Huzhou Chuangtai Rongyuan Investment Management Partnership v. Qin

Background

The petitioners—Huzhou Chuangtai Rongyuan Investment Management Partnership, Huzhou Huihengying Equity Investment Partnership, and Huzhou Huirongsheng Equity Investment Partnership—asked for permission to redact their memorandum of law and to file specified declarations and exhibits under seal. The request was made in connection with the petitioners’ third motion to compel and renewed motion for contempt against Respondent Hui Qin.

Request to Seal

The petitioners identified a declaration and exhibits containing documents produced by Qin and Seiden, including materials marked confidential under the parties’ stipulated protective order. They stated that the materials contained sensitive personal, financial, and business information, including attorney invoices, amounts Qin paid to attorneys, passwords to Qin’s personal devices, banking information, and other sensitive identifying information.

The submission discussed the general presumption that judicial documents should be publicly accessible and the need to weigh that presumption against privacy interests. The petitioners argued that the confidential information justified redaction and sealing.

Ruling

The Court granted the application. The Clerk of Court was directed to maintain docket entries 223, 225, and 227 under seal, viewable only by the parties and the Court. The Clerk was also directed to terminate the motion at docket entry 221. This order addressed access to filings; it did not decide the underlying motion to compel or contempt request.