No. 25-865

Perles Law Firm, P.C. v. Qatar National Bank, et al.

Lower Court: District of Columbia
Docketed: 2026-01-21
Status: Pending
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: circuit-split discovery-application foreign-tribunal forum-shopping protective-order section-1782
Key Terms:
Securities
Latest Conference: 2026-02-27
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a district court may grant an application under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 when it would amount to a modification of a binding protective order issued by a federal district court in another Circuit

Question Presented (from Petition)

28 U.S.C. § 1782 allows foreign litigants to seek discovery in federal district courts “for use in foreign tribunals.” Intel Corp. v. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., 542 U.S. 241, 247 (2004). Respondents Qatar Charity and Qatar Bank filed an application under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia seeking discovery against Pe rles Law Firm, P.C. But a binding protective order issued by a federal district court in another Circuit prevented Qatar Charity and Qatar Bank from accessing the very materials they sought under 28 U.S.C. § 1782. Despite Perles’s argu-ments that § 1782 may not be used as a forum-shopping, end run around a binding protective order, the D.C. district court granted the § 1782 application, and the D.C. Circuit affirmed. The question presented is whether a district court may grant an application under 28 U.S.C. § 1782 when it would amount to a modification of a binding protective order issued by a federal district court in another Circuit.

Docket Entries

2026-02-11
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/27/2026.
2026-01-22
Waiver of Qatar National Bank of right to respond submitted.
2026-01-22
Waiver of right of respondent Qatar National Bank to respond filed.
2026-01-22
Waiver of right of respondent Qatar Charity to respond filed.
2026-01-15
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 20, 2026)

Attorneys

Perles Law Firm, P.C.
Robert F. SerioGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Petitioner
Robert F. SerioGibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Petitioner
Qatar Charity
John M. HillerechtDLA Piper LLP (US), Respondent
John M. HillerechtDLA Piper LLP (US), Respondent
Qatar National Bank
Douglas Harry Hallward-DriemeierRopes & Gray, LLP, Respondent
Douglas Harry Hallward-DriemeierRopes & Gray, LLP, Respondent