Stoel Rives Secures Preliminary Injunction in Privacy Case

Seattle, WA — Stoel Rives LLP is pleased to announce that the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the firm’s clients, plaintiffs in Doe v. University of Washington. Plaintiffs are health care providers and researchers who sought to prevent their personally identifying information from being released in the University of Washington’s responses to public records requests. The requests were submitted to the University of Washington and its Birth Defects Research Laboratory by persons associated with organizations that oppose abortion services and fetal tissue research.

Crucially, the Court found that disclosure of personally identifying information in the requested documents would render plaintiffs “uniquely vulnerable to harassment, shaming, stalking, or worse” and that redaction of that information would not undermine the public interests served by making the rest of the records obtainable. The ruling helps ensure that the firm’s clients can continue working without fear of harassment or retaliation. 

The Court issued its ruling in Case No. C16-1212-JLR on Nov. 15, 2016. The records requestors have appealed the injunction to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. As cooperating attorneys for Legal Voice, a nonprofit women’s rights advocacy group, Stoel Rives lawyers Jill Bowman, Vanessa Soriano Power, and Lauren Wigginton worked in conjunction with David Edwards and Mallory Satre of Corr Cronin and Janet Chung of Legal Voice. 

About Stoel Rives LLP: Stoel Rives is a leading U.S. corporate and litigation law firm. One of the largest national firms focused on energy, natural resources, environmental law and climate change, Stoel Rives also serves the agribusiness, food and beverage, health care, life sciences and technology industries. With more than 350 attorneys operating out of 10 offices in seven states and the District of Columbia, Stoel Rives is a leader in regulatory and compliance matters, business, labor and employment law, intellectual property, land use, real estate development and construction law.