., 626 S.W.2d 819, 820 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1981), writ ref`d n.r.e., 647 S.W.2d 244 (Tex.1982); cf. Davis v. Davis, 647 S.W.2d 781, 782-85 (Tex.App.—Austin 1983, no writ); Petroleum Equipment Financial Corp. v. First National Bank of Fort Worth, 622 S.W.2d 152, 153-54 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 1981, writ ref'd n.r.e.); cf. also Wood v. Griffin & Brand, 671 S.W.2d 125, 128-32 (Tex.App.—Corpus Christi 1984, no writ). Therefore, the written judgment controls over the oral pronouncement, and we will construe the trial court’s order as merely permitting De La Rosa to depose King.

The purpose underlying the attorney-client privilege is to promote the unrestrained communication and contact between an attorney and client, without fear that the confidential communication will be disclosed by the attorney, voluntarily or involuntarily, in any legal proceeding. See West, 563 S.W.2d at 245; Enos v. Baker, 751 S.W.2d 946, 948-49 (Tex.App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1988, original proceeding). However, not all statements and communications made by a client to an attorney are privileged, and the burden is on the party resisting discovery to show that the communication was, in fact, protected by the privilege. See Turbodyne Corporation v. Heard, 720 S.W.2d 802, 804 (Tex.1986); Duval County Ranch Co. v. Alamo Lumber Co., 663 S.W.2d 627, 634 (Tex.App.—Amarillo 1983, writ ref’d n.r.e.).

In the present case, relators generally seek to protect King from being deposed altogether because his testimony would only relate to matters protected by the attorney-client privilege. Tex.R.Civ.P. 166b, § 3a; Tex.R.Civ.Evid. 503.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

in Re Scott Rhodes and Tim Whitten
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2018
in Re: Hydroscience Inc, and Dwight M. Francis
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2015
in Re Kenneth Vern Gibbs and Candace Gibbs Walton
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 2015
In Re Mason & Co. Property Management
172 S.W.3d 308 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
in Re: Mason & Company Property Management
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005
In Re Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas
172 S.W.3d 136 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005)
in the Interest of R. G. G.
Court of Appeals of Texas, 2005
Sherman v. Triton Energy Corp.
124 S.W.3d 272 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2004)
Maddox v. Cosper
25 S.W.3d 767 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 2000)
In Re J.J.
900 S.W.2d 353 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1995)
Nine Greenway Ltd. v. Heard, Goggan
875 S.W.2d 784 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1994)
H.E. Butt Grocery Co. v. Currier
885 S.W.2d 175 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1994)
Turner v. Montgomery
836 S.W.2d 848 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1992)
Smith, Wright & Weed, P.C. v. Stone
818 S.W.2d 926 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1991)
Allstate Texas Lloyds v. Johnson
784 S.W.2d 100 (Court of Appeals of Texas, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
773 S.W.2d 718, 1989 Tex. App. LEXIS 1620, 1989 WL 63468, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/borden-inc-v-valdez-texapp-1989.