Key Facts
- Complex civil RICO suit to penetrate vast international money laundering scheme against 34 defendants, more than half foreign
- Defeated over 30 motions to dismiss RICO complaint
- Three-year litigation marking the culmination of a nine-year dispute
- Successfully obtained favorable settlement of case on first day of trial recovering entirety of client's losses from overseas orchestrators of scheme
The Situation
In 2013, we initiated a complex civil RICO suit on behalf of our client, Tatung Company, a multinational manufacturer of digital consumer products. There were 34 foreign and domestic defendants in an effort to recover damages caused by the alleged operation of a multinational RICO enterprise to siphon assets offshore and leave contracting party judgment proof.
The Approach
The case involved years of extensive litigation including dozens of foreign and domestic depositions, hundreds of motions, the appointment of two special masters, and a long-term strategy that successfully leveraged the expansive jurisdictional reach of US District Courts to empower a global investigation. Throughout the case, Mintz's national team — comprised of attorneys from five offices across the country — defeated dozens of motions to dismiss and extensive summary judgment challenges, and positioned the case for a compelling trial victory.
The Outcome
As trial commenced, we obtained a significant eight-figure settlement of the suit, in addition to millions recovered from related federal bankruptcy court litigation. The client ultimately obtained a settlement totaling approximately $20 million. This outcome was particularly impressive given that civil plaintiffs are very unlikely to prevail in RICO cases.
Supporting Professionals
Dan Pascucci, a Member of the firm’s Litigation practice, and Joe Dunn, a Member of the firm’s Bankruptcy & Restructuring practice, led a national team of Mintz attorneys who helped our client achieve this monumental victory.
