Regents of University of New Mexico v. Superior Court

Terry Sanders, cross-complainant below and real party here, a cinematographer, has a dispute with the Tamarind Lithography Workshop, Inc. (“Workshop”), a California nonprofit corporation, below, involving credits to a motion picture, apparently a documentary film about lithography.

In December 1974, Sanders filed an amended cross-complaint seeking various types of relief in connection with the film; he named petitioner, the Regents of the University of New Mexico, as a cross-defendant along with the Workshop.

The cross-complaint explains the genesis of Sanders’ grievances against the Workshop in some detail. There is no hint that petitioner is directly or indirectly involved in their many disagreements. The basis for involving petitioner in the litigation at all is an allegation—on information and belief—that starting in 1970 the Workshop transferred to petitioner “without any consideration” all of its assets, including “all right, title and interest” to the film.

Petitioner was served by mail. It then noticed a motion to quash service of process on it, supported by uncontroverted declarations and attachments, to show that it was not amenable to personal jurisdiction…