Litigation
Ca. Litig. Rev. 2016
Personal Jurisdiction
By Scott Dodson
California’s View of "Related To" Specific Jurisdiction
Personal jurisdiction is a doctrine that describes the constitutional limits of a court’s adjudicatory authority over parties, especially parties located outside the state where the court sits. Under the famous Supreme Court case International ShoeCo. v. Washington,1a state may assert personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant that has sufficient "minimum contacts" with the state when the contacts arise out of or are related to the cause of action.2 But what makes a contact "related to" the cause of action? The Supreme Court of California answered that question in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. The Superior Court of San Francisco County on August 29, 2016.3