foreign-sovereign-immunities-act

55 cases — ← All topics

Case Title Lower Court Docketed Status Flags Tags Question Presented
25-699 Amaplat Mauritius Ltd., et al. v. Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, et al. District of Columbia 2025-12-17 Pending Amici (1) arbitral-award circuit-split foreign-sovereign-immunities-act implied-waiver international-arbitration new-york-convention When a foreign sovereign that is a party to the New York Convention agrees to arbitrate a dispute governed by the Convention, does it impliedly waive …
25-661 Erik Blecher, et al. v. The Holy See, aka The Apostolic See Second Circuit 2025-12-08 Pending discretionary-function foreign-sovereign-immunities-act mandatory-policy sexual-abuse subject-matter-jurisdiction tort-claims Whether the FSIA's discretionary function exclusion denies federal subject matter jurisdiction for tort claims arising from mandatory foreign governme…
24-1314 Sberbank of Russia PJSC v. Thomas Schansman, Individually and as Surviving Parent of Quinn Lucas Schansman and as the Legal Guardian on Behalf of X.S., a Minor, et al. Second Circuit 2025-06-25 Denied anti-terrorism-act commercial-activity-exception correspondent-accounts foreign-sovereign-immunities-act sovereign-immunity terrorist-attack Do the general exceptions to foreign state immunity under Section 1604 of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act pierce the separate immunity provision …
24-1130 Kingdom of Spain v. Blasket Renewable Investments LLC, et al. District of Columbia 2025-05-05 Pending CVSGAmici (5) arbitration-exception foreign-sovereign-immunities-act forum-non-conveniens international-law jurisdiction sovereign-consent Whether §1605(a)(6) allows United States courts to assert jurisdiction over a foreign sovereign without determining whether the sovereign consented to…
24-1117 Petroquímica de Venezuela, S.A. v. Isaac Industries, Inc. Eleventh Circuit 2025-04-28 Denied Response Waived affirmative-defense foreign-sovereign-immunities-act responsive-pleading sovereign-immunity subject-matter-jurisdiction waiver-of-immunity Whether a plaintiff suing a foreign state bears the burden of proving an exception to sovereign immunity or if the foreign-state defendant must dispro…
24-909 Agudas Chasidei Chabad of United States v. Russian Federation, et al. District of Columbia 2025-02-24 Denied CVSGAmici (2)Relisted (3) commercial-activity federal-jurisdiction foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdictional-immunity property-expropriation u.s.-nexus-test Whether a 'foreign state' lacks immunity from U.S. jurisdiction under the FSIA if either U.S.-nexus test is met or only if the first U.S.-nexus test i…
24-759 Wye Oak Technology, Inc. v. Republic of Iraq, et al. District of Columbia 2025-01-16 Denied CVSGAmici (1)Relisted (2) breach-of-contract causation-principles circuit-split commercial-activity foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdictional-requirements Whether in a breach of contract case under the FSIA's third clause, courts must apply traditional causation principles or require an additional findin…
24-668 Republic of Argentina v. Attestor Master Value Fund LP, et al. Second Circuit 2024-12-19 Denied commercial-activity federal-standard foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdictional-immunity property-execution state-law Whether courts should apply state or federal law to determine property location for foreign sovereign immunity under the FSIA, and whether property co…
24A551 Agudas Chasidei Chabad of United States v. Russian Federation, et al. District of Columbia 2024-12-05 Presumed Complete commercial-activity expropriation-exception foreign-sovereign-immunities-act property-rights sovereign-immunity u-s-nexus Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's expropriation exception requires a foreign state to lose sovereign immunity when its instrumentality en…
24A330 Exxon Mobil Corporation v. Corporación Cimex, S.A. (Cuba), et al. District of Columbia 2024-10-07 Presumed Complete cause-of-action foreign-sovereign-immunities-act helms-burton-act property-expropriation sovereign-immunity trafficking Whether Title II of the Helms-Burton Act directly abrogates sovereign immunity for foreign state agencies and instrumentalities when creating a privat…
24A293 David Cassirer, et al. v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation Ninth Circuit 2024-09-25 Presumed Complete art-restitution california-law choice-of-law foreign-sovereign-immunities-act nazi-looted-art spanish-law Whether a federal court should apply the choice-of-law rules of the forum state to determine the substantive law governing a claim involving a Nazi-lo…
24-326 Ricardo Devengoechea v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Third Circuit 2024-09-20 Denied circuit-conflict commercial-activity foreign-sovereign-immunities-act implied-waiver judgment-execution property-seizure Whether the standard for determining a foreign country's implied waiver of execution immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act is an objecti…
