Verizon California Inc. v. Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P.

PROCEEDINGS: (IN CHAMBERS) DEFENDANT’S MOTION RE SCOPE OF ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE AND WORK PRODUCT PROTECTION AND REDACTIONS

On April 25, 2003, this Court vacated its prior Order approving the parties’ stipulation to appoint a special discovery master to determine “the scope of the waiver of the attorney-client privilege and work product protection as a result of Verizon [California Ine.’]s defense to willful infringement that it relied in good faith on the advice of counsel” and to resolve the question of whether Verizon has properly redacted certain documents. The parties presented the pending discovery issues to the Court in letter briefs from defendant Ronald A. Katz Technology Licensing, L.P. (“Katz”), dated March 28, 2003, with supporting exhibits, and from plaintiff Verizon California Inc. (“Verizon”), dated March 31, 2003. According to Katz’s letter brief, Katz is also seeking relief regarding the refusal of witnesses Kevin Baer, Mark Wegener and Matthew J. Moore to answer certain questions at their depositions, based on attorney-client privilege and work-product protection.

The documents that are the primary focus of this discovery motion were previously considered by…