Roe v. Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado

281 F.R.D. 632, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50984, 2012 WL 1205521
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedApril 11, 2012
DocketCivil Action No. 11-cv-02179-WYD-KMT
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 281 F.R.D. 632 (Roe v. Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roe v. Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado, 281 F.R.D. 632, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50984, 2012 WL 1205521 (D. Colo. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

KATHLEEN M. TAFOYA, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the court on Plaintiffs Motion to Compel and for Sanctions Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 37” [Doc. No. 62] (“Mot.”) filed February 6, 2012. Although the motion touches on the ultimate propriety of defense counsel’s attempt to create an attorney/client privilege between himself and any and all witnesses in the case for the purpose of preventing plaintiffs counsel from having fair access to fact witnesses, the only issue ripe for resolution at this stage is whether “1) emails sent by Centura Health’s HR Department or Kutak Rock to potential witnesses soliciting consent to representation by Kutak Rock and 2) representation agreements possibly entered into between Kutak Rock and witnesses are protected by the attorney-client privilege.” (Mot. at 4.) Defendant filed its “Response to Plaintiffs Motion to Compel and for Sanctions Pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 37 [Docket No. 62]” on March 8, 2012 [Doc. No. 69] (“Resp.”), and Plaintiff filed her Reply on March 21, 2012 [Doc. No. 72],

Issue

Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado’s (“CHIC”) Initial Disclosures, served on Plaintiff on or about November 16, 2011, listed thirty-one individuals with knowledge about the facts alleged in the pleadings, some of whom were current employees, some who were former employees, and some who had never been employees. (Resp. 1-2.) “On November 23, 2011, an email that was prepared by undersigned counsel in connection with this litigation regarding the joint representation was forwarded to certain individuals by Cecilia Peat, a human resources employee at CHIC.” (Id.) In addition, the same email “was also sent directly by Kutak Rock to at [635]*635least one individual.” (Id. at 2.) The emails were sent, apparently, for the purpose of trying to establish an attorney-client relationship with the witnesses in the case, whether they were current employees or not. Defendant claims "... legal representation of these individuals in connection with this action is appropriate to protect each client’s legal rights by rendering legal advice where necessary.” (Resp. at 4.) What the parties call the “Representation Agreements” consist of the email sent to the recipients by Peat or Rutak Rock and the email recipients’ affirmative responses, also transmitted via mail. (Resp. at 12-13.)

Defendant claims with respect to information contained in the emails

the Representation Agreements contain confidential information that is protected by the attorney-client privilege. For example, the Representation Agreements contain information that may expose the client’s motivation for the legal representation. A client’s motivation for procuring legal representation is subject to the attorney-client privilege.

(Resp. at 10) (citations omitted).

Plaintiff argues these Representation Agreements are not privileged and demands production of the same.

Attorney-Client Privilege

The attorney-client privilege is “the oldest of the privileges for confidential communications known to the common law.” In re Qwest Comm’cns Int’l Inc., 450 F.3d 1179, 1185 (10th Cir.2006) (quoting Upjohn Co. v. United States, 449 U.S. 383, 389, 101 S.Ct. 677, 66 L.Ed.2d 584 (1981)). The attorney-client privilege protects from discovery communications made in confidence between the client and the attorney. EEOC v. Outback Steakhouse of Florida, 251 F.R.D. 603, 610 (D.Colo.2008). “The lawyer-client privilege rests on the need for the advocate and counselor to know all that relates to the client’s reasons for seeking representation if the professional mission is to be carried out.” Horton v. United States, 204 F.R.D. 670, 672 (D.Colo.2002) (quoting In re Bieter Co., 16 F.3d 929, 937-38 (8th Cir.1994)). In order to be covered by the attorney-client privilege, a communication between a lawyer and client must relate to legal advice or strategy sought by the client. United States v. Johnston, 146 F.3d 785, 794 (10th Cir.1998) (emphasis added); In the Matter of Grand Jury Subpoena, 697 F.2d 277, 278 (10th Cir.1983). This privilege applies to corporations as well as individuals. Upjohn, 449 U.S. at 390, 101 S.Ct. 677. As the Supreme Court has recognized, “[t]he administration of the attorney-client privilege in the case of corporations, however, presents special problems. As an inanimate entity, a corporation must act through agents.” Commodity Futures Trading Comm’n v. Weintraub, 471 U.S. 343, 348, 105 S.Ct. 1986, 85 L.Ed.2d 372 (1985).

The purpose of the attorney-client privilege “is to encourage full and frank communication between attorneys and their clients and thereby promote broader public interests in the observance of law and administration of justice.” Upjohn, 449 U.S. at 389, 101 S.Ct. 677. The party seeking to invoke the attorney-client privilege bears the burden of establishing its applicability and the lack of waiver of any privilege. In re Foster, 188 F.3d 1259, 1264 (10th Cir.1999). See also United States v. Phelan, 3 Fed. Appx. 716, 718 (10th Cir.2001).

In federal court, the law controlling determination of privilege issues depends upon the dictates of Rule 501 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Rule 501 states

Except as otherwise required by the Constitution of the United States or provided by Act of Congress or in rules prescribed by the Supreme Court pursuant to statutory authority, the privilege of a witness, person, government, State, or political subdivision thereof shall be governed by the principles of the common law as they may be interpreted by the courts of the United States in the light of reason and experience. However, in civil actions and proceedings, with respect to an element of a claim or defense as to which State law supplies the rule of decision, the privilege of a witness, person, government, State, or political subdivision thereof shall be determined in accordance with State law.

Id. Jurisdiction in this ease is premised upon alleged discrimination under the Americans [636]*636with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101. (Compl. [Doc. No. 1] at 1.) Plaintiff asserts this court also has jurisdiction over this case pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and 42 U.S.C. §

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Bluebook (online)
281 F.R.D. 632, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 50984, 2012 WL 1205521, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roe-v-catholic-health-initiatives-colorado-cod-2012.