Landrys L L C et al v. Chubb Bermuda Insurance Ltd

Summary

The United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana grants Chubb Bermuda Insurance Ltd.'s motion to dismiss or stay and denies Plaintiffs' motion for declaratory judgment and an anti-suit injunction. The court holds that the Fifth Circuit's prior determination that it lacked personal jurisdiction over Chubb precludes relitigation of that jurisdictional issue.

Holdings

1. A prior dismissal for lack of personal jurisdiction has res judicata effect as to the jurisdictional issue, and Plaintiffs were precluded from relitigating whether this Court had personal jurisdiction over Chubb.
2. Plaintiffs were not entitled to declaratory judgment or a U.S. anti-suit injunction because the Court could not revisit the jurisdictional issue underlying the requested relief.

Questions Presented

1. Whether claim preclusion or res judicata barred Plaintiffs from relitigating personal jurisdiction after the Fifth Circuit had determined that the district court lacked personal jurisdiction over Chubb.
2. Whether Plaintiffs were entitled to declaratory relief concerning federal jurisdiction, the governing law, the enforceability of the arbitration provision, and an anti-suit injunction.

Disposition

dismissed