United States Ninth Circuit

In a class action lawsuit against an ISP alleging violations of federal electronic privacy law and California law resulting from defendant's release of internet search records, dismissal of the action for improper venue is reversed and remanded where: 1) the forum selection clause in the membership agreement referred to Virginia state courts only; and 2) under this interpretation, the forum selection clause is unenforceable as to California resident plaintiffs bringing class action claims under California consumer law since it violates California public policy against consumer class action waivers and waivers of consumer rights.

Appellate Information

• Argued 12/06/2007
• Decided 01/16/2009
• Published 01/16/2009

Judges

• Before:  D.W. NELSON, STEPHEN REINHARDT, and CARLOS T. BEA, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Joseph J. Tabacco, Jr., Christopher T. Heffelfinger, Berman DeValerio Pease Tabacco Burt & Pucillo, San Francisco, CA;  C. Oliver Burt, III, Berman DeValerio Pease Tabacco Burt & Pucillo, West Palm Beach, FL;  Richard R. Wiebe, Law Office of Richard R. Wiebe, San Francisco, CA;  and James K. Green, James K. Green, P.A., West Palm Beach, FL, for the plaintiffs-appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• Patrick J. Carome, Samir C. Jain, D. Hien Tran, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Washington, D.C., for the defendant-appellee.