Opinion
11482 Index 190360/16
05-07-2020
Diana PYLE, et al., Plaintiffs–Respondents, v. PFIZER INC., individual and as Successor in Interest to Coty Inc., et al., Defendants–Appellants.
Dechert LLP, New York (Sheila L. Birnbaum of counsel), for appellants. Phillips & Paolicelli, LLP, New York (Shaina A. Weissman of counsel), for respondents.
Dechert LLP, New York (Sheila L. Birnbaum of counsel), for appellants.
Phillips & Paolicelli, LLP, New York (Shaina A. Weissman of counsel), for respondents.
Acosta, P.J., Renwick, Richter, Gonza´lez, JJ.
Order, Supreme Court, New York County (Manuel J. Mendez, J.), entered September 6, 2018, which, inter alia, denied defendants' motion to dismiss the action on the grounds of forum non conveniens, unanimously affirmed, without costs.
The movant seeking dismissal on the grounds of forum non conveniens has a "heavy burden" of establishing that New York is an inconvenient forum, and that a substantial nexus between New York and the action is lacking ( Kuwaiti Eng'g Group v. Consortium of Intl. Consultants, LLC , 50 A.D.3d 599, 600, 856 N.Y.S.2d 101 [1st Dept. 2008] ). Here, defendants failed to establish that the balance of the forum non conveniens factors points "strongly in their favor" ( Bacon v. Nygard, 160 A.D.3d 565, 565, 76 N.Y.S.3d 27 [1st Dept. 2018] [internal quotation marks and brackets omitted]; see generally Islamic Republic of Iran v Pahlavi, 62 N.Y.2d 474, 478–479, 478 N.Y.S.2d 597, 467 N.E.2d 245 [1984], cert denied 469 U.S. 1108, 105 S.Ct. 783, 83 L.Ed.2d 778 [1985] ), or that the action lacks a substantial nexus to New York.
We have considered defendants' remaining contentions, including that the action should be dismissed based on principles of international comity, and find them unavailing.