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Federal Judge Tosses Lawsuit Against Chevron

Chevron accused of polluting land in Ecuador

Chevron Ecuador
AP

A federal judge threw out a case brought against Chevron by a Washington law firm attempting to get the company to pay $18 billion for allegedly polluting an Ecuadorian oil field, on Wednesday.

Reuters reports:

A New York federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Patton Boggs accusing Chevron Corp of "bad faith" litigation tactics while the Washington law firm tried to enforce a multibillion-dollar pollution judgment. […]

The latest case dates to 2012, when Patton Boggs sued Chevron in Manhattan federal court for what it called "bad faith" litigation. It accused the oil company "cutting off (Ecuadorian plaintiffs') ability to obtain funding" for legal counsel, and of making misrepresentations in obtaining a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the plaintiffs as Patton Boggs sought to enforce the $18 billion judgment.

In April, Chevron asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, saying that each of Patton Boggs' claims "fail as a matter-of-law." Judge Francis recommended that Kaplan grant Chevron's motion.

Chevron was ordered in 2011 by an Ecuadorian court to pay $18.2 billion to remediate environmental damage at the Lago Agrio oil field. Chevron has alleged that plaintiffs representing environmentalists in Ecuador bribed court officials to issue a judgment in their favor.

Chevron also accused Ares Rights, a Spanish company with ties to the Ecuadorian government, of abusing copyright infringement claims to censor communications by the oil company that allege corruption by the administration of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.

Published under: Chevron , Ecuador