Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the scope of specific personal jurisdiction in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court of California, San Francisco Cty., 137 S. Ct. 1773 (2017) (“BMS”). Mass tort defendants have wasted little time in moving to dispose of claims from nonresident plaintiffs under this ruling.

In Case You Missed It: BMS in a Nutshell -

As previously reported, on June 19, 2017, the Supreme Court decided a longawaited specific jurisdiction question in favor of Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. This case arose when a group of consumers — consisting of 86 California residents and 592 residents from 33 other states — brought tort claims in California state court, alleging injuries from using Plavix, a prescription drug that thins blood and inhibits blood clotting.

Originally published in Law360 on August 3, 2017.