International law firm Hogan Lovells US LLP has been hired by the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Washington, D.C., to provide counsel regarding ongoing discussions with U.S. government officials related to the court case of Courtney Linde et al, v. Arab Bank, PLC.

Arab Bank

In that landmark case, initially filed in 2004 in federal court in the Eastern District of New York, approximately 500 U.S. citizens sued the Arab Bank, Jordan’s largest lender and one of the largest financial institutions in the Middle East, under civil liability provisions pursuant to the AntiTerrorism Act. The suit alleged that Arab Bank facilitated terrorist attacks committed in Israel between 2001 to 2004 by maintaining accounts for individuals and organizations that supported terrorist organizations such as Hamas.

In September 2014, Arab Bank was found liable for financing terrorism relating to 24 different terrorist acts, accounting for the first terror-related judgment against a major bank in U.S. history.

Arab Bank in April 2015 struck a settlement deal with plaintiffs — with some estimating that figure to be as high as $1 billion — but later said it would appeal the 2014 liability verdict, as the bank claims it did not knowingly offer financial services or assistance to Hamas. That rehearing is currently pending in the Second Circuit.

According to Foreign Agents Registration Act documents filed in late October, Hogan Lovells' activities for the Jordanian embassy will include strategy development and legal analysis with respect to the U.S.’s position and participation in the Courtney Linde suite. The Washington, D.C.-based law firm will also provide advocacy efforts including communication and potential meetings with executive branch officials and staff.