Opinion ID: 2833601
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Challenges to Subject-Matter Jurisdiction

Text: The burden of establishing federal jurisdiction rests with the party asserting its existence.17 “Challenges to subject matter jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1) may be facial or factual.”18 A facial attack “concerns ‘an alleged pleading deficiency’ whereas a factual attack concerns ‘the actual failure of [a plaintiff’s] claims to comport [factually] with the jurisdictional prerequisites.’”19 “In reviewing a facial attack, the court must only consider the allegations of the complaint and documents referenced therein and attached thereto, in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.”20 By contrast, in reviewing a factual attack, “the court must permit the plaintiff to respond with rebuttal evidence in support of jurisdiction, and the court then decides the jurisdictional issue by weighing the 17 DaimlerChrysler Corp. v. Cuno, 547 U.S. 332, 342 n.3 (2006). 18 Common Cause of Pa. v. Pennsylvania, 558 F.3d 249, 257 (3d Cir. 2009) (quoting Taliaferro v. Darby Twp. Zoning Bd., 458 F.3d 181, 188 (3d Cir. 2006)). 19 CNA v. United States, 535 F.3d 132, 139 (3d Cir. 2008) (alterations in original) (quoting United States ex rel. Atkinson v. Pa. Shipbuilding Co., 473 F.3d 506, 514 (3d Cir. 2007)). 20 Gould Elecs. Inc. v. United States, 220 F.3d 169, 176 (3d Cir. 2000). 9 evidence. If there is a dispute of a material fact, the court must conduct a plenary hearing on the contested issues prior to determining jurisdiction.”21 If the defendants here had challenged the factual existence of jurisdiction, Lincoln Benefit would have been required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence, after discovery, that it was diverse from every member of both defendant LLCs. Instead, however, the defendants mounted a facial challenge to the adequacy of the jurisdictional allegations in Lincoln Benefit’s complaint. We therefore turn to the pleading requirements for diversity jurisdiction.