24-277 Shari Mayer Borochov, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al. District of Columbia 2024-09-11 Denied CVSGAmici (2)Response RequestedRelisted (3) foreign-sovereign-immunities-act grievous-injuries material-support subject-matter-jurisdiction terrorism-exception terrorist-attack Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's terrorism exception extends jurisdiction to claims arising from a foreign state's material support for …
24A49 Shari Mayer Borochov, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al. District of Columbia 2024-07-16 Presumed Complete extrajudicial-killing foreign-sovereign-immunities-act material-support state-sponsored-terrorism subject-matter-jurisdiction terrorism-exception Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's terrorism exception requires an actual death to establish subject-matter jurisdiction for claims involv…
24-17 Devas Multimedia Private Limited v. Antrix Corp. Ltd., et al. Ninth Circuit 2024-07-09 Judgment Issued civil-procedure district-court-jurisdiction due-process foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act minimum-contacts personal-jurisdiction service-of-process statutory-interpretation Whether the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a foreign state under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act requires satisfaction of the minimum-con…
23-1201 CC/Devas (Mauritius) Limited, et al. v. Antrix Corp. Ltd., et al. Ninth Circuit 2024-05-08 Judgment Issued Relisted (2) civil-procedure due-process federal-courts foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act minimum-contacts personal-jurisdiction standing subject-matter-jurisdiction Whether plaintiffs must prove minimum contacts before federal courts may assert personal jurisdiction over foreign states sued under the Foreign Sover…
23A966 Devas Multimedia Private Limited v. Antrix Corp. Ltd., et al. Ninth Circuit 2024-04-29 Presumed Complete arbitral-exception circuit-split due-process foreign-sovereign-immunities-act minimum-contacts personal-jurisdiction Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act requires satisfaction of the minimum-contacts test for personal jurisdiction over a foreign state
23-1075 Zehava Friedman, et al. v. Republic of Hungary, et al. District of Columbia 2024-04-03 Denied Relisted (2) domestic-takings-exception expropriation foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity holocaust-expropriation international-law international-law-taking property-rights stateless-persons treaty-of-trianon Whether Hungary and MAV violated the international law of expropriation by seizing stateless persons' property
23-867 Republic of Hungary, et al. v. Rosalie Simon, et al. District of Columbia 2024-02-12 Judgment Issued Amici (4)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) asset-commingling burden-of-proof circuit-split commercial-nexus expropriation-exception foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-law pleading-stage pleading-standard Whether historical commingling of assets suffices to establish that proceeds of seized property have a commercial nexus with the United States under t…
23-708 Chava Rachel Mark, Individually and as Parent and Natural Guardian of T. B. M., R. L. M., and E. B. M., Minors, et al. v. Republic of Sudan, et al. District of Columbia 2023-12-29 Denied Amici (1) consolidated-appropriations-act constitutional-challenge constitutional-challenges foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act judicial-review settlement-agreement state-sponsored-terrorism subject-matter-jurisdiction sudan-sponsored-terrorism Whether the SCRA stripped courts of jurisdiction over constitutional challenges to the settlement and whether the denial of a judicial forum for these…
23A592 Republic of Hungary, et al. v. Rosalie Simon, et al. District of Columbia 2023-12-27 Presumed Complete burden-of-proof circuit-split expropriation-exception foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-law property-tracing Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's expropriation exception requires plaintiffs to trace property exchanged for expropriated assets to esta…
23-568 Robert Bartlett, et al. v. Muhammad Baasiri, et al. Second Circuit 2023-11-28 Denied Amici (5)Response RequestedRelisted (2) 28-usc-1603 circuit-split complaint-filing-time dole-food-precedent dole-food-v-patrickson foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity instrumentality-status jurisdiction jurisdictional-determination standing Whether a defendant's status as an instrumentality of a foreign state under 28 U.S.C. § 1603(b)(2) 'is determined at the time of the filing of the com…
23-390 Arun Kumar Bhattacharya v. State Bank of India Seventh Circuit 2023-10-13 Denied circuit-split commercial-activity-exception direct-effects-clause foreign-relations foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity statutory-interpretation u.s.-jurisdictional-requirements Whether a 'direct effect in the United States' under 28 U.S.C. 1605(a)(2) requires a 'legally significant act' in the U.S. or 'legally significant' U.…
