The apex deposition doctrine is a judge-made rule that protects company executives from harassing, repetitive depositions in cases in which the executive has little relevant evidence to provide. Courts applying the doctrine...more
The Florida Supreme Court on Aug. 26, 2021, amended the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure to codify the apex doctrine and "protect high-level corporate officers from the risk of abusive discovery, while still honoring opposing...more
In Stratford v. Umpqua Bank, No. 100717-5 (Sept. 14, 2023) (slip op.), the Washington Supreme Court rejected the application of the “apex doctrine” in Washington. The apex doctrine has been adopted by some jurisdictions to...more
The Supreme Court of Georgia recently issued a decision on whether the Apex Doctrine - a theory under which high-ranking corporate executives and government officials may not be compelled to sit for depositions if they lack...more
On June 1, 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court issued a ruling that has the potential to significantly impact discovery in Georgia courts. In Gen. Motors, LLC v. Buchanan, No. S21G1147, 2022 WL 1750716 (Ga. June 1, 2022), the...more
The First Line of Defense Against Plaintiff Overreach - The suit has been filed, the troops have been marshaled, and written discovery is underway. What’s next are the inevitable requests for depositions of current and...more