In the wake of 911 my dear friend and mentor Ronald Motley decided to take on the the banks he believed were responsible for financing those who had unjustly taken the lives of so many innocent Americans. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhIOmp2l4Q0. Many people wondered if this time Ron, the slayer of asbestos and big tobacco, had gone too far as he declared that he would ” leave no stone unturned” in bringing the fight against terrorism to the civil justice system here in the United States. Last year Ron passed away leaving a legacy of perhaps being the greatest trial lawyer ever to set foot in an American courtroom. The law firm he helped build along with his partner Joe Rice continued the fight in Ron’s memory. I know that today Ron is smiling from above knowing that justice has been done. Here is some of the press coverage about this extraordinary victory once again proving that our civil justice system is unrivaled anywhere in the world.
The New York Times (9/23, Clifford, Subscription Publication, 9.9M) reports that a jury in Federal District Court in Brooklyn “found that Arab Bank was liable for knowingly supporting terrorist efforts that were connected to 24 attacks in the Middle East.” The bank is based in Jordan and has $46 billion in assets. The case “was the first civil case brought against a bank under the Anti-Terrorism Act to go to trial.” The bank was accused of supporting Hamas “by handling transfers and payments for Hamas members.” The case has been going on for ten years.
The Wall Street Journal (9/23, Palazzolo, Subscription Publication, 5.62M) reports it is the largest bank in Jordan. An attorney for the bank said that he is confident the appeals court will overturn the ruling.
Bloomberg News (9/23, Larson, Smythe, 1.94M) reports the bank was found to have had “business with more than 150 Hamas leaders and operatives in the early 2000s.”
by Chris Placitella