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Federal Court Dismisses Foreign Lawsuits, Reverses Lower Court on Union Health Funds 

A three-judge federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. has handed a major defeat to plaintiffs' attorneys bringing lawsuits against U.S. cigarette manufacturers on behalf of foreign governments and U.S. union labor health funds.

The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia unanimously has upheld the dismissal of lawsuits brought by Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Ukraine against U.S. tobacco companies. The court ruling also dealt a major setback to attorneys representing union labor health funds that alleged the companies violated Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statutes.

``For all practical purposes, this means that the bevy of high-profile plaintiffs' attorneys can unpack their bags and stop trying to peddle lawsuits to foreign governments,'' said Mitch Neuhauser

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