23-237 Winfred Wairimu Wamai, Individually and on Behalf of the Estate of Adam Titus Wamai, et al. v. Industrial Bank of Korea Second Circuit 2023-09-12 Denied Amici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) civil-procedure embassy-bombing foreign-sovereign-immunities-act forum-non-conveniens international-litigation judgment-enforcement separation-of-powers statutory-interpretation u.s.-resident-plaintiffs Whether the choice of a U.S. forum by U.S.-resident plaintiffs is entitled to 'less deference' under the doctrine of forum non conveniens
23A165 Arun Kumar Bhattacharya v. State Bank of India Seventh Circuit 2023-08-23 Presumed Complete circuit-split commercial-activity-exception direct-effect foreign-relations foreign-sovereign-immunities-act sovereign-immunity Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's commercial activity exception, 28 U.S.C. § 1605(a)(2), requires a foreign state to have performed a leg…
23-140 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, et al. v. OI European Group B.V., et al. Third Circuit 2023-08-16 Denied Response RequestedRelisted (2) alter-ego alter-ego-doctrine derecognition executive-authority executive-recognition foreign-relations foreign-sovereign-immunities-act pdvsa property-attachment state-instrumentality Whether a court may assess the FSIA immunity of a 'foreign state' and its instrumentalities from jurisdiction, and the immunity of their property from…
22-463 Aenergy, S.A., et al. v. Republic of Angola, et al. Second Circuit 2022-11-16 Denied Response Waived civil-procedure federal-courts foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity forum-non-conveniens jurisdiction jurisdictional-exception sovereign-immunity statutory-interpretation Whether courts may dismiss FSIA suits against foreign sovereign defendants on forum non conveniens grounds
22-5081 Palani Karupaiyan, et al. v. Township of Woodbridge, New Jersey, et al. Third Circuit 2022-07-13 Denied Relisted (2)IFP 11th-amendment civil-rights constitutional-claim due-process federal-procedure foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdictional-challenge racial-discrimination sovereign-immunity standing When USCA does not have jurisdiction to Constitutional challenges, US Supreme Court has (Original) Jurisdiction for the [following] reliefs petitioner…
21-1574 Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Europe v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela District of Columbia 2022-06-21 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) central-authority civil-procedure default-judgment foreign-sovereign-immunities-act hague-service-convention service-of-process treaty-interpretation Whether a District Court deciding a motion for default judgment may find service upon a foreign State pursuant to Article 15 of the Hague Service Conv…
21-1338 NSO Group Technologies Limited, et al. v. WhatsApp Inc., et al. Ninth Circuit 2022-04-08 Denied CVSGAmici (1)Relisted (2) agent-entities agents-for-foreign-governments common-law-immunity foreign-sovereign-immunities-act government-contractors judicial-immunity legal-precedent private-entities samantar solicitor-general Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act entirely displaces common-law immunity for entities, such that private entities that act as agents for fo…
21-1108 Enron Nigeria Power Holding, Limited v. United States, et al. Fifth Circuit 2022-02-10 Denied Response Waived arbitration burden-of-proof civil-procedure commercial-activity foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-law legal-immunity yacht-sale Whether a foreign state has engaged in commercial activity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act
21-1013 Republic of Turkey v. Lusik Usoyan, et al. District of Columbia 2022-01-18 Denied CVSGAmici (1)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (3) burden-of-proof discretionary-function-rule foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act policy-analysis policy-prong presidential-protection presidential-security-detail state-visit-security use-of-force Whether the Discretionary Function Rule within the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act applies to claims based upon a presidential security detail's use …
21-995 Budha Jam, et al. v. International Finance Corporation District of Columbia 2022-01-13 Denied Amici (3) civil-procedure commercial-activity commercial-activity-exception foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-organization international-organizations jurisdictional-exception sovereign-immunity standing treaty-interpretation waiver-of-immunity Whether the commercial activity exception to immunity allows suit where the alleged acts of the defendant that give rise to its liability constitute c…
21-685 Alexander Khochinsky v. Republic of Poland District of Columbia 2021-11-09 Denied Response Waived bad-faith bad-faith-litigation civil-rights diplomatic-immunity extradition foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity personal-property religion-ethnicity sovereign-immunity Whether a foreign state that seeks to resolve title to moveable personal property because it is owned by an individual of a particular religion or eth…
