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Anchoring jurisdiction to email blast not unreasonable, US judge finds

By Melissa Ritti ( June 6, 2025, 15:00 GMT | Insight) -- A dismissal in March of allegations a Canadian resident and her Argentinian business committed federal and state trade secret misappropriation was not enough to trigger an award of attorney fees yesterday, when a judge in Washington said the theory of jurisdiction advanced by plaintiffs — based on a mass email solicitation to residents in the state — was not unreasonable. The ruling could give a measure of confidence to parties litigating against foreign defendants for whom effectuating traditional service of process proves a challenge but does not substantively address claims by two plaintiffs that their invocation of the Defend Trade Secrets Act preempts application of state law rules on fee-shifting. Continued pursuit of state and federal trade secret misappropriation claims even after being put on notice that jurisdiction over two foreign defendants was likely lacking does not rise to the level of harassment for purposes of an award of fees under Washington’s long-arm statute....

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