Blue Ridge Investments, L.L.C. v. Republic of Argentina
2013 U.S. App. LEXIS 17160
| 2d Cir. | 2013Background
- Blue Ridge filed a petition to confirm an ICSID Award after purchasing CMS’s interest in the Award.
- Argentina moved to dismiss, arguing FSIA immunity and related defenses; the district court denied the motion.
- The underlying ICSID Award (May 12, 2005) awarded CMS $133.2 million plus interest for breaches of the US-Argentina treaty.
- Argentina is a party to the ICSID Convention; the United States is also a contracting state and implemented the ICSID framework.
- The district court held that Argentina waived immunity under two FSIA exceptions: implied waiver under §1605(a)(1) and arbitral award under §1605(a)(6).
- Argentina appealed, challenging both the collateral-order jurisdiction and, separately, whether Blue Ridge could sue as an assignee; the court branches jurisdiction accordingly and remands for further proceedings consistent with its ruling.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collateral order jurisdiction to review FSIA waiver | Argentina argues collateral-order review is proper for the 1605 waiver ruling. | Blue Ridge contends collateral-order review is inappropriate for waiver ruling. | Court has collateral-order jurisdiction to review the waiver ruling. |
| Pendent appellate jurisdiction over assignee issue | Argentina seeks review of Blue Ridge’s statutory capacity to sue as assignee. | Blue Ridge argues the assignee issue is intertwined with immunity analysis for review. | Pendent jurisdiction declined; assignee issue not inextricably intertwined. |
| Implied waiver under 28 U.S.C. § 1605(a)(1) | Argentina’s signing of the ICSID Convention impliedly waived immunity from suit. | Blue Ridge maintains waiver theory lacks applicability to this petition for confirmation. | Argentina waived immunity under the implied-waiver exception. |
| Arbitral award exception under 28 U.S.C. § 1605(a)(6) | ICSID-arbitrated disputes fall within the arbitral award waiver. | Blue Ridge contends the award is not within the waiver scope for this petition. | Argentina waived immunity under the arbitral-award exception. |
Key Cases Cited
- Swint v. Chambers Cnty. Comm’n, 514 U.S. 35 (1995) (criteria for collateral-order jurisdiction)
- Figueiredo Ferraz E Engenharia de Projeto Ltda. v. Republic of Peru, 665 F.3d 384 (2d Cir. 2011) (interlocutory appeal for denial of immunity in confirmation context)
- Rux v. Republic of Sudan, 461 F.3d 461 (4th Cir. 2006) (doctrine of pendent appellate jurisdiction not extending to DOHSA standing)
- Seetransport Wiking Trader Schiffarhtsgesellschaft MBH & Co. v. Navimpex Centrala Navala, 989 F.2d 572 (2d Cir. 1993) (implied waiver when state becomes party to CFREAA)
- Liberian Eastern Timber Corp. v. Gov’t of Republic of Liberia, 650 F. Supp. 73 (S.D.N.Y. 1986) (ICSID-related immunity waivers recognized in district court)
- USAA Commercial Insurance Co. v. Permanent Mission of the Republic of Namibia, 681 F.3d 102 (2d Cir. 2012) (collateral-order review of immunity denial)
- Kensington Int’l Ltd. v. Itoua, 505 F.3d 147 (2d Cir. 2007) (collateral-order jurisdiction limits and FSIA immunity context)
- NML Capital, Ltd. v. Banco Central de la República Argentina, 652 F.3d 172 (2d Cir. 2011) (sovereign-defaults and related FSIA considerations)
- Siag v. Arab Republic of Egypt, 2009 WL 1834562 (S.D.N.Y. 2009) (ICSID awards enforcement context (WL cites omitted in this list))