Down from Olympus: Foreign Sovereign Litigation in U.S. Courts

This panel will address under-covered aspects of foreign sovereign litigation in US courts. Foreign sovereigns are afforded presumptive immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. They must affirmatively asset their immunity, however, and their arguments do not always prevail. In ensuing litigation, foreign sovereign status imbues the proceeding with a special character extending to issues of jurisdiction, service, discovery, liability, and post-judgment asset protection. This panel will investigate these issues and more from the perspectives of plaintiffs, defendants, and non-parties.