8/9/2019 Conflict of Laws Forum Non Conveniens

1/3

Piper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno

Share on facebook Share on emailShare on print|More Sharing Services More

View this case and other resources at:

Citation.54 U.S. 235, 102 S. Ct. 252, 70 L. Ed. 2d 419 (1981)Brief Fact Summary.Plaintiffs sued Defendants, in state !u"t a"isin# f"!$ in%u"ies sustained in a

&lane "as' in S!tland. 'e ases e"e "e$!*ed t! fede"al !u"t and t"ansfe""ed t! t'e Dist"it

C!u"t !f Penns+l*ania. Defendants $!*ed t! dis$iss unde" t'e d!t"ine !f f!"u$ n!n !n*eniens,

a"#uin# t'at t'e ette" f!"u$ as l!ated in S!tland.

Synopsis of Rule of a!.'e d!t"ine !f f!"u$ n!n !n*eniens all!s a !u"t t! dis$iss a ase

t'at as "!u#'t in t'e "!n# f!"u$. -'en all !" $!st !f t'e si#nifiant e*ents, itnesses and

e*idene a"e ente"ed in !ne l!ati!n, t'en a !u"t $ust dis$iss a ase "!u#'t in an!t'e" l!ati!n

unde" t'e d!t"ine !f f!"u$ n!n !n*eniens unless t'e alte"nate f!"u$ &"!*ides t'e &laintiff it'

as!lutel+ n! "e$ed+. -'et'e" t'e la !f t'e f!"u$ '!sen + t'e &laintiff is $!"e fa*!"ale t! t'e&laintiff s'!uld n!t e #i*en ei#'t.

Facts.

'e"e as a &lane "as' in S!tland, 'e"e fi*e itiens !f S!tland e"e /illed. 'e ai""aft as

$anufatu"ed in Penns+l*ania + Pi&e" i""aft C!$&an+ (Defendant) and t'e &"!&elle"s e"e $ade

in 'i! + a"tell P"!&elle", n. (Defendant). 'e &lane as "e#iste"ed in "eat "itain and !ned

and !&e"ated + &e!&le f"!$ t'e United 6in#d!$. 'e "e/a#e as in En#land. n in*esti#ati!n

!nduted + 'e "itis' De&a"t$ent !f "ade !nluded t'at t'e"e as n! e*idene !f defeti*e

eui&$ent and t'at t'e "as' as &"!al+ due t! &il!t e""!". e+n!, Plaintiff, a le#al se"eta"+ f!"

t'e att!"ne+ !f t'e deedents su"*i*!"s, as a&&!inted ad$inist"at"i: !f t'e deedents estate + aCalif!"nia &"!ate !u"t. Plaintiff !$$ened se&a"ate "!n#ful deat' ati!ns a#ainst t'e Pi&e" and

a"tell in Calif!"nia Su&e"i!" C!u"t, lai$in# ne#li#ene and st"it liailit+. 'e+ als! filed suit in t'e

United 6in#d!$ a#ainst t'e !ne" and !&e"at!". Plaintiff ad$its t'at s'e filed suit in t'e United Stat

es eause !f its las "e#a"din# liailit+ and a&ait+ t! sue. Defendant filed $!ti!n t! "e$!*e t! t'e

Dist"it C!u"t in Calif!"nia 'i' as #"anted. Pi&e" $!*ed t! t"ansfe" t! t'e Dist"it C!u"t in

Penns+l*ania. a"tell $!*ed t! dis$iss f!" la/ !f &e"s!nal %u"isditi!n !", in t'e alte"nati*e, t!

t"ansfe". 'e Dist"it C!u"t uas'ed se"*ie and t"ansfe""ed t'e ase t! Penns+l*ania. Plaintiff t'en

se"*ed a"tell it' &"!ess in t'e Dist"it C!u"t in Penns+l*ania. Defendants $!*ed t! dis$iss f!"

f!"u$ n!n !n*eniens.

'e Dist"it C!u"t !f Penns+l*ania #"anted t'e $!ti!ns ased !n t'e anal+sis a"tiulated in ;ulf il

C!"&. *. ile"t, 330 U.S. 501, (1) dis$issal is ne*e" a&&"!&"iate 'e"e t'e la !f t'e alte"nati*e f!"u$ is

less fa*!"ale t! Plaintiffs? (2) Plaintiffs '!ie !f f!"u$ dese"*es sustantial ei#'t e*en t'!u#'

t'e+ a"e n!n@"esidents? (3) Defendants did n!t &"!*e t'at all t'ei" itnesses e"e in "eat "itain? (4)

Defendants inailit+ t! i$&lead !t'e" defendants !uld e u"dens!$e ut n!t unfai"? (5) *iein#

t'e "e/a#e and S!ttis' t!&!#"a&'+ as n!t t'at si#nifiant? (

8/9/2019 Conflict of Laws Forum Non Conveniens

2/3

"ssue.S'!uld a ase e dis$issed !n t'e #"!unds !f f!"u$ n!n !n*eniens 'en all t'e itnesses

and e*idene a"e in an!t'e" !unt"+, t'e !t'e" !unt"+s %u"!"s !uld e $!"e !nneted t! t'e

&"!le$, it is in!n*enient t! t'e &a"ties t! t"+ t'e ase in t'e %u"isditi!n 'e"e it as "!u#'t, and

t'e !t'e" !unt"+s la ill e a&&liedA

#el$.Bes. e*e"sed.

