Compel, resist and amend discovery

• Author: William M. Audet/Kimberly A. Fanady/David Ling Y. Kuang
• Pages: 389-530

COMPEL, RESIST AND

AMEND DISCOVERY

13-1

CHAPTER 13:

COMPEL, RESIST AND

AMEND DISCOVERY

TASKS

Task 80 Meet and Confer

Task 81 Move to Compel

Task 82 Move to Compel Depositions

Task 83A Oppose Motion to Compel

Task 83B Resisting Discovery (Proportionality & Objections)

Task 84 Move for Protective Order

Task 85 Oppose Motion for Protective Order

Task 86 Prepare Stipulated Protective Order

Task 87A Seek Sanctions

Task 87B Sanctions in ESI Disputes Context

Task 88 Oppose Motion for Sanctions

Task 89 Request Appointment of Magistrate Judge or Special Master

Task 90 Request Discovery Conference

Task 91 Attend Discovery Conference

Task 92 Move to Extend Discovery Time

Task 93 Oppose Motion to Extend Discovery Time

Task 94 Move to Shorten Discovery Time

Task 95 Oppose Motion to Shorten Discovery Time

Task 96 Amend Discovery Responses

Task 96A Request Additional Discovery in Response to Motion for Summary Judgment

Task 96B Oppose Request for Additional Discovery in Response to Motion for Summary Judgment

Task 97 Appeal Discovery Rulings

FORMS

Form 25 Meet and Confer Letter

Form 26 Letter Conference Meet and Confer Agreements

Form 27 Notice of Motion and Motion to Compel Responses

COMPEL, RESIST AND

AMEND DISCOVERY

Compel, Resist and Amend Discovery 13-2

Form 28 Memorandum in Support of Motion to Compel

Form 29 Declaration in Support of Motion

Form 30 Proposed Order

Form 31 Memorandum in Support of Opposition

Form 31.1 Notice of Motion and Motion to Compel

Form 31.2 Response to Motion to Compel

Form 32 Stipulated Protective Order

Form 33 Memorandum in Support of Motion for Sanctions

Form 34 Letter of Request

Form 35 Notice of Motion and Motion for Issuance of Letters of Request

Form 36 Request for Initial Conference

Form 37 Proposed Pretrial Order No. 1: Case Management

Form 38 Notice of Cross-Motion and Cross-Motion for Additional Discovery Pursuant to FRCP 56(d)

Form 39 Memorandum in Support of Cross-Motion for Additional Discovery Pursuant to FRCP 56(d)

Form 40 Declaration in Support of Cross-Motion for Additional Discovery Pursuant to FRCP 56(d)

Form 41 Motion for Leave

COMPEL, RESIST AND

AMEND DISCOVERY

13-3 Meet and Confer Task 80

TASK 80

Meet and Confer

I. WHAT AND WHY

A. FRCP 37 and most local rules require parties to attempt in good faith to reach an informal resolution of a discov-

ery or disclosure dispute before making a motion to compel. This is called the “meet and confer” requirement

because it forces the parties to meet and discuss the dispute. See, e.g., AIG Prop. Cas. Co. v. Fluidmaster, Inc.

(In re Fluidmaster, Inc.), 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9848 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 22, 2018).

    

  See FRCP 37(a)(1), (d)(1)(B); In

re Glumetza Antitrust Litig., 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113361 at *22-23 (N.D. Cal. June 29, 2020) (meeting

conferring “not optional”); Little v. JB Pritzker for Governor, No. 18 C 6954, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70668

at *19 (N.D. Ill. Apr. 22, 2020) (“mandatory”); Samsung Elecs. Am., Inc. v. Chung, 321 F.R.D. 250, 285

   



and to resolve them without court intervention, as required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(1)”)

(quotations omitted);  301 F.R.D. 235 (S.D. W. Va. 2014)

(form letter to opposing counsel that did not contain request to confer was inadequate); Heartland Surgical

Specialty Hosp., LLC v. Midwest Div., Inc., No. 05-2164-MLB-DWB, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 66159, at *11

(D. Kan. Sep. 6, 2007) (“require[ing] that the parties in good faith converse, confer, compare views, consult

and deliberate, or in good faith attempt to do so.”); , No. 2:15-cv-1272, 2017

U.S. Dist. LEXIS 101109, at *31 (S.D. Ohio June 29, 2017) (denying motion to compel “because he failed to



C. If you do not meet and confer, the court may refuse to hear your motion, refuse to award you sanctions, or

even impose sanctions against you. See FRCP 37(a)(1), (5)(A)(i); Naif v. Mazzei, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS

87212 at *4 (C.D. Cal. Apr. 9, 2020) (imposing sanctions); Jang v. Sagicor Life Ins. Co., 2018 U.S. Dist.

In

, 82 Fed. Rules Serv. 3d 468 (D. Nev. 2012) (motion to quash subpoena denied



will not necessarily bar consideration of a motion on the merits. Wilhelm v. Cain, 78 Fed. Rules Serv. 3d 689

    

actually occur; Rule 37 does not require automatic denial of motion to compel for failure to meet and confer);

compare , 82 Fed. Rules Serv. 3d 468 (D. Nev. 2012) (while court had discretion

to waive strict compliance with meet and confer requirements, it was not required to exercise equitable powers

when applicable procedural rules existed).

D. The meet and confer requirement serves several purposes, such as to:

1. Obviate the need for a motion by reaching an accommodation between the parties.

2. Force the parties to focus on their positions and thereby make them reconsider making or opposing a

motion to compel.

   

whether a particular privilege applies. This allows the parties to limit their briefs to the truly disputed issues.

4. Provide the court some insight (at least where the meet and confer is in writing) about whether the parties



II. WHEN

A. The FRCP does not specify a time within which the parties must meet and confer. The court will likely impose

a “reasonable time” requirement on the motion to compel (see



B. The better practice is to meet and confer as soon as possible after the dispute arises because:

1. The issues are still fresh in the parties’ minds.