Chaffraix v. Shiff was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of whether a contract between two parties was valid. The case involved a contract between a French citizen, Chaffraix, and a German citizen, Shiff, for the sale of a piece of land in France. The contract was made in France and was to be performed in France. The Supreme Court held that the contract was valid and enforceable in the United States. The Court reasoned that the contract was valid under the law of France, and that the parties had agreed to be bound by the law of France. The Court also held that the contract was not contrary to public policy in the United States, and that the parties had the right to contract in accordance with the law of France. The Court also held that the contract was not voidable due to the fact that the parties were of different nationalities. The Court reasoned that the parties had the right to contract in accordance with the law of the country in which the contract was made, and that the contract was not contrary to public policy in the United States. In conclusion, the Supreme Court held that the contract between Chaffraix and Shiff was valid and enforceable in the United States. The Court reasoned that the contract was valid under the law of France, and that the parties had agreed to be bound by the law of France. The Court also held that the contract was not contrary to public policy in the United States, and that the parties had the right to contract in accordance with the law of France.

In Chaffraix v. Shiff, the Supreme Court was tasked with deciding whether a contract between two parties that had been partially performed could be enforced by either party after one of them died. The majority opinion held that the contract could not be enforced because it had not been fully executed before death and thus did not pass to the deceased's estate. In his dissenting opinion, Justice Field argued that contracts should generally remain enforceable even if they are only partially performed at the time of death, as long as there is evidence of an agreement between both parties and consideration has already been given for some part of it. He further noted that this would help ensure fairness in contractual relationships since any other rule would allow one party to benefit from another's performance without having to fulfill their own obligations under the agreement.