Sere and Laralde v. Pitot and Others was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1810. The plaintiffs, Sere and Laralde, were two French citizens who had been living in Louisiana since before it became part of the United States. They sued for damages against Pitot and others claiming that their property had been taken without due process or compensation when Louisiana became part of the US. The court ruled that although they did not have any legal title to their land under Spanish law, they still held an equitable interest which entitled them to just compensation from the US government for taking away their rights as occupants of those lands. This decision established a precedent whereby foreign nationals could claim ownership over land even if there was no formal deed or other document granting them such rights under existing laws at the time.

In SERE and LARALDE v. PITOT and OTHERS, Chief Justice Marshall wrote a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the majority's decision was too broad. He believed that the court should have limited its ruling to only those cases where there had been an actual agreement between two parties for one party to pay money or property as compensation for services rendered by the other party. In this case, no such agreement existed; therefore, Marshall felt it would be inappropriate for the Court to extend its ruling beyond what was necessary in order to decide this particular dispute. Furthermore, he noted that if they were going to make a broader ruling on contracts of service then it should be done with caution since any extension of contract law could potentially lead to unforeseen consequences down the road.