Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 1179 Filed 04/05/22 Page 1 of 6 PageID# 31393
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`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
`ALEXANDRIA DIVISION
`
`
`
`v.
`
`RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. and
`R.J. REYNOLDS VAPOR COMPANY,
`
`Plaintiffs and Counterclaim Defendants,
`
`
`
`ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC; PHILIP
`MORRIS USA INC.; and PHILIP MORRIS
`PRODUCTS S.A.
`
`Defendants and Counterclaim Plaintiffs.
`
`Civil Action No. 1:20-cv-393-LO-TCB
`
`
`
`MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF JOINT MOTION TO REDACT PORTIONS OF
`THE MARCH 18, 2022 HEARING TRANSCRIPT
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`

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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 1179 Filed 04/05/22 Page 2 of 6 PageID# 31394
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`The parties jointly submit this memorandum in support of their motion to designate as
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`“Confidential” and to redact certain page/lines of the publicly-available version of the March
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`18, 2022 hearing transcript, pursuant to the Stipulated Protective Order (Dkt. No. 103). Certain
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`portions of the transcript reflect Defendants’ and Plaintiffs’ confidential business information
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`under the protective order. The parties respectfully request that this Court enter an order
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`directing that the transcript page and line citations listed in Exhibit A be redacted and not made
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`available to the public.
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`I.
`
`ARGUMENT
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`Although there is a general presumption that the public has the right to access documents
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`in the files of the courts, this presumption may be overcome “if the public’s right of access is
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`outweighed by competing interests.” Ashcraft v. Conoco, Inc., 218 F.3d 288, 302 (4th Cir. 2000)
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`(citation omitted); Stone v. Univ. of Md. Med. Sys. Corp., 855 F.2d 178, 180 (4th Cir. 1988).
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`The parties seek to redact from the public record only information that the parties must
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`keep confidential pursuant to the stipulated protective order. This selective and narrow protection
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`of confidential material constitutes “the least drastic method of shielding the information at issue.”
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`Adams v. Object Innovation, Inc., No. 3:11cv272, 2011 WL 7042224, at *4 (E.D. Va. Dec. 5,
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`2011). The public has no legitimate interest in information that is confidential to the parties. See
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`id. (“[T]here is no legitimate public interest in disclosing the proprietary and confidential
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`information of [the defendant] . . . and disclosure to the public could result in significant damage
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`to the company.”). The information that the parties seek to redact includes confidential,
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`proprietary, and competitively sensitive business information of the parties and/or third parties,
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`each of which could face harm if such information were released publicly.
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`There is support for filing portions of the March 18, 2022 hearing transcript with strictly
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`3
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`

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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 1179 Filed 04/05/22 Page 3 of 6 PageID# 31395
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`limited redactions. As an initial matter, the stipulated protective order requires that this information
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`remain confidential, and the redacted portions of the transcript only pertain to this confidential
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`information. Redacting these materials is therefore proper because the public’s interest in access
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`is outweighed by a party’s interest in “preserving confidentiality” of limited amounts of
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`confidential information that is “normally unavailable to the public.” Flexible Benefits Council v.
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`Feltman, No. 08-cv-00371, 2008 WL 4924711, at *1 (E.D. Va. Nov. 13, 2008); U.S. ex rel. Carter
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`v. Halliburton Co., No. 1:10cv864, 2011 WL 2077799, at *3 (E.D. Va. May 24, 2011).
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`II.
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`CONCLUSION
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`For the foregoing reasons, the parties respectfully request that the Court grant this Motion
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`and enter the attached proposed order.
