End Finally in Sight for Decade-Old RICO Class Action

On November 17, 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment dismissing the case of Torres Ronda et al. v. Joint Underwriting Association et al., a decade-old class action lawsuit alleging that the Joint Underwriting Association and several insurance companies, including AIG Insurance Company – Puerto Rico, Allstate Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company (collectively, “Defendants”), violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”) and Puerto Rico law. 

In a straightforward opinion authored by Judge Sandra L. Lynch, the Court's panel, which also included Judges Kermit V. Lipez and David J. Barron, concluded that “Defendants’ actions were not only legal, but indeed required by Puerto Rico law.  As such, Defendants’ actions cannot serve as the basis for the mail fraud predicate acts of the RICO claims, and the district court properly granted summary judgment in favor of Defendants.”

McV's Eduardo A. Zayas-Marxuach and Carmen M. Alfonso-Rodríguez represented AIG Insurance Company – Puerto Rico, Allstate Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. Also representing AIG Insurance Company – Puerto Rico, Allstate Insurance Company and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company were Mark L. Hanover and Stephen M. Levy of Dentons US LLP.

You can read the First Circuit’s opinion below.

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