Shaffer v. Heitner
| Shaffer v. Heitner | |
|---|---|
| Argued February 22, 1977 Decided June 17, 1977 | |
| Full case name | Shaffer, et al. v. Heitner |
| Citations | 433 U.S. 186 (more) 97 S. Ct. 2569; 53 L. Ed. 2d 683; 1977 U.S. LEXIS 139 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Appeal from the Supreme Court of Delaware |
| Holding | |
| The mere ownership of property in a state is not a sufficient contact to subject the property owner to a lawsuit in that state, unless that property is the subject of the lawsuit. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Marshall, joined by Burger, Stewart, White, Blackmun |
| Concurrence | Powell |
| Concurrence | Stevens |
| Concur/dissent | Brennan |
| Rehnquist took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. | |
This case overturned a previous ruling or rulings | |
| Harris v. Balk (1905) | |
Shaffer v. Heitner, 433 U.S. 186 (1977), is a United States corporate law case in which the Supreme Court of the United States established that a defendant's ownership of stock in a corporation incorporated within a state, without more, is insufficient to allow that state's courts to exercise jurisdiction over the defendant. The case set forth a framework for evaluating when a defendant will be deemed to have minimum contacts with the forum state sufficient for the exercise of jurisdiction to be consistent with due process under the Fourteenth Amendment.