On November 3, 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in this important tort reform case. On July 13, 1999, WLF filed a brief in the case, urging the Court to halt the seemingly endless expansion of civil lawsuits brought under RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act). WLF argued that Congress adopted RICO as a tool to fight organized crime, but that RICO is now being used primarily by plaintiffs’ lawyers in everyday commercial disputes involving respected and legitimate businesses. WLF argued that strict limits ought to be imposed on the right of plaintiffs to raise RICO claims many years after the business transaction giving rise to the dispute.
