Kumaran v. Northland Energy Trading LLC

Background

The A Star Group, doing business as Timetrics, through Jason W. Burge, submitted a letter motion asking the court to seal Exhibit A to a reply memorandum supporting a motion to withdraw as counsel. Exhibit A was a contingency-fee agreement between Timetrics and Fishman Haygood, LLP.

The letter stated that the agreement’s contents had been discussed in several publicly filed submissions. It also stated that Ms. Kumaran had previously filed the agreement under seal and had expressed an interest in keeping documents concerning fee disputes with former attorneys confidential. The electronic filing help desk had restricted public access to the document, but advised that the filing party still needed to ask the presiding judge to formally seal it.

Sealing standard and ruling

The submission described the applicable standard as balancing the public’s common-law right of access to judicial documents against the privacy interests of those opposing disclosure. It argued that the public interest in reviewing the agreement in connection with the withdrawal dispute was relatively slight and did not outweigh the asserted privacy interest.

The court’s endorsement states “SO ORDERED” and directs that the document be sealed. Accordingly, Exhibit A to the reply memorandum, docket entry 338-1, was ordered sealed. The text does not separately explain the court’s reasoning beyond the sealing request and the order endorsement.