In re Om Group Securities Litigation

226 F.R.D. 579, 2005 WL 602346
District Court, N.D. Ohio·Decided February 28, 2005·No. No. 1:02CV2163·Published·Cited by 22 cases

Opinion

ORDER

VECCHIARELLI, United States Magistrate Judge.

On October 5, 2004, Plaintiff filed a Motion to Compel, requesting the Court to compel [583] the Audit Committee to produce the documents listed on the Audit Committee’s privilege log relating to its investigation.1 (Doc. No. 254.) For the reasons set forth in detail below, Plaintiffs Motion to Compel (Doc. No. 254) is GRANTED in part and DENIED in part.

Specifically, the work-product doctrine does not protect any of the Log Entries. All of the Log Entries are protected by the attorney-client privilege,2 unless the privilege was waived, except for Log Entry Nos. 83, 84, 229, 299. Defendants shall produce to Plaintiff Log Entry Nos. 83, 84, 229, 299. Further, Defendants shall produce Log Entry Nos. 16,100, and 255 because Defendants only asserted the work-product doctrine to these documents. Defendants waived the attorney-client privilege to, and shall disclose to Plaintiff, all documents prepared on or before March 15, 2004 relating to, referred to and/or relied upon for the Audit Committee’s presentation to the Board of Directors. The presentation addressed, among other things, the following topics:

1. the work-in process inventory, in-transit/resupply inventory, full absorption costs, and “other issues” at the Franklin Facility, including all interviews referenced and relied on for this topic, see Presentation, pp. OMG1626686-92;

2. the estimated value of inventory at the St. George Facility, see Presentation, pp. OMG1626693-96;

3. the double-counting of full-absorption costs at the Midland Facility, see Presentation, pp. OMG1626697;

4. the absence of pounds of any material or product associated with the book inventory as of late 2002 at the Taeow Facility, including all interviews referenced and relied on for this topic, see Presentation, p. OMG1626698;

5. The additional capitalization of direct costs and overhead and “other issues” at the Kokkola and Harjavalta Facilities, including all interviews referenced and relied on for this topic, see Presentation, pp. OMG1626699-707.

I. Background

On October 5, 2004, Plaintiff submitted a letter to the Court requesting the Court to compel the Audit Committee to produce the documents listed on its privilege log relating to its investigation. Defendants OMG and James Mooney (collectively “Defendants”) claim the documents are protected by the attorney-client and/or work-product privileges.3 After holding a telephone conference to address the issue, the Court ordered the party asserting a privilege to the documents to provide the Court with: (1) the documents for an in camera review; and (2) a statement setting forth specific facts, evidence, and law showing why the documents are protected by the privilege.4 Defendants have submitted the documents and the parties have briefed the privilege issue.

[584] The documents in dispute were prepared by the Audit Committee’s counsel, Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP (“WGM”), WGM’s retained forensic accountants, FTI-Ten Eyck Associates (“Ten Eyck”), and/or OMG employees.5 The Audit Committee asserts the attorney-client and work-product privileges to the following:

-Interview notes of OMG employees prepared by WGM and/or Ten Eyck;
-Notes prepared by WGM and/or Ten Eyck regarding presentations and meetings with the Audit Committee;
-Spreadsheets, notes, or data prepared by Ten Eyck;
-Emails between or among Ten Eyck, WGM, and/or the Audit Committee;
-Emails between or among Ten Eyck, WGM, the Audit Committee, and/or OMG employees;
-Emails between or among Ten Eyck, WGM, the Audit Committee, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP (“SS & D”),6 OMG employees, and/or Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman (“KMZR”).7

The Audit Committee asserts only the attorney-client privilege to the following:

-Emails between or among Ten Eyck, WGM, and/or the Audit Committee;
-Emails between or among Ten Eyck, WGM, the Audit Committee, SS & D, OMG employees, and/or KMZR.

The Audit Committee asserts only the work-product doctrine to the following:

-Interview notes of meetings with OMG employees prepared by WGM and/or Ten Eyck.

II. Analysis

A. Work-Product Doctrine

Defendants assert that numerous documents are protected by the work-product doctrine. This Court adopts the procedure set forth in Toledo Edison Co. v. G.A. Technologies, Inc., 847 F.2d 335 (6th Cir. 1988) to analyze a claim that materials were prepared in anticipation of litigation or for trial and, thus, are protected by the work product doctrine. First, the requesting party must show that the materials requested are relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending litigation and not privileged. Second, if the requesting party meets its burden, the objecting party must show that the material was prepared in anticipation of litigation or for trial by or for that party or that party’s representative (including that party’s attorney, consultant, surety, indemnitor, insurer, or agent). Third, if the objecting party meets its burden, the requesting party must show that it has substantial need of the materials in preparation of the party’s case, and is unable without undue hardship to obtain the substantial equivalent of the materials by other means. Fourth, if the requesting party shows that it has substantial need of the material and is unable without due hardship to obtain the substantial equivalent, the court shall still protect the material from disclosure if the objecting party shows that the nature of the materials are mental impressions, conclusions, opinions, or legal theories of an attorney or other representative of the party concerning the litigation. Id. at 339-40.

1. Anticipation of Litigation

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In re Om Group Securities Litigation, 226 F.R.D. 579, 2005 WL 602346 (N.D. Ohio 2005).

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