Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Global Commodities Trading Group v. Beneficio de Arroz Choloma (9th Cir. - Aug. 26, 2020)

Can a California company that sells over fifty million dollars of agricultural products (e.g., rice and corn) to a Honduran company sue that company in California when it fails to pay?  Is there personal jurisdiction here?

Yes.  There is.

The Ninth Circuit reverses the contrary decision of the district court.  Correctly so.  Judge Fletcher's opinion does a very good job of describing just why there's personal jurisdiction here.  Befitting a former Berkeley law professor, I might add.

Judge Fletcher compares the present case a lot to the Supreme Court's opinion in Burger King, which is fairly.  Coincidentally enough, I'm teaching Burger King to my first-year law students in 90 minutes or so.  If any of those students can analyze that opinion even a fraction as successfully as Judge Fletcher, I'll be impressed.  Judge Fletcher definitely sets a high bar.