Illinois Union Insurance Company v. Acer Restorations LLC
- Lorna Schofield
- 1:20-cv-01086
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
Judge Schofield granted Illinois Union v. Acer’s motion to seal underwriting documents containing confidential business and customer information.
The plaintiffs, whose underwriting documentation will remain sealed, and the public, which will not have access to those documents.
What happened
Illinois Union Insurance Company v. Acer Restorations LLC concerns documents that the plaintiffs filed about insurance underwriting guidelines for applicants involved in wood-floor sanding, stripping, or refinishing. The documents were filed under an earlier court order.
The plaintiffs asked the court to keep those documents sealed. The court explained that public access to court records is not absolute and that sealing was necessary to prevent unauthorized disclosure of confidential business and customer information.
Judge Lorna G. Schofield granted the motion to seal. The underwriting documents will remain under seal, and the Clerk of Court was directed to close the motion.
The detailed version
- Illinois Union Insurance Company v. Acer Restorations LLC · No. 1:20-cv-01086
- Lorna Schofield
- May 18, 2021
Background
On December 14, 2020, the plaintiffs filed documentation describing their underwriting guidelines for issuing insurance policies to applicants involved in wood-floor sanding, stripping, or refinishing. The filing followed the court’s November 13, 2020, order.
The plaintiffs also filed a motion to seal the underwriting documentation and a supporting declaration. The opinion states that the documentation included confidential business and customer information.
Court’s Analysis
The court recognized a common-law presumption that the public may access judicial documents. It explained, however, that this right is not absolute and that the court must balance public access against competing interests. The court found that sealing the underwriting documentation was necessary to prevent unauthorized dissemination of confidential business and customer information.
Ruling
The court granted the plaintiffs’ motion to seal. The underwriting documentation filed at Docket No. 56 will remain under seal. Judge Lorna G. Schofield also directed the Clerk of Court to close the motion at Docket No. 54.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.