Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia, S.A. v. Hall

Helicopteros Nacionales de Colombia (Helicol) (defendant), a Colombian helicopter-transport company, contracted with a Peruvian joint venture to help build a pipeline; negotiations occurred partly in Texas and the contract required suits to be tried in Peru. Helicol bought about 80% of its fleet (roughly $4 million) from Bell Helicopter in Texas and sent pilots and personnel there for training. A wrongful-death suit arising from a Peru crash was brought in Texas. The parties agreed the suit did not arise from Helicol's Texas contacts.

Whether a forum state may exercise general jurisdiction over a foreign defendant on claims unrelated to the forum where the defendant's contacts are not continuous and systematic.