Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
532 U.S. 424 · Decided May 14, 2001 · 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
Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc. was decided on May 14, 2001 by a vote of 8–1. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Punitive damages” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 532 U.S. 424 · 121 S. Ct. 1678 · 149 L. Ed. 2d 674 · 2001 U.S. LEXIS 3520
- Docket number
- 99-2035
- Decided
- May 14, 2001
- Argued
- February 26, 2001
- Court era
- Rehnquist 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
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Punitive damages
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Fifth Amendment (due process)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority |
Full case caption
Cooper Industries, Inc. v. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 2000-048, docket 2000-048-01.
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Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (due process)
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- Donald E. Nelson v. Adams
- United States v. Angela Ruiz
- Charles Thomas Sell v. United States
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- Janice R. Lachance v. Lester E. Erickson, Jr.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States Army Corps of Engineers
- Director of Revenue of Missouri v. Cobank Acb
- Central Green Co. v. United States
- James F. Lewis v. Lewis & Clark Marine, Inc., Etc.
- Christine Todd Whitman v. American Trucking Associations, Inc.
- Traffix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, 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