Battered mortgage lender Fannie Mae has sought claims to the tune of USD 15.8 billion from bankrupt Lehman Brothers, mainly related to derivatives contracts.

Fannie Mae, which is mired in losses, has said that considering Lehman's financial position, it expects to recover only some portion of that total amount.

The mortgage lender in a recent regulatory filing said it has sought two separate claims worth USD 8.9 billion and USD 6.9 billion, respectively, from Lehman Brothers.

Both claims were filed in September.

The claim of USD 8.9 billion includes losses incurred in connection with the termination of outstanding derivatives contracts with a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers and other investment portfolio.

"A contingent claim of USD 6.9 billion was also included, primarily relating to a large multi-family transaction. "However, based on Lehman Brothers’ financial condition, we believe we will only receive a portion of these claims," the filing said.

One of the worst hit by the financial crisis, Fannie Mae was seized by the US government last year. In the latest September quarter, it reported a loss of USD 19.76 billion primarily due to staggering credit expenses.

Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, pushing the financial system into a tizzy, and at that time, it had assets worth over USD 600 billion.