Opinion ID: 205620
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Defendant Stewartgeneral jurisdiction based on business relationship with Mr. Shrader and visit to Oklahoma to work with Mr. Shrader

Text: Unlike the other defendants in this case, Mr. Stewart had for some time an ongoing business relationship with Mr. Shrader, editing and selling his materials on market trading. This was conducted primarily through email, but Mr. Stewart also visited Mr. Shrader once in Oklahoma for a period of eleven days to help him work on his materials. We must determine whether these additional contacts support general jurisdiction over Mr. Stewart. [8] Simply because a defendant has a contractual relationship and business dealings with a person or entity in the forum state does not subject him to general jurisdiction there. See, e.g., Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, S.A. v. Hall, 466 U.S. 408, 416-18, 104 S.Ct. 1868, 80 L.Ed.2d 404 (1984); Benton v. Cameco Corp., 375 F.3d 1070, 1073, 1080-81 (10th Cir.2004). Even more to the point, the Eighth Circuit relied on Helicopteros to hold that a defendant's collaboration with a forum-state author and publishing relationship with a forum-state company did not support general jurisdiction in Johnson v. Woodcock, 444 F.3d 953, 955-56 (8th Cir.2006). Johnson v. Woodcock also reflects the accepted view that correspondence with a forum resident does not support general jurisdiction. See id. at 956; accord Marathon Oil Co. v. A.G. Ruhrgas, 182 F.3d 291, 295 (5th Cir.1999); Gates Learjet Corp. v. Jensen, 743 F.2d 1325, 1331 (9th Cir.1984). Likewise, sporadic or isolated visits to the forum state will not subject the defendant to general jurisdiction. See, e.g., Helicopteros, 466 U.S. at 416-18, 104 S.Ct. 1868; Jackson v. Tanfoglio Giuseppe, S.R.L., 615 F.3d 579, 584 (5th Cir.2010); Johnson, 614 F.3d at 795. As the Ninth Circuit put it, [defendant's] lack of a regular place of business in [the forum state] is significant, and is not overcome by a few visits. Omeluk v. Langsten Slip & Batbyggeri A/S, 52 F.3d 267, 270 (9th Cir.1995). In light of such authority, we cannot say that Mr. Stewart's direct business contacts with Oklahoma, evidently all limited to his dealings with Mr. Shrader, are sufficient to subject him to general personal jurisdiction there.