Judge: Lynne M. Hobbs, Case: 25STCV00184, Date: 2025-05-01 Tentative Ruling
Case Number: 25STCV00184 Hearing Date: May 1, 2025 Dept: 61
WILLIAM CHUA vs FORD MOTOR COMPANY, A CORPORATION, et al.
Tentative
Defendant Ford Motor Company’s Motion for Protective Order is GRANTED.
Moving party to give notice.
Analysis
I. MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER
“When an inspection, copying, testing, or sampling of documents, tangible things, places, or electronically stored information has been demanded, the party to whom the demand has been directed, and any other party or affected person, may promptly move for a protective order.” (Code Civ. Proc. § 2031.060, subd. (a).) The party moving for the order must make a showing of good cause to spare them from “unwarranted annoyance, embarrassment, or oppression, or undue burden and expense.” (Code Civ. Proc. § 2031.060, subd. (b).) A party responding to interrogatories may seek a protective order upon similar terms. (Code Civ. Proc. §2030.090.)
Defendant Ford Motor Company seeks a protective order permitting the designation of certain documents and information produced in discovery to be confidential and therefore subject to limited use outside of this litigation, in order to protect its interest in the confidentiality of its warranty policies and procedures. The motion is supported by the declaration of G. Keith Barron, who attests to the confidential nature of Defendant’s warranty policy and procedure manuals, its customer relationship center policies and procedures, and its Reacquired Vehicle policies and procedures, all of which are placed in issue by the initial disclosure requirements of this litigation. (Barron Decl. ¶¶ 9–12.) Defendant met and conferred with Plaintiff’s counsel regarding the entry of a protective order permitting confidential designations, but Plaintiff’s counsel declined to stipulate. (Proudfoot Decl. Exh. A.) Plaintiff has filed no opposition to the present motion.
Ford has shown good cause for the entry of a protective order here in order to protect its confidential business information, as attested to by the Barron declaration. No opposition has been filed, and such orders are common in litigation of this type.
The motion is GRANTED.