Opinion ID: 2978665
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Deference to Plaintiffs’ Choice of Forum

Text: Finally, plaintiffs argue that the district court abused its discretion because it did not give proper deference to their choice of a home forum. Plaintiffs cite to our decision in Duha v. Agrium Inc., 448 F.3d 867 (6th Cir. 2006), to support their argument. In that case, we reversed the district court’s dismissal for forum non conveniens in part because No. 08-4295 Wong, et al. v. PartyGaming Ltd., et al. Page 15 the district court did not give heightened deference to the plaintiff’s home forum. Id. at 874. While deference should be afforded to a U.S. plaintiff’s choice of home forum, choice of home forum is not a dispositive issue. Compare Duha, 448 F.3d at 874 (finding U.S. plaintiff’s choice of home forum outweighed Argentina as alternative forum), with Estate of Thomson, 545 F.3d at 365 (upholding dismissal for forum non conveniens where South Africa was alternative forum). More importantly, the facts in this case are distinguishable from those in Duha because a forum selection clause was not at issue in that case. When dismissing for forum non conveniens pursuant to a forum selection clause, federal courts have generally given less deference to a plaintiff’s choice of home forum. See, e.g., Evolution Online Sys., Inc. v. Koninklijke PTT Nederland N.V., 145 F.3d 505, 511 (2d Cir. 1998) (“[T]he district court would begin its forum non conveniens assessment of Gulf Oil factors with a level set of balances, rather than one weighted heavily in favor of plaintiff’s choice of forum.”); Jumara v. State Farm Ins. Co., 55 F.3d 873, 880 (3d Cir. 1995) (“[W]hile courts normally defer to a plaintiff’s choice of forum, such deference is inappropriate where the plaintiff has already freely contractually chosen an appropriate venue.”); In re Ricoh Corp., 870 F.2d 570, 573 (11th Cir. 1989) (“[W]e see no reason why a court should accord deference to the forum in which the plaintiff filed its action.”). Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion by not giving deference to plaintiffs’ choice of home forum. No. 08-4295 Wong, et al. v. PartyGaming Ltd., et al. Page 16