Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_15-cv-01205/USCOURTS-cand-5_15-cv-01205-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 368
Nature of Suit: Asbestos Personal Injury - Prod.liab.
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Asbestos Litigation

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

WILLIAM MOSLEY, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

GROUPON, INC., et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 15-cv-01205-BLF 

ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS’

MOTION TO SEAL

[Re: ECF 92]

Plaintiffs William Mosley and Frances Mosley moved to file under seal Exhibits 4–6 to 

their Second Amended Complaint (“SAC”). ECF 92. Parties moving to seal documents must 

comply with the procedures established by Civ. L.R. 79-5. Under Civ. L.R. 79-5(e), when a party 

moves to seal documents designated as confidential by an opposing party, the latter party must file 

a declaration in support of the request within four days of the filing of the motion. Groupon 

designated as confidential the documents sought to be sealed, but Groupon filed no such 

declaration. Accordingly, the Court denied the motion without prejudice. ECF 103. Defendants 

subsequently filed a declaration in support of the motion, indicating that it seeks to have these 

documents filed under seal because the information contained in these exhibits “contain sensitive 

private customer information,” including the customers’ names, phone numbers, and e-mail 

addresses. ECF 104. The Court now GRANTS the motion for the reasons discussed below.

“Historically, courts have recognized a ‘general right to inspect and copy public records 

and documents, including judicial records and documents.’” Kamakana v. City and Cnty. of 

Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Nixon v. Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 435 

U.S. 589, 597 & n.7 (1978)). Consequently, access to motions and their attachments that are 

“more than tangentially related to the merits of a case” may be sealed only upon a showing of 

Case 5:15-cv-01205-BLF Document 105 Filed 08/15/16 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

“compelling reasons” for sealing. Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., LLC, 809 F.3d 1092, 

1101–02 (9th Cir. 2016). Filings that are only tangentially related to the merits may be sealed 

upon a lesser showing of “good cause.” Id. at 1097. The Court concludes that Plaintiffs’ SAC and

documents submitted in support thereof are more than tangentially related to the merits. 

Therefore, the “compelling reasons” standard applies.

In addition to satisfying the “compelling reasons” test, sealing motions filed in this district 

must be “narrowly tailored to seek sealing only of sealable material.” Civil L.R. 79-5(b). A party 

moving to seal a document in whole or in part must file a declaration establishing that the 

identified material is “sealable.” Civ. L.R. 79-5(d)(1)(A). “Reference to a stipulation or 

protective order that allows a party to designate certain documents as confidential is not sufficient 

to establish that a document, or portions thereof, are sealable.” Id. 

Plaintiffs move to seal Exhibits 4–6 of their SAC on the basis that Defendants designated 

them as confidential. The exhibits are comprised of printouts of Groupon customer support 

interactions with various third-party customers, and contain Groupon third-party customers’ 

private information, such as their names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. ECF 92. 

Defendant submitted the declaration of their counsel, Kenneth K. Lee, who states that the exhibits 

contain such confidential information. ECF 104. Accordingly, Defendants have established 

compelling reasons for the requested sealing.

The motion to seal Exhibits 4–6 in their entirety is GRANTED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 15, 2016

 ______________________________________

BETH LABSON FREEMAN

United States District Judge

Case 5:15-cv-01205-BLF Document 105 Filed 08/15/16 Page 2 of 2