Louisiana Revised Statutes 10:5-116 – Choice of law and forum
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 10:5-116
- Adviser: means a person who, at the request of the issuer, a confirmor, or another adviser, notifies, or requests another adviser to notify, the beneficiary that a letter of credit has been issued, confirmed, or amended. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 10:5-102
- Issuer: means a financial institution or other person that issues a letter of credit, but does not include an individual who makes an engagement for personal, family, or household purposes. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 10:5-102
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Letter of credit: means a definite undertaking that satisfies the requirements of La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 10:5-102
- Nominated person: means a person whom the issuer (i) designates or authorizes to pay, accept, negotiate, or otherwise give value under a letter of credit and (ii) undertakes by agreement or custom and practice to reimburse. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 10:5-102
- person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
- Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium, or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 10:5-102
(a) The liability of an issuer, nominated person, or adviser for action or omission is governed by the law of the jurisdiction chosen by an agreement in the form of a record signed or otherwise authenticated by the affected parties in the manner provided in La. Rev. Stat. 10:5-104 or by a provision in the person‘s letter of credit, confirmation, or other undertaking. The jurisdiction whose law is chosen need not bear any relation to the transaction.
(b) Unless Subsection (a) applies, the liability or an issuer, nominated person, or adviser for action or omission is governed by the law of the jurisdiction in which the person is located. The person is considered to be located at the address indicated in the person’s undertaking. If more than one address is indicated, the person is considered to be located at the address from which the person’s undertaking was issued. For the purpose of jurisdiction, choice of law, and recognition of interbranch letters of credit, but not enforcement of a judgment, all branches of a bank are considered separate juridical entities and a bank is considered to be located at the place where its relevant branch is considered to be located under this Subsection.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in this Subsection, the liability of an issuer, nominated person, or adviser is governed by any rules of custom or practice, such as the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, to which the letter of credit, confirmation, or other undertaking is expressly made subject. If (i) this Chapter would govern the liability of an issuer, nominated person, or adviser under Subsection (a) or (b); (ii) the relevant undertaking incorporates rules of custom or practice; and (iii) there is conflict between this Chapter and those rules as applied to that undertaking, those rules govern except to the extent of any conflict with the nonvariable provisions specified in La. Rev. Stat. 10:5-103(c).
(d) If there is conflict between this Chapter and Chapter 3, 4, 4A, or 9 of this Title, this Chapter governs.
(e) The forum for settling disputes arising out of an undertaking within this Chapter may be chosen in the manner and with the binding effect that governing law may be chosen in accordance with Subsection (a).
Added by Acts 1974, No. 92, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1975. Acts 1989, No. 135, §4, eff. Jan. 1, 1990; Acts 1999, No. 171, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2000.