ESAB Group v. Centricut Inc.
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
126 F.3d 617 (1997)
Relevant factsFree
ESAB (plaintiff), based in South Carolina, sued its New Hampshire-based competitor Centricut (defendant) in South Carolina federal court under state law and RICO, alleging intentional harm to ESAB's business; Centricut moved to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, showing it never specifically targeted South Carolina customers, had few South Carolina customers, and conducted no substantial business there. The district court found personal jurisdiction under South Carolina's long-arm statute and denied dismissal; Centricut appealed.
IssueFree
Whether a forum state's court must have either general or specific personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant.