Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04957/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-04957-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Jaret P Christopher
Defendant
Ellie Mae, Inc.
Petitioner

Document Text:

ORDER (No. 3:15-cv-04957-LB) 

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United States District Court 

Northern District of California 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

San Francisco Division 

ELLIE MAE, INC., 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

JARET P CHRISTOPHER, 

Defendant. 

Case No. 3:15-cv-04957-LB 

ORDER REGARDING 

ADMINISTRATIVE MOTIONS TO 

FILE DOCUMENTS UNDER SEAL 

[Re: ECF Nos. 2, 22] 

The petitioner Ellie Mae, Inc. filed a motion to confirm an arbitration award, and in response 

the respondent Jaret Christopher filed an opposition and cross-motion to vacate the arbitration 

award. (Motion to Confirm, ECF No. 13; Cross-Motion to Vacate, ECF No. 25.) 

In support of its motion to confirm, Ellie Mae filed an administrative motion asking for 

permission to file three documents under seal. (Ellie Mae’s Sealing Motion, ECF No. 2.) These 

documents were a part of the record of the underlying arbitration, and Ellie Mae seeks to file them 

under seal because they “may contain information considered to be confidential by Jaret 

Christopher.” (Id. at 2.) 

In this posture, under Civil Local Rule 79-5(e) Mr. Christopher had four days to file a 

declaration establishing that these three documents are sealable. He did not. 

Mr. Christopher did, however, file an administrative motion asking for permission to file 

numerous documents under seal in support of his cross-motion to vacate. (Mr. Christopher’s 

Case 3:15-cv-04957-LB Document 26 Filed 12/08/15 Page 1 of 2
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ORDER (No. 3:15-cv-04957-LB) 

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United States District Court 

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Sealing Motion, ECF No. 22.) The documents, which include the cross-motion itself, “are all 

excerpts of the Christopher v. Ellie Mae, Inc. arbitration hearing transcript or are non-public 

documents used in that arbitration.” (Id. at 2.) Although Mr. Christopher believes that none of 

these documents are sealable, he seeks to file them under seal because Ellie Mae informed him 

that “it considers some or all of these documents to be confidential under the terms of the parties’ 

Protective Order” in the arbitration. (Id.) 

In this posture, it was incumbent on Ellie Mae to file a declaration establishing that the 

documents are sealable. It did so, but it addressed only some of the documents Mr. Christopher 

included with his sealing motion. (Corr Declaration, ECF No. 23.) For the documents it addressed, 

Ellie Mae states that they “contain Ellie Mae’s information relating to Ellie Mae’s business 

activities, customers, product development, plans, acquisitions, and analysis, including 

negotiations,” and that if the information was made public, it “could cause competitive harm to 

Ellie Mae or provide an improper advantage to others.” (Id. at 3.) Upon review of these 

documents, the court agrees that the portions Ellie Mae identified are sealable. 

Because it appears that neither party believes the three documents attached to Ellie Mae’s 

sealing motion are sealable and that Ellie Mae contends that only some of the documents attached 

to Mr. Christopher’s sealing motion are sealable, the court directs the parties to meet and confer 

and file a proposed order that allows for the sealable documents to be filed under seal and the nonsealable documents to be filed in the public record. The parties must do this by December 11, 

2015. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: December 8, 2015 

______________________________________ 

LAUREL BEELER 

United States Magistrate Judge 

Case 3:15-cv-04957-LB Document 26 Filed 12/08/15 Page 2 of 2