Opinion ID: 757779
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Weighing of Gilbert Factors

Text: 45 Judge Stanton found that the private and public interests involved in this case tilt in favor of trying the action in England. Plaintiffs argue that Judge Stanton abused his discretion in weighing the Gilbert factors.
46 Judge Stanton found that the public interests involved here favor neither New York nor England. He reasoned that New York has an interest in settling a dispute involving Worldcash, a New York corporation, and that England has an interest in resolving a dispute involving two of its major banks. 47 We agree that the public interest factors favor neither forum. Because both jurisdictions have some interest in this dispute, the concern with burdening jurors is not present. See Peregrine Myanmar, 89 F.3d at 47. The problems inherent in applying foreign law also are not implicated because the parties agree that American courts would apply American law and British courts would apply British law to this dispute. Finally, there is no indication that British courts are more or less congested than American courts, or that a judgment issued in either England or the United States would be unenforceable. Thus, Judge Stanton did not abuse his discretion in weighing the public interest factors. See id. 48 Plaintiffs argue that in assessing the public interest factors, Judge Stanton should have taken into account the United States' interest in applying the Sherman Act. See Laker Airways v. Pan American World Airways, 568 F.Supp. 811, 817 (D.D.C.1983) (suggesting that U.S. interest in applying Sherman Act makes forum non conveniens inappropriate). However, we have never held that the United States' interest in applying its laws is a determinative factor to be considered in weighing convenience. See Allstate Life Ins. Co. v. Linter Grp. Ltd., 994 F.2d 996, 1002 (2d Cir.1993) (United States courts have an interest in enforcing United States securities laws, [but] this alone does not prohibit them from dismissing a securities action on the ground of forum non conveniens); Cruz, 702 F.2d at 48 (applicability of federal statute does not affect forum non conveniens analysis). Indeed, in Transunion, we upheld the forum non conveniens dismissal of a RICO suit without even suggesting that the district court should have considered the United States' interest in the application of that statute. See Transunion, 811 F.2d at 129.
49 Judge Stanton found that the private interests strongly favor litigation in England. We agree. 50 As Judge Stanton found, most of the witnesses in this case reside in England, and the cost of transporting these witnesses to New York could be enormous. In addition, most of the documentary evidence in the case was created, and is stored, in England. Thus, conducting trial in the United States might impose significant burdens on the parties. 51 Moreover, if this case is tried in the United States, certain witnesses may be unavailable. Plaintiffs' central antitrust allegation against Barclays UK concerns a transaction that involved CCE, CCE's English affiliate Chequepoint UK, Barclays UK and another English bank. The employees of the non-party English bank are: (1) crucial to a trial of plaintiffs' claims against Barclays UK; (2) not subject to compulsory process in the United States; and (3) subject to compulsory process in England. Thus, Judge Stanton properly found that England was a more efficient and effective forum for trial of this dispute. 52