In a hotly contested 4-3 decision, the California Supreme Court in Bristol-Myers Squibb Company v. The Superior Court of San Francisco County, 2016 WL 4506107 greatly expanded the concept of specific jurisdiction to allow a non-resident plaintiff to file suit in California courts against any defendant who conducts or transacts any business in California, even though the plaintiff purchased that defendant’s product in another state. The Court broadened the scope of specific jurisdiction to overcome the requirements of International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310 (1945), finding that a tangential use of the forum constitutes a “substantial” connection between plaintiff’s claim and the defendant’s forum activities. The product in question was Plavix, developed and manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb outside…
