Seawolf Tankers Inc. v. Laurel Shipping LLC

Background

Freepoint Commodities Singapore Pte Ltd. and Freepoint Commodities LLC, together with Laurel Shipping LLC, asked the court to require Seawolf Tankers Inc. to produce a brief that Seawolf had provided to its expert. They requested that the brief be redacted as appropriate to conceal attorney work product, meaning material prepared by or for a lawyer in connection with legal advice or litigation. They also asked the court to review an unredacted version privately to determine whether the proposed redactions were appropriate.

Seawolf opposed the request. The court had ordered the parties to appear for a conference concerning the request. The order states that a court has discretion to conduct an in-camera review, meaning a private review by the judge outside the ordinary exchange of documents between the parties.

Ruling

The court ordered Seawolf, no later than 5:00 p.m. on February 7, 2024, to email an unredacted copy of the brief privately to the court for in-camera review. The order required the review but did not itself determine which portions of the brief were protected as attorney work product or require Seawolf to produce a redacted version to the other parties. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron issued the order.