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No. 22-500October Term 2023Decided Feb 21, 2024

Docket 22-500October Term 2023 (2023–2024)

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
Case AcceptedMar 6, 2023
Arguments HeardOct 10, 2023
Decision ReleasedFeb 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