St. Joe Paper Co. v. Superior Court

These petitions for writs of mandate, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 418.10, subdivision (c), seek review of the superior court’s denial of the motions to quash service filed by the nonresident defendant corporations, Consolidated Packaging Company (Consolidated) and St. Joe Paper (St. Joe), collectively paper companies. The paper companies are 2 of 34 foreign corporate defendants named by the real party in interest, Esprit De Corp. (Esprit) in its class action (No. 750975) filed under this state’s anti-trust statute, the Cartwright Act (Bus. & Prof. Code, § 16720 et seq.), alleging a national conspiracy to fix the prices of corrugated containers purchased by Esprit from out-of-state wholesalers or distributors, and delivered in California, The paper companies contend that Esprit has not met its burden of proving jurisdiction, as Esprit’s allegations of nationwide conspiracy and their activities in California are not sufficient “minimum contacts” to provide a basis for in personam jurisdiction under this state’s long arm statute, Code of Civil Procedure section 410.10. We do not agree and conclude that for the reasons set forth below, both petitions must be…