Ken's Foods, Inc. v. Ken's Steak House, Inc.

213 F.R.D. 89, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25892, 2002 WL 32058106
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedDecember 11, 2002
DocketNo. CIV.A. 01-11878-NG
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 213 F.R.D. 89 (Ken's Foods, Inc. v. Ken's Steak House, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ken's Foods, Inc. v. Ken's Steak House, Inc., 213 F.R.D. 89, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25892, 2002 WL 32058106 (D. Mass. 2002).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER ON DISCOVERY MOTIONS RE PRIVILEGE CLAIMS

DEIN, United States Magistrate Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

The plaintiff, Ken’s Foods, Inc. (“KFI”), is in the business of manufacturing, packaging and selling bottled salad dressings, marinades, and other food products. The defendant, Ken’s Steak House, Inc. (“KSH” or the “Restaurant”), owns and operates a restaurant known as Ken’s Steak House in Fram-ingham, Massachusetts. The Restaurant was originally opened and owned by Ken and Florence Hanna. The salad dressing, which was originally created for use in the Restaurant, was produced and marketed by KFI, a company created and jointly owned by Frank and Louise Crowley and the Hannas. Three out of the original four founders are deceased.

This litigation involves a dispute concerning the ownership and right to use the federally registered trademarks “KEN’S” and “KEN’S STEAK HOUSE” as well as pictures depicting the facade of the Restaurant (collectively, the “Marks”). This matter is presently before the court on several discovery motions by and between the parties as well as some non-parties relating to the scope of privileges claimed by the producing entities.1 As detailed below, this court (1) finds the “common interest privilege” applicable to some documents, however, it is more limited than argued by the producing parties, (2) rejects the claim of “inadvertent disclosure,” and (3) finds that the disclosure of certain letters to third parties triggered a “subject matter waiver” as to some documents sought but not others. For these reasons, and as detailed further in the Order below, KFI’s motion to compel the Estate to produce documents (Docket #97) is DENIED; KFI’s motion to compel Michael Hanna to search for and produce documents as well as appear at further deposition (Docket # 98) is ALLOWED IN PART and DENIED IN PART; KFI’s motion to compel KSH to produce documents (Docket #99) is ALLOWED IN PART and DENIED IN PART; and the motion of KSH, Timothy Hanna and Michael Hanna for a protective order (Docket # 104) is ALLOWED IN PART and DENIED IN PART.

II. STATEMENT OF FACTS2

The Estate

One of the founders of the Restaurant and of KFI, Kenneth Hanna, is deceased. The Estate of Kenneth Hanna (the “Estate”) is a party to these motions, although not to the litigation. When Ken Hanna died on November 23, 1995, his three sons, Timothy, Mark, and Michael (Timothy and Michael are referred to hereafter as the “Hanna Brothers”), were co-executors of the Estate, as well as beneficiaries of the Estate. The co-executors employed Attorney James A. McLaughlin to represent them, and he served in that capacity until sometime in 1997.

Due to disputes among the three Hanna Brothers, they were replaced as co-executors in 1998 by Attorney Michael J. Puzo (“Puzo”), of the law firm of Hemenway & Barnes. Attorney Puzo was appointed administrator of the Estate. Mr. Puzo hired his partner, Attorney Charles Fayerweather (“Fayerweather”), to represent him. Attorneys Puzo and Fayerweather either communicated directly with the beneficiaries, or with the beneficiaries’ personal attorneys, who included Attorney Thomas Sullivan, counsel to Michael Hanna, and Attorney Michael Laurano, counsel to Timothy Hanna.

[92]*92 The Corporations

As noted above, the plaintiff KFI was founded by the senior Hannas and the Crow-leys. Following Ken Hanna’s death until the present time, Ken’s son, Timothy, held a significant portion of the stock of KFI.

The defendant KSH was started by the Hannas. At the time of Ken Hanna’s death until the present time, the Estate owned almost 47% of KSH’s stock. On September 9, 1999, Michael Hanna entered into an agreement with his brother Timothy to assign his expected interest in KSH to Timothy in exchange for 15% of the monies KSH receives as a result of any legal action which might be brought against KFI relating to the trademarks.3 Thus, Timothy, in addition to being a shareholder in plaintiff KFI, is a majority shareholder in defendant KSH (his brother Mark having previously transferred his interests to Timothy as well). This suit was commenced on November 1, 2001. KSH filed an answer and counterclaim on January 14,2002.

The Disputed Discovery

There are five categories of documents presently at issue in this case. The parties have designated them as (1) the “Disclosed Documents,”4 (2) the “Category I Documents” (Fayerweather’s handwritten notes, memoranda to the Estate’s file, and communications between Fayerweather and either Puzo or those acting on Fayerweather’s behalf in representing Puzo) (Estate’s Supplemental Privilege Log (PL’s Mem. Ex. K)),5 (3) the “Category II Documents” from the Estate’s original privilege log (correspondence between Sullivan and Puzo and Fayer-weather regarding claims against KFI) (Estates Original Privilege Log (Pl’s Ex. F)), (4) the “Michael Hanna Documents” (correspondence between Sullivan and Laurano addressing trademark claims against KFI) (Michael Hanna’s Privilege Log Documents # MPHP 00007-00049 (Pl’s Mem. Ex. R)), and (5) the “KSH Documents” (correspondence from Sullivan to Laurano, Michael Hanna, and Timothy Hanna regarding KSH’s claims against KFI) (KSH’s Second Amended Privilege Log Documents # KSHP 00152-KSHP 00163 (Pl’s Mem. Ex. S)).6

KSH, Timothy Hanna, and Michael Hanna (collectively, the “Opposing Parties”) also seek a protective order because during Fay-erweather’s deposition, KFI’s questions sought to elicit information the Opposing Parties believe is privileged regarding the merits of KSH’s potential claims against KFI. Since it is expected that KFI will seek to elicit identical information from Puzo at his deposition, the parties agreed to suspend Fayerweather’s deposition so that the Opposing Parties could seek a protective order.

III. DISCUSSION

A. The Common Interest Doctrine.

The Opposing Parties contend that the Sullivan Letter, the Category II Documents, the Michael Hanna Documents, and the KSH Documents are immune from discovery because the Hanna Brothers and the Estate shared a “magic circle” of common interest in evaluating potential trademark claims by KSH against KFI that allowed them to share otherwise privileged attorney-client commu[93]*93nications and work product between themselves and their respective counsel without waiving any applicable privileges. The Estate has not taken a position on the applicability of the common interest doctrine to the instant case. KFI argues that the Hanna Brothers’ and the Estate’s failure to agree beforehand that they were sharing documents pursuant to a common interest relationship and the parties’ divergent interests preclude a common interest relationship. This court finds the common interest privilege does come into play, but later in the chronology of events than the Opposing Parties contend.

The common-interest doctrine7 is: typically understood to apply “[w]hen two or more clients consult or retain an attorney on particular matters of common interest.” 3 Weinstein’s Federal Evidence § 503.21[1] (J.M. McLaughlin, ed., 2d ed.2002); 8 J.H. Wigmore, Evidence § 2312, at 603-09 (McNaughton rev.1961).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
213 F.R.D. 89, 2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25892, 2002 WL 32058106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kens-foods-inc-v-kens-steak-house-inc-mad-2002.