One of the things I love most about being an international litigator is the opportunity to challenge the status quo and have a positive impact at the global level.
Whether it’s representing victims against human rights abuse in the Middle East, bringing justice to swindled French investors, or helping to track down North African warlords, the work can be extremely exciting—and rewarding.
The reason that I bring this up is because of the latest twist in the multi-billion class action lawsuit filed by a group of Ecuadorian plaintiffs against Chevron over contamination of the Amazon rainforest basin.
The lawsuit is an excellent case study how an international litigator, in this case Steve Donziger, can out-maneuver one of the wealthiest corporations on earth to effect positive change in the world.
Last year, after a 17-year legal battle, a court in Ecuador found Chevron liable and levied an $18.2 billion judgment against it.
The judgment is being enforced simultaneously in Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Colombia.
In the latest strike against Chevron, it was announced today that an appeals court in Argentina upheld an earlier ruling that sought to freeze all of Chevron’s assets in Argentina.
As reported in the Financial Times article, Chevron loses environment case appeal, the Argentine asset freeze, affects “100 per cent of Chevron Argentina’s stock, worth some $2bn, all of its dividends, its entire 14 per cent stake in an oil pipeline company, 40 per cent of revenue from oil sales and 40 per cent of its Argentine bank accounts.”
You can read more of the story in the Fox News and Reuters.
No matter the outcome, this massive class action lawsuit is an excellent example of how an international litigator can influence and shape the way multinational corporations do business around the world.
You can bet that Chevron will think twice before contaminating the earth;s precious resources.
Be sure to read my earlier posts on this long running legal sags below:
Ecuador Class Action Plaintiffs Strike Back at Chevron’s Cynical Game of Musical Jurisdictions.
Chevron Files International Arbitration Claim Against Ecuador: Forum Shopping in the Hague?