Cochrane v. American Guarantee & Liability Insurance Company

THE HONORABLE JOHN C. COUGHENOUR UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON 8 AT SEATTLE JENNY COCHRANE, dba LAW OFFICE OF CASE NO. C19-1253-JCC JENNY COCHRANE ORDER 11 Plaintiff, v. AMERICAN GUARANTEE & LIABILITY INSURANCE COMPANY, Defendant.

16 This matter comes before the Court on the parties’ stipulated motion to seal (Dkt. No. 17). The parties request that the Court maintain under seal an exhibit filed by Defendant in support of its motion for summary judgment. (See id. at 1; Dkt. No. 23.) In October 2019, the Court entered a protective order limiting the disclosure of “confidential” information produced by the parties. (See Dkt. No. 10.) The protective order provides that the “WSBA grievance proceedings, Diversion Contract, supporting affidavits, supporting declarations, etc. shall be considered ‘confidential’ to the same extent they are considered ‘confidential’ under the Rules for Enforcement of Lawyer Conduct.” (See id.) 24 The Court starts from the position that “[t]here is a strong presumption of public access to [its] files.” W.D. Wash. Local Civ. R. 5(g). This presumption applies particularly to “dispositive pleadings.” Kamakana v. City & County of Honolulu, 447 F.3d 1172, 1179 (9th Cir. 2006). To overcome this presumption, there must be a “compelling reason” for sealing that is “sufficient to outweigh the public’s interest in disclosure.” Id. 3 The exhibit the parties seek to maintain under seal contains information defined as “confidential” under the protective order entered by the Court. (See Dkt. Nos. 10, 23.) Further, Plaintiff has a strong interest in maintaining the confidentiality of the information contained in the exhibit that outweighs the public’s interest in its disclosure. See W.D. Wash. Local Civ. R. 5(g); Kamakana, 447 F.3d at 1179. Therefore, the Court hereby GRANTS the parties’ stipulated motion to seal (Dkt. No. 17). The Clerk is DIRECTED to maintain Docket Number 23 under seal.

10 DATED this 23rd day of March 2020.

A John C. Coughenour 14 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE