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`MDL No.: 1:24-md-3103-TSK
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`Civil Action No. 1:23-cv-89-TSK
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`THIS DOCUMENT RELATES TO:
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`REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.,
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`CELLTRION, INC.,
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`Case 1:23-cv-00089-TSK-JPM Document 165-1 Filed 04/29/24 Page 1 of 6 PageID #:
`23235
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`IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF WEST VIRGINIA
`CLARKURG DIVISION
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`IN RE: AFLIBERCEPT PATENT LITIGATION
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`Plaintiff,
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`v.
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`Defendant.
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`MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF
`MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE UNDER SEAL
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`Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Regeneron”) seeks to file its Opposition to Celltrion’s
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`Emergency Motion to Strike or in the Alternative, to Seek Leave to File a Surreply and
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`supporting materials (“Opposition”). Because Regeneron’s Opposition contains information that
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`the parties consider confidential, Regeneron seeks permission to file the Opposition under seal.
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`In support of this request, and in compliance with the requirements of Local Rule of Civil
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`Procedure 26.05(b)(2), Regeneron states as follows.
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`Sealing the Opposition is necessary.
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`A.
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`Patent infringement litigation, by its nature, involves trade secrets and other confidential
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`information. Regeneron’s Opposition contains commercially sensitive business information that
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`the parties have asserted is confidential. As a result, Paragraph 20 of the Stipulated Protective
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`1
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`Case 1:23-cv-00089-TSK-JPM Document 165-1 Filed 04/29/24 Page 2 of 6 PageID #:
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`Order [ECF No. 112] requires Regeneron to file this information under seal. Further, regardless
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`of the Stipulated Protective Order, sealing this information is necessary because broadcasting a
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`party’s proprietary, commercially sensitive business information to the public creates an obvious
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`risk of harm to that party’s competitive standing.
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`B.
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`The seal should remain in place indefinitely.
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`Because the basis for sealing is that the Opposition contains information that the parties
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`consider confidential and proprietary business information, and that the parties believe could harm
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`their respective businesses if made public, the seal should remain in place indefinitely or until the
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`parties agree otherwise.
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`Sealing Regeneron’s Opposition is proper.
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`C.
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`There are two sources of the public’s right of access to court documents: the First
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`Amendment and the common law. Virginia Dep’t of State Police v. Washington Post, 386 F.3d
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`567, 575 (4th Cir. 2004). The common law “does not afford as much substantive protection to
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`the interests of the press and the public as does the First Amendment.” Id. Although the
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`common law presumes access to all “judicial records and documents,” a party can rebut the
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`presumption by showing some significant interest that outweighs the presumption. Id. Unlike
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`the common law, the First Amendment right of access extends only to particular documents. Id.
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`Although the First Amendment right of access most often applies in criminal proceedings, the
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`Fourth Circuit has held that it also applies to documents filed in connection with a summary
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`judgment motion or at trial in a civil case. Rushford v. New Yorker Mag., Inc., 846 F.2d 249,
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`253 (4th Cir. 1988). Where the First Amendment applies, the denial of access must be
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`necessitated by a compelling government interest and narrowly tailored to serve that interest. Id.
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`But Courts may substitute “higher value” for “government interest” in cases involving records
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`2
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`Case 1:23-cv-00089-TSK-JPM Document 165-1 Filed 04/29/24 Page 3 of 6 PageID #:
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`filed by nongovernmental civil litigants, and trade secrets may constitute higher values that can
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`overcome the First Amendment right of access. Hosaflook v. Ocwen Loan Servicing, LLC, 2020
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`WL 13179423, at *1 (N.D.W. Va. Jan. 9, 2020); Morris v. Cumberland Cnty. Hosp. Sys., Inc.,
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`No. 5:12-CV-629-F, 2013 WL 6116861, at *2 (E.D.N.C. Nov. 13, 2013).
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`Even where the First Amendment right of access applies, courts in the Fourth Circuit
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`have held that it is proper to seal a private company’s confidential and proprietary business
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`information because the information is not generally available to the public, does not bear on
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`public matters, and could harm the company if published. See Accreditation Comm’n for Health
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`Care, Inc. v. NextLOGiK, Inc., No. 5:20-CV-46-M, 2020 WL 2543787, at *2 (E.D.N.C. May 19,
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`2020); Jones v. Lowe’s Companies, Inc., 402 F. Supp. 3d 266, 291 (W.D.N.C. 2019), aff'd, 845
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`F. App'x 205 (4th Cir. 2021); Silicon Knights, Inc. v. Epic Games, Inc., No. 5:07-CV-275-D,
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`2011 WL 901958, at *1–2 (E.D.N.C. Mar. 15, 2011). Here, Regeneron’s Opposition contains
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`nonpublic information that the parties consider confidential and proprietary and believe could
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`harm their respective businesses if made public. Accordingly, the Court may properly seal
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`Regeneron’s Opposition.
