Wallis

The trial court imposed sanctions of $43,678.42 against Attorney Joanna Mendoza and her clients (cross-defendants Dale M. Wallis, James Wallis, and Hygieia Biological Laboratories, Inc. (collectively, the Wallises)). They appeal, asserting the trial court abused its discretion. We affirm.

In the course of this long-running litigation, the parties agreed to a protective order, which the court issued, allowing the parties to file under seal certain confidential documents containing alleged trade secrets. Cross-complainant PEL Associates, Inc. (PEL), filed the declaration of its attorney, Tory E. Griffin, with attachments containing what PEL alleged were trade secrets. Although the declaration designated that it was. filed under seal pursuant to the protective order and was sent to the trial court in a sealed envelope and labeled appropriately, the document later appeared in the court file available to the public.

Upon learning of the public availability of the declaration, Attorney Mendoza notified her clients of the public availability. In an attempt to defeat PEL’S claim that the information attached to the declaration contained trade secrets, the Wallises and Mendoza…