Williams v. Southwest Energy Company

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KEVIN B. WILLIAMS, Case No. 23-cv-05884-VC

Plaintiff,

ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO

v. DISMISS

SOUTHWEST ENERGY COMPANY, Re: Dkt. No. 8 Defendant.

The motion to dismiss is granted because the Court lacks personal jurisdiction over Southwest Energy Company. This ruling assumes the reader is familiar with the facts, the applicable legal standard, and the arguments made by the parties. The complaint does not establish personal jurisdiction over the defendant. Southwest Energy is incorporated in Delaware and has its principal place of business in Texas. Southwest Energy’s uncontradicted assertion is that it has no physical presence or property in California, no employees in California, no business licenses or contact information in California, and has never advertised or otherwise sought out business in California. Its only alleged contact with California is sending the McBrides, who live in California, royalty payments for their Louisiana leasehold. It is not even alleged that Southwest Energy contracted with the McBrides while they were California residents. Merely sending…