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`***
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`Based on the foregoing, Regeneron respectfully requests leave to file its Opposition
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`under seal.
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`Date: April 29, 2024
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`Of Counsel:
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`David I. Berl (admitted PHV)
`Ellen E. Oberwetter (admitted PHV)
`Thomas S. Fletcher (admitted PHV)
`Andrew V. Trask (admitted PHV)
`Teagan J. Gregory (admitted PHV)
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`3
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` CAREY DOUGLAS KESSLER & RUBY, PLLC
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`/s/ Steven R. Ruby
`Steven R. Ruby (WVSB No. 10752)
`David R. Pogue (WVSB No. 10806)
`Raymond S. Franks II (WVSB No. 6523)
`707 Virginia Street East
`901 Chase Tower (25301)
`P.O. Box 913
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`Case 1:23-cv-00089-TSK-JPM Document 165-1 Filed 04/29/24 Page 4 of 6 PageID #:
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`Charleston, West Virginia 25323
`(304) 345-1234
`sruby@cdkrlaw.com
`drpogue@cdkrlaw.com
`rfranks@cdkrlaw.com
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`Attorneys for Plaintiff Regeneron
`Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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`Shaun P. Mahaffy (admitted PHV)
`Kathryn S. Kayali (admitted PHV)
`Arthur J. Argall III (admitted PHV)
`Adam Pan (admitted PHV)
`Haylee N. Bernal Anderson (admitted PHV)
`Renee M. Griffin (admitted PHV)
`Jennalee Beazley* (admitted PHV)
`WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY LLP
`680 Maine Avenue, SW
`Washington, DC 20024
`(202) 434-5000
`dberl@wc.com
`eoberwetter@wc.com
`tfletcher@wc.com
`atrask@wc.com
`tgregory@wc.com
`smahaffy@wc.com
`kkayali@wc.com
`aargall@wc.com
`apan@wc.com
`handerson@wc.com
`rgriffin@wc.com
`jbeazley@wc.com
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`*Admitted only in Pennsylvania; practice
`supervised by D.C. Bar members
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`Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser (admitted PHV)
`Anish R. Desai (admitted PHV)
`Natalie C. Kennedy (admitted PHV)
`Jennifer Brooks Crozier (admitted PHV)
`Tom Yu (admitted PHV)
`Yi Zhang (admitted PHV)
`Kathryn Leicht (admitted PHV)
`Rocco Recce (admitted PHV)
`Zhen Lin (admitted PHV)
`WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES
`767 Fifth Avenue
`New York, NY 10153
`Elizabeth.Weiswasser@weil.com
`Anish.Desai@weil.com
`Natalie.Kennedy@weil.com
`Jennifer.Crozier@weil.com
`Tom.Yu@weil.com
`Yi.Zhang@weil.com
`Kathryn.Leicht@weil.com
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`Case 1:23-cv-00089-TSK-JPM Document 165-1 Filed 04/29/24 Page 5 of 6 PageID #:
`23239
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`Rocco.Recce@weil.com
`Zhen.Lin@weil.com
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`Christopher M. Pepe (admitted PHV)
`Priyata P. Patel (admitted PHV)
`Matthew Sieger (admitted PHV)
`WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES
`2001 M Street, NW
`Suite 600
`Washington, DC 20036
`Christopher.Pepe@weil.com
`Priyata.Patel@weil.com
`Matthew.Seiger@weil.com
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`Andrew E. Goldsmith (admitted PHV)
`Evan T. Leo (admitted PHV)
`Jacob E. Hartman (admitted PHV)
`Mary Charlotte Y. Carroll (admitted PHV)
`Sven E. Henningson (admitted PHV)
`KELLOGG, HANSEN, TODD, FIGEL &
`FREDERICK, P.L.L.C.
`1615 M Street, N.W., Suite 400
`Washington, D.C. 20036
`TEL: (202) 326-7900
`agoldsmith@kellogghansen.com
`eleo@kellogghansen.com
`jhartman@kellogghansen.com
`mcarroll@kellogghansen.com
`shenningson@kellogghansen.com
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`Attorneys for Plaintiff Regeneron
`Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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`Case 1:23-cv-00089-TSK-JPM Document 165-1 Filed 04/29/24 Page 6 of 6 PageID #:
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`CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
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`The undersigned counsel hereby certifies that on the 29th day of April 2024, service of the
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`foregoing was made by electronic mail to counsel of record for Defendant.
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`/s/ Steven R. Ruby
`Steven R. Ruby (WVSB No. 10752)
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`6
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