Kadrey

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 5 RICHARD KADREY, et al., Case No. 23-cv-03417-VC (TSH)

Plaintiffs,

DISCOVERY ORDER

v. Re: Dkt. No. 162 META PLATFORMS, INC., Defendant.

11 Meta moves for a protective order barring the deposition of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. ECF No. 162. The Court denies the motion. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c)(1), “[t]he court may, for good cause, issue an order to protect a party or person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense,” including by forbidding or limiting a deposition. “When a party seeks the deposition of a high-level executive (a so-called ‘apex’ deposition), courts have observed that such discovery creates a tremendous potential for abuse or harassment.” Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 282 F.R.D. 259, 263 (N.D. Cal. 2012) (cleaned up). “The court therefore has discretion to limit discovery where the discovery sought ‘can be obtained from some other source that is more convenient, less…