`
`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
`ALEXANDRIA DIVISION
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`
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`v.
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`RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. and
`R.J. REYNOLDS VAPOR COMPANY,
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`Plaintiffs and Counterclaim Defendants,
`
`
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`ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC; PHILIP
`MORRIS USA INC.; and PHILIP MORRIS
`PRODUCTS S.A.,
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`Defendants and Counterclaim Plaintiffs.
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`Case No. 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB
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`
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`MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO SEAL
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 730 Filed 06/16/21 Page 2 of 7 PageID# 18889
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`Pursuant to Rule 5.2(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 5(C) of the Local
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`Civil Rules, Plaintiffs RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc., and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company
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`(collectively, “Plaintiffs”) respectfully submit this memorandum in support of their Motion to Seal
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`Exhibits L, M, P, Q, S, T, U, and W that accompany Plaintiffs’ Brief in Opposition to Counterclaim
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`Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment.
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`The proposed sealed material includes confidential, proprietary, and competitively
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`sensitive business information of Plaintiffs, Defendants, and/or third parties and falls within the
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`scope of the Stipulated Protective Order. (Dkt. 103.) These confidential materials should remain
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`under seal.
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`I.
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`LEGAL STANDARD
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`Local Civil Rule 5 requires that, when a party moves to file material under seal, the party
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`must file contemporaneously with the material for which sealing is requested a motion for leave
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`to file under seal, a non-confidential supporting memorandum, and a separate non-confidential
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`notice that specifically identifies the motion as a sealing motion, and a non-confidential proposed
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`order that recites the findings required by governing case law to support the propose sealing. The
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`non-confidential memorandum must include:
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`(1) A non-confidential description of what material has been filed under seal;
`(2) A statement why sealing is necessary, and why another procedure will not
`suffice, as well as appropriate evidentiary support for the sealing request;
`(3) References to the governing case law, an analysis of the appropriate standard to
`be applied for that specific filing, and a description of how that standard has
`been satisfied;
`(4) Unless permanent sealing is sought, a statement as to the period of time the
`party seeks to have the matter maintained under seal and how the matter is to
`be handled upon unsealing.
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`Loc. R. Civ. P. 5(C).
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`“[T]he right [of the public] to inspect and copy judicial records is not absolute.” Nixon v.
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`Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 598 (1978). Access to court records has been denied where
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`2
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 730 Filed 06/16/21 Page 3 of 7 PageID# 18890
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`“court files might have become a vehicle for improper purposes.” Id. In particular, a corporation’s
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`“strong interest in preserving the confidentiality of its proprietary and trade-secret information …
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`may justify partial sealing of court records.” Doe v. Pub. Citizen, 749 F.3d 246, 269 (4th Cir.
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`2014). As set forth in the Fourth Circuit’s decision in Ashcraft v. Connoco, Inc., a court has the
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`authority to seal court documents “if the public’s right of access is outweighed by competing
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`interests.” 218 F.3d 282, 288 (4th Cir. 2000). Before granting a motion to seal, a court must
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`consider the following: “(1) provide public notice of the request to seal and allow interested parties
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`a reasonable opportunity to object, (2) consider less drastic alternatives to sealing the documents,
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`and (3) provide specific reasons and factual findings supporting its decision to seal the documents
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`and for rejecting the alternatives.” Id.; Adams v. Object Innovation, Inc., No. 11-cv-00272-REP-
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`DWD, 2011 WL 7042224, at *4 (E.D. Va. Dec. 5, 2011), report and recommendation adopted,
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`2012 WL 135428 (E.D. Va. Jan. 17, 2012). All three requirements are met here.
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`The materials that Plaintiffs move for leave to seal include highly confidential and
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`proprietary business information of the Plaintiffs, Defendants, and/or third parties and should be
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`kept under seal permanently for the reasons described below.
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`II.
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`DESCRIPTION OF MATERIALS SOUGHT TO BE SEALED
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`Plaintiffs seek leave to file under seal un-redacted versions of Exhibits L, M, P, Q, S, T,
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`U, and W to Plaintiffs’ Brief in Opposition to Counterclaim Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary
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`Judgment.
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`Specifically, the sensitive information that Plaintiffs move for leave to file under seal, and
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`to redact from the publicly filed versions, includes:
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` Exhibit L: Excerpts of Joseph McAlexander’s Second Supplemental Rebuttal
`Expert Report;
` Exhibit M: Excerpts of Plaintiffs’ 17th Supplemental Response to Defendants’
`First Set of Interrogatories;
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`3
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 730 Filed 06/16/21 Page 4 of 7 PageID# 18891
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` Exhibit P: Defendants’ 2nd Supplemental Response to Plaintiffs’ Second Set of
`Interrogatories;
` Exhibit Q: Excerpts of Travis Blalock’s Opening Expert Report on Invalidity re
`545 and 374 Patents;
` Exhibit S: Excerpts of Plaintiffs’ 22nd Supplemental Response to Defendants’
`First Set of Interrogatories;
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` Exhibit T: Excerpt of PMP’s 2nd Supplemental Response to Plaintiffs’ Second
`Set of Interrogatories;
` Exhibit U: Excerpts of Walbrink’s Supplemental Expert Report; and
` Exhibit W: Abraham Opening Expert Report.
