The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Aug. 8 affirmed (PDF) a lower court ruling that barred Ecuadoran plaintiffs from collecting a $8.646 billion Ecuadoran judgment against Chevron Corp. The lower court had concluded in 2014 that the Ecuadoran judgment was obtained through corruption and fraud and barred the plaintiffs' attorney, Steven Donziger, from attempting to enforce the judgment or profit from the award anywhere in the world. The appeals court affirmed the lower court's judgment that concluded that Donziger and his team had secretly authored the judgment and offered the Ecuadoran judge $500,000 to sign it. The appeals court also said that the lower court's decision does not invalidate the judgment and does not prevent the enforcement of the judgment outside the US. The dispute arises from allegations by Ecuadoran plaintiffs of Chevron's role in environmental damage in the Amazon rainforest. Chevron disputes these claims, while Donziger maintains his innocence and that he is the victim of a coordinated campaign against him by Chevron.
From Jurist, Aug. 9. Used with permission.
Lawyer faces criminal contempt in Chevron case
The USĀ District Court for the Southern District of New York found thatĀ contempt claims may proceed against suspended attorney Steven Donziger for disregarding the orders of Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in the civil litigation filed by Chevron challenging Ecuador’sĀ $8.6 billion judgment against the company. (Bloomberg)
Lawyer who sued Chevron sentenced to six months for contempt
Steven Donziger, a former attorney who has spent decades battling Chevron Corp. over pollution in the Ecuadorian rainforest, was sentenced on Oct. 1 to six months in prison for criminal contempt of court. (Jurist)