Opinion ID: 169344
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Burden on Defendants of Litigating in the Forum

Text: 34 The unique burdens placed upon one who must defend oneself in a foreign legal system should have significant weight in assessing the reasonableness of stretching the long arm of personal jurisdiction over national borders. Asahi, 480 U.S. at 114, 107 S.Ct. 1026. Consequently, `great care and reserve should be exercised' before personal jurisdiction is exercised over the defendant in such a situation. OMI Holdings, Inc., 149 F.3d at 1096 (quoting Asahi, 480 U.S. at 115, 107 S.Ct. 1026). 35 Because the Insurers are located in Europe, litigating a case in Kansas would subject them to some burden. The record does not contain evidence indicating that the Insurers conduct business in Kansas. See, e.g., Benton, 375 F.3d at 1079 (finding burden significant when Canadian corporation had no license to conduct business in the forum state of Colorado, had no office or property in Colorado, and had no employees in Colorado); OMI Holdings, Inc., 149 F.3d at 1096 (finding burden significant when Canadian corporations had no license to conduct business in Kansas, maintained no offices in Kansas, employed no agents in Kansas, and insured no Kansas residents). In addition to traveling to Kansas, the Insurers would also be forced to litigate the dispute in a foreign forum unfamiliar with the . . . law governing the dispute. Id. 36 As THAN argues, however, modern transportation and communications have made it much less burdensome for a party sued to defend himself in a State where he engages in economic activity. Burger King, 471 U.S. at 474, 105 S.Ct. 2174 (quotation omitted). Indeed, as the District Court found, the Insurers are large companies engaged in business on a worldwide basis, and many of them are routinely involved in litigation throughout the United States. Cf. Pro Axess, Inc., 428 F.3d at 1280 (finding that, although French corporation was a substantial distance from the forum state of Utah, the corporate president's demonstrated ability to travel to the United States for company's business dealings minimized concerns that litigating in Utah may burden corporation). But while modern advances may minimize the burden on the Insurers, they are not significant enough to tip the scales in favor of exercising jurisdiction. On balance, therefore, this factor does not weigh in favor of either party. 37