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`4
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 1179 Filed 04/05/22 Page 4 of 6 PageID# 31396
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`Dated: April 5, 2022
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`Respectfully submitted,
`
`
`Stephanie E. Parker
`JONES DAY
`1221 Peachtree Street, N.E.,
`Suite 400
`Atlanta, GA 30309
`Telephone: (404) 521-3939
`Facsimile: (404) 581-8330
`Email: separker@jonesday.com
`
`Anthony M. Insogna
`JONES DAY
`4655 Executive Drive
`Suite 1500
`San Diego, CA 92121
`Telephone: (858) 314-1200
`Facsimile: (844) 345-3178
`Email: aminsogna@jonesday.com
`
`William E. Devitt
`JONES DAY
`77 West Wacker
`Suite 3500
`Chicago, IL 60601
`Telephone: (312) 269-4240
`Facsimile: (312) 782-8585
`Email: wdevitt@jonesday.com
`
`Sanjiv P. Laud
`JONES DAY
`90 South Seventh Street
`Suite 4950
`Minneapolis, MN 55402
`Telephone: (612) 217-8800
`Facsimile: (844) 345-3178
`Email: slaud@jonesday.com
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`
`
`
`
`
`/s/ David M. Maiorana
`David M. Maiorana (VA Bar No. 42334)
`Ryan B. McCrum
`JONES DAY
`901 Lakeside Avenue
`Cleveland, OH 44114
`Telephone: (216) 586-3939
`Facsimile: (216) 579-0212
`Email: dmaiorana@jonesday.com
`Email: rbmccrum@jonesday.com
`
`John J. Normile
`JONES DAY
`250 Vesey Street
`New York, NY 10281
`Telephone: (212) 326-3939
`Facsimile: (212) 755-7306
`Email: jjnormile@jonesday.com
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`Alexis A. Smith
`JONES DAY
`555 South Flower Street
`Fiftieth Floor
`Los Angeles, CA 90071
`Telephone: (213) 243-2653
`Facsimile: (213) 243-2539
`Email: asmith@jonesday.com
`
`Charles Bennett Molster , III
`The Law Offices of Charles B. Molster III
`PLLC
`2141 Wisconsin Ave Nw Suite M
`Washington, DC 20007
`Telephone: 703-346-1505
`Email: Cmolster@molsterlaw.com
`
`Counsel for Plaintiffs-Counterclaim
`Defendants RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc. and
`R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 1179 Filed 04/05/22 Page 5 of 6 PageID# 31397
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`
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`By: /s/ W. Sutton Ansley
`W. Sutton Ansley (VSB No. 80085)
`sutton.ansley@weil.com
`Robert T. Vlasis III (pro hac vice)
`robert.vlasis@weil.com
`Stephanie Adamakos (pro hac vice)
`stephanie.adamakos@weil.com
`WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES LLP
`2001 M Street, NW, Suite 600
`Washington, DC 20036
`Tel: (202) 682-7000; Fax: 202-857-0940
`
`Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser (pro hac vice)
`elizabeth.weiswasser@weil.com
`Anish R. Desai (pro hac vice)
`anish.desai@weil.com
`WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES LLP
`767 5th Avenue
`New York, NY 10153
`Tel: (212) 310-8000; Fax: 212-310-8007
`
`Adrian C. Percer (pro hac vice)
`adrian.percer@weil.com
`WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES LLP
`201 Redwood Shores Parkway
`Redwood Shores, CA 94065
`Tel: (650) 802-3000; Fax: 850-802-3100
`
`Counsel for Plaintiffs Altria Client Services
`LLC and Philip Morris USA Inc.
`
`
`
`
`
`By: /s/ Maximilian A Grant
`Maximilian A. Grant (VSB No. 91792)
`max.grant@lw.com
`Matthew J. Moore
`matthew.moore@law.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`555 Eleventh Street, N.W., Suite 1000
`Washington, DC 20004
`Tel: (202) 637-2200; Fax: (202) 637-2201
`
`Clement J. Naples
`clement.naples@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`885 Third Avenue
`New York, NY 10022-4834
`Tel: (212) 906-1200; Fax: (212) 751-4864
`Gregory K. Sobolski
`greg.sobolski@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`505 Montgomery Street, Suite 2000
`San Francisco, CA 94111
`Tel: (415) 391-0600; Fax: (415) 395-8095
`
`Brenda L. Danek
`brenda.danek@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`330 North Wabash Avenue, Suite 2800
`Chicago, IL 60611
`Tel: (312) 876-7700; Fax: (312) 993-9767
`
`Counsel for Defendants-Counterclaim
`Plaintiffs Philip Morris Products S.A., Altria
`Client Services LLC, and Philip Morris USA,
`Inc.
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`3
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 1179 Filed 04/05/22 Page 6 of 6 PageID# 31398
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`I hereby certify that on this 5th day of April, 2022, a true and correct copy of the
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`foregoing was served using the Court’s CM/ECF system, with electronic notification of such
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`filing to all counsel of record.
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`
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`
`
`/s/ Maximilian A. Grant
`Maximilian A. Grant (VSB No. 91792)
`max.grant@lw.com
`LATHAM & WATKINS LLP
`555 Eleventh Street, N.W., Ste. 1000
`Washington, DC 20004
`Tel: (202) 637-2200; Fax: (202) 637-2201
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`4
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