The case involves allegations that manufacturers of hard disk drive suspension assemblies - key components in computer hard drives - conspired to fix prices. The defendants include major Asian manufacturers TDK Corporation, Hutchinson Technology Inc., Magnecomp Precision Technology Public Co., NHK Spring Co., and their various subsidiaries, facing claims from both end-user purchasers and resellers of the components.
U.S. District Judge Maxine M. Chesney approved the stipulated protocol, noting that the parties recognized 'the volume of filings associated with dispositive and Daubert motions may generate numerous, potentially duplicative sealing requests, imposing a significant burden on the Court.' The new procedure requires parties to file redacted versions publicly while provisionally sealing unredacted copies, then submit a joint omnibus sealing motion by August 21, 2026.
The parties filed their dispositive and Daubert motions on March 25, 2026, with responses due May 22 and replies due June 30. A hearing is scheduled for July 31, 2026. Under the approved protocol, the parties must meet and confer to narrow sealing disputes and notify non-parties whose confidential information might be affected, giving them until August 21 to file declarations seeking to keep material under seal.
The streamlined approach reflects courts' growing emphasis on reducing administrative burdens in complex litigation while balancing transparency concerns with protection of legitimate confidential information. The protocol could serve as a model for other MDL cases facing similar volumes of sealed filings during dispositive motion practice.