Enforcement of Arbitral Awards against Foreign States or State Agencies

For years, U.S. courts took a highly deferential, "hands-off' approach to litigation involving a foreign sovereign. However, recent case law out of the D.C. Circuit has radically diminished the jurisdictional elements that plaintiffs must establish before a U.S. court will assert its power to enforce an arbitral award against a foreign state or state agency. This Article investigates this recent shift and describes what contacts, if any, a foreign state or state agency must have with the United States before a U.S. court will assert jurisdiction under sections 1605(a)(1) and 1605(a)(6) of the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ("FSIA").4 This Article will also discuss the likelihood and propriety of other circuits following the D.C. Circuit's lead.