RANJEET DOSANJH VS. SAFEWAY INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION ET AL

Matter on the Law & Motion / Discovery calendar for Thursday, July 10, 2025, Line 5. DEFENDANT SAFEWAY INC.'s Motion To File Under Seal.

The unopposed motion to file Exhibit A to the Emily Fowler Declaration in support of Safeway's Good Faith Settlement Determination under seal is granted. Exhibit A discloses the settlement amount. Safeway seeks confidentiality on the grounds that a promise of confidentiality is material to the settlement of the case, and that knowledge of the settlement amount would be misused in other cases or misinterpreted as an admission of fault or liability.

Safeway's factual showing is thin; it offers no declaration from a person with knowledge about the latter propositions concerning potential misuses of knowledge of the settlement amount. But the court accepts that confidentiality is a material provision of this settlement agreement, and parties' resolution of their own disputes is of significant and indeed overriding public interest. The court therefore finds that (1) there exists an overriding interest that overcomes the right of public access to the record; (2) the overriding interest supports sealing Exhibit A to the Fowler Declaration; (3) a substantial probability exists that the overriding interest will be prejudiced if the record is not sealed; (4) the proposed sealing is narrowly tailored; and (5) no less restrictive means exist to achieve the overriding interest. (See Rules of Court, 2.550(d).)

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