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MOTION to File Documents Under Seal — Bofa Ca Unemployment (Dkt. 524)

Summary

The plaintiffs' motion to file documents under seal in support of their opposition to the bank's motion to reconsider the May 29, 2025 order on its motion for a protective order, filed 07/25/25 as Document 524 in In re Bank of America California Unemployment Benefits Litigation, Case 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB. The hearing was noticed for September 16, 2025 before Hon. Gonzalo P. Curiel. Co-lead counsel ask to seal portions of their opposition that quote material the court already ordered sealed, including the Order on Class Certification and exhibits to the declaration of Brian Danitz. They say the material covers bank fraud detection and prevention strategies and internal executive discussions, and argue only good cause is needed to seal it.

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Cite this document

“MOTION to File Documents Under Seal — Bofa Ca Unemployment (Dkt. 524).” Original at ecf.casd.uscourts.gov, No. 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB, Doc. 524. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/court-filings/full-docket-bofa-ca-unemployment-casd-709615/2025-09-16-gov-uscourts-casd-709615-524-0-gov-uscourts-casd-709615-524-0/, SHA-256 0eeedf4b8d4bc2c9749219e7b2bac35d68fe9adacd1a3f5b0c9ada3564d25ff8.

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 Case 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB          Document 524      Filed 07/25/25      PageID.29836   Page
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 1 JOSEPH W. COTCHETT (SBN 36324)                      MICHAEL RUBIN (SBN 80618)
 2 jcotchett@cpmlegal.com                              mrubin@altber.com
     BRIAN DANITZ (SBN 247403)                         STACEY M. LEYTON (SBN 203827)
 3 bdanitz@cpmlegal.com                                sleyton@altber.com
 4 KARIN B. SWOPE (Pro Hac Vice)                       CONNIE K. CHAN (SBN 284230)
     kswope@cpmlegal.com                               cchan@altber.com
 5 VASTI S. MONTIEL (SBN 346409)                       COLIN C. JONES (SBN 354301)
 6 vmontiel@cpmlegal.com                               cjones@altber.com
     CAROLINE A. YUEN (SBN 354388)                     CAROLINE HUNSICKER (SBN 356917)
 7 cyuen@cpmlegal.com                                  chunsicker@altber.com
 8 COTCHETT, PITRE & McCARTHY, LLP                     ALTSHULER BERZON LLP
     840 Malcolm Road, Suite 200                       177 Post Street, Suite 300
 9 Burlingame, CA 94010                                San Francisco, CA 94108
10 Telephone: (650) 697-6000                           Telephone: (415) 421-7151
     Fax: (650) 697-0577                               Fax: (415) 362-8064
11
     Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs and the Class
12

13                          UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
                           SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
14
     IN RE BANK OF AMERICA                          Case No. 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB
15 CALIFORNIA UNEMPLOYMENT

16 BENEFITS LITIGATION                              PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO FILE
                                                    DOCUMENTS UNDER SEAL IN
17                                                  SUPPORT OF OPPOSITION TO
18                                                  DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO
                                                    RECONSIDER MAY 29, 2025 ORDER
19                                                  GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING
20                                                  IN PART DEFENDANT’S MOTION
                                                    FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER
21

22                                                  Crtm:       12A – 12th Floor
     This Document Relates to All Actions           Judge:      Hon. Gonzalo P. Curiel
23
                                                    Date:       September 16, 2025
24                                                  Time:       1:30 P.M.
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     Motion to File Documents Under Seal; Case No. 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB
 Case 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB          Document 524      Filed 07/25/25      PageID.29837   Page
                                           2 of 4

 1         Pursuant to Local Rule 79.2 and Section 12.5 of the Stipulated Protective Order
 2 (ECF 82) in this case and the Court’s Civil Pretrial & Trial Procedures, Plaintiffs move to

 3 file documents under seal in connection with Plaintiffs’ Opposition (the “Opposition”) to

 4 Defendant’s Motion to Reconsider May 29, 2025 Order Granting in Part and Denying in

 5 Part Defendant’s Motion for Protective Order (the “Motion”). In particular, Plaintiffs seek

 6 to seal portions of the Opposition which refer to, or quote material that has already been

 7 ordered sealed by the Court, including the Court’s Order on Class Certification (ECF 499),

 8 and references to exhibits attached to the Declaration of Brian Danitz in support of

 9 Plaintiffs’ Opposition to Defendant’s Motion for Protective Order (ECF 469). Plaintiffs

10 tailored this motion pursuant to the prior Court’s Orders on the parties’ motions to seal in

11 this case. Portions of documents lodged provisionally under seal are highlighted yellow.

