This educational guide is based on the linked primary sources. It is not a Court publication, is not affiliated with the Court, and is not legal advice.
In brief
Overview
The Supreme Court held that personal jurisdiction exists under §1330(b) of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act when an immunity exception applies and service is proper, and it reversed the Ninth Circuit’s judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings.
Background and question before the Court
Devas Multimedia Private Ltd. signed a satellite‑leasing agreement with Antrix Corporation Ltd., owned by the Republic of India, and later petitioned the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington to confirm the award.
The Court considered whether the Fifth Amendment’s minimum‑contacts requirement applies under §1330(b) of the FSIA, and whether personal jurisdiction can be established in this context.
What each side argues
Antrix Corporation Ltd.
Antrix argued that the Fifth Amendment requires a showing of minimum contacts, that the claims do not fall within the FSIA’s arbitration exception, and that the suit should be dismissed.
What happened at oral argument
What the Court decided
The Court held that personal jurisdiction exists under §1330(b) of the FSIA when an immunity exception applies and service is proper.
The Court reversed the Ninth Circuit’s judgment and remanded the case for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
Why it matters
The decision clarifies that the FSIA’s §1330(b) provides a basis for personal jurisdiction without requiring a separate minimum‑contacts analysis, affecting future cases involving foreign sovereigns and U.S. courts.
Terms to know
No glossary terms are available for this guide.
Primary sources
Read the source materials on the official site or open the immutable repository copy used for this guide.
- ae2f4bb725cd94a980df-r1-61e5766206c58fdc.pdfopinion
- d2170e8d5234a193a848-r1-902a3d2ce0dcb1f3.pdforal argument transcript
Guide generated September 27, 2026. Automated validation accepted this version.