A potentially pivotal international conflict of laws matter is set to go before New York’s top court in January, when it’s scheduled to hear arguments on whether derivative shareholder lawsuits against German pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Bayer AG, and British multinational banking firm Barclays, can be litigated here in the Empire State.

Legal advocates who are urging the New York Court of Appeals to have those cases heard in their home jurisdictions of Germany and the United Kingdom, respectively, say New York as their venue would run afoul of the internal affairs doctrine.