Sharon L. Nichols, David R. Nichols, Virginia Ann Callan, Charles Oliver Richardson, Iii, Marilyn Goodman, Thomas J. Goodman, Debra A. Lopez, Rudolph Lopez, Sharon Ruth Anderson, Rosemary Madrid Castaneda, Jesse Castaneda, Karen Leslie-Lloyd, Jacqueline Templin, Katherine Galati Novick, Karen Janet Davis, Peggy Lee Patterson, Michelle James, Patricia Ann Ehlert, Dana Messerly, Raymond Leroy Messerly, Susan Gail Parlon, Alicia Roberts, Lindsy Gail Syroid, Barbara Ruth Ames, Susan Partridge, David Partridge, Ruby Carolina Larabie, Deanna H. Robb, Carmen Callier, Anna Caruso, Cynthia Isabelle, Jean Claude Isabelle, Nancy Delsanto, James Delsanto, Barbara Hayden, Norman Hayden, Deborah Ann Muscato, Stoina Hibbard, Michael Hibbard, Denise K. Liberman, Gayle E. Donnelly, Martha Caust-Moran, Pascal Moran, Roberta Walls, Charles Walls, Linda Phillips, Susan Lee Smirl Krupa, Karen Prewitt, Janet Rae Fergonese, Wanda S. McAlister Tamara M. Felix, Felicitas L. Singer, Thomas J. Singer, Nichole Cohen Blair, Mary Ina Delisle Courville, George Vincent Courville, Prisuave Walker, Mark Dale Walker, Gail R. Zucker, Kenneth Jay Wolf, Roberta Fryer, Sharon P. Loftus, Michael J. Loftus, Ii, Janet Lynn Billings, Julia Mae Lambert Thaxton, Pauline Johnson, Catherine Evans, Cheryl Smith, Michael Smith, Nancy Daru Yaeli, Ron Thomas Yaeli, Barbara Helm-Gottsleben, Harriet Birnbaum Helberg, Sandy Morris Helberg, Nancy Frisch, Paul Frisch, Linda Jo McCarver Byron Marvin McCarver Sandra Carol Smith, Joseph James Smith, Debbie Dolores Stallings, John Francis Stallings, Jr., Carol A. Lofquist Cummins, Dirk P. Cummins, Lilyan Chrappa-Spool, Roger Owen Spool, Bonnie Eugenia Crownover, George Donald Crownover, Jr., Joyce Elaine Andrew-Lavage, William Michael Andrew-Lavage, Cynthia Corrine Hand, Michael Joseph Tracy, Monica Gay Ward, Cheryl Jane Gerhart, Ronald Scott Gerhart, Cindy Fohn Coleman, Kyle Howard Coleman, Janet Stein, Catherine Susan Larosa, Susan Lynn Pusep, Nancy Peeler Sheehan, Charles M. Sheehan, Irene Sylvia Angelico, Abbey Jack Neidik, Elsie Espana, Elio Espana, Gayle Peterson v. G.D. Searle & Company Searle Laboratories, a Division of Searle Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated, Patricia Amos, Kimberly Barnes, Robin Barrow, Graham John Barrow, Teresa Ann Belcher, Jack William Belcher, Betty Mae Bennett, Betsy Breneman, Brenda K. Briggle, Deborah Burnett, Joseph Burnett, Ann Cheslaw, Rebecca Craig, James Craig, Darla Decker, Barbara Durand, Yolande Etosh, Patricia Fowler, Carolina Lee Fridrich, Naomi Goldstein, Charlene Graham-Gold, Martin Ian Gold, Christine Haw, Janet Hillen, Trudy Holtz, Johann Holtz, Janet Chappell Jacobs, Glendon C. Jacobs, Tammy Johnson, Charlene Krueger, Debbie Kaye Lemons, Stanley Eugene Lemons, Eva Morris, Edward Michael Morris, Michelle O'brien, Michael O'brien, Rebecca Israel Omoto, Shelly Penkala, Pamela Peterson Perkins, Leonard Perkins, Jr., Priscilla King Randall, Russell Floyd Randall, Debra Reynolds, Timothy Lee Reynolds, Rhoda Richardson, Brenda Riser, Kathy Rogers, Antoinette Mikrut, Gail Sanders, Jeanette Romano Snell, Patricia Sontag, Edward William Neuhueller, Judith Spalla, Frederick Thomas Spalla, Kathy Ann Taylor, Jennifer Tinnen, Robert D. Tinnen, Dore Wagner, Lynette Gail White, Kim Raymond White, and Karen B. Burke, Richard Walter Welgar, Helen Dingler, Doris Jefferson, Georgine Lane, Debra Lester, Sheryl Martin, Johnny Rae Martin, Doris Mason, William Mason, Theresa McHaffie Haine Edward McHaffie Ii, Patricia Pelczarski Joseph Pelczarski, Nancy Perkins, James Perkins, Evelyn Rich, Alan Samuel Rich, Ann Marie Waddell, Pamm Wedekemper Sanda Hawkins, Individually and as Guardian for Tamika Wilkinson and as Representative for the Estate of Pamela Wilkinson v. G.D. Searle & Company, Searle Pharmaceuticals, Incorporated

991 F.2d 1195 · Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit · 1993

Facts

116 women filed product liability lawsuits in Maryland against G.D. Searle & Company, alleging injuries from the Cu-7 intrauterine device. None of the plaintiffs resided in Maryland, and their causes of action did not arise there. Searle's only contacts with Maryland were promotional representatives, limited sales, and minor other activities, leading the district court to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction and deny a transfer to Illinois.

Issue

Did the district court err in dismissing the cases for lack of general personal jurisdiction over Searle, given its limited activities in Maryland? Did the district court abuse its discretion by denying the plaintiffs' motion to transfer the cases to a proper forum, considering that the lack of jurisdiction was foreseeable to their attorneys?

Holding

The Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction, finding Searle's contacts insufficient for general jurisdiction. The court also affirmed the denial of the motion to transfer, ruling that the district court did not abuse its discretion when the plaintiffs' attorneys could have reasonably foreseen the jurisdictional defect.

Rule

General personal jurisdiction requires 'continuous and systematic' contacts with the forum state, beyond mere advertising and solicitation, especially when the cause of action does not arise there. A district court does not abuse its discretion by denying a transfer of venue under 28 U.S.C. § 1406(a) when a plaintiff's attorney made an obvious and foreseeable error in filing in an improper forum.

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