Opinion ID: 4387386
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The place of contracting

Text: The Restatement defines “the place of contracting” as “the place where occurred the last act necessary . . . to give the contract binding effect . . . .” Rest. (Second) Conflict of Laws § 188, cmt. e; see, e.g., First Commerce, LLC v. Sheldon, No. 213 CV 01915 RFB GWF, 2016 WL 5791542, at  (D. Nev. Sept. 29, 2016). The parties dispute whether the insurance contract, or at least the addition of the Washington gas processing plant (the “Cedar Hills facility”) to an existing insurance policy, was entered into in Washington or Virginia. Both sides, however, conflate the “place of contracting” factor with the “place of negotiation” factor. Indeed, all of the parties’ citations to the record appear to pertain more to negotiation of the insurance contract than to its execution. Given that Ingenco’s risk manager, Raymond Yerly, and Ace’s managing agent, Tim Drag, met in Virginia and were both located in Virginia, it seems likely that the contract was executed in Virginia. In any event, however, “standing alone, the place of contracting is a relatively insignificant contact.” Rest. (Second) Conflict of Laws § 188, cmt. e. INGENCO HOLDINGS V. ACE AMER. INS. CO. 13