'e &!ssiilit+ !f a 'an#e !f la s'!uld n!t e #i*en sustantial ei#'t in a f!"u$ n!n !n*eniens

anal+sis. Plaintiffs an '!!se a$!n# $an+ f!"u$s, and #ene"all+ '!!se t'e $!st fa*!"ale !ne. f

t'e+ d! n!t '!!se t'e $!st fa*!"ale ut t'e ati!n an e dis$issed an+a+, it !uld n!t e

&"!&e". n additi!n, !u"ts !uld 'a*e t! inte"&"et t'e la !f f!"ei#n dist"its, 'i' !uld &!se a l!t

!f &"!le$s and in!nsistenies. 'is is '+ t'e"e is a d!t"ine !f f!"u$ n!n !n*eniens, t! #et "id

!f t'is /ind !f !nfusi!n.

U&'!ldin# t'e C!u"t !f &&eals %ud#$ent !uld als! in"ease t'e fl! !f liti#ati!n, and t'e !u"ts

!uld e !*e"'el$ed.

C'!ie !f la s'!uld !nl+ e !nside"ed in t'is sena"i! 'en t'e "e$ed+ in t'e alte"nati*e f!"u$ is

t!tall+ inadeuate !" 'en t'e alte"nati*e f!"u$ la/s su%et $atte" %u"isditi!n. 'e fats !f t'e

ase d! n!t s'! eit'e" sena"i!.

i*in# t'e &laintiffs inte"ests less ei#'t is %ustified 'en t'e &laintiffs a"e f!"ei#n. Unde" t'is

i"u$stane, t'e '!ie !f f!"u$ is n!t neessa"il+ !n*enient. 'e !nneti!ns it' S!tland e"e

n!t neessa"il+ !*e"'el$in#, ut t'e Dist"it C!u"t !""etl+ f!und t'at t'e"e !uld e fee"

e*identia"+ &"!le$s. f Defendants 'ad t! &"!*e e:atl+ 'at &e"s!ns it !uld e diffiult t! identif+

and "in# as itnesses, Defendants "eui"ed e:&enditu"es !uld defeat t'e &u"&!se !f t'ei" $!ti!n.

E*en if S!ttis' la !uld n!t a&&l+, t'e !t'e" &uli inte"est fat!"s !uld e suffiient t! su&&!"t

dis$issal. 'e"e is a l!al inte"est. 'e $e"ian inte"est is n!t suffiient.

8/9/2019 Conflict of Laws Forum Non Conveniens

3/3

Gulf Oil Corp. vs. Gilbert Digest

%ulf &il Corp. v. %ilbert

Forum Non-Conveniens

ats>

1. Plaintiff ile"t filed an ati!n in Fe B!"/ a#ainst t'e &etiti!ne" f!" ne#li#ene due t! t'e deli*e"+

!f #as!line t! 'is tan/s and &u$&s. 'e *enue statutes !f t'e United States &e"$it t'is. ile"t

"esides in Gi"#inia, US.

2. Petiti!ne" ulf il is a !$&an+ !"#anied unde" t'e las !f Penns+l*ania it' aut'!"it+ t! d!

usiness in !t' Gi"#inia and Fe B!"/. t desi#nated !ffiials in ea' state as a#ents t! "eei*e t'e

&"!ess. ulf il in*!/ed t'e d!t"ine !f 'forum non-conveniens'and lai$ed t'at Gi"#inia is t'e

a&&"!&"iate *enue f!" t'e t"ial euase it is 'e"e t'e &laintiff "esides, 'e"e !"&!"ati!n d!es

usiness, 'e"e t'e itness li/eise "esides and it is als! t'e &lae 'e"e t'e e*ents t!!/ &lae.

3. n !ne 'and, &laintiff !ntends t'at t'e ati!n filed in Fe B!"/ is %ustified sine t'e ati!n

in*!l*ed an a$!unt f!" lai$ f!" da$a#es l!se t! H400 t'!usand 'i' $a+ sta##e" t'ei$a#inati!n !f t'e l!al %u"+, t'e di*e"sit+ !f t'e itiens'i& !f t'e &a"ties and t'at &laintiffIs !unsel

"esides in Fe B!"/.

4. 'e Dist"it C!u"t !f Fe B!"l dis$issed t'e t!"t ati!n &u"suant t! FC ( forum non-conveniens)

'ile t'e &&eals C!u"t "e*e"sed t'e deisi!n.

"ssue' (hether or not the action !as properly $ismisse$ from )* court un$er the $octrine of

F)C thought personam +uris$iction an$ venue are proper

ELD>

BES. 'e a&&liati!n !f t'e d!t"ine lies in t'e t'e dis"eti!n !f t'e !u"t. !e*e", t%e inte"ests !f

t'e &laintiff, t'e defendant and t'e f!"u$ state need t! e !nside"ed. e"e, t'e"e is n!t inte"est f!"

an+ &a"t+ t! 'a*e t'e liti#ati!n in Fe B!"/. n fat, inte"ests ei#' a#ainst it.

J!"e!*e", t'e &laintiff $a+ n!t '!!se an in!n*enient f!"u$ t! 'a"ass t'e &etiti!ne". inall+, t'e

state 'as an inte"est in a*!idin# t'e !*e""!din# !f its !n !u"ts and su%etin# its itiens t! %u"+

dut+ in a ase 'a*in# n! ties t! t'ei" state.