Case Updates
Outcome
June 01, 2022
Georgia Supreme Court held that trial court failed to properly consider whether a corporate executive’s high rank, the executive’s lack of unique personal knowledge of relevant facts, and the availability of information from other sources demonstrated good cause for a protective order from a deposition, but declines to hold that good cause is presumptively or conclusively established by those factors. The U.S. Chamber filed an amicus brief supporting consideration of these factors under the apex doctrine.
U.S. Chamber files amicus brief urging Georgia Supreme Court to hold that the apex doctrine applies to requests for depositions of senior executives in civil litigation
November 18, 2021
Click here to view the brief. Leah Ward Sears and Edward H. Wasmuth, Jr. of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP and the U.S. Chamber’s Litigation Center served as co-counsel for the U.S. Chamber.
The U.S. Chamber filed an amicus brief supporting certiorari and two other briefs before the Georgia Court of Appeals in this case.
Georgia Supreme Court grants cert. to review Georgia Court of Appeals’ refusal to recognize the “apex doctrine,” which protects corporate CEOs without unique relevant knowledge from abusive and unnecessary discovery
October 19, 2021
Click here to view the order.
U.S. Chamber files amicus brief urging Georgia Supreme Court to grant certiorari and hold that the apex doctrine applies to requests for depositions of senior executives in civil litigation
June 21, 2021
Click here to view the amicus brief. Leah Ward Sears and Edward H. Wasmuth, Jr. of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP and the U.S. Chamber’s Litigation Center served as co-counsel for the U.S. Chamber.
Previously, the U.S. Chamber filed two other briefs before the Georgia Court of Appeals in this case.
Case Documents
- Lower Court Opinion -- General Motors, LLC V. Buchanan (Ga. Ct. App.).pdf
- U.S. Chamber Amicus Brief -- General Motors, LLC V. Buchanan (Georgia Supreme Court).pdf
- Order Granting Cert. -- General Motors, LLC V. Buchanan (Georgia Supreme Court).pdf
- U.S. Chamber Merits Amicus Brief -- General Motors, LLC V. Buchanan (Georgia Supreme Court).pdf
- Opinion -- General Motors, LLC V. Buchanan (Georgia Supreme Court).pdf