June 18, 2004 – LAWFUEL – O’Melveny Class Action practice group head John Beisner was the kick-off speaker for the seminar “Global Forum Shopping: The Importation of Foreign Lawsuits.” The seminar was sponsored by the National Chamber Foundation, and was intended to highlight the growing number of lawsuits filed in U.S. courts that have little or no nexus to U.S. interests or U.S. law. The program drew several hundred participants in Washington, D.C.
“Global Forum Shopping” focused on the increasing number of lawsuits asserting claims by non-U.S. citizens under the Alien Tort Statute, often against non-U.S. defendants; claims arising abroad brought under U.S. antitrust laws; and claims involving product liability issues, often arising out of accidents occurring in foreign countries and involving products manufactured and sold outside the U.S.
Beisner and D.C. office partner John Niblock wrote the seminal article for the conference. “The Teeming Shore: Plaintiffs Around the Globe Use U.S. Courts to Target Business” catalogs the kinds of claims comprising the international wave heading to U.S. courts. Beisner opened the seminar with an overview presentation on the program topic based on the article.
Other conference speakers included
Ambassador Dr. Guenther Burghardt, Head of the European Delegation Commission
Paul Clement, Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the U.S.
Makan Delrahim, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Jeffrey Kovar, Assistant Legal Advisor for Private International Law , U.S. Department of State
Mary Terzino, Assistant General Counsel, The Dow Chemical Company
