177 A.D.2d 350, 576
N.Y.S.2d 118 Soloman Limited,
Respondent, v. Biederman and
Company, Inc., Appellant. Supreme Court,
Appellate Division, First Department, New York (November 14, 1991) Judgment of the Supreme Court, New York County (Leonard N. Cohen,
J.), entered July 30, 1990, granting plaintiff judgment after a motion for
summary judgment in lieu of complaint against defendant for the sum of
$51,844.32 plus interest, costs and disbursements is unanimously affirmed, without
costs. Plaintiff moved for summary judgment in lieu of complaint under
CPLR article 53 to enforce a default judgment which was obtained against the
defendant in the United Kingdom. The action in the United Kingdom arose out of
defendants [*351] order of goods from the plaintiff by a purchase
order mailed to plaintiff in England from defendants office in New
York. Defendant maintains no office and does no business within the United
Kingdom. The goods in question, made-to-order tinted monocles for use in an ale
promotional campaign, were ordered in the course of a series of letters and
telephone calls between the parties. In implementation of these plans,
defendants principal, while in London met with plaintiffs
representatives for approximately one hour, during which time he viewed
plaintiffs catalogues and selection of goods. While the content of
this meeting is in dispute, however, several months later defendant ordered a
quantity of the monocles before the defendant repudiated its purchase. Defendant claims that the High Court of Justice, Queens
Bench Division, did not have personal jurisdiction to support the default
judgment. However, based upon the totality of circumstances, it appears that
comity may be afforded the judgment pursuant to CPLR article 53 (see, CPLR 5305
[b]). We find that there was a clear nexus between business transacted by
defendants representative in the United Kingdom and the cause of
action based on the order of the specially manufactured goods. The contacts of
the parties both before and after the business meeting with defendants
representative in London constitute purposeful activity sufficient to confer
jurisdiction. (See, McGowan v Smith, 52 NY2d 268, 271-272.) Concur—Carro, J. P., Wallach, Ross, Smith and Rubin, JJ. |