Worries about where a company may find itself subject to personal jurisdiction are typically not top of mind for in-house counsel. But an upcoming Supreme Court case may soon change that, and counsel would be wise to mitigate potential risks.

First, a quick personal jurisdiction refresher: Personal jurisdiction concerns a court’s authority over a particular party in litigation. Courts exercise specific personal jurisdiction over a defendant where its alleged conduct particularly ties the defendant to the forum in which it’s sued. General personal jurisdiction is much broader and permits a court to hear claims against a defendant no matter where the alleged conduct occurred.