Oakeson v. Aero-Space Computer Supplies Inc

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Wisconsin
DecidedJanuary 24, 2023
Docket2:22-cv-00698
StatusUnknown

This text of Oakeson v. Aero-Space Computer Supplies Inc (Oakeson v. Aero-Space Computer Supplies Inc) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oakeson v. Aero-Space Computer Supplies Inc, (E.D. Wis. 2023).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF WISCONSIN

PAUL OAKESON,

Plaintiff, Case No. 22-CV-698-JPS v.

AERO-SPACE COMPUTER SUPPLIES, INC., ORDER

Defendant.

1. INTRODUCTION On November 29, 2022, Non-party Century Fasteners Corporation (“Century”) filed a motion to quash the November 17, 2022 subpoena served on it by Defendant Aero-Space Computer Supplies, Inc. (“Defendant”). ECF No. 7. For the reasons set forth herein, the Court grants in part and denies in part the motion to quash. 2. LEGAL STANDARD The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure make clear that “[p]arties may obtain discovery regarding any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense and proportional to the needs of the case.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1). “Evidence is relevant in a discovery context if it is relevant to the subject matter of the litigation as Rule 26(b)(1) states, not just the particular issues presented in the pleadings.” Eggleston v. Chi. Journeyman Plumbers’ Loc. Union No. 130, U.A., 657 F.2d 890, 903 (7th Cir. 1981). Nevertheless, the Rule imposes a requirement on the Court to “limit the frequency or extent of discovery otherwise allowed by these rules or by local rule if it determines that . . . the proposed discovery is outside the scope permitted by Rule 26(b)(1).” Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(2)(C). Additionally, the Rules explain that “[a] party or attorney responsible for issuing and serving a subpoena must take reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue burden or expense on a person subject to the subpoena.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(d)(1). The Court is required to “enforce this duty,” and “must quash or modify a subpoena that subjects a person to undue burden.” Id.; Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(d)(3)(A)(iv). In so analyzing, the Court must “balance the interests served by demanding compliance with the subpoena against the interests furthered by quashing it.” 8 Cyclopedia of Fed. Proc. § 26:15 (3d ed. Apr. 2022 update). Courts consider factors such as “(1) the relevance of the information requested, (2) the need of the party for the documents, (3) the breadth of the document request, (4) the time period covered by the request, (5) the particularity with which the party describes the requested documents, and (6) the burden imposed.” Id.; Morrow v. Air Ride Techs., Inc., No. IP-005-113, 2006 WL 559288, at *2 (S.D. Ind. Mar. 6, 2006). Additionally, “non-party status is a significant factor to be considered in determining whether the burden imposed by a subpoena is undue” because non-parties have a “different set of expectations than parties.” United States ex rel. Tyson v. Amerigroup Ill., Inc., No. 02-C-6074, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24929, at *14 (N.D. Ill. Oct. 21, 2005) (internal citation omitted). While “parties to a lawsuit must accept [the] travails [of discovery] as a natural concomitant of modern civil litigation[,] . . . [n]on- parties have a different set of expectations.” Id. (internal citation omitted). Accordingly, “concern for the unwanted burden thrust upon non-parties is a factor entitled to special weight in evaluating the balance of competing needs.” Id.

3. RELEVANT FACTS Plaintiff Paul Oakeson (“Plaintiff”) filed the present action against his former employer, Defendant, in Dodge County Circuit Court on May 3, 2022. ECF No. 1-1 at 4. The action relates to the Confidentiality and Non- Solicitation Agreement Plaintiff entered into with Defendant. Id. at 7. Plaintiff seeks declaratory judgment as to the validity and enforceability of both the Choice of Law and Non-Solicitation clauses therein. Id. at 9. Plaintiff asserts that the issues are ripe for declaratory relief because Defendant threatened to sue Plaintiff for violating the Non-Solicitation clause. Id. The Non-Solicitation clause is stated as follows: A. Agreement Not to Solicit Customers. During his or her employment by ASCS or any successor to ASCS to which this Agreement is assigned, and for twelve (12) months following his or her separation from such employment for any reason, Employee agrees not to directly or indirectly solicit, induce, divert, or take away business of ASCS from, or sell or render products or services competitive with products or services of ASCS to, any customer of ASCS which was a customer at any time during the last one year of Employee’s employment with ASCS. ECF No. 8 at 2. On June 16, 2022, Defendant removed the action to federal court. ECF No. 1. Defendant did not, and has not, asserted any claim against Plaintiff nor against Plaintiff’s current employer, Century. See ECF No. 4.1 Therefore, the sole claim before the Court is Plaintiff’s single declaratory

1In other words, Defendant has not attempted to assert a claim against Plaintiff for his alleged violation of the Non-Solicitation clause. Accordingly, whether that clause has or has not been violated is not an issue before the Court. judgment count regarding the validity of specific provisions of the Confidentiality and Non-Solicitation Agreement. On November 15, 2022, Defendant served Requests for Production on Plaintiff. ECF No. 9-2; ECF No. 9 at 2. The relevant requests are reproduced below:

REQUEST NO. 6: All emails, notes or other contemporaneous and relevant writings, text messages or recordings (such as diaries, calendars, journals, and photographs) made by you or your agents relating to the claims in this case. REQUEST NO. 7: All emails, notes or other contemporaneous and relevant writings, text messages or recordings (such as diaries, calendars, journals, and photographs) made between you and any individual employed at the following entities from August 1, 2021 to present:

1. Accurate Fabrication, LLC; 2. Ajax Spring & Manufacturing, Co.; 3. Alliance Laundry Systems LLC; 4. Duo-Safety Ladder Corp.; 5. Fabrication Technologies Inc.; 6. Fox Valley Metal-Tech, Inc.; 7. Gardner Manufacturing Co.; 8. Hatco Corporation; 9. Hubbell Power Systems, Inc.; 10. IGM Solutions Inc.; 11. IMS Engineered Products, LLC; 12. Kapco Inc.; 13. Maysteel Industries, LLC; 14. Mech-Tronics Corporation; 15. Montana Metal Products LLC; 16. Trend Technologies, LLC; 17. Wolf Appliance, Inc.; and 18. Xymox Technologies, Inc. REQUEST NO. 8: The original and all drafts of any agreements between you and Defendant relating to your employment or the allegations in the pleadings. REQUEST NO. 10: All communications between you and Century Fasteners Corporation related to the allegations contained in the Complaint or your employment at Century Fasteners Corporation as a Regional Sales Manager. REQUEST NO. 11: The original and all drafts of any agreements between you and Century Fasteners Corporation relating to your employment as Regional Sales Manager or the allegations in the Pleadings. ECF No. 9-2. On November 17, 2022, Defendant served a subpoena on Century— Plaintiff’s current employer—making the following four requests:

REQUEST NO. 1: Please produce all communications between Century Fasteners Corporation and Paul Oakeson related to his employment at Century Fasteners Corporation as a Regional Sales Manager. REQUEST NO. 2: Please produce the original and all drafts of any agreements between you and Paul Oakeson related to his employment at Century Fasteners Corporation. REQUEST NO.

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