Georgia Supreme Court Sides with Brannock Humphries & Berman 

For the fourth time in less than a year, Brannock Humphries & Berman has prevailed in a Georgia appellate court on a hotly litigated personal jurisdiction issue related to exploding lithium-ion batteries.

The cases concern Korean company LG Chem’s efforts to avoid being sued in the United States.  LG Chem, the manufacturer of defective batteries that have caused serious injuries to people around the country, has been fighting with some success to prevent state courts from exercising personal jurisdiction over it.  But in Georgia, Brannock Humphries & Berman has repeatedly defeated the company’s efforts. 

The firm’s first win came when the Georgia Court of Appeals wrote a lengthy opinion holding that LG Chem’s “deliberate, significant activity directed at Georgia” subjected it to jurisdiction in Georgia’s courts.  The Georgia Supreme Court then rebuffed LG Chem’s attempt to seek further review of that decision, and the Georgia Court of Appeals subsequently ruled for Brannock Humphries & Berman in two other cases.  Now, at Brannock Humphries & Berman’s urging, the Georgia Supreme Court has once again weighed in, denying LG Chem’s renewed bid to get the high court to intervene.

These consistent victories send an important signal to other courts around the country that are considering this issue.