Rifat

I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

20 This action relates to insurance investigations. Plaintiff Matthew Rifat (“Matthew”) is an 21 attorney in San Diego who runs companies that provide administrative services to healthcare 22 clients. Those services have included processing payroll, bookkeeping, and vendor management. 23 One of his clients was Blue Oak Medical Group, Inc., a medical practice. Blue Oak had been the subject of criminal investigations. Matthew alleges he had no knowledge about that. On January 17, 2018, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office raided Matthew’s home, law office, and airplane hangar. The search resulted in the seizure of Matthew’s law firm client files in every legal matter in which Matthew had served as counsel for the past twenty years. Matthew was later indicted for insurance fraud and money laundering. After the seizure, the Riverside County Superior Court informed the prosecutors that they had to proceed with a statutorily prescribed special master review due to the potential confidential material. The prosecutors, through Defendant San Bernardino District Attorney Investigator David 4 Steele, obtained a search…