CALSTAR

Moe Keshavarzi (argued), Frank Falzetta, and James F. McShane of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Peter Roan and Ronald D. Kurtz of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Larry M. Golub and Sandra I. Weishart of Barger & Wolen LLP, Los Angeles, CA; Steven H. Frankel and Sean McEneaney of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, San Francisco, CA, for appellees State Compensation Insurance Fund et al.

Before: J. CLIFFORD WALLACE, JOHN T. NOONAN, and BARRY G. SILVERMAN, Circuit Judges.

WALLACE, Senior Circuit Judge:

These consolidated appeals arise from two separate actions that involve California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR). Both actions turn on the same jurisdictional question: is the expectation of a federal defense, without more, sufficient to establish federal jurisdiction over a state-law claim? Despite CALSTAR's arguments to the contrary, we reiterate that the well-pleaded complaint rule precludes the exercise of federal subject matter jurisdiction over purely state-law causes of action, like the one raised here.

CALSTAR provides air-ambulance rescue services to employees injured in the course of their employment, and whose employers are…