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Enron Nigeria Power Holding, Limited v. United States, et al.

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, No. 20-20471 · judgment September 13, 2021


Certiorari denied · March 28, 2022
Pre-decision estimate: 3% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Questions presented

  1. Whether a foreign state that makes a legal claim to a yacht, participates extensively in the sale of the yacht, and stands to benefit financially from that sale has engaged in “commercial activity” within the meaning of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (“FSIA”).

  2. Whether a foreign state claiming immunity under the FSIA or its adversary bears the ultimate burden of proof on the question of immunity.

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Philip N. Elbert
Neal & Harwell, PLC

For respondent
Elizabeth B. Prelogar
Solicitor General

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Proceedings

  1. Mar 28 2022
    Petition DENIED.
  2. Mar 09 2022
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/25/2022.
  3. Feb 28 2022
    Waiver of right of respondent United States, et al. to respond filed.
  4. Feb 17 2022
    Waiver of right of respondent Federal Republic of Nigeria to respond filed.
  5. Feb 08 2022
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 14, 2022)