Partner Daniel Robinson offers tips on how to file documents under seal

May 12, 2016 – How hard is it to file documents under seal? It’s like “jumping through flaming hoops,” according to one superior court judge who spoke with the Los Angeles Daily Journal. The publication previewed a lunch seminar hosted on May 12, 2016, by the Los Angeles County Bar Association that addressed the topic of how to file documents under seal.

The event presenters included Superior Court Judges William F. Highberger, Elihu M. Berle and Ann I. Jones along with attorneys Manuel Cachan, a partner at Proskauer Rose LLP, John Durrant, a partner at Paul Hastings LLP, and Daniel Robinson, a partner at Robinson Calcagnie Inc.

“The process of filing documents under seal in California state court is riddled with pitfalls and missteps,” said Daniel Robinson. “The information presented by this panel, especially the esteemed jurists and court staff, was extremely helpful and provided practice tips that I think all lawyers should know.”

The guest speakers talked about the high legal standard required to file a document under seal and why these procedures are regularly denied. Those reasons include a general opposition to courtroom secrecy and the need to keep the judicial process more transparent. Some of the procedural challenges are also a roadblock, such as the physical process of sealing documents which involves additional work by court staff to move the documents to a secure location.