T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he pa ne l una ni m ous l y c onc l ude s thi s c a s e i s s ui t abl e f orde c i s i on ** w ith o u t o r a l a r g u m e n t. See F ed. R . A pp . P . 34 (a )( 2).

T he H onor abl e J e r e m y D . F oge l , U ni t e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c tJ udge f orthe ** * N orthe rn D i s tr i c tof

C a l i f orni a , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on. NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T N E U R A L S T E M , I N C . , aM a ry l a nd c orpor a t i on, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. R E N E U R O N , L T D . , aU ni t e d K i ngdom c orpor a t i on, D ef

endant- A pp el l ee . N o. 08- 56546 D. C . No . 2 : 0 8 - c v - 0 2 1 6 8 - R - AG R ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e C e n tr a l D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia M a nue l L . R e a l , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng S ubm i tt e d F e brua ry 9, 2010 ** P a s a d e n a , C a lif

o rn ia Be f o r e : THOM AS a n d SI LVER M AN , Ci r c u i tJ u d g e s , a n d FOGEL, D i stri ct *** Judg e. 

# FI LED FEB 11 2 010 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALS2

N e ur a l s t e m , I nc . appe a l s the di s tr i c tc ourt ’ s di s m i s s a l on f orum non c onve ni e ns gr ounds of

i t s c l a i m s a ga i ns tR e N e ur on, L t d. W e r e ve r s e . B e c aus e the p a rtie s a r e f

a m ilia rw ith th e f

a c tu a l a n d p r o c e d u r a l h is to ry o f th is c a s e , it is un nece ss ary t o rec ou nti there I T he di s tr i c tc ourtpr ope r l y f ound tha tE ngl a nd i s a n a de qua t e a l t e rna t i ve f o ru m . Se e T

uaz on v . R . J

. R e y nolds T obac c o C o. , 43 3 F . 3d 11 63 , 11 78 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 6 ) ( a n a lte rn a tiv e f

o ru m is g e n e r a lly a v a ilab le w h e r e “th e d e f e n d a n t is a m e nabl e t o s e rvi c e of

pr oc e s s a nd the f

orum pr ovi de s ‘ s om e r e m e dy ’ f orthe w rong ati ss ue”) (c i t at i on s om i tt ed). R eN euron t endered evi dence s ho w i ng that E n g la n d o f

f e r s ar e m e d y f

o re a c h o f

N e u r a ls te m ’s c la im s . N e u r a ls te m a r g u e s th a t it m a y s e e ka m e n d m e n t o f its c o m p la in t to a s s e rt a c l a i m unde r35 U . S . C . § 256 f orc orr e c t i on of

i nve nt or s hi p a nd tha ti t s c om pl a i nt r e que s t s a s ar e m e dy f

orR e N e ur on’ s a l l e ge d br e a c h of c ontr a c ttha tR e N e ur on be c o m p e lle d to a s s ig n a n y p e n d in g p a te n t ap p lic a tio n s to N e u r a ls te m . T h e s e f a c ts d o n o t g iv e r is e to ac o n c lu s io n th a t E n g la n d is a n in a d e q u a te al t ernat i ve forum . F i rs t , N eura l st em has notshow n thati tw i l l be un abl e t o fi l e a s e p a r a te a c tio n in U n ite d S ta te s c o u rts in th e e v e n t th a t it w is h e s to a s s e rt ac la im u n d e r3 5 U .S .C . § 2 5 6 . W h ile th e p o s s ib ility o f d u p lic a tiv e a c tio n is ap p r o p r ia te ly3

f a c t or e d i nt o the a na l y s i s of pr i va t e a nd publ i c i nt e r e s tf a c t or s gove rni ng f

orum n o n c o n v e n ie n s d is m is s a ls , it d o e s n o t m a n d a te af in d in g th a t af

o r e ig n f o ru m is i n ad eq u at e. S eco n d , w h i l e N eu ral st em arg u es th ato n e o f i t s re qu es ted re m edi es (assi g n m en to f R eN eu ro n ’ s p at en tap p l i cat i o n s) i s n o tav ai l ab l e i n an E n g l i sh fo ru m , i th as n o tsh o w n th atE n g l an d o ffers no re m edy f or N eura l st em ’ s c l ai m s. In det erm i ni ng w hether an adequ at e a l t ernat i ve forum exi st s, court s a sk on l y w hether s o me r e m e dy e xi s t s ; w he the rthe r e m e dy a f f or de d i s l e s s f

