This case arose from a putative class action alleging claims against Groupon on the basis of its reimbursement policies. After the trial court ordered the parties to arbitrate pursuant to an arbitration clause in the parties’ agreement, the plaintiff moved to amend the arbitration order, requesting that the district court dismiss her complaint with prejudice, advising the court that she would not pursue arbitration due to its costs outweighing her potential recovery. After the court dismissed the case, the plaintiff appealed the arbitration ruling, contending that the Fourth Circuit had jurisdiction over her appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1291, which gives appellate courts jurisdiction of appeals from “final decisions” of district courts.
The plaintiff’s appeal was stayed pending a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Microsoft Corp. v. Baker as to whether a voluntarily dismissed action is final for purposes of 28 U.S.C. § 1291. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling that a voluntary dismissal does not qualify as a final decision, the Fourth Circuit followed the high court’s precedent and dismissed the appeal. Keena v. Groupon, Inc., Case No. 16-1973 (4th Cir. Mar. 27, 2018).
This post written by Gail Jankowski.
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