Background - Practices (Details)
International Terrorism Litigation
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Representative Engagements

  • $622 million judgment on behalf of victims of American embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya. Obtained final judgment in October 2014 totaling more than $622 million on behalf of the estates and families of 11 Americans killed in the August 7, 1998, terrorist bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Both Sudan and Iran were found responsible for the attack. Sudan's efforts to vacate the judgment were first rejected by the D.C. District Court in March 2016. Owens, et al. v. Republic of Sudan, et al., 174 F. Supp. 3d 242. Sudan continued its attempts to overturn or vacate the judgment before the D.C. Circuit, raising a number of arguments about jurisdiction, the timeliness of the case, the sufficiency of the evidence, and the interpretation of the phrase "extrajudicial killing" in the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Following oral argument, the D.C. Circuit also rejected the majority of Sudan’s arguments in a July 2017 opinion. Owens, et al. v. Republic of Sudan, et al., No. 14-5105, 2017 WL 3203263 (D.C. Cir. July 28, 2017).

  • $8.4 billion verdict on behalf of foreign-national victims of Beirut embassy bombings. Obtained verdict and judgment, following bench trial, of more than $8.4 billion against government of Iran on behalf of more than 300 foreign-national U.S. Government employees and their family members for death and injuries resulting from the bombings of the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983 and 1984. John Doe, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 943 F. Supp. 2d 180; Civ. A. No. 08-0540 (JDB), 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 65903 (D.D.C. May 9, 2013).

  • $341 million verdict on behalf of hostage victim Terry Anderson. Obtained a judgment of more than $41 million in compensatory damages and $300 million in punitive damages for former hostage Terry Anderson and his family for damages resulting from his March 1985 kidnapping and nearly seven years of being held hostage in Lebanese dungeons by agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Crowell & Moring played a key role in the enactment of legislation by Congress to collect a large portion of the judgment from Iranian assets seized by the U.S. Government. Anderson, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 90 F. Supp. 2d 107 (D.D.C. 2000).

  • First-ever contested FSIA terrorism judgment and awards for victims of Libyan bombing of UTA flight 772. Obtained $6 billion judgment on behalf of estates and families of seven U.S. citizens killed on UTA flight 772 in September 1989, when Libyan agents detonated a bomb in-flight over Niger en route to Paris. The judgment was the first ever in a contested case under the FSIA's terrorism exception. Diplomatic pressure arising from the judgment resulted in a landmark settlement between the U.S. and Libya, and substantial awards for the victims and their family members. Pugh, et al. v. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, et al., 290 F. Supp. 2d 54 (D.D.C. 2003).

  • $353 million judgment on behalf of hostage victim. Obtained a judgment of more than $53 million in compensatory damages and $300 million in punitive damages against the Islamic Republic of Iran for former hostage and his family for damages arising from June 1985 kidnapping and six-plus years of captivity in Lebanon. The family recovered a substantial portion of the judgment pursuant to legislation enacted by Congress through Crowell & Moring's efforts. Sutherland, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 151 F. Supp. 2d 27 (D.D.C. 2001).

  • $331 million judgment on behalf of hostage victim. Obtained a judgment of $31.5 million in compensatory damages and $300 million in punitive damages against the Islamic Republic of Iran for former hostage and his family for damages resulting from January 1987 kidnapping and more than three years of captivity in Lebanon. The family recovered a substantial portion of the judgment pursuant to legislation enacted by Congress through Crowell & Moring's efforts. Polhill v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., Civ. A. No. 00-1798 (TPJ), 2001 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15322 (D.D.C. Aug 23, 2001).

  • $316 million judgment on behalf of victims of American embassy annex bombing in Beirut. Obtained a judgment of $16.7 million in compensatory damages and $300 million in punitive damages against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the estate and family of serviceman killed in the September 20, 1984, terrorist car bomb attack at the American embassy annex in Beirut, Lebanon, by agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The family recovered a substantial portion of the judgments pursuant to legislation enacted by Congress through Crowell & Moring's efforts. Wagner, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 172 F. Supp. 2d 128 (D.D.C. 2001).

  • Awards on behalf of victims of Pan Am Flight 73 bombing. Represented passengers on Pan Am Flight 73, which was attacked in Karachi, Pakistan, en route from India to New York. After obtaining several favorable rulings from the district court, victims who were killed, injured, or held hostage, along with their families, received substantial compensation as a result of the diplomatic settlement between the U.S. and Libya. Patel, et al. v. Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Civ. A. No. 06-626-RMU (D.D.C. Dec. 16, 2008).

  • Award on behalf of victim of Vienna airport bombing. Represented American victim who was severely injured during attack at Vienna airport by Libyan terrorists. The victim obtained a substantial payment as a result of the diplomatic settlement between the U.S. and Libya. (Confidential.)

  • Landmark ruling and award on behalf of hostage victim. Defeated Libya's motion to dismiss claims by estate of kidnapping/hostage victim who was kidnapped and assassinated by Iranian and Libyan agents, respectively. In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Libya's motion to dismiss, rejecting all claims of sovereign immunity. The victim's family was paid a substantial portion of the judgment pursuant to legislation enacted by Congress through Crowell & Moring's efforts. Kilburn v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 277 F. Supp. 2d 24 (D.D.C. 2003), aff’d, 376 F.3d 1123 (D.C. Cir. 2004).

  • $33 million judgment on behalf of victim of Hezbollah assassination. Obtained judgment for estate and family of president of the American University in Beirut who was assassinated by members of Hezbollah in January 1984. Crowell & Moring obtained a judgment of more than $33 million in compensatory damages. Kerr, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 245 F. Supp. 2d 59 (D.D.C. 2003).

  • Judgment on behalf of hostage victim. Obtained judgment against the Islamic Republic of Iran for former hostage and his family for damages arising from February 1984 kidnapping and two months of captivity. Regier, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 281 F. Supp. 2d 87; Civ. A. No. 01-1302 (JDB), 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15523 (D.D.C. Sept. 8, 2003).

  • $311 million judgment on behalf of hostage victim. Obtained a judgment of nearly $11.5 million in compensatory damages and $300 million in punitive damages against the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of former hostage and his family for damages arising from May 1984 kidnapping and more than a year of captivity. Weir, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., Civ. A. No. 01-1303-TPJ, slip op. at 6 (D.D.C. Apr. 29, 2003).

  • $300 million judgment on behalf of victims of American embassy bombing in Beirut. Obtained compensatory damages award against the Islamic Republic of Iran of more than $300 million on behalf of U.S. citizen victims of April 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. Dammarell, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., Civ. A. No. 01-2224(JDB), 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63263 (D.D.C. 2006 Sept. 7, 2006).

  • $8.6 million judgment on behalf of hostage victims. Obtained a judgment of more than $5.6 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages against the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of former hostage and his family for damages resulting from July 1982 kidnapping and several months of captivity. Dodge, et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran, et al., 2004 WL 5353873 (D.D.C. Aug. 25, 2004).