a vor abl e i n the f

or e i gn f o ru m is n o t d e te rm in a tiv e . Se e L ue c k v . Sunds tr and C or

p. , 236 F . 3d 1137, 1143- 44 ( 9th C i r . 2001) . N e ur a l s t e m ha s nots ubm i tt e d a ny e vi de nc e t o r e but R eN eu ro n ’s ev id en ce th at E n g li sh law o ff er s a re m ed y f

o r e ac h o f N eu ra lstem ’s c la im s , e v e n if

n o t N e u r a ls te m ’s r e q u e s te d r e m e d y . II N eu ra lstem ar g u es th at th e d istrict co u rt fa il ed to ac co rd N eu ra lstem ’s c h o ic e o f f o ru m p r o p e rd e f

e r e n c e . W e a g r e e . R e N e ur on r e l i e s upon G e m i niC api tal G r oup v . Y

ap Fis hi ng C o. , 150 F . 3d 10 88 , 10 90 -91 (9th C i r. 19 98 ) t o con t end thatN eura l st em ’ s c ho i ce of forum w as af forded al l du e def

er ence gi ven the fa ctthatN eura l st em , a M aryl and-based c o rp o r a tio n , b r o u g h t s u it in C a lif o rn ia , af o ru m to w h ic h it h a s little c o n n e c tio n . H ow e ve r , w e ha ve r e c e nt l y c l a r i f i e d tha taU ni t e d S t a t e s c i t i z e n’ s de c i s i on t o br i ng4

s u it in as ta te in w h ic h th e p la in tif f is n o t ar e s id e n t is s till e n title d to d e f e r e n c e . Se e B os ton T

e le c om m uni c at i ons G r oup, I nc . v . W ood , 5 8 8 F .3 d 1 2 0 1 , 1 2 0 7 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 0 9 ) . H e r e , a l though the di s tr i c tc ourtpurport e d t o gi ve N e ur a l s t e m ’ s c hoi c e of f o ru m “th e ap p r o p r ia te r e g a r d ,” a n d in c lu d e d th e r e s id e n c e o f th e p a rtie s in its en u m er atio n o f p riv ate in tere st fa cto rs , i t d idn o t actu ally w eig h N eu ra lstem ’s U n i t ed S t at es resi d en cy an d ch o i ce o f fo ru m i n i t s p ri v at e i n t erestfact o r an al ysi s, f oc us i ng i ns t e a d on the r e s i de nc y of pot e nt i a l w i tne s s e s . T hi s w a s a n abus e of di s c r e t i on. III N e ur a l s t e m a r gue s tha tthe di s tr i c tc ourtabus e d i t s di s c r e t i on i n w e i ghi ng the publ i c a nd pr i va t e i nt e r e s tf a c t or s r e l e va ntt o af

orum non c onve ni e ns det erm i nat i on . W e a gree . In di sm i ss i ng an ac t i on on forum no n con veni ens groun ds, a di stri ctcourt

“ m ustexam i ne: (1) w hether an adequ at e a l t ernat i ve forum exi st s, and (2) w hether the bal ance of pri vat e and pu bl i c i nt er es tfa ct ors f avors di sm i ss al . ” L ueck , 236 F .3 d a t 1 1 4 2 ( c ita tio n s o m itte d ) . T h e d i stri ctco u rtm ad e sev eral erro rs i n w ei g h i n g th e p ri v at e i n t erest f a c to r s . F ir s t, a s n o te d ab o v e , it f a ile d to a c c o r d a d e q u a te d e f e r e n c e to5

N e ur a l s t e m ’ s c hoi c e of

f orum . S e c ond, the di s tr i c tc ourtf a i l e d t o gi ve s uf

f i c i e nt w ei gh tt o the fa ctthatN eura l st em ’ s c l ai m s are re l i antup on thi rd-party w i tness es and d ocum ent ary e vi dence l ocat ed i n C al i forni a and el se w here i n the U ni t ed S ta te s , f o c u s in g in s te a d o n th e e v id e n c e an d w itn e s s e s lo c a te d in E n g la n d . H o w e v e r , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt f a ile d to h o ld R e N e u r o n to its b u r d e n o f p r o o f to pr ovi de s uf

