Harris v. Northwestern Investment Management Company, LLC et al

Filing 54

ORDER re 52 Defendants' Declaration Regarding Plaintiff's Motion to Seal. Signed by Judge Claudia Wilken on 6/30/2011. (cwlc2, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 6/30/2011)

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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No. C 10-1763 CW
LAURIE GIBBS HARRIS,

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ORDER ON DEFENDANTS’
DECLARATION
REGARDING
PLAINTIFF’S MOTION
TO SEAL

Plaintiff,
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v.
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NORTHWESTERN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
COMPANY, LLC; and NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY,

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Defendants.
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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/

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Pursuant to Civil L.R. 79-5(d), Defendants Northwestern

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Investment Management Company, LLC, and Northwestern Mutual Life

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Insurance Company have filed a declaration supporting Plaintiff

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Laurie Gibbs Harris’s June 9, 2011 administrative motion for leave

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to file documents under seal.

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brief in opposition to their motion for summary judgment, the

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Supplemental Declaration of John A. McGuinn and its supporting

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exhibits, and Plaintiff’s Declaration.

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Defendants ask the Court to seal her

Plaintiff’s filings are connected to a dispositive motion.

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Because Defendants designated the documents at issue as

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confidential, they must file a declaration establishing that the

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documents are sealable.

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“must overcome a strong presumption of access by showing that

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‘compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings . . .

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outweigh the general history of access and the public policies

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favoring disclosure.’”

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665, 679 (9th Cir. 2010) (citation omitted).

Civ. L.R. 79-5(d).

To do so, Defendants

Pintos v. Pac. Creditors Ass’n, 605 F.3d
This cannot be

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established simply by showing that the document is subject to a

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protective order or by stating in general terms that the material

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is considered to be confidential, but rather must be supported by a

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sworn declaration demonstrating with particularity the need to file

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each document under seal.

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Civ. L.R. 79-5(a).

Defendants’ declaration does not justify sealing Plaintiff’s

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documents in their entirety.

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information located on pages 14 and 15 of Plaintiff’s opposition

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may be confidential, the balance of the brief does not appear to

For instance, although salary

United States District Court
For the Northern District of California

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reveal sensitive information.

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tailored, as required by Civil L.R. 79-5(a).

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Defendants’ request is not narrowly

Within three days of the date of this Order, Defendants shall

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make a narrowly-tailored sealing request.

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with their request copies of Plaintiff’s documents reflecting their

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proposed redactions of confidential information.

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not file such a request, Plaintiff shall electronically file her

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documents in the public record.

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Defendants shall include

If Defendants do

IT IS SO ORDERED.

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Dated: June 30, 2011
CLAUDIA WILKEN
United States District Judge

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