Gulf Offshore Logistics, LLC v. Superior Court, 58 Cal. App. 5^th 264 (2020)

Non-California resident crew members of the “Adele Elise” (a vessel that provides services to oil platforms located off the coast of California) filed this putative class action alleging multiple violations of California wage and hour law. The owner/operators of the vessel (all of whom are based in Louisiana) petitioned the Court of Appeal to issue a writ of mandate directing the superior court to vacate its order denying their motion for summary judgment. The owner/operators contended that Louisiana law applied to the claims, while the crew members claimed California law governed. The Court of Appeal initially agreed with the owner/operators and held that Louisiana law applied, but after review and remand from the California Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal denied the petition for writ of mandate on the ground that California not Louisiana law applies because the crew members performed the majority of their work within the boundaries of California (Port Hueneme and the Santa Barbara Channel).