Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-00797/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-00797-10/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 370
Nature of Suit: Other Fraud
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Account Receivable

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SHENZHENSHI HAITIECHENG 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., 

LTD.,

Plaintiff,

v.

REARDEN LLC, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 15-cv-00797-JST 

ORDER DENYING ADMINISTRATIVE 

MOTION TO FILE DOCUMENTS 

UNDER SEAL

Re: ECF No. 67

Defendants move to file under seal portions of their Answer and Amended Counterclaims. 

ECF No. 67. Plaintiff has filed a declaration in support of sealing. ECF No. 70. The Court will 

deny the motion.

A party seeking to seal a portion of a document filed with the court must (1) comply with 

Civil Local Rule 79-5; and (2) rebut the “a strong presumption in favor of access” that applies to 

all documents other than grand jury transcripts or pre-indictment warrant materials. Kamakana v. 

City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (citation and internal quotations 

omitted). The showing required to overcome the strong presumption of access depends on the 

type of filing in which the potentially sealable material appears. “[A] ‘compelling reasons’

standard applies to most judicial records. This standard derives from the common law right ‘to 

inspect and copy public records and documents, including judicial records and documents.’” 

Pintos v. Pac. Creditors Ass’n, 605 F.3d 665, 678 (9th Cir. 2010) (quoting Nixon v. Warner 

Commc’ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 n.7 (1978)).1

 

1 On the other hand, records attached to motions that are only “tangentially related to the merits of 

a case” are not subject to the strong presumption of access. Ctr. for Auto Safety v. Chrysler Grp., 

Case 3:15-cv-00797-JST Document 71 Filed 02/24/16 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

“Because Plaintiff's complaint and Defendant's answer and counter-claim are the pleadings 

on which this action is based, the Court applies the ‘compelling reasons’ standard to Defendant's 

motions to seal.” Delfino Green & Green v. Workers Compansation Sols., LLC, No. 15-CV02302-HSG, 2015 WL 4235356, at *2 (N.D. Cal. July 13, 2015); see also AGS, LLC v. Galaxy 

Gaming Inc., No. 2:14-CV-02018-JAD, 2015 WL 1522739, at *2 (D. Nev. Apr. 2, 2015) (“A 

motion to seal an answer is governed by a ‘compelling reasons’ standard, which reflects the strong 

presumption in favor of access to court records in this circuit.”). To overcome the strong 

presumption of public access, the party seeking to seal a judicial record must “articulate 

compelling reasons supported by specific factual findings that outweigh the general history of 

access and the public policies favoring disclosure.” Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1178–79 (internal 

citations omitted). 

Having reviewed Defendants’ motion to seal, Plaintiff’s declaration, and the underlying 

documents, the Court concludes that the parties have failed to rebut the strong presumption in 

favor of access or to show compelling reasons to seal any portion of the document. Kamakana, 

447 F.3d at 1178. Accordingly, the Court denies Defendants’ motion. Defendants’ Answer and 

Amended Counterclaims will not be considered by the Court unless Defendants file the document 

in the public record within seven days from the date of this Order. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 24, 2016

______________________________________

JON S. TIGAR

United States District Judge

 

LLC, 809 F.3d 1092, 1101 (9th Cir. 2016). Instead, a party need only make a showing under the 

good cause standard of Rule 26(c) to justify the sealing of the materials. Id. at 1097. 

Case 3:15-cv-00797-JST Document 71 Filed 02/24/16 Page 2 of 2