Kimberly-Clark Defeats Kleenex Germ Removal Wipe Deception Suit

Federal district and appellate courts don’t have jurisdiction to review a proposed class action alleging Kimberly-Clark Corp. deceptively advertised Kleenex Germ Removal Wet Wipes as containing germicides rather than soaps, the Ninth Circuit said Wednesday.

The courts lack jurisdiction because the operative complaint didn’t allege enough money in controversy to qualify for diversity jurisdiction, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said. The consumers sued in federal court, claiming diversity jurisdiction, a type of subject-matter jurisdiction that allows courts to hear lawsuits when the parties are citizens of different states.

The consumers alleged the wipes were advertised ...