No. 20-117

Jairo Sequeira v. Republic of Nicaragua, et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2020-08-05
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: contract-validity direct-effect direct-effect-doctrine explicit-waiver foreign-law foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdiction jurisdiction-waiver property-rights
Key Terms:
Environmental SocialSecurity Securities Immigration
Latest Conference: 2020-09-29
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether 1605(a)(1) of the FSIA waiver exception requires courts to determine jurisdiction based on whether or not a contract contains an explicit waiver prior to determining the validity of the contract by interpreting foreign law

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED . . Section 1605(a)(1) of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (“FSIA”) provides that a foreign state shall not be ‘ immune from the jurisdiction of United States Courts . when the foreign state has waived its immunity explicitly. There is a split in the circuit courts in determining jurisdiction when faced with a contract containing an : explicit waiver. Most courts have ruled that explicit waivers and jurisdiction is ascertained simply by reading ; the contract in which an explicit waiver is made. In the . case below however, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s approach of making a decision ; on the validity of the contract based on foreign contract ae law before determining jurisdiction by explicit waiver. The questions presented are: . 1. Whether 1605(a)(1) of the FSIA waiver exception requires , courts to determine jurisdiction based on whether or not a contract contains an explicit waiver prior to determining the validity of the contract by interpreting foreign law, and, if not, would the ruling on validity first prevent a party from finding jurisdiction elsewhere. . 2. Whether a foreign state’s taking of a U.S. construction company and the property it is on, for the purpose of building houses to sell and rent, which leads to the nonpayment of dividends in the U.S., meets the direct effect . doctrine of the FSIA 1605(a)(2) clause 3.. : 3. Is a written contractual promise by a foreign state to make payments in the U.S. in exchange for property in the foreign state considered property rights present in the U.S. in accordance with §1605(a)(3) clause one of the FSIA illegal taking exception? v L . ii :

Docket Entries

2020-10-05
Petition DENIED.
2020-08-19
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2020.
2020-08-14
Waiver of right of respondent Nicaragua, et al. to respond filed.
2020-07-16
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 4, 2020)

Attorneys

Jairo Sequeira
Jairo Sequeria — Petitioner
Jairo Sequeria — Petitioner
Nicaragua, et al.
Andrew Zane SchwartzFoley Hoag LLP, Respondent
Andrew Zane SchwartzFoley Hoag LLP, Respondent