No. 22-500October Term 2023Decided Feb 21, 2024
Great Lakes Ins. SE v. Raiders Retreat Realty Co.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that choice-of-law provisions in maritime contracts are presumptively enforceable under federal maritime law, overturning a lower court decision that allowed state public policy to invalidate them.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Feb 21, 2024
- What it's about
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that choice-of-law provisions in maritime contracts are presumptively enforceable under federal maritime law, overturning a lower court decision that allowed state public policy to invalidate them. The case arose from a dispute over a yacht insurance policy that designated New York law as the governing authority.
Question presented
Is a choice-of-law clause in a maritime contract unenforceable if enforcement would conflict with the “strong public policy” of the state whose law is displaced?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit / Decision released Feb 21, 2024
- Area
Business and Regulation
Documents
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Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology