TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. v. Ruiz

494 S.W.3d 109, 2014 WL 346031, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 950
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJanuary 30, 2014
DocketNo. 13-12-00536-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 494 S.W.3d 109 (TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. v. Ruiz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V. v. Ruiz, 494 S.W.3d 109, 2014 WL 346031, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 950 (Tex. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

Memorandum Opinion by

Chief Justice VALDEZ. •

Appellants, TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V., Patricia Chapoy, and Publimax, S.A. de C.V. (the “Media Defendants”), complain in this accelerated interlocutory appeal that the trial court erred in denying their special appearance in a suit brought by appellees, Gloria de los Angeles Trevino Ruiz (aka “Gloria Trevi”), individually and on behalf of her minor child, Gabriel de Jesus Trevino, and Armando'Ismael Gomez Martinez (the “Trevi Parties”). See Tex. Civ. ' PRac. & Rem.Code AnN. § 51.014(a)(7) (West 2008); Tex.R.App. P. 28.1. Appellants contend by five issues, that the trial-, court erred by: (1) denying their special appearance; (2) finding that it had specific jurisdiction over the Media Defendants; (3) finding that it had general jurisdiction over the Media Defendants; (4) finding that exercising personal jurisdiction over the Media Defendants would not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice; and (5) overruling the appellants’ objections to the affidavit testimony of Francisco Peña,1 the affidavit and deposition testimony of Patti Sunday, the deposition testimony of Othon Frias Calderon, and the deposition testimony of Vicente Diaz. We affirm.

I. Standard op Review

Whether the trial court has personal jurisdiction over a defendant is a question of law. BMC Software Belgium, N.V. v. Marchand, 83 S.W.3d 789, 794 (Tex.2002). The plaintiff bears the initial ' burden of pleading “sufficient allegations to bring a nonresident defendant within the provisions of the [Texas] long-arm statute.” Id. at 793. However, when a defendant files a special appearance, he assumes the burden of negating all bases of personal jurisdiction asserted by the plaintiff. Moki Mac River Expeditions v. Drugg, 221 S.W.3d 569, 574 (Tex.2007); BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d. at 793; El Puerto de Liverpool, S.A. de C.V. v. Servi Mundo Llantero, S.A. de C.V, 82 S.W.3d [113]*113622, 628. (Tex.App.-Corpus Christi 20Q2, pet. dism’d w.o.j.)- The trial court determines the special appearance by referring to the pleadings, any stipulations made by and between the parties, any affidavits and attachments filed by the parties, discovery, and any oral .testimony. Tex.R. Civ. P. 120a(3).

When the trial court issues findings of fact and conclusions of law, we may review the findings of fact for legal and factual sufficiency. BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d at 794. We review á trial court’s legal conclusions de novo. Moki Mac, 221 S.W.3d at 674 (citing BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d at 794). The appellant may not challenge the trial court’s conclusions of law as factually insufficient; however, the appellate court may “review the trial court’s legal conclusions drawn from the facts to determine their correctness.”. Id.

If the trial court does not issue findings of fact and conclusions of law, we must imply all facts necessary to support the judgment if those facts are supported by the evidence. BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d at 795 (citing Worford v. Stamper, 801 S.W.2d 108, 109 (Tex.1990); Zac Smith & Co. v. Otis Elevator Co., 734 S.W.2d 662, 666 (Tex.1987); In re W.E.R., 669 S.W.2d 716, 717 (Tex.1984)). “When ... the trial court does not issue fact findings, we presume that the trial court resolved all factual disputes in favor of its ruling.” Glattly v. CMS Viron Corp., 177 S.W.3d 438, 445 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2005, no pet.) (citing Am. Type Culture Collection, Inc. v. Coleman, 83 S.W.3d 801, 805-06 (Tex.2002)). However, “we review de novo if the’underlying facts' are undisputed or otherwise established.” Preussag Aktiengesellschaft v. Coleman, 16 S.W.3d 110, 113 (Tex.App.-Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, pet. dism’d w.o.j.). Any implied findings are not conclusive and may be challenged for legal and factual sufficiency if the appellate record contains the-reporter’s and clerk’s records. Id. “For legal sufficiency points, if there is more than a scintilla of evidence to support the finding, the no evidence challenge fails.” Id.

II. PERSONAL JURISDICTION

Texas courts have personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant only if it is authorized by the Texas long-arm statute, see Tex. Civ. PRac. & Rem.Code Ann. § 17,042 (West 2008), which allows Texas courts to exercise personal jurisdiction over nonresident defendants who are doing business in Texas. Id.; BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d at 795, The Texas long-arm statute sets out several activities that constitute “doing business” in Texas; however, the list is not exclusive, and Texas’s long arm statute’s “broad language extends Texas courts’ personal jurisdiction ‘as far as the federal constitutional requirements of due process will permit.’ ” BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d at 795 (quoting U-Anchor Adver., Inc. v. Burt, 553 S.W.2d 760, 762 (Tex.1977)). Therefore, “the requirements of the Texas long-arm statute are satisfied if the exercise, of personal jurisdiction comports with, federal due process limitations.” CSR Ltd. v. Link, 925 S.W.2d 591, 594 (Tex.1996).

Under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, a Texas court has personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant when (1) the nonresident defendant has established minimum contacts with the forum state, and (2) the exercise of jurisdiction does not offend “traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.” Int’l Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 316, 66. S.Ct. 154, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945); BMC Software, 83 S.W.3d at 795; see U.S. Const, amend. XIV, '§1. “The exercise of personal jurisdiction is proper when' the contacts proximately result from actions of [114]*114the nonresident defendant which create a substantial connection with the forum state.” Guardian Royal Exch. Assurance, Ltd. v. English China Clays, P.L.C., 815 S.W.2d 223, 226 (Tex.1991).

Minimum contacts may be found when the nonresident defendant purposefully avails himself of the privileges and benefits inherent in conducting business in the forum state.2 Moki Mac, 221 S.W.3d at 575 (“[A] defendant must seek some benefit, advantage or profit by ‘availing’ itself of the jurisdiction.”) (quoting Michiana Easy Livin’ Country, Inc. v. Holten, 168 S.W.3d 777, 785 (Tex.2005)); Michiana, 168 S.W.3d at 784 (“For half a century, the touchstone of jurisdictional due process has been ‘purposeful availment.’ ”); see Burger King Corp. v. Rudzewicz,

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494 S.W.3d 109, 2014 WL 346031, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 950, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tv-azteca-sab-de-cv-v-ruiz-texapp-2014.