Opinion ID: 6986485
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Parties’Domiciles

Text: The plaintiffs were domiciled in Rhode Island throughout this action. Crane is incorporated in Delaware and its principal place of business is in Illinois. This Court has not yet decided whether, for choice of law purposes, a corporate defendant is domiciled in its state of incorporation or in its principal place of business. We need not answer that question, however, to consider a false conflict. See Sheldon, 135 F.3d at 853 (identifying question but declining to answer it under the facts of the case because although each state triggered the application of a different Neumeier rule, the resulting choice of law was the same). Regardless of whether Crane is domiciled in Illinois or Delaware, Rhode Island law governs because, as discussed below, Caruolo’s dominant exposure to Crane’s products occurred in that state, thereby requiring application of the second Neumeier rule.