f i c i e nti nf orm a t i on r e ga r di ng “ the m a t e r i a l i ty a nd i m port a nc e ” of the a nt i c i pa t e d w i tne s s e s a nd doc um e nt a ry e vi de nc e i n E ngl a nd, a nd thus ha d no op po rtun i ty t o d et erm i ne thei r “ ac ce ss i bi l i ty and conv eni ence t o the forum . ” G at es L earj et C orp. v. Je nsen , 743 F . 2d 1325, 1335- 36 ( 9th C i r . 1984) ( c i t a t i ons o m itte d ) . I n a d d itio n , th e d is tr ic t c o u rt d id n o t c o n s id e rth e f a c t th a t m o s t if

n o t a ll of the doc um e nt a ry e vi de nc e l oc a t e d i n E ngl a nd i s w i thi n R e N e ur on’ s c ontr ol , a nd th u s c a n b e b r o u g h t to c o u rt w h e r e v e rth e f o ru m . See L ueck , 236 F . 3d a t1146- 47 ( c o n c lu d in g th a t th e p r iv a te in te r e s t f a c to r s w e ig h e d in f

a v o ro f d is m is s a l w h e r e a ll of the doc um e nt a ry e vi de nc e a nd w i tne s s e s i n the U ni t e d S t a t e s w e r e unde rthe c ontr ol of

the pa rt i e s , butm uc h of the e vi de nc e i n the a l t e rna t i ve f or e i gn f orum w a s n o t) . T h e d i stri ctco u rtal so m ad e sev eral erro rs i n w ei g h i n g th e p u b l i c i n t erest f a c t or s . M os tnot abl y , the di s tr i c tc ourti m pr ope r l y di s c ount e d the i nt e r e s t s of C al i forni a and the U ni t ed S t at es i n the l i t i gat i on . W hi l e E ng l and h as strong ert i es6

t o the part i es ’ perf

orm ance of thei r c on tra ctual ob l i gat i on s, C al i forni a has strong er t i e s t o the i s s ue c e ntr a l t o thi s c a s e – R e N e ur on’ s a l l e ge d breach o f th e a g r e e m e n t. T he al l egedl y unl aw ful cond uctconst i tut i ng a bre ac h o f the part i es ’ agre em enthas o c c u rr e d a lm o s t e x c lu s iv e ly in C a lif o rn iaa n d e ls e w h e r e in th e U n ite d S ta te s . R eN euron argues thatthe “ l ocus” of a ny harm st em m i ng fr om i t s c on du ctoccurre d i n M a ry l a nd, notC a l i f

orni a . B utthi s c ourt“ ne e d nothol d . . . tha tC a l i f orni ai s the pri nci pal l ocus of the ca se or thatC al i forni a has m ore of a n i nt er es tthan any other ju r is d ic tio n in o r d e rto c o n c lu d e th a t C a lif o rn iah a s am e a n in g f

u l in te r e s t in th is litig a tio n . W ith th is p u b lic in te r e s t f a c to r , w e a s ko n ly if

th e r e is a n id e n tif

iab le i nt er es ti n the controvers y, no tw hether ano ther f orum al so has an i nt er es t . ” See B os ton T e le c om m uni c at i ons , 5 8 8 F .3 d a t 1 2 1 2 . C a lif o rn iah a s a n id e n tif

iab le in te r e s t in p r e v e n tin g u n la w f u l c o n d u c t f

r o m ta k in g p la c e w ith in its b o r d e r s . See id . IV B e c aus e the di s tr i c tc ourtf a i l e d t o hol d R e N e ur on t o i t s bur de n of m a ki ng a c l e a rs how i ng of

f a c t s r e qui r e d t o m e r i tthe “ e xc e pt i ona l t ool ” of af orum non c o n v e n ie n s d is m is s a l, see R a velo Mo n eg ro v. R o sa , 21 1 F . 3d 50 9, 51 4 (9th C i r. 2 0 0 0 ) a n d im p r o p e r ly b a la n c e d th e p r iv a te a n d p u b lic in te r e s t f a c to r s , it ab u s e d its di s c r e t i on i n rul i ng tha tE ngl a nd i s am or e c onve ni e ntf orum i n w hi c h t o pur s ue7

thi s a c t i on. W e r e ve r s e the or de rof the di s tr i c tc ourtdi s m i s s i ng thi s a c t i on on the basi s of f orum no n con veni ens. W e there fore need no tand d o n otre ac h any other is s u e u r g e d b y th e p a rtie s . RE V E RS E D A ND RE MAND E D.