Hay & Forage Industries v. Ford New Holland, Inc.

132 F.R.D. 687, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18224, 1990 WL 173915
CourtDistrict Court, D. Kansas
DecidedJuly 16, 1990
DocketCiv. A. No. 88-2197-0
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 132 F.R.D. 687 (Hay & Forage Industries v. Ford New Holland, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hay & Forage Industries v. Ford New Holland, Inc., 132 F.R.D. 687, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18224, 1990 WL 173915 (D. Kan. 1990).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

GERALD L. RUSHFELT, United States Magistrate.

Under consideration are four motions:

[689]*6891. Plaintiff’s Motion to Quash Deposition Subpoenas of Stephen D. Timmons and Victor E. Lowe Under Rule 26(c) (doc. 166).

2. Plaintiff’s Motion Under Rules 30 and 37(a) For an Order Compelling Discovery (doc. 171).

3. Hesston’s Motion to Compel Answers to Hesston’s First Interrogatories and Production of Documents Requested by Hesston’s First Document Request (doc. 175).

4. Counterplaintiff’s Motion Pursuant to Rules 37(a) and 36(a), F.R.Civ.P. to Compel Counterdefendants to Answer Interrogatories and to Unambiguously Respond to Requests to Admit (doc. 194).

Plaintiff’s motion to quash seeks an order to relieve it from the obligation of producing for depositions Stephen Timmons, one of its attorneys, and Victor Lowe, a patent draftsman employed by Timmons' law firm. As a preliminary matter, the court notes plaintiff failed to comply with D.Kan.Rule 210(j). The rule requires counsel for the moving party to certify that reasonable efforts were made to confer regarding the matter in dispute pri- or to filing the motion. The court waives compliance with this local rule in these circumstances. The parties obviously conferred regarding the matter and are unable to resolve this dispute without judicial intervention.

While the Federal Rules do not prohibit the deposition of an attorney for a party, experience teaches that countenancing unbridled depositions of attorneys often invites delay, disruption of the case, harassment, and unnecessary distractions into collateral matters. In re Arthur Treacher’s Franchisee Litigation, 92 F.R.D. 429 (E.D.Pa.1981). Because of the potential for abuse in deposing an opponent’s attorney, courts have required the party seeking the deposition to demonstrate its propriety and need. See N.F.A. Corp. v. Riverview Narrow Fabrics, Inc., 117 F.R.D. 83 (M.D.N.C.1987). The movant should demonstrate that the deposition is the only reasonably practical means available for obtaining the information. If there are other available sources, the party seeking the discovery should explore them first. He should consider other methods, such as written interrogatories, requests for production or requests for admissions.

The court will ordinarily decline a motion for protective order or to quash a subpoena, based on the contention that the information sought is protected by the attorney-client privilege or work product doctrine. Instead the court requires the deponent to appear for the deposition and there raise any such objections. Counsel then has an opportunity to explore background facts concerning the privilege, and the deponent can substantiate any objections. Thus the court finds plaintiff’s assertion of attorney-client privilege and work product premature and insufficient to quash the subpoena.

Similarly the court declines to determine at this time whether plaintiff waived the attorney-client privilege by virtue of the alleged participation by Timmons in the alleged fraud. Any such determination would more appropriately follow the deposition, when the record is developed.

Plaintiff claims defendant has failed to establish need for the deposition or that the information cannot be obtained from other sources. The deposition notice seeks testimony regarding the following subjects:

1. Photographs Timmons took, relating to the development of the Hesston big square baler.

2. Personal meetings Timmons conducted with the examiners for plaintiff’s patents in suit.

3. Certain invention disclosures regarding the big square baler which Timmons witnessed.

4. The facts known to Mr. Timmons regarding the development, construction and operation of the Hesston big square baler.

5. Certain documents which have been produced and bear Mr. Timmons’ name.

6. Other areas which may develop at the deposition related to these topics.

The deposition of Lowe concerns the same subject matter with the exception of [690]*690documents bearing the name of Timmons and his meetings with patent examiners.

The court finds defendant has shown sufficient need for the depositions. Timmons appears to be the best and perhaps the only available source for much of the information sought. For example, the photographs bearing his initials would help determine' whether plaintiff had accomplished a patentable “breakthrough.” The photographs dated 5-8-75 and 5-9-75 allegedly depict dramatic changes in the prototype of the Hesston Big Square Baler. The photographs also reveal a “sensor” was added to the prototype. The reason for adding this sensor is an issue in this suit. Defendant states other witnesses disclaimed knowledge of the photographs. Even if other witnesses possessed knowledge of them, Timmons appears to have led and pursued the prosecutions and re-examinations of plaintiff’s patent in suit before the patent office. Defendant alleges his submissions to the patent office contain false and misleading representations regarding the necessity of a sensor on the prototype. See defendant’s amended answer, paragraphs 70 and 71. His meetings with the patent examiner are relevant to the defense of inequitable conduct.

Plaintiff asserts the court’s order of November 13, 1989 and the order of the patent office establish the deposition is unnecessary. The court granted plaintiff’s motion for partial summary judgement in holding the best mode of the ’643 and ’164 patents in suit was disclosed in the patents. Yet the ruling does not necessarily dispose of the defense of inequitable conduct. Plaintiff asserts the deposition could not inquire into the defense of inequitable conduct because such information is protected by the attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine. As discussed supra, plaintiff may assert any objections of privilege and work product at the deposition.

Plaintiff also argues the information is available through the deposition of Allen White, as the inventor of the Hesston big square baler and the best and most knowledgeable source. Plaintiff has not persuaded the court, however, that Mr. White or any other witness is a better source than Timmons for information regarding his own meetings with persons at the patent office or the photographs he took. The allegations of inequitable conduct, moreover, concern alleged misrepresentations made by Timmons to the patent office. Plaintiff has not shown that White would be a better source than the person with first-hand knowledge about the alleged inequitable conduct in prosecuting the patent application.

Plaintiff also asserts the sole purpose for the deposition is to disqualify Timmons. Its argument is unpersuasive. The allegations in the defendant’s counterclaim are sufficient to inform Timmons that he may be a witness in this litigation. Paragraph 39 alleges the patent of plaintiff is invalid by reason of misrepresentations made to the patent office by its attorneys. Paragraphs 51, 52, 53, 61, 63, 66, 69, 70, 72, 73, all allege Timmons made misrepresentations to the patent office. The court does not find that the motivation for deposing Timmons is simply to force him to withdraw. Plaintiff has failed to show grounds to quash the subpoena served on Timmons.

Nor has plaintiff persuaded the court that the subpoena served on Lowe should be quashed. The discussion set forth above has equal application to Lowe.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
132 F.R.D. 687, 1990 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18224, 1990 WL 173915, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hay-forage-industries-v-ford-new-holland-inc-ksd-1990.