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
Timing
Decided February 21, 2024
The Court released its decision 134 days after oral argument on October 10, 2023. The median for cases argued in October is 138 days.
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