Hellenic Lines Ltd. v. Rhoditis
United States Supreme Court
398 U.S. 306 (1970)
- Written by Daniel Clark, JD
Facts
Pericles Callimanopoulos was a Greek citizen domiciled in the United States since 1945. Callimanopoulos owned 95 percent of Hellenic Lines Ltd. (Hellenic) (defendant), a Greek corporation. Hellenic’s largest office was in New York, and its only other office was in Louisiana. Hellenic derived all of its income from cargo shipping in and out of the United States, and Callimanopoulos managed Hellenic out of New York. Hellenic hired a seaman (plaintiff) in Greece. The seaman was Greek, and his employment contract specified that all employment claims were to be adjudicated in Greek courts according to Greek law. The seaman suffered an injury while working aboard a Hellenic ship at a Louisiana port. The seaman sued Hellenic in United States district court under the Jones Act. The district court found that, notwithstanding the provisions of the employment contract, Hellenic was an employer under the act and entered judgment in favor of the seaman. The court of appeals affirmed. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari on the issue of whether Hellenic was an employer under the act.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Douglas, J.)
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