Coupang Faces First Pre-Trial Hearing in U.S. Class Action Lawsuit

Coupang's first pre-trial hearing related to a class action lawsuit over a data breach is scheduled for 1 p.m. on September 1, according to Daeryun Law Firm on August 3. The hearing will take place in person at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Judge Ann M. Donnelly has confirmed the schedule. Initially, the defendant, Coupang, requested to skip the pre-trial meeting and instead set a timeline for submitting a motion to dismiss. However, the court denied this request and ordered an in-person meeting.

The pre-trial hearing in U.S. federal court serves as a platform for the judge to gather both parties to clarify issues and establish a hearing plan before formal written arguments begin. It is similar in nature to a pre-trial preparation date under Korean civil procedure law. This process helps filter out unnecessary motions and narrow the scope of future briefings, allowing the judge to ask parties about their preliminary views or questions on each issue.

Daeryun stated, "The court's decision to mandate an in-person meeting can be interpreted as a measure of case management, considering the seriousness and complexity of the matter." They added, "Given the large number of victims involved in this class action and the various procedural defenses and issues related to the application of Korean law raised by Coupang's anticipated motion to dismiss, the court likely aims to identify key issues before reviewing written submissions."

As a result of this in-person meeting, the timeline for the defendant's motion to dismiss will be postponed until after September 1. Coupang had planned to submit five grounds for dismissal in writing but will first address these issues in court with the judge. Additionally, the court is expected to finalize details regarding the timeline and volume of future responses, which the parties have not yet explicitly agreed upon, under the judge's guidance on that day.

The plaintiffs' legal team is preparing to attend the in-person meeting and to outline their oral responses accordingly.

A representative from SJKP, representing the plaintiffs, remarked, "The court's decision to handle the case in person rather than solely through written submissions indicates an active interest in examining the issues. We aim to identify the key points of interest for the court early on, to strengthen the arguments in our forthcoming response and to prepare for the addition of new lead plaintiffs, maximizing the time available for our response."

Meanwhile, Daeryun Law Firm has established a 24-hour collaborative system across major cities worldwide, including New York, Washington D.C., Seoul, and Busan, enabling immediate responses from local attorneys to support multinational transactions and disputes.