Opinion
Case No. 17-cv-01892-HSG
11-12-2020
CHARLES BAIRD, et al., Plaintiffs, v. BLACKROCK INSTITUTIONAL TRUST COMPANY, N.A., et al., Defendants.
ORDER ON ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO SEAL
Re: Dkt. No. 364
Pending before the Court is the parties' joint administrative motion to seal certain portions of the parties' briefs related to the motion to exclude expert testimony of Russell Wermers (Dkt. Nos. 321-3, 333-3, 336- 4) pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5. Dkt. No. 364.
Courts generally apply a "compelling reasons" standard when considering motions to seal documents. Pintos v. Pac. Creditors Ass'n, 605 F.3d 665, 678 (9th Cir. 2010) (quoting Kamakana v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006)). "This standard derives from the common law right 'to inspect and copy public records and documents, including judicial records and documents.'" Id. (quoting Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1178). "[A] strong presumption in favor of access is the starting point." Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1178 (quotation omitted). To overcome this strong presumption, the party seeking to seal a judicial record attached to a dispositive motion must "articulate compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings that outweigh the general history of access and the public policies favoring disclosure, such as the public interest in understanding the judicial process" and "significant public events." Id. at 1178-79 (quotation omitted). "In general, 'compelling reasons' sufficient to outweigh the public's interest in disclosure and justify sealing court records exist when such 'court files might have become a vehicle for improper purposes,' such as the use of records to gratify private spite, promote public scandal, circulate libelous statements, or release trade secrets." Id. at 1179 (quoting Nixon v. Warner Commc'ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 598 (1978)). "The mere fact that the production of records may lead to a litigant's embarrassment, incrimination, or exposure to further litigation will not, without more, compel the court to seal its records." Id.
The Court must "balance[] the competing interests of the public and the party who seeks to keep certain judicial records secret. After considering these interests, if the court decides to seal certain judicial records, it must base its decision on a compelling reason and articulate the factual basis for its ruling, without relying on hypothesis or conjecture." Id. Civil Local Rule 79-5 supplements the compelling reasons standard set forth in Kamakana: the party seeking to file a document or portions of it under seal must "establish[] that the document, or portions thereof, are privileged, protectable as a trade secret or otherwise entitled to protection under the law . . . The request must be narrowly tailored to seek sealing only of sealable material." Civil L.R. 79-5(b).
Records attached to nondispositive motions, however, are not subject to the strong presumption of access. See Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179. Because such records "are often unrelated, or only tangentially related, to the underlying cause of action," parties moving to seal must meet the lower "good cause" standard of Rule 26(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Id. at 1179-80 (quotation omitted). This requires only a "particularized showing" that "specific prejudice or harm will result" if the information is disclosed. Phillips ex rel. Estates of Byrd v. Gen. Motors Corp., 307 F.3d 1206, 1210-11 (9th Cir. 2002); see also Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c). "Broad allegations of harm, unsubstantiated by specific examples of articulated reasoning" will not suffice. Beckman Indus., Inc. v. Int'l Ins. Co., 966 F.2d 470, 476 (9th Cir. 1992) (quotation omitted).
The Court finds that under either standard, the parties have provided a compelling interest in sealing portions of the various documents listed below because they contain confidential business and financial information that is subject to a license agreement which imposes strict requirements to keep the licensed information, and information derived from it, out of the public domain. The remaining material that the parties seek to jointly file under seal reflects information that was designated "Confidential" pursuant to the stipulated protective order entered by this Court on October 18, 2018. See Apple Inc. v. Samsung Elecs. Co., Ltd., No. 11-CV-01846-LHK, 2012 WL 6115623 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 10, 2012); see also Agency Solutions.Com, LLC v. TriZetto Group, Inc., 819 F. Supp. 2d 1001, 1017 (E.D. Cal. 2011); Linex Techs., Inc. v. Hewlett-Packard Co., No. C 13-159 CW, 2014 WL 6901744 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 8, 2014) (holding sensitive financial information falls within the class of documents that may be filed under seal).
The parties request the following portions of the various documents be sealed:
| Document | Page(s): Lines(s)Sought to be Sealed | Ruling (basis) |
|---|---|---|
| Ex. A to Boyle Declaration(Daubert Motion) | 23: 24-25 | GRANTED. The Court hasalready authorized sealing theunderlying material. |
| Ex. A to Boyle Declaration(Daubert Motion) | 2: 6-87: 9-12, 25-2610: 11-2111: 1-7, 20-2116: 16-17, 2517: 1-522: 26-2723: 22-23 | GRANTED. Confidential andproprietary information regardingsecurities lending business,financial information, and clientrelationships, including internalcorrespondence regarding same. |
| Ex. A to Boyle Declaration(Daubert Motion) | i: 19-2117: 18-19, 22-2418: 1, 2-3, 7-12, 22-23, 24, 25-2619: 1-2, 4, 7-10, 16-18, 21-22, 2520: 1, 6, 7-9, 11, 13,14-17, 19, 28 | GRANTED. Confidentialreferences to the proprietarydatabase of third party. Thelicense for this database obligeslicensee and its expert to keep thedatabase and materials derivedfrom it out of the public domain. |
| Ex. B to Boyle Declaration(BlackRock's Opposition toDaubert Motion) | 13: 1-3, 2521: 13-16 24: 17 | GRANTED. Confidential andproprietary information regardingsecurities lending business,financial information, and clientrelationships, including internalcorrespondence regarding same. |
| Ex. B to Boyle Declaration(BlackRock's Opposition toDaubert Motion) | i: 21-222: 22-235: 15 19: 4, 6-8, 11,14, 24-2720: 1-3, 3-8, 11, 15-16, 18, 23-2521: 1-2, 5, 11, 13-16, 2322: 1-3, 7, 9-14, 16, | GRANTED. Confidentialreferences to the proprietarydatabase of third party. Thelicense for this database obligeslicensee and its expert to keep thedatabase and materials derivedfrom it out of the public domain. |
| 19-2023: 5-6, 9, 11, 13-16, 18 | ||
| Ex. C to Boyle Declaration(Plaintiffs' Reply in Support ofDaubert Motion) | i: 17-1912: 14-15, 17-18, 20-2613: 7-8, 12-14, 15-16, 18-22, 27-2814: 4-6, 7-13, 17- 18,19-20, 22-25 | GRANTED. Confidentialreferences to the proprietarydatabase of third party. Thelicense for this database obligeslicensee and its expert to keep thedatabase and materials derivedfrom it out of the public domain. |
|---|
I. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Court GRANTS Motion to Seal. Dkt. No. 364. The Court DIRECTS the parties to file public versions of all documents for which no public version has been filed, as indicated in the chart above. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 79-5(f)(1), documents filed under seal as to which the administrative motions are granted will remain under seal. The public will have access only to the redacted versions accompanying the administrative motions.
IT IS SO ORDERED. Dated: 11/12/2020
/s/_________
HAYWOOD S. GILLIAM, JR.
United States District Judge