No Jurisdiction In California.

Plaintiffs are 22 residents of Argentina who brought an action in federal court in California against a German manufacturer, claiming the company “collaborated with state security forces during Argentina’s 1976-1983 ‘Dirty War to kidnap, detain, torture, and kill certain [Mercedes-Benz Argentina] workers.” Plaintiffs pled claims under the Alien Tort Statute [28 U.S.C. § 1350] and the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 [106 Stat. 73, note following 28 U.S.C. § 1350].  The United States Supreme Court held the company is not amenable to suit in California for injuries allegedly caused by conduct that took place entirely outside the United States. The Court stated: “Even assuming for purposes of this decision, that [Mercedes Benz] USA qualifies as being at home in California, Daimler’s affiliations with California are not sufficient to subject it to the general jurisdiction of that State’s courts.” (Daimler AG v. Bauman  (U.S. Sup. Ct.; January 14, 2014) 134 S.Ct. 746, [187 L.Ed.2d 624].)