No. 24-117

Todd Berman v. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, dba Fedloan Servicing

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2024-08-02
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: affirmative-defense circuit-conflict federal-contractor federal-contractor-liability government-instructions merits-trial qualified-immunity sovereign-immunity
Key Terms:
Takings Privacy Jurisdiction
Latest Conference: 2024-09-30
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Derivative-sovereign-immunity

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Derivative sovereign immunity shields a federal contractor from liability when the contractor’s action in question is authorized and directed by the Government’s explicit instructions and the authority to carry out the project was validly conferred by Congress. Yearsley v. W.A. Ross Constr. Co., 309 U.S. 18 (1940). In CampbellEwald v. Gomez, 577 U.S. 153 (2016), the Court held that derivative sovereign immunity is a type of qualified immunity. The Questions Presented, upon the first of which the circuits are in conflict, are: Whether derivative sovereign immunity is an affirmative defense to be proven on the merits at trial. Whether the court of appeals erred in holding that Respondent was entitled to derivative sovereign immunity.

Docket Entries

2024-10-07
Petition DENIED.
2024-08-21
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/30/2024.
2024-08-13
Waiver of Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency d/b/a FedLoan Servicing of right to respond submitted.
2024-08-13
Waiver of right of respondent Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency d/b/a FedLoan Servicing to respond filed.
2024-07-30
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due September 3, 2024)

Attorneys

Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency d/b/a FedLoan Servicing
Christopher Robert HealyTroutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP, Respondent
Todd Berman
Jonathan Andrew VogelVogel Law Firm PLLC, Petitioner