Keller Postman Secures Unanimous Supreme Court Victory for Plaintiffs in Royal Canin v. Wullschleger

CHICAGO, Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Keller Postman LLC is proud to announce that it has secured a momentous victory for plaintiffs across the country: The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously affirmed the appellate court's decision in Royal Canin U.S.A., Inc. v. Wullschleger, reconfirming that plaintiffs are the masters of their complaints. Specifically, Justice Kagan's opinion makes clear that when a plaintiff removes all federal claims from her complaint, federal courts are not allowed to interfere with the plaintiff's decision to have her case heard in state court. The Supreme Court also made clear that this principle is a jurisdictional rule, such that when a plaintiff amends her complaint to destroy the basis for removal jurisdiction, the district court has no discretion to keep the case but rather must remand the case back to state court.

Keller Postman Co-Founder Ashley Keller, who argued the case for respondents, stated: "This decision will simplify and accelerate the remand process for plaintiffs who prefer to litigate in state court."

The Supreme Court's decision marks a sharp break from past practice, where plaintiffs were stripped of authority to dictate their choice of forum. Before this decision, the consensus among lower courts had been to look to the original complaint, rather than to a plaintiff's amended complaint, to determine supplemental jurisdiction. Keller Postman was retained to represent respondents after the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case last spring. In addition to Ashley's advocacy, Keller Postman associate Noah Heinz played an integral role in briefing the jurisdictional dispute and helping Ashley prepare for oral argument.

This victory is Ashley's second watershed win for plaintiffs before the Supreme Court. In 2023, Ashley prevailed in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern, opening courthouse doors across the country to plaintiffs by reviving the original understanding of "registration statutes." When corporate defendants do business in states with registration statutes, they have consented to general personal jurisdiction in those states, and plaintiffs have the right to sue in those states' courts.

About Keller Postman:
Keller Postman is a national law firm dedicated to representing plaintiffs in the largest and most significant mass actions in the country. The firm's first-class legal team, committed case managers, and tech-forward approach to complex litigation allow Keller Postman to outwork and out-innovate the other side. Its attorneys consistently deliver justice to families, consumers, veterans, and others injured by powerful defendants.

SOURCE Keller Postman LLC