Kingston Constructors, Inc. v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

We granted review in this cause to address a question of first impression concerning the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact (hereafter the WMATA Compact or the compact) and its creature, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (hereafter WMATA or the authority), which is a regional instrumentality empowered, among other things, to provide transit facilities in and around the District of Columbia and neighboring parts of the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia, comprising the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Zone (hereafter the WMATA Zone).

The question is: Do the courts of the State of California have jurisdiction of actions brought by or against WMATA?

For the reasons that follow, we conclude that the answer is: No.

I

On May 28, 1992, Power Energy Industries (hereafter PEI), a California corporation, brought an action in the Los Angeles Superior Court, bearing No. BC056254, against Kingston Constructors, Inc. (hereafter Kingston), another California corporation, and WMATA. PEI asserted various claims in *942 contract and in tort, and sought damages and costs including attorney fees, based on allegations to…