No. 24-1117

Petroquímica de Venezuela, S.A. v. Isaac Industries, Inc.

Lower Court: Eleventh Circuit
Docketed: 2025-04-28
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: affirmative-defense foreign-sovereign-immunities-act responsive-pleading sovereign-immunity subject-matter-jurisdiction waiver-of-immunity
Key Terms:
Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2025-06-18
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a plaintiff suing a foreign state bears the burden of proving an exception to sovereign immunity or if the foreign-state defendant must disprove the exception, and whether filing a responsive pleading without asserting sovereign immunity as an affirmative defense constitutes a categorical waiver of immunity

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act of 1976, as amended , 28 U.S.C. 1330, 1441(d), 1602 et seq., a foreign state, including its agencies and instrumentalities, is immune from the jurisdiction of a federal or state court in a civil action unless a claim against it comes within one of the specified exceptions to immunity provided in 28 U.S.C. 1605–1607. The questions presented are: 1. Whether a plaintiff who is suing a foreign state, and thus bearing the burden of establishing that the court has subject-matter jurisdiction, bears the burden of proving that an exception to sovereign immunity applies; or whether instead the foreignstate defendant has the burden to prove that the claimed exception does not apply. 2. Whether a foreign-state defendant categorically waives immunity in an action if it files a responsive pleading without including sovereign immunity as an affirmative defense, irrespective of any other efforts to preserve its immunity in that or in other filings. (ii)

Docket Entries

2025-06-23
Petition DENIED.
2025-06-03
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/18/2025.
2025-05-13
Waiver of right of respondent Isaac Industries, Inc. to respond filed.
2025-04-24
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 28, 2025)

Attorneys

Isaac Industries, Inc.
Matthew P. LetoLeto Law Firm, Respondent
Petroquímica de Venezuela, S.A.
Claire Angela DeLelleWhite & Case LLP, Petitioner