Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 937 Filed 01/31/22 Page 1 of 3 PageID# 26164
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`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
`ALEXANDRIA DIVISION
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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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`v.
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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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`ORDER GRANTING REYNOLDS’S MOTION TO SEAL
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`This matter is before the Court on (cid:51)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:73)(cid:86) RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc. and R.J.
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`Reynolds Vapor Company(cid:10)(cid:86) (collectively, “Reynolds”) (cid:80)(cid:82)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3) (cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3) (cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:3) (cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3) (cid:68)(cid:70)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:83)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:92)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)
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`(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:88)(cid:80)(cid:17)(cid:3) (cid:11)(cid:39)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3) (cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:15)(cid:3) (cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:23)(cid:17)(cid:12)(cid:3) Reynolds(cid:3) (cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:72)(cid:78)(cid:86)(cid:3) (cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3) (cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:3) (cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:76)(cid:85) Memorandum in Support of
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`Motion in Limine No. 10 pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5.2(d) (cid:11)(cid:39)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:22)(cid:12)(cid:3)and Local
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`Civil Rule 5(C).
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`Before this Court may seal documents, it must: “(1) provide public notice of the request to
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`seal and allow interested parties a reasonable opportunity to object, (2) consider less drastic
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`alternatives to sealing the documents, and (3) provide specific reasons and factual findings
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`supporting its decision to seal the documents and for rejecting the alternatives.” Ashcraft v.
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`Conoco, Inc., 218 F.3d 282, 288 (4th Cir. 2000) (internal citations omitted). Upon consideration
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`of Reynolds’s motion to seal and its memorandum in support thereof, the Court hereby FINDS as
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`follows:
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`1.(cid:3)
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`The public has received notice of the request to seal and has had reasonable(cid:3)
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`opportunity to object. Reynolds’s sealing motion was publicly docketed in accordance with Local
`1
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 937 Filed 01/31/22 Page 2 of 3 PageID# 26165
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`Civil Rule 5. PM/Altria has had an opportunity to respond. The “public has had ample opportunity
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`to object” to Reynolds’s motion and, because “the Court has received no objections,” the first
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`requirement under Ashcraft, 218 F.3d at 302, has been satisfied. GTSI Corp. v. Wildflower Int’l,
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`Inc., No. 1:09-cv-123-JCC, 2009 WL 1248114, at *9 (E.D. Va. Apr. 30, 2009); U.S. ex rel. Carter
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`v. 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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`2.
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`Reynolds seeks to seal and redact from the public record only information
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`designated by the parties as confidential. Reynolds has filed publicly a redacted version of
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`Reynolds’s Memorandum in Support of Motion in Limine No. 10 in addition to a sealed version,
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`and have redacted only those limited portions it seeks to seal. 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. 3:11-cv-272-REP-DWD, 2011 WL 7042224, at *4 (E.D.
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`Va. Dec. 5, 2011) (The “proposal to redact only the proprietary and confidential information, rather
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`than seal the entirety of his declaration, constitutes the least drastic method of shielding the
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`information at issue.”). The public has no legitimate interest in information that is confidential to
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`Reynolds or PM/Altria. The information that Reynolds seeks to seal includes confidential,
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`proprietary, and competitively sensitive business information of PM/Altria, which could face harm
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`if such information were to be released publicly. Specifically, the sensitive information that
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`Reynolds moves for leave to file under seal and to redact from the public version relates to and
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`discusses confidential information of PM/Altria relating to a settlement agreement and statements
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`from its damages expert.
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`Case 1:20-cv-00393-LO-TCB Document 937 Filed 01/31/22 Page 3 of 3 PageID# 26166
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`3.(cid:3)
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`There is support for filing Reynolds’s Memorandum in Support of Motion in(cid:3)
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`Limine No. 10 under seal. Reynolds’s Memorandum in Support of Motion in Limine No. 10
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`contains material that falls within the scope of the stipulated protective order. Placing these
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`materials under seal is proper because the public’s interest in access is outweighed by a party’s
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`interest in “preserving confidentiality” of the limited amount of confidential information that is
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`“normally unavailable to the public.” Flexible Benefits Council v. Feltman, No. 1:08-cv-00371-
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`JCC, 2008 WL 4924711, at *1 (E.D. Va. Nov. 13, 2008); U.S. ex rel. Carter, 2011 WL 2077799,
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`at *3.
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`(cid:3)
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`(cid:3)
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`Therefore, based on the findings above, for good cause shown, it is hereby
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`ORDERED that the motion(cid:3) (cid:11)(cid:39)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3) (cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:20)(cid:12) is GRANTED, and Reynolds is granted
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`leave to file a REDACTED version of Reynolds’s Memorandum in Support of Motion in
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`Limine No. 10(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:39)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:26)(cid:12).
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`And to file UNDER SEAL an un-redacted version of Reynolds’s Memorandum in Support
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`of Motion in Limine No. 10.(cid:3)(cid:11)(cid:39)(cid:78)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:27)(cid:25)(cid:22)(cid:17)(cid:12)(cid:3)
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`And (cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)FURTHER ORDERED that the un-redacted version of Reynolds’s
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`Memorandum in Support of Motion in Limine No. 10 shall remain SEALED until further order of
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`the Court.
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`(cid:3)
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`ENTERED this (cid:22)(cid:20)(cid:86)(cid:87) day of (cid:45)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:88)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:92), 2022.
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`/s/
`__________________________________________
`THERESA CARROLL BUCHANAN
`UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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`(cid:36)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:91)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:68)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:57)(cid:76)(cid:85)(cid:74)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:68)(cid:3)
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`