Affinity Credit Union v. Apple Inc.

AT T O R N E Y S A T L A W
SA N F R A N C I S C O
STIP. AND ORDER
APPOINTING SPECIAL MASTERS
CASE NO. 4:22-CV-04174-JSW
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LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
Belinda S Lee (Cal. Bar No. 199635)
belinda.lee@lw.com
Sarah M. Ray (Cal. Bar No. 229670)
sarah.ray@lw.com
Aaron T. Chiu (Cal. Bar No. 287788)
aaron.chiu@lw.com
Alicia R. Jovais (Cal. Bar No. 296172)
alicia.jovais@lw.com
505 Montgomery Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, California 94111-6538
Telephone: +1.415.391.0600
Attorneys for Defendant Apple Inc.
HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP
Steve W. Berman (pro hac vice)
steve@hbsslaw.com
1301 Second Avenue, Suite 2000
Seattle, WA 98101
Telephone: (206) 623-7292
Ben M. Harrington (SBN 313877)
benh@hbsslaw.com
715 Hearst Avenue, Suite 202
Berkeley, CA 94710
Telephone: (510) 725-3000
SPERLING KENNY NACHWALTER, LLC
Eamon P. Kelly (pro hac vice)
ekelly@sperling-law.com
Joseph M. Vanek (pro hac vice)
jvanek@sperling-law.com
Jeffrey Bergman (pro hac vice)
jbergman@sperling-law.com
321 N. Clark St., 25th Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
Telephone: (312) 676-5845
Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Proposed
Class
[Additional Counsel on Signature Page]
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
OAKLAND DIVISION
AFFINITY CREDIT UNION et al.,
Plaintiffs,
v.
APPLE INC.,
Defendant.
CASE NO. 4:22-CV-04174-JSW
STIPULATION AND [PROPOSED]
ORDER APPOINTING SPECIAL
MASTERS
AS MODIFIED
Case 4:22-cv-04174-JSW Document 321 Filed 07/20/26 Page 1 of 5

AT T O R N E Y S A T L A W
SA N F R A N C I S C O 	1
STIP. AND ORDER
APPOINTING SPECIAL MASTERS
CASE NO. 4:22-CV-04174-JSW
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Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-12, Plaintiffs Affinity Credit Union, GreenState Credit
Union, and Consumers Credit Union (“Plaintiffs”) and Defendant Apple Inc. (“Apple”) (together,
the “Parties”), by and through their undersigned counsel, hereby stipulate as follows:
WHEREAS, on February 6, 2026, Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore determined that,
“a special master appears warranted” to review to certain of Apple’s privilege assertions (ECF No.
313 at 2);
WHEREAS, Judge Westmore also ordered the parties to “file a request for appointment
with the presiding judge,” should the parties “agree that appointment is appropriate” (id.);
WHEREAS, the Parties have met and conferred and have agreed, subject to Court
approval, to the appointment of the Honorable Amy D. Hogue (Ret.) and the Honorable Patrick J.
Walsh (Ret.) as Special Masters in this case to conduct an agreed upon review of challenged
privilege log entries.
THEREFORE, the Parties hereby stipulate as follows:
1. Judge Hogue and Judge Walsh shall each cause to be filed a declaration under 28 U.S.C.
Section 455 confirming that there are no grounds for disqualification;
2. Effective upon the filing of the declarations set forth in paragraph 1, Judge Hogue and
Judge Walsh are each appointed pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53 as
Special Masters to assist the Parties with reviewing the disputed privilege log entries
(including the underlying challenged withheld or redacted documents), pursuant to a
protocol to be agreed with the Special Masters. All other discovery disputes will be
resolved by Judge Westmore unless she determines that referral to the special masters
is appropriate.
3. The Special Masters may not communicate ex parte with the Court or the Parties absent
consent of the Parties. However, the Special Masters may receive copies of the
challenged documents from Apple. In addition, the Special Masters may request
additional information from Apple; if Apple believes such information is itself
privileged, Apple may seek permission of the Special Masters asking for such
Case 4:22-cv-04174-JSW Document 321 Filed 07/20/26 Page 2 of 5

