Attorneys’ Fees May Snag Naked Juice Class Action Settlement

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The fate of a $ 9 million class action settlement involving Naked Juice products rests on whether or not lawyers representing the plaintiffs can prove how many hours they spent working on the case.

U.S. District Judge Kronstadt told Class Counsel on Dec. 2 that he’s “inclined to grant” final approval to the Naked Juice settlement as long as they can identify what work they did and the hours/costs they accrued related to the “GMO claims” in the case. Class Counsel has until Monday, Dec. 9, to submit this proof.

Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit accused Naked Juice Co. of deceptively advertising its juice products as “all natural” and “non-GMO” when they allegedly contained processed and synthetic ingredients, as well as ingredients from genetically modified crops.

The company denies these allegations but agreed to refund consumers through a $9 million class action settlement to resolve the litigation. Under the deal, consumers have until Dec. 17 to claim up to $75 cash with proof of purchase or up to $45 cash without proof. [See how to file a claim here.]

The lead plaintiffs in the case and Class Counsel are seeking a total of $2.6 million in attorneys’ fees, which represents 25% of the total settlement value, and $81,525 in “reasonable costs… for their efforts and risks litigating this action and securing the settlement benefits for the Class.”

Plaintiffs and Class Counsel also motioned for approval of a $2,500 incentive award for each Class representative.

Judge Kronstadt said he will take the supplemental briefs under submission and issue a detailed written ruling.

Details on how to file a claim for the Naked Juice Class Action Settlement can be found here.

The case is Natalie Pappas v. Naked Juice Co. of Glendora Inc. et al., Case No. 11-cv-08276, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

UPDATE 1: An objector has appealed the final approval of the Naked Juice class action settlement.  Details on the appeal were not immediately available but concerned the motion for attorneys’ fees, plaintiff incentive awards and approval order, according to court documents filed Jan. 6, 2014. The case has been transferred to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Distribution of settlement funds will not commence until the appeal has been resolved. Top Class Actions will continue to update our readers on the progress of the appeal and settlement payout. You can follow this progress by marking this article as a “Favorite” in your free Top Class Actions account.

UPDATE 2: The Settlement Administrator has reported that all appeals of the Naked Juice class action settlement have been resolved, and distribution of the settlement funds is expected to begin this summer. The following update was posted on the settlement website: “The appeals to the settlement have been resolved and the Effective Date of the settlement was April 25, 2014. It is anticipated that payments to approved claims will occur in the Summer of 2014. If you have moved since making a claim before the deadline of December 17, 2013, please update your mailing address by sending an email to info@nakedjuiceclass.com.” 

UPDATE 3: Money from the $9 million Naked Juice class action lawsuit settlement was mailed to eligible Class Members on June 23, 2014. If you receive a payment, let us know!