Just call me Sam Spade

I've spent Friday and Saturday playing detective. It's tedious but surprisingly satisfying work.

The issue: Defendant A (whose product severely injured our client by falling on him and crushing his legs) claims that it never did business in the plaintiff's state and can't be sued there.

My mission: wade through several cd roms full of Defendant A's business records to find evidence that it actually did do business in the plaintiff's state, then prepare the papers to submit to Court to demonstrate that it can fairly and constitutionally exercise jurisdiction over Defendant A.

Fascinating, eh?

Strangely, though, it has been. And maybe it's a weird quirk in my character, but I actually enjoy this sort of work. I've scanned hundreds of invoices and contracts and memos and letters, and darned if I didn't find a whole batch of invoices showing that Defendant A has several regular suppliers in the key state. It orders thousands and thousands of dollars worth of materials every month from that state and has done for years.

Bingo.

I tell you, it's actually fun to write the pleadings. You know, pointing out how, when the defendant's lawyers said "Defendant A has NEVER done business in the state" they, um, just overlooked the years of weekly orders for supplies all coming from that state?

And now that my stake-out is over I can put away my binoculars and get back to my quilt.