Stewart Organization, Inc. v. Ricoh Corp.

This case was taken en banc to consider whether a freely negotiated contractual “choice of forum clause” is enforceable in diversity actions in federal court when the forum state considers such clauses to be violative of state public policy. The district court in Alabama refused to enforce the clause because it was of the opinion that state law governed the enforceability of a forum selection clause. Alabama law deems such clauses contrary to public policy. We reverse, holding that forum selection clauses present procedural questions to be resolved by federal law independent of forum state…