11th Circuit Holds That Class Action Seeking Only Declaratory Relief May Be Removable Under Class Action Fairness Act

On Feb. 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit held in South Florida Wellness, Inc. v. Allstate Insurance Co. that a putative class action seeking only declaratory relief can satisfy the amount-in-controversy requirement for a federal court to have jurisdiction of the case under the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (CAFA). This decision marks a significant ruling that will allow defendants to remove cases with greater confidence and less litigation.

In this recent decision, South Florida Wellness sued Allstate, claiming that Allstate had not complied with Florida insurance law governing what Allstate was required to pay South Florida Wellness for treating someone insured under an Allstate policy. Rather than demanding monetary damages, South Florida Wellness filed a putative class action on behalf of all other similarly situated health care providers, seeking a declaratory judgment that Allstate had violated the Florida law. After Allstate removed the