Koonce v. Sazerac Company, Inc.
- Kenneth Karas
- 7:23-cv-04323
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 3
In Koonce v. Sazerac, Judge Karas granted in part Sazerac’s request to seal class-certification materials and required redacted versions within 30 days.
Sazerac Company, Inc., the plaintiffs, the parties’ counsel, and access to the materials filed in connection with the class-certification motion.
What happened
In Koonce v. Sazerac Company, Inc., Sazerac asked to file certain materials under seal while opposing the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. Sazerac said the materials contained proprietary surveys, consumer complaints, sales and cost information, marketing information, and strategic concerns.
The court granted Sazerac’s request in part. It ordered Sazerac to file redacted versions within 30 days for documents in which only some portions discuss information that should remain sealed.
Judge Kenneth M. Karas issued the order on May 15, 2025. The opinion text does not identify which specific documents or portions were ultimately permitted to remain sealed.
The detailed version
- Koonce v. Sazerac Company, Inc. · No. 7:23-cv-04323
- Kenneth Karas
- May 15, 2025
Background
Sazerac Company, Inc. asked the court for permission to file under seal materials submitted with its opposition to the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. It also asked to redact portions of its opposition memorandum that referred to those materials and to internal documents designated confidential under a protective order in another proceeding.
The requested materials included consumer-survey data, information about complaints concerning Fireball Malt, consumer statements, cost and sales information, strategic concerns, and expert reports that referred to the other materials. Sazerac argued that disclosure could cause competitive harm by revealing market insights, product weaknesses, pricing information, and other commercially sensitive information.
Ruling
The court granted Sazerac’s request in part. It ordered Sazerac to file redacted versions within 30 days for documents in which only portions discuss information that should remain sealed. The text provided does not specify which documents or portions were allowed to remain sealed, and it does not state that all of the requested materials could be filed entirely under seal.
Read the full 3-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.