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• B&W Says Supreme Court Decision Will Have Major Impact on Tobacco Suits 

A unanimous decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday limiting the scope of RICO actions will have a major impact on similar cases brought against the tobacco industry, said an attorney for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation.

``While not concerning the tobacco industry, the high court's decision in the Rotella v. Wood case will severely restrict the ability of new and existing plaintiffs to bring RICO actions against tobacco manufacturers,'' said Ken Bass, B&W's attorney at the Washington offices of Kirkland & Ellis.

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This will be the death knell of RICO treble damage claims against the tobacco industry . . . Every union health fund, health insurer, foreign country and other payor of health care costs that has filed against the industry under RICO was well aware of their alleged injury long before the four-year RICO limitations period expired. Accordingly, they should not be allowed to bring their claims under the Supreme Court's unanimous pronouncement in Rotella.
Ken Bass, B&W's attorney at Kirkland & Ellis. Quoted in <i>B&W Says Supreme Court Decision Will Have Major Impact on Tobacco Suits</i>