A Texas$-$based software company is suing a California$-$based marketing firm for breach of contract. The lawsuit has been filed in a district court in Houston, Texas.

The Texas company provides cloud$-$based analytics services. Its servers are in Texas, but this is largely irrelevant to the firm$$s operations, and most of its clients don$$t even know where its servers are. The Texas company solicited the California marketing firm$$s business through the Texas$-$based company$$s California office.$$ That is where all negotiations occurred, and the contract was signed. All communications and services associated with the agreement were conducted in California. The marketing firm has no operations, clients, or employees in Texas.

Address the following:

a$)$ Define personal jurisdiction and why it might be important to the California$-$based marketing firm.

b$)$ Discuss the "minimum contacts" standard and whether it would be satisfied here.

c$)$ Assuming $($for this sub$-$part only$)$ that the case will not proceed in Texas.$$ Where else might the plaintiff file suit, and why?