The Bremen v. Zapata Off-Shore Co.
407 U.S. 1 · Decided June 12, 1972 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
The Bremen v. Zapata Off-Shore Co. was decided on June 12, 1972 by a vote of 8–1. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Election of remedies” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 407 U.S. 1 · 92 S. Ct. 1907 · 32 L. Ed. 2d 513 · 1972 U.S. LEXIS 114
- Docket number
- 71-322
- Decided
- June 12, 1972
- Argued
- March 21, 1972
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–1
- Majority opinion
- Warren E. Burger
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Election of remedies
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
The Bremen et al. v. Zapata Off-Shore Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1971-133, docket 1971-133-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Election of remedies”
- Andrews v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co.Altered precedent
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law
- Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson
- Executive Jet Aviation, Inc. v. City of Cleveland
- McClanahan v. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc.
- U.S. Bulk Carriers, Inc. v. Arguelles
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Superintendent of Insurance of New York v. Bankers Life & Casualty Co.
- McClanahan v. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc.
- Norfolk & Western Railroad Co. v. Nemitz
- Chevron Oil Co. v. Huson
- Victory Carriers, Inc. v. Law
- O'Keeffe v. Aerojet-General Shipyards, Inc.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error