A judge in the US has ruled that Winn-Dixie Stores should face consequences for not complying with court orders in its lawsuit against Keurig Green Mountain, which accuses the coffee maker of monopolistic practices in the single-serve brewer market.
Keurig has been awarded the right to recover legal fees from Winn-Dixie as a sanction for their repeated and conscious violation of pretrial court orders related to the disclosure of emails, transactional data, and other information. This decision was made by US Magistrate Judge Sarah Cave in Manhattan, as outlined in a 34-page order on Monday.
Winn-Dixie has made claims against Keurig, which is now a part of Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. These claims are a part of a multidistrict litigation in Manhattan federal court that has been ongoing for almost ten years.
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In 2021, Winn-Dixie, a subsidiary of Southeastern Grocers Inc located in Florida, accused Keurig of violating U.S. antitrust law by artificially inflating prices on its “K-Cup Brewer”. Additional claims against Keurig are currently pending. Keurig has contested any responsibility.
Courts in the United States frequently resolve pretrial conflicts over evidence and related issues. Consequences may involve the dismissal of claims or a penalty such as ordering a party to cover the opposing side’s legal fees.
The ruling of Cave can be appealed to a U.S. district judge for review. Winn-Dixie had objected to Keurig’s request for sanctions. In a previous order, Cave imposed a sanction on Keurig for failing to provide evidence in a related litigation involving other plaintiffs.
