Stewart Organization, Inc. v. Ricoh Corp.

Stewart Organization (plaintiff) sued Ricoh Corp. (defendant) in Alabama federal court for breach of a dealership agreement containing a forum-selection clause requiring disputes to be litigated in Manhattan. Ricoh moved under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1404(a) to transfer the case to the Southern District of New York; the district court denied the motion, but the Eleventh Circuit reversed, holding the clause enforceable as a matter of law. The Supreme Court granted certiorari.