Hallett and Bowne v. Jenks and Others was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1805. The dispute arose when Hallett & Bowne, a partnership of merchants from New York City, sued Jenks & Others for failing to pay them on an account balance due for goods purchased from them. The defendants argued that they were not liable because the goods had been sold to their agent who had since died without paying his debt or leaving any assets behind with which to satisfy it. However, the court found in favor of Hallett & Bowne holding that partners are jointly responsible for debts incurred by one partner acting as an agent on behalf of all partners even if those debts remain unpaid after death or insolvency of such partner-agent. This ruling established important precedent regarding partnerships and agency law in America at this time period.

In Hallett and Bowne v. Jenks and Others, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a contract between two parties could be enforced by one of them against the other after it had been assigned to a third party. The majority opinion held that such an assignment was valid, but Justice Paterson dissented on the grounds that contracts are personal in nature and cannot be transferred from one person to another without both parties' consent. He argued that allowing assignments would lead to confusion over who is bound by what terms of a contract, as well as create uncertainty about which party has authority over its enforcement or modification. Furthermore, he believed this would undermine public confidence in contractual obligations since they can easily be shifted around without any regard for their original purpose or intent.