Fitbit, Attorneys Sanctioned Over Arbitration Proceedings

Fitbit, Inc. and its counsel engaged in bad-faith conduct in arbitration proceedings over a woman’s claim that its heart-rate trackers didn’t work, a federal court said in a harshly worded opinion.

Kate McLellan is entitled to recover her attorneys’ fees associated with the matter as compensation, Judge James Donato of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California said.

Morrison & Foerster, which represented Fitbit, wouldn’t comment. An attorney for McLellan couldn’t immediately be reached.

McClellan started an arbitration proceeding to contest the validity of an arbitration clause in Fitbit’s terms of use, after the court agreed with ...