12         Although there is a strong presumption in favor of public access to court records,
13 Nixon v. Warner Commc'ns, Inc., 435 U.S. 589, 597 (1978), the public has a reduced

14 interest in accessing non-dispositive motions that are “‘unrelated, or only tangentially

15 related, to the underlying cause of action,’” Kamakana v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 447

16 F.3d 1172, 1178 (9th Cir. 2006) (quoting Foltz v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 331 F.3d

17 1122, 1135 (9th Cir. 2003)). Because a motion for a protective order is a non-dispositive

18 motion that is only tangentially related to the merits of the case, parties must show only

19 “good cause” to justify sealing. See, e.g., BAE Sys. San Diego Ship Repair Inc. v. United
20 States, 670 F. Supp. 3d 1064, 1069 (S.D. Cal. 2023) (good cause found to seal exhibits

21 containing confidential information filed in connection with apex discovery dispute).

22         The Opposition quotes the Court’s Order on Class Certification, which references
23 exhibits and deposition testimony regarding confidential business information, including

24 Bank fraud detection and prevention strategies, and internal Bank executive discussions.

25 See E.W. Bank v. Shanker, 2021 WL 3112452, at *18–19 (N.D. Cal. July 22, 2021) (finding

26 compelling reasons to seal fraud prevention measures); Stiner v. Brookdale Senior Living,

27 Inc., 2022 WL 1180216, at *2 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 30, 2022). The Court has previously granted
28 motions to seal documents containing such information. ECF 266, 293, 365, 381, 390,

     Motion to File Documents Under Seal; Case No. 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB                         1
 Case 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB          Document 524      Filed 07/25/25      PageID.29838   Page
                                           3 of 4

 1 391, 397, 421, 431, 466, 477, 498, 507, 516; See Lundstrom v. Young, 2022 WL 15524624,

 2 at *17 (S.D. Cal. Oct. 27, 2022) (J. Curiel) (prior sealed documents considered when

 3 evaluating new motion to seal).

 4         Accordingly, Plaintiffs request that the Court seal the indicated portions of the
 5 Opposition.

 6                                           Respectfully submitted,
 7
     Dated: July 25, 2025                    COTCHETT, PITRE & McCARTHY, LLP
 8

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                                             By:    /s/ Brian Danitz
                                                    JOSEPH W. COTCHETT
10                                                  BRIAN DANITZ
11                                                  KARIN B. SWOPE
                                                    DAVID G. HOLLENBERG
12                                                  BLAIR V. KITTLE
13                                                  VASTI S. MONTIEL
                                                    CAROLINE A. YUEN
14

15                                            Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs and the
                                              Proposed Class
16

17
     Dated: July 25, 2025                    ALTSHULER BERZON LLP
18

19                                           By:    /s/ Michael Rubin
                                                    MICHAEL RUBIN
20                                                  STACEY M. LEYTON
21                                                  CONNIE K. CHAN
                                                    JAMES BALTZER
22                                                  COLIN C. JONES
23                                                  CAROLINE HUNSICKER

24                                           Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs and the Class
25

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     Motion to File Documents Under Seal; Case No. 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB                         2
 Case 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB          Document 524      Filed 07/25/25      PageID.29839   Page
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 1                                SIGNATURE ATTESTATION
 2         Pursuant to section 2(f)(4) of the Electronic Case Filing Administrative Policies and
 3 Procedures Manual, I, Brian Danitz, attest that the other signatories listed, and on whose

 4 behalf this filing is submitted, concur in the filing content and have authorized this filing.

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 6 Dated: July 25, 2025                      /s/ Brian Danitz
 7                                                    Brian Danitz
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     Motion to File Documents Under Seal; Case No. 3:21-md-02992-GPC-MSB                         3

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File: gov.uscourts.casd.709615.524.0.pdf
Size: 202,056 bytes
SHA-256: 0eeedf4b8d4bc2c9749219e7b2bac35d68fe9adacd1a3f5b0c9ada3564d25ff8
Our copy: gov.uscourts.casd.709615.524.0.pdf
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