Source: http://in.findacase.com/research/wfrmDocViewer.aspx/xq/fac.20180404_0000514.SIN.htm/qx
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 22:18:04+00:00

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FindACase | Zevoli 243 (PTY) Ltd. v. Dow Chemical Co.
Zevoli 243 (PTY) Ltd. v. Dow Chemical Co.
DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY, and DOW AGROSCIENCES LLC, Defendants.
This matter is before the Court on Defendants Dow Chemical Company (“Dow Chemical”) and Dow Agrosciences LLC's (“Dow Agro”) (collectively, “Defendants”) Motion to Dismiss. [Filing No. 20.] Plaintiff Zevoli 243 (PTY) Ltd.'s (“Zevoli”) Complaint for Damages and Declaratory Judgment (“Complaint”) seeks relief for alleged environmental contamination of real property owned by Zevoli in South Africa by Defendants' subsidiary Dow AgroSciences Southern Africa (Proprietary) Limited (“Dow South Africa”). [Filing No. 1]. Defendants move to dismiss the Complaint pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 12(b)(2), 12(b)(6), and the common law doctrine of forum non conveniens. For the reasons stated below, the Court DENIES IN PART and GRANTS IN PART Defendants' Motion to Dismiss.
When a defendant moves to dismiss a complaint under Rule 12(b)(2), “[t]he plaintiff bears the burden of showing that personal jurisdiction over the defendant exists.” Claus v. Mize, 317 F.3d 725, 727 (7th Cir. 2003). When, as here, the Court “rules on a defendant's motion to dismiss based on the submission of written materials, without the benefit of an evidentiary hearing . . . the plaintiff ‘need only make out a prima facie case of personal jurisdiction.'” Purdue Research Found. v. Sanofi-Synthelabo, S.A., 338 F.3d 773, 782 (7th Cir. 2003) (quoting Hyatt Int'l Corp. v. Coco, 302 F.3d 707, 713 (7th Cir. 2002)). Any factual disputes are resolved in the plaintiff's favor. Id.
“A federal district court's personal jurisdiction over a defendant is established in a diversity-jurisdiction case . . . only so long as the defendant is subject to the jurisdiction of a court of general jurisdiction in the state where the district court is located.” N. Grain Mktg., LLC v. Greving, 743 F.3d 487, 491 (7th Cir. 2014). Indiana Trial Rule 4.4(A) serves as Indiana's long-arm provision and expands personal jurisdiction to the full extent permitted by the Due Process Clause. See LinkAmerica Corp. v. Cox, 857 N.E.2d 961, 965-66 (Ind. 2006). “Thus, the statutory question merges with the constitutional one-if [Indiana] constitutionally may exercise personal jurisdiction over a defendant, its long-arm statute will enable it to do so.” N. Grain, 743 F.3d at 492.

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