Coverage Litigation Leapfrog: Why Venue Matters and How to Avoid Pre-emptive Strike Actions
Law School Toolbox Podcast Episode 267: Listen and Learn -- UCC 2-207 ("The Battle of the Forms")
Podcast: IP Life Sciences Landscape: Aiding Orange and Purple Book Patent Owners in Developing PTAB Survival Skills
Meritas Capability Webinar - Controlling Where to Fight and Who Pays for it?
On July 21, 2025, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in EpicentRx, Inc. v. Superior Court of San Diego County, which held that an exclusive forum-selection clause designating a forum where a civil jury trial would...more
Notwithstanding recent political turmoil, Korean companies have been expanding into the United States at a fast clip, continuing a trend of investment beneficial to businesses in both countries. As Korean brands increasingly...more
The 5th Circuit recently reversed a district court’s decision to remand a case before ruling on a pending motion to compel arbitration. This is because the remand motion did not challenge the district court’s jurisdiction;...more
A federal district court recently enforced a forum selection clause in National Equipment Dealers, LLC v. IROCK Crushers LLC, transferring the case to Ohio and confirming the enforceability of venue clauses in commercial...more
In a notable clarification of removal and arbitration procedure, the Fifth Circuit in Odom Industries, Inc. v. Sipcam Agro Solutions, LLC, No. 24-60410 (5th Cir. June 4, 2025), held that a defendant may remove a case to...more
It seems like every few months I hear about a situation where a company can’t enforce a forum selection clause as anticipated because of how it was drafted. Recently, an individual named Sidharth Lakhani fell victim to this...more
On April 23, 2025, the Fourth Appellate District Court of Appeal of the State of California affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action asserting claims under the Securities Act of 1933 against an electric vehicle...more
Last month in Bullock v. Rivian Automotive, California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal became the latest to enforce a federal forum provision (FFP) embedded in a Delaware corporation’s charter and affirmed dismissal of a...more
In OTG New York, Inc. v. Ottogi America, Inc., OTG was the exclusive regional distributor for food company Ottogi from 2008–23, during which Ottogi shipped inventory to OTG’s New Jersey warehouse. In 2024, Ottogi terminated...more
In Drulias v. 1st Century Bancshares, Inc. 30 Cal. App. 5th 696 (2018), the plaintiff was a shareholder in a Delaware corporation whose board of directors approved a merger agreement and at the same time adopted a forum...more
Concerns remain over the enforceability of cannabis contracts as recent cases highlight the conflict between state-sanctioned operations and federal illegality. In both state and federal courts, judges have anchored to the...more
Marie Sharp’s Fine Foods, Ltd., a Belize condiment and jam manufacturer, and Eve Sales Corp., a New York-based purchaser of Marie Sharp’s branded products, filed an anticipatory declaratory judgment and breach of contract...more
A key term of any franchise agreement is the venue selection clause as this page has previously explained. This issue was at the forefront of Convenience Stores Leasing & Management, LLC’s (“CSLM”) August 2024 suit...more
Companies facing the threat of mass arbitration continue to seek judicial intervention to thwart such tactics. However, most of those attempts have failed. Recently, the District Court in the District of Colombia rejected a...more
A federal court in Wisconsin recently transferred a franchisor’s breach of contract lawsuit to Indiana, the location of the franchisee, even though the parties’ supply agreement contained a Wisconsin forum selection clause....more
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently reversed a district court’s denial of a motion to compel arbitration, finding that the parties’ arbitration clause expressed a clear intent to arbitrate and that the reference in...more
A district court in Arizona granted a franchisor’s motion to transfer venue to Missouri pursuant to the terms of the franchise agreement. S&G Elite LLC (“S&G”) and ST National Franchising, LLC (“Franchisor”) entered into a...more
Deciding whether to choose state or federal court can be outcome determinative. This is particularly important in deciding to remove a case from state to federal court. Some state franchise statutes clearly allow a court to...more
Because the Brazilian president enacted a federal law restricting the right of contracting parties to choose a specific forum for contract disputes, parties should consider their litigation strategies and review existing...more
Over two years ago, the United States Supreme Court divested the federal courts of jurisdiction over all but a few disputes concerning the confirmation or vacation of arbitration awards. Since then, the federal appellate...more
PART 4: JURISDICTIONAL BATTLEGROUND IN DISPUTES WITH SANCTIONED RUSSIAN PERSONS - In a wave of recent decisions, including in proceedings involving a number of Western banks, the Russian courts have disapplied the...more
A federal court in Texas has denied an individual owner’s motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction despite the fact that he had not signed the relevant franchise agreement or corporate guaranty in his individual...more
Whether in employment agreements or business transactions, drafters often include certain clauses within these documents to protect their client if litigation arises (e.g., arbitration clauses, forum- selection clauses)....more
In a 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court held on February 21, 2024, that choice-of-law clauses in marine insurance contracts are presumptively enforceable under federal maritime law. These clauses should be enforced unless...more
A long line of cases in the EDVA demonstrates that defendants seeking to transfer venue out of the EDVA under 28 U.S.C. 1404(a) face an uphill climb if the plaintiff is a Virginia resident....more