Edwards Lifesciences Corporation v. Meril Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd.

Background

The court considered the parties’ amended administrative motion to file documents under seal, docket number 486. The case was already closed, and the court stated that it had not relied on the documents in its orders.

Legal standard

Court records generally carry a strong presumption of public access. For records connected to dispositive motions, a party seeking to seal them must show compelling reasons supported by specific facts that outweigh the public’s interest in access. For records connected to nondispositive motions, the lower “good cause” standard applies. Civil Local Rule 79-5 also requires the party seeking sealing to consider reasonable alternatives, limit sealing where possible, explain the interests supporting secrecy, and identify the harm that would result from disclosure.

Court’s reasoning and ruling

The court found a compelling reason to seal the documents because they disclosed confidential personal and business matters unrelated to the public’s understanding of the judicial proceedings. The court also noted that the public’s interest in accessing the documents was reduced because the court had not relied on them and would not use them to decide the case.

The court granted the parties’ amended administrative motion to file under seal as to documents at docket numbers 249-4, 249-6, 257-8, 257-9, 305-3, 309-7, 309-8, 406-5, 421-10, 421-11, 421-12, 421-13, and 421-14. The conclusion refers to the motion as the defendant’s administrative motion. Under Civil Local Rule 79-5(g)(1), the documents will remain under seal. This order addressed document sealing and did not resolve the underlying claims.