(a)  Every foreign corporation, every individual not a resident of this state or his or her executor or administrator, and every partnership or association, composed of any person or persons not such residents, that shall have the necessary minimum contacts with the state of Rhode Island, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the state of Rhode Island, and the courts of this state shall hold such foreign corporations and such nonresident individuals or their executors or administrators, and such partnerships or associations amenable to suit in Rhode Island in every case not contrary to the provisions of the constitution or laws of the United States.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 9-5-33

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
  • 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.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8

(b)  Service of process may be made on any such foreign corporation, nonresident individual or his or her executor or administrator, and such partnership or association within or without the state in the manner provided by any applicable procedural rule or in the manner prescribed by order of the court in which the action is brought.

(c)  Nothing herein shall limit or affect the right to serve process upon the nonresident individual or his or her executor or administrator, or the partnership or association, or a foreign corporation within this state or without this state in any manner now or hereafter permitted by law.

History of Section.
P.L. 1960, ch. 124, § 1; P.L. 1965, ch. 55, § 13; P.L. 1966, ch. 1, § 7.