Commodities and Minerals Enterprise LTD v CVG Ferrominera Orinoco CA - United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Case No 20-4248 - Judgement - 3 October 2022
Country
Year
2022
Summary
Respondent-Appellant CVG Ferrominera Orinoco, C.A. ("Ferrominera"), appeals from the judgment of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Andrew L. Carter, Jr., Judge) confirming a foreign arbitral award and granting attorney's fees and costs in favor of Petitioner-Appellee Commodities & Minerals Enterprise Ltd. ("CME"). Ferrominera challenges the judgment on three grounds. First, it argues that the district court lacked personal jurisdiction because CME never served a summons on Ferrominera in connection with its motion to confirm the arbitral award. Second, Ferrominera contends that the district court erred in confirming the arbitral award based on purported lack of jurisdiction by the arbitral panel, issues with the scope of the award, and conflicts with United States public policy. Third, it argues that the district court abused its discretion in awarding attorney's fees and costs in favor of CME.
As to the first point, we hold that a party is not required to serve a summons in order to confirm a foreign arbitral award under the New York Convention. We further conclude that the district court properly enforced the arbitral award, but that it erred in awarding attorney's fees and costs. Accordingly, we AFFIRM in part and VACATE in part.