Statement from Jerry S. Goldman of Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C., counsel to
the estate of John P. O'Neill, Sr.
NEW YORK, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- As counsel to the estate of John P.
O'Neill, Sr., we are disappointed with today's decision by the panel of
judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in John
P. O'Neill, Sr. et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., to the effect
that Americans harmed or killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001 do not have standing to sue the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
While acknowledging that the plaintiffs have pled substantial
information linking the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to certain purported
charitable organizations, and demonstrating their role in facilitating the
activities of Al Qaeda around the world, the panel utilized a unique and
previously unsupported rationale for denying Americans the opportunity to
use US Courts to seek redress for the harms that they suffered as a result
of the 9/11 attacks.
Under the Court's rationale, were New Yorkers to be side-swiped by a
car driven by an employee of the Saudi embassy, they could sue for the
bumps and bruises that they suffered and the damage to their vehicle, yet
the nearly 3,000 families of those innocents who were brutally killed in
lower Manhattan, rural Pennsylvania and the Pentagon can not pursue their
claims. Additionally, those who plan, conspire and provide support for
terrorists, from havens abroad, cannot be held accountable for their
actions in our Courts, according to today's ruling.
We believe that the Court was wrong in its interpretation of the law.
On behalf of the family of John O'Neill, the former FBI agent who spent his
career fighting terrorism, and died on 9/11 while helping evacuate the
World Trade Center, we intend to continue to take such steps as are
appropriate to help vindicate the rights of the victims.
Anderson Kill & Olick proudly represents the Estate of John P. O'Neill,
the plaintiff and putative class representative in Estate of John P.
O'Neill, Sr. et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., and Estate of John
P. O'Neill, Sr. et. al. v. Al Baraka Investment and Development Corp., et
al, part of the consolidated appeals in today's decision.
About Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C.
Anderson Kill & Olick, P.C. practices law in the areas of Insurance
Recovery, Commercial Litigation, Corporate & Securities, Employment & Labor
Law, Real Estate, Tax, Trusts & Estates, and Bankruptcy. The firm's senior
attorneys maintain national and international practices from offices in New
York City, Newark, NJ, Philadelphia, PA and Washington, D.C. For more
information, please visit http://www.andersonkill.com
Contact:
Andrew Sprung
646-792-3739
andrew@sprungpr.com
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