7th Circuit rules coffee packaging class action deserves closer look

Federal Courts

By Jay S. Judge

Jay S. Judge, a name partner of Judge, James & Kujawa LLC in Park Ridge, is a defense attorney who specializes in trials, appeals and insurance coverage. Judge graduated with honors from The John Marshall Law School and served as editor-in-chief of the school’s law review.

Posted September 2, 2014 2:14 PM

In today’s case, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals clarified the tests for class certification under two rules covering commonality among class members and the issue of whether common questions predominate over individual ones. The case begins with a manufacturer that sold coffee pods similar to Keurig’s K-Cups. The off-brand was designed for use in Keurig coffee makers, but the pods contained instant coffee instead of ground coffee like the original K-Cups. The new pods left a bitter taste with coffee …

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