`III. ARGUMENT
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`A. THE PUBLIC HAS HAD AMPLE NOTICE.
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`The public has received notice of the request to seal and has had reasonable opportunity to
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`object. Plaintiffs’ sealing motion was publicly docketed in accordance with Local Civil Rule 5.
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`Defendants will have an opportunity to respond and, once the “public has had ample opportunity
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`to object” to Plaintiffs’ motion and “the Court has received no objections,” the first requirement
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`under Ashcraft, 218 F.3d at 302, may be deemed satisfied. GTSI Corp. v. Wildflower Int’l, Inc.,
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`No. 1:09-cv-123-JCC, 2009 WL 1248114, at *9 (E.D. Va. Apr. 30, 2009); U.S. ex rel Carter v.
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`Halliburton Co., No. 1:10-cv-864-JCC/TCB, 2011 WL 2077799, at *3 (E.D. Va. May 24, 2011)
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`(“[T]he parties provided public notice of the request to seal that allowed interested parties a
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`reasonable opportunity to object—nearly two weeks.”).
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`
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`B.
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`PLAINTIFFS HAVE SOUGHT THE LEAST DRASTIC MEASURES.
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`Plaintiffs seek to seal and redact from the public record only information that the parties
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`must keep confidential pursuant to the Stipulated Protective Order. (Dkt. 103.) Plaintiffs have
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`filed publicly redacted versions of Exhibits L, M, P, Q, S, T, U, and W to Plaintiffs’ Brief in
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`Opposition to Counterclaim Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment, in addition to sealed
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`versions, and have redacted only those limited portions they seek to seal. This selective and narrow
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`4
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 730 Filed 06/16/21 Page 5 of 7 PageID# 18892
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`protection of confidential material constitutes the least drastic method of shielding the information
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`at issue. Adams, 2011 WL 7042224, at *4 (The “proposal to redact only the proprietary and
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`confidential information, rather than seal the entirety of his declaration, constitutes the least drastic
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`method of shielding the information at issue.”). The information that Plaintiffs seek to seal
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`includes confidential, proprietary, and competitively sensitive business information of Plaintiffs,
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`Defendants, and/or third parties, each of which could face harm if such information were to be
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`released publicly. The public has no legitimate interest in information that is confidential to
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`Plaintiffs, Defendants, and/or third parties. Id. at *4. No procedure other than filing this
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`information under seal is sufficient to preserve the confidential and sensitive nature of the
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`information.
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` C. THE MATERIALS ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE AND CONFIDENTIAL.
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`
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`There is support for filing Exhibits L, M, P, Q, S, T, U, and W to Plaintiffs’ Brief in
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`Opposition to Counterclaim Plaintiffs’ Motion for Summary Judgment under seal. Exhibits L, M,
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`P, Q, S, T, U, and W contain material that falls within the scope of the Stipulated Protective Order.
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`(Dkt. 103.) Placing these materials under seal is proper because the public’s interest in access is
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`outweighed by a party’s interest in “preserving confidentiality” of the limited amount of
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`confidential information that is “normally unavailable to the public.” Flexible Benefits Council v.
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`Feltman, No. 1:08-cv-00371-JCC, 2008 WL 4924711, at *1 (E.D. Va. Nov. 13, 2008); U.S. ex rel.
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`Carter, 2011 WL 2077799, at *3. As noted, the portions of Exhibits L, M, P, Q, S, T, U, and W
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`that are redacted concern confidential information of Plaintiffs, Defendants, and/or third parties.
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`
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`IV.
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` CONCLUSION
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`For the foregoing reasons, Plaintiffs respectfully request that that the Court grant this
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`Motion and enter the proposed Order.
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`5
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 730 Filed 06/16/21 Page 6 of 7 PageID# 18893
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`Dated: June 16, 2021
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`
`
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`Stephanie E. Parker
`JONES DAY
`1221 Peachtree Street, N.E.
`Suite 400
`Atlanta, Georgia 30361
`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
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`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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`Respectfully submitted,
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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
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`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
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`Charles B. Molster, III (Va. Bar No. 23613)
`THE LAW OFFICES OF
`CHARLES B. MOLSTER, III PLLC
`2141 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. Suite M
`Washington, DC 20007
`Telephone: (703) 346-1505
`Email: cmolster@molsterlaw.com
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`Counsel for Plaintiffs RAI Strategic Holdings,
`Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company
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`6
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 730 Filed 06/16/21 Page 7 of 7 PageID# 18894
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`
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`I hereby certify that on this 16th day of June, 2021, a true and correct copy of the foregoing
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`was served using the Court’s CM/ECF system, with electronic notification of such filing to all
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`counsel of record.
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`/s/ David M. Maiorana
`David M. Maiorana (VA Bar No. 42334)
`JONES DAY
`901 Lakeside Avenue
`Cleveland, OH 44114
`Telephone: (216) 586-3939
`Facsimile: (216) 579-0212
`Email: dmaiorana@jonesday.com
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`Counsel for Plaintiffs RAI Strategic Holdings,
`Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company
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