District Court Had Jurisdiction Under FSIA to Confirm Foreign Arbitration Award, 2nd Cir. Rules

NEW YORK — The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has upheld confirmation of a foreign arbitral award in favor of Chevron Corp., ruling that the district court had jurisdiction under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act because the treaty between Chevron and the Republic of Ecuador included a standing offer to all potential U.S. investors to arbitrate investment disputes, which Chevron accepted in the manner required by the treaty.

The appellate court ruled that the FSIA allows federal courts to exercise jurisdiction over Ecuador in order to consider an action to confirm or enforce the award, the court found, and …