Juul Presses to Have Avalanche of Lawsuits Sent to San Francisco

Juul Labs Inc. asked a federal judicial panel in Los Angeles to send dozens of lawsuits it faces over the almost daily revelations of the health risks of e-cigarettes to a judge in its hometown of San Francisco.

Austin Schwing, a lawyer for Juul, made the pitch Thursday at a hearing before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation, which determines whether lawsuits are similar enough that pre-trial proceedings such as collection of evidence and deposition of witnesses should be overseen by one judge.

Schwing said the company faces 55 lawsuits in more than 20 states. The company has agreed ...