21-448 France.com, Inc. v. The French Republic, et al. Fourth Circuit 2021-09-23 Denied appellate-interpretation circuit-court claim-analysis commercial-activity commercial-activity-exception distinct-claims foreign-sovereign-immunities-act gravamen legal-misapplication lower-federal-courts obb-personenverkeher-v-sachs Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and other lower federal courts have misapplied this Court's decision in OBB Personen…
20-1566 David Cassirer, et al. v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation Ninth Circuit 2021-05-11 Judgment Issued Amici (7)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) adverse-possession choice-of-law circuit-split federal-common-law foreign-sovereign-immunities-act state-law stolen-property substantive-law Whether a federal court hearing state law claims brought under the FSIA must apply the forum state's choice-of-law rules to determine what substantive…
20-1547 Broidy Capital Management, LLC, et al. v. State of Qatar Ninth Circuit 2021-05-06 Denied Response Waived civil-rights civil-rights-violations criminal-law criminal-violations discretionary-act-exclusion foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-law jurisdiction Whether the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's discretionary act exclusion bars the exercise of jurisdiction over claims by a U.S. citizen against a f…
20-1454 Vekuii Rukoro, et al. v. Federal Republic of Germany Second Circuit 2021-04-16 Denied Amici (1)Response Waived commercial-activity commercial-activity-exception foreign-sovereign-immunities-act gravamen international-law property-rights second-circuit sovereign-immunity statutory-interpretation takings-exception Does the Second Circuit's opinion conflict with the D.C. Circuit and this Court's FSIA jurisprudence?
20-640 The Welsh Government v. Pablo Star Ltd., et al. Second Circuit 2020-11-10 Denied commercial-activity commercial-activity-exception copyright-infringement foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-state international-law jurisdictional-exception political-subdivision tourism-promotion Is a political subdivision of a foreign state immune from copyright infringement claims under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's commercial activi…
20-428 Horacio Sequeira v. Republic of Nicaragua, et al. Eleventh Circuit 2020-10-05 Denied arbitration-clause breach-of-contract choice-of-forum choice-of-law commercial-arbitration commercial-contract contract-validity foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdiction jurisdiction-waiver motion-to-dismiss Whether the proper procedure for a district court to follow in FSIA breach of contract cases is to apply the FSIA to avoid converting a Motion to Dism…
20-307 Shahrokh Mireskandari v. Barrington Mayne, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-09-09 Denied Amici (2)Response Waived common-law-immunity foreign-agents foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity governmental-organ jurisdictional-immunity sovereign-immunity state-department tort-liability tortious-conduct uk-government Whether the Law Society of England and Wales and the U.K. Solicitors Regulation Authority are entitled to sovereign immunity as 'organs' of a foreign …
20-117 Jairo Sequeira v. Republic of Nicaragua, et al. Ninth Circuit 2020-08-05 Denied Response Waived contract-validity direct-effect direct-effect-doctrine explicit-waiver foreign-law foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdiction jurisdiction-waiver property-rights Whether 1605(a)(1) of the FSIA waiver exception requires courts to determine jurisdiction based on whether or not a contract contains an explicit waiv…
20-84 Teresita A. Canuto v. Troy Alexander, et al. District of Columbia 2020-07-28 Denied Response Waived acting-official civil-procedure due-process foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act immunity-doctrine individual-liability jurisdictional-challenge official-capacity standing statutory-interpretation Whether a foreign state's immunity from suit under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act extends to an individual for acts taken in the individual's fo…
19-1101 Canada v. Cynthia L. Merlini First Circuit 2020-03-09 Denied commercial-activity commercial-activity-exception consular-employees consular-employment consular-independence consular-sovereignty employment-conditions employment-terms foreign-sovereign-immunities-act legislative-decision sovereign-immunity state-law workers-compensation Whether the court of appeals erred in treating Canada's legislative decision to compensate its consular employees for workplace injuries exclusively u…
19-1049 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, et al. v. Crystallex International Corporation Third Circuit 2020-02-24 Denied alter-ego alter-ego-doctrine attachment exceptional-importance foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity fsia instrumentality international-law judgment-enforcement pdvsa sovereign-immunity third-circuit Whether a judgment-enforcement action against a foreign sovereign and its instrumentality must be predicated on applicable exceptions to the immunity …