AT T O R N E Y S A T L A W
SA N F R A N C I S C O 	2
STIP. AND ORDER
APPOINTING SPECIAL MASTERS
CASE NO. 4:22-CV-04174-JSW
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information to provide such information in camera. The Special Masters may confer
with each other as to the appropriate treatment of any document or category of
documents. Any Special Master may also convene a hearing with the Parties to address
documents.
4. The Special Masters will oversee and rule on the discovery-related disputes as limited
above. All rulings will be memorialized their decisions in written recommendations,
which will be retained by the Special Masters and the parties and will not be filed with
the Court. in writing and filed on the docket, as required by Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 53(d).
5. A party may file objections to—or a motion to modify—the Special Master’s rulings
recommendations along with a response thereto with Magistrate Judge Westmore no
later than 21 days from the time the Special Master’s order is served filed. Such a
filing, and response thereto, shall be in the form of a joint letter in compliance with
Paragraph 7 s 14(a)(ii), (a)(iii), and (b)(i) of Magistrate Judge Westmore’s Judge
White’s Standing Order for Civil Cases and attaching as an exhibit the relevant portion
of the Special Master’s recommendations ruling(s) to which there is objection. A party
may then file objections to—or a motion to modify—Magistrate Judge Westmore’s
recommendations with District Judge White no later than 14 days from the time
Magistrate Judge Westmore’s order is filed, consistent with Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 72(a).
Any objection to the special masters’ rulings will be subject to de novo review by the
district judge. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 53(f)(4). Unless a party objects to the Special
Masters’ and/or Magistrate Judge Westmore’s rulings consistent with the foregoing,
Apple will produce all documents deemed not privileged by the Court within seven (7)
business days of such ruling unless otherwise directed by the Court. If no objections
are filed, the recommendations will be deemed agreed by the parties and the parties
will follow the applicable recommendations as to those challenged privilege entries,
Case 4:22-cv-04174-JSW Document 321 Filed 07/20/26 Page 3 of 5

AT T O R N E Y S A T L A W
SA N F R A N C I S C O 	3
STIP. AND ORDER
APPOINTING SPECIAL MASTERS
CASE NO. 4:22-CV-04174-JSW
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with Apple producing such documents to Plaintiffs within seven (7) business days of
the deadline to object.
6. Each Special Master’s hourly fee shall be his/her standard hourly rate for this type of
work, to be divided equally between the Parties.
IT IS SO STIPULATED.
Dated: July 10, 2026 	LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
By: /s/ Alicia R. Jovais
Alicia R. Jovais
Belinda S Lee (Cal. Bar No. 199635)
belinda.lee@lw.com
Sarah M. Ray (Cal. Bar No. 229670)
sarah.ray@lw.com
Aaron T. Chiu (Cal. Bar No. 287788)
aaron.chiu@lw.com
Alicia R. Jovais (Cal. Bar No. 296172)
alicia.jovais@lw.com
505 Montgomery Street, Suite 2000
San Francisco, California 94111-6538
Telephone: +1.415.391.0600
Attorneys for Defendant Apple Inc.
Case 4:22-cv-04174-JSW Document 321 Filed 07/20/26 Page 4 of 5

AT T O R N E Y S A T L A W
SA N F R A N C I S C O 	4
STIP. AND ORDER
APPOINTING SPECIAL MASTERS
CASE NO. 4:22-CV-04174-JSW
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Dated: July 10, 2026 	HAGENS BERMAN SOBOL SHAPIRO LLP
By: /s/ Ben M. Harrington
Ben M. Harrington
Ben M. Harrington (Cal. Bar No. 313877)
benh@hbsslaw.com
715 Hearst Avenue, Suite 202
Berkeley, California 94710
Telephone: +1.510.725.3000
Steve W. Berman (pro hac vice)
steveb@hbsslaw.com
1301 Second Avenue, Suite 2000
Seattle, Washington 98101
Telephone: +1.206.623.7292
SPERLING KENNY NACHWALTER, LLC
Eamon P. Kelly (pro hac vice)
Joseph M. Vanek (pro hac vice)
Jeffrey H. Bergman (pro hac vice)
321 N. Clark St., 25th Floor
Chicago, IL 60654
Telephone: (312) 676-5845
ekelly@sperlingkenny.com
jvanek@sperlingkenny.com
jbergman@sperlingkenny.com
Phillip F. Cramer (pro hac vice)
1221 Broadway, Suite 2140
Nashville, TN 37203
Telephone: (312) 224-1512
pcramer@sperlingkenny.com
Attorneys for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Class
PURSUANT TO STIPULATION AND THE MODIFICATIONS SET FORTH
ABOVE, IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: July 20, 2026 	By:
THE HONORABLE JEFFREY S. WHITE
United States District Judge
Case 4:22-cv-04174-JSW Document 321 Filed 07/20/26 Page 5 of 5