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Daimler AG v. Bauman, 571 U.S. 117 (2014)

Full notes and cites: https://opinion-of-the-court.pages.dev/ep/050-daimler-ag-v-bauman

Official text (U.S. Reports, Library of Congress): https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep571/usrep571117/usrep571117.pdf

Full text of the opinions, AI-narrated (Kokoro-82M, voice af_heart). Original introduction; opinion text is public domain. Not legal advice.

Twenty-two Argentine residents sued the German automaker Daimler in federal court in California. They alleged that its Argentine subsidiary, Mercedes-Benz Argentina, had collaborated with the military dictatorship during the "Dirty War" of the late 1970s and early 1980s in kidnapping, torturing, and killing workers. None of the events happened in California. The plaintiffs argued Daimler was "at home" there because of the large California sales of its American distributor, Mercedes-Benz USA.

Justice Ginsburg, for the Court, rejected that theory. General jurisdiction, which allows a company to be sued on any claim, is available only where a corporation is essentially at home, typically its place of incorporation and principal place of business. A test that reached every state with substantial sales would be unacceptably grasping.

Justice Sotomayor concurred only in the judgment, objecting that the Court had needlessly narrowed general jurisdiction for all large companies. Daimler is now the starting point for any lawsuit against a corporation far from home.

Citations: reporter citations were shortened or left out of the audio; every citation is listed on the website.

Cases named aloud

- Bauman v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 579 F.3d 1088 (2009) at 1096-1097 [as printed: Bauman v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 579 F.3d 1088, 1096-1097 (2009); Opinion of the Court (Justice GINSBURG delivered the opinion of the Court)] (episode link pending)

- Bauman v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 644 F.3d 909 (C.A.9 2011) [as printed: Bauman v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 644 F.3d 909 (C.A.9 2011); Opinion of the Court (Justice GINSBURG delivered the opinion of the Court)] (episode link pending)

- Bauman v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 676 F.3d 774 (2011) (O'Scannlain, J., dissenting from denial of rehearing en banc) [as printed: Bauman v. DaimlerChrysler Corp., 676 F.3d 774 (2011) (O'Scannlain, J., dissenting from denial of rehearing en banc); Opinion of the Court (Justice GINSBURG delivered the opinion of the Court)] (episode link pending)

- Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U.S. 714 (1878) [as printed: Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U.S. 714, 24 L.Ed. 565 (1878); Opinion of the Court (Justice GINSBURG delivered the opinion of the Court)] episode

- International Shoe [Co. v. Washington ], 326 U.S. 310 [as printed: International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 66 S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945); Opinion of the Court (Justice GINSBURG delivered the opinion of the Court)] episode

- S.A. v. Hall, 466 U.S. 408 (1984) [as printed: S.A. v. Hall, 466 U.S. 408, 104 S.Ct. 1868, 80 L.Ed.2d 404 (1984); Opinion of the Court (Justice GINSBURG delivered the opinion of the Court)] episode

(+7 more named aloud; see the website)

Full list of 208 citations not read aloud: https://opinion-of-the-court.pages.dev/ep/050-daimler-ag-v-bauman