18-1447 Republic of Hungary, et al. v. Rosalie Simon, et al. District of Columbia 2019-05-20 Judgment Issued CVSGAmici (7)Relisted (4) choice-of-forum comity-interest exhaustion-of-local-remedies exhaustion-of-remedies foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity forum-non-conveniens international-comity naturalized-citizens world-war-ii-property-claims Whether the district court must abstain from exercising jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act for reasons of international comity wh…
18-1412 Lewis-Jay Porter v. Texas Fifth Circuit 2019-05-10 Denied Response Waived 14th-amendment civil-procedure constitutional-rights due-process foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-state personal-jurisdiction sovereign-immunity statutory-interpretation subject-matter-jurisdiction Whether the court lacks subject matter and personal jurisdiction due to the court being defined as a 'foreign state' under FRCP Rule 4(j) and the Sove…
18-997 Oliver Williams, et al. v. The National Gallery, London, et al. Second Circuit 2019-01-31 Denied Response Waived expropriation-exception foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-law jurisdiction property-rights sovereign-immunity subject-matter-jurisdiction takings wrongful-possession Is a sovereign's, or its instrumentality's, refusal to return property wrongfully held a taking of rights in property in violation of international la…
18-948 In Re Grand Jury Subpoena District of Columbia 2019-01-22 Denied Relisted (4) 18-usc-3231 28-usc-1330 28-usc-1604 contempt-sanctions criminal-jurisdiction foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity fsia jurisdictional-exceptions sovereign-immunity subject-matter-jurisdiction Does the FSIA grant foreign states sovereign immunity from American criminal jurisdiction?
18-716 Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. v. EIG Energy Fund XIV, L.P., et al. District of Columbia 2018-12-04 Denied Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) circuit-split conflict-among-circuits conflict-with-other-courts direct-effect foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-corporate-structure international-investment investment-fund investment-loss judicial-restructuring jurisdictional-challenge overseas-conduct sovereign-instrumentality subject-matter-jurisdiction Whether the D.C. Circuit correctly held that there is a 'direct effect' in the United States under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act when the plain…
18-652 Oussama El Omari v. Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone Authority, et al. Second Circuit 2018-11-20 Denied amendment-of-complaint breach-of-contract commercial-activity-exception federal-common-law-immunity federal-rules-of-civil-procedure-15(a)(2) foreign-sovereign-immunities-act fraudulent-scheme fraudulent-smear-report fraudulent-smear-scheme government-instrumentality retaliation smear-campaign u.s.-citizen us-citizen us-citizen-employee us-citizen-employment Whether federal common law immunizes a foreign rul Whether leave to amend the complaint should have b Whether the commercial activity exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act applies to a foreign government instrumentality's alleged breach of …
18-581 Argentine Republic v. Petersen Energia Inversora S.A.U., et al. Second Circuit 2018-11-02 Denied CVSGRelisted (2) civil-procedure commercial-activity commercial-activity-exception expropriation foreign-policy foreign-sovereign-immunities-act international-law legal-exception sovereign-act sovereign-immunity Whether the 'commercial activity' exception to sovereign immunity in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1605(a)(2), is inapplicable to …
18-575 YPF S.A. v. Petersen Energia Inversora S.A.U., et al. Second Circuit 2018-11-01 Denied CVSGRelisted (2) civil-procedure commercial-activity commercial-activity-exception expropriation federal-jurisdiction foreign-sovereign-immunities-act jurisdictional-challenge legal-exception sovereign-immunity Whether the 'commercial activity' exception to sovereign immunity in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, 28 U.S.C. 1605(a)(2), is inapplicable to su…
18-544 Teresita A. Canuto v. Department of Defense, et al. District of Columbia 2018-10-25 Denied Response Waived 28-usc-1604 28-usc-1605 acting-official foreign-sovereign-immunities foreign-sovereign-immunities-act foreign-sovereign-immunity foreign-state government-liability individual-capacity individual-liability official-capacity service-of-process sovereign-immunity state-immunity statutory-interpretation subject-matter-jurisdiction Whether a foreign state's immunity from suit under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act extends to an individual for acts taken in the individual's fo…
18-19 Republic of Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, et al. v. BAE Systems Solution & Services, Inc. Fourth Circuit 2018-07-03 Denied arms-export-control-act civil-procedure civil-procedure-rule-15 contract-law foreign-military-sales foreign-sovereign-immunities-act national-security sovereign-immunity united-states-contractors Whether the court of appeals' blanket invalidation of contracts between United States contractors and foreign governments that relate to contemplated …