Memphis Dental Mfg. Co. v. Base Plate Wax Direct, Inc.
Memphis Dental Mfg. Co. v. Base Plate Wax Direct, Inc.
2024 WL 2852223 (W.D. Tenn. 2024)
June 5, 2024

Pham, Tu M.,  United States Magistrate Judge

Failure to Produce
Attorney-Client Privilege
Protective Order
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Summary
The court ordered Memphis Dental to produce unredacted responses to discovery requests for their secret wax formula and batch list, as well as information and documents related to their customers and proprietary information. The court also allowed for the use of the attorneys-eyes-only provision in the First Amended Protective Order. Additionally, Memphis Dental was ordered to produce financial information with confidential designation provisions, but the court did not rule on whether any privilege applies to reports made by Memphis Dental or their attorney.
Additional Decisions
MEMPHIS DENTAL MANUFACTURING CO., INC., Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant,
v.
BASE PLATE WAX DIRECT, INC., Terrance Marmino, and Frank Bowman, Defendants/Counter-Plaintiffs
No. 22-cv-02790-TLP-tmp
United States District Court, W.D. Tennessee, Western Division
Signed June 05, 2024

Counsel

John Joseph Leatherwood, Jackson, Shields, Yeiser, Holt, Owen & Bryant, Memphis, TN, Ronald W. Kim, Kim & Associates, Cordova, TN, Joseph Russ Bryant, Jackson Shields Yeiser & Holt, Cordova, TN, for Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant.
Vance Daly, Daly Kirk, PLLC, Hernando, MS, for Defendants/Counter-Plaintiffs.
Pham, Tu M., United States Magistrate Judge

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT/COUNTER-PLAINTIFFS' MOTION TO COMPEL

*1 On May 17, 2024, Defendants/Counter-Plaintiffs Base Plate Wax Direct, Inc. (“Base Plate”), Terrance Marmino, and Frank Bowman (collectively “Defendants”) filed a Motion to Compel full and complete discovery responses to the requests served on Plaintiff/Counter-Defendant Memphis Dental Manufacturing Co., Inc. (“Memphis Dental”). (ECF No. 65.) A response to that motion was due on May 28, 2024. This motion was referred to the undersigned on May 20, 2024. (ECF No. 66.) To date, no response has been filed. Under the Local Rules, “[f]ailure to respond timely to any motion, other than one requesting dismissal of a claim or action, may be deemed good grounds for granting the motion.” L.R. 7.2(a)(2). Therefore, Defendants' Motion to Compel is GRANTED in full, and Memphis Dental is hereby ORDERED to respond to the discovery requests by Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Regarding Interrogatory No. 16 and Requests for Production Nos. 7, 20, and 27 of Base Plate's discovery requests, Base Plate asked Memphis Dental to identify and produce the secret wax formula and the batch list for the wax products that Memphis Dental sells. (ECF No. 65-1 at PageID 317, 321–323.) Memphis Dental is ORDERED to produce discovery responses, including the unredacted weights/measurements of the mixtures, but may do so according to the attorneys-eyes-only provision in the First Amended Protective Order and consistent with the April 19, 2024 order. (ECF Nos. 59 & 63.)
Regarding Interrogatory Nos. 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 17–19, and Requests for Production Nos. 2, 3, 11, 12, 14, 29, and 31, Base Plate asked for the identities and production of documents related to Memphis Dental's customers, including the customer list, purchase orders, and invoices. (ECF No. 65-1 at PageID 316–18, 321, 324.) Memphis Dental is ORDERED to produce discovery responses, but may do so according to the attorneys-eyes-only provision in the First Amended Protective Order and consistent with the April 19, 2024 order. (ECF Nos. 59 & 63.)
Regarding Interrogatory Nos. 6, 9, 10, and 23, and Requests for Production Nos. 4, 5, and 6, Base Plate requested information regarding the proprietary information that Memphis Dental alleges that Base Plate has used in its business. (ECF No. 65-1 at PageID 316, 319–20.) Memphis Dental is ORDERED to produce discovery responses, but may do so according to the attorneys-eyes-only provision in the First Amended Protective Order and consistent with the April 19, 2024 order. (ECF Nos. 59 & 63.)
Regarding Request for Production No. 24, Base Plate asked for “a copy of all financial information, including balance sheets, tax returns, profit and loss statements, or otherwise, showing all financial information of yours for the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.” (ECF No. 65-1 at PageID 323.) Memphis Dental is ORDERED to produce this information but may do so according to the confidential designation provisions found in paragraphs four and five of the First Amended Protective Order. (ECF No. 59, p. 2.)
Finally, regarding Request for Production No. 22, Base Plate requested that Memphis Dental “[p]roduce a copy of any reports which have been made by you, your attorney or anyone acting on your behalf concerning relevant issues of this suit.” (ECF No. 65-1 at PageID 323.) This request appears to potentially include confidential work product. The undersigned declines to rule on whether any privilege applies to documents responsive to this request. Therefore, in producing responsive documents, Memphis Dental is not prohibited from asserting any privileges that may apply.
*2 IT IS SO ORDERED.