Summary: On Monday, June 20, the United States Supreme Court released its decision in RJR Nabisco, Inc. v. The European Community. The case arose in the 2nd Circuit. The European Community, now the European Union, alleged that RJR participated in a scheme to launder illegal drug sale proceeds in Europe and attempted to sue in the United States' courts. The Court held that they could not sue under RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, because irrespective of any extraterritoriality of the law's substantive provisions, a private right of action does not overcome the presumption against extraterritoriality and thus a private plaintiff must allege and prove a domestic injury. -- Featuring: Cory L. Andrews, Senior Litigation Counsel, Washington Legal Foundation.
