Jackpot Justice Goes Global

Where the rule of law is respected, cases like those against Dole Foods and Chevron don't stand a chance. BY VINCE VITKOWSKY From distant court rooms in Latin America to court houses here in the United States, a disturbing trend is emerging. A new iron triangle of trial lawyers, misguided activist NGOs, and anti-American governments with weak judicial systems is forming. Each acts in its own interests, and in the case of NGOs, their interests are often noble. But the cumulative effect is to create a dynamic that can be used to shake down American companies. In the U.S., busy courts are asked to hear cases that can be described as "torts-for-import." Trial lawyers find plaintiffs in foreign lands to assert claims. Evidence from faraway lands can be hard to refute. At times, the "evidence" is simply manufactured, with complicity from local officials.