American International Specialty Lines Insurance
Co v. Abbott Laboratories
[2003] 1 Lloyd's Rep 267 QBD, Commercial Court
Nov 2002

American's excess cover of Abbott incorporated the conditions of the underlying Swiss Re policy which provided for arbitration in London. America also attached an endorsement that it would submit to the jurisdiction of a court in the US in the event of a failure to pay an amount claimed.A dispute arose which American sought to arbitrate. Abbott then filed suit in the Court of Illinois. In setting aside an anti-suit injunction Creswell J took the opportunity to set out a useful checklist of points which must be considered in applications for anti-suit
injunctions. In particular, he held that a court will act cautiously in restraining a party from pursuing proceedings in a foreign court and will only do so if such pursuit would be vexatious or oppressive.