Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_18-cv-01477/USCOURTS-cand-5_18-cv-01477-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Insurance Contract

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

PEGATRON TECHNOLOGY SERVICE 

INC.,

Plaintiff,

v.

AMERICAN GUARANTEE & LIABILITY 

INS. CO.,

Defendant.

Case No.18-cv-01477-LHK (VKD)

ORDER GRANTING 

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTION TO 

SEAL

Re: Dkt. No. 46

Non-party Customer has filed an administrative motion to seal portions of the joint 

discovery dispute made by Customer and defendant American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. 

(“AGLIC”). AGLIC did not oppose the request. Customer asks the Court to seal its identity, the 

identity of its in-house counsel, and the identities of Jane Doe and Third Party Vendor, as well as 

other material in the joint submission that references a confidential settlement agreement that 

underlies the dispute in this action. See Dkt. No. 46 at 2. 

There is a strong presumption in favor of access by the public to judicial records and 

documents accompanying dispositive motions that can be overcome only by a showing of 

“compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings.” Kamakana v. City & Cty. of 

Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178–79 (9th Cir. 2006) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 

However, the presumption does not apply equally to a motion addressing matters that are only 

“tangentially related to the merits of a case.” Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., LLC, 809 F.3d 

1092, 1101 (9th Cir. 2016), cert. denied sub nom. FCA U.S. LLC v. Ctr. for Auto Safety, 137 S. Ct. 

38 (2016). A litigant seeking to seal documents or information in connection with such a motion 

must meet the lower “good cause” standard of Rule 26(c). Id. at 1098–99; Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 

Case 5:18-cv-01477-LHK Document 57 Filed 05/13/19 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

1179–80.

Customer’s motion to seal concerns matters that are before the Court in connection with a 

discovery dispute. The underlying submission does not concern the merits of the parties’ claims 

or defenses, but rather whether Customer and its in-house counsel must provide deposition 

testimony in response to AGLIC’s subpoenas. The material to be sealed is only tangentially 

related to the merits of the case. The Court therefore applies the “good cause” standard of Rule 

26(c). 

While Customer has demonstrated good cause to seal the portions of the discovery dispute 

submission that describe the settlement agreement and the events leading up to that agreement, the 

Court questions whether the identities of Customer, its in-house counsel, and Third Party Vendor 

are the kind of information that merit sealing. However, the Court accepts for purposes of this 

motion Customer’s representation that the contractual confidentiality obligations on which it 

principally relies for its motion to seal these identities are intended to protect the privacy and other 

interests of non-party Jane Doe in addition to the interests of other parties to the confidential 

agreement. On this basis, the Court concludes that Customer has shown good cause to seal the 

materials identified in its administrative motion. 

Accordingly, the Court grants Customer’s administrative motion and finds that the 

following materials may be filed under seal.

Document Portion to Be Filed Under Seal

Joint Discovery Letter (Dkt. No. 48) Highlighted portions on pages 4-8

Exhibit 1 to Joint Discovery Letter Highlighted portions on pages 2-6, 9-11, and 21

Exhibit 2 to Joint Discovery Letter Highlighted portions on pages 2-4 and 7

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 13, 2019

VIRGINIA K. DEMARCHI

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 5:18-cv-01477-LHK Document 57 Filed 05/13/19 Page 2 of 2