Nestlé Fails to Keep Child Labor Deception Case in Federal Court

Nestlé USA Inc. was unable to convince a federal judge that a human rights organization’s lawsuit alleging the food company misrepresented labor practices in its cocoa supply chain should stay in federal court.

The company removed the case to the US District Court for the District of Columbia based on a calculation that compliance with the the requested injunctive relief would total $52 billion, which exceeds the jurisdictional requirement of $75,000.

But Nestlé couldn’t rely on that argument to support removal, Judge Beryl A. Howell said Thursday.

For jurisdiction, “the question remains” of whether the court should rely on Nestlé’s ...