Juul Labs Fails to Sway Court on E-Cigarette Buyer Class Status

E-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. lost a bid to block class status in antitrust litigation, as a federal judge concluded that the plaintiffs’ claims meet all the requirements to certify a class action.

In a Thursday order, Judge William H. Orrick of the US District Court for the Northern District of California explained why he granted certification to a class of direct e-cigarette purchasers and partial certification to classes of indirect purchasers and resellers on Feb. 5. Orrick also denied Juul’s motions to exclude direct purchaser plaintiffs’ experts.

The multidistrict litigation is centered on federal and state claims that Juul ...