United States Fourth Circuit

Foreign companies that negotiated, drafted, and executed a contract in France with a dual US and French citizen residing in South Carolina did not have minimum contacts with South Carolina such that the exercise of jurisdiction over those companies would be consistent with "traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice." International Shoe Co., 326 U.S. at 316.

Appellate Information

• Argued 10/30/2001
• Decided 01/25/2002
• Published 01/25/2002

Judges

• Before WILKINSON, Chief Judge, MOTZ, Circuit Judge, and Malcolm J. HOWARD, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina, sitting by designation.

Court

• United States Fourth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Frank Langston Eppes, Eppes & Plumblee, P.A., Greenville, South Carolina, for Plaintiff-Appellant.  William Stevens Brown, V, Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, L.L.P., Greenville, South Carolina, for Defendants-Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  Lawrence W. Newman, Rafael E. Castilla, Baker & McKenzie, New York, New York, for Plaintiff-Appellant.  Rivers S. Stilwell, Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, L.L.P., Greenville, South Carolina;  Peter F. Felfe, Leon Medzhibovsky, Fulbright & Jaworski, L.L.P., New York, New York, for Defendants-Appellees.