Case 1:03-md-01570-GBD-SN Document 3671 Filed 08/01/17 Page 1 of 33 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ____________________________________ ) IN RE: TERRORIST ATTACKS ON ) Civil Action No. 03 MDL 1570 (GBD) SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 ) ECF Case ____________________________________ ) This document relates to: Ashton, et al. v. al Qaeda, et al., No. 02-cv-6977 Federal Insurance Co., et al. v. al Qaida, et al., No. 03-cv-6978 Thomas Burnett, Sr., et al. v. Al Baraka Inv. & Dev. Corp., et al., No. 03-cv-9849 Continental Casualty Co., et al. v. Al Qaeda, et al., No. 04-cv-5970 Cantor Fitzgerald Assocs., et al. v. Akida Inv. Co., et al. No. 04-cv-7065 Euro Brokers Inc., et al. v. Al Baraka Inv. & Dev. Corp., et al., No. 04-cv-7279 McCarthy, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, No. 16-cv-8884 Aguilar, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 16-cv-9663 Addesso, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 16-cv-9937 Hodges, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 17-cv-117 DeSimone v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, No. 17-cv-348 Aiken, et al v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 17-cv-450 The Underwriting Members of Lloyd’s Syndicate 53, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 17-cv-2129 The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Co., et al. v. Al Rajhi Bank, et al. No. 17-cv-02651 Abarca, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 17-cv-3887 Arrowood Indemnity Co. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 17-cv-3908 Abrams, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 17-cv-4201 Abtello et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia et al., No. 17-cv-05174 Aasheim, et al. v. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, et al., No. 17-cv-5471 MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF RENEWED MOTION TO DISMISS OF THE SAUDI HIGH COMMISSION FOR RELIEF OF BOSINA & HERZEGOVINA Lawrence S. Robbins (LR8917) Roy T. Englert, Jr. ROBBINS, RUSSELL, ENGLERT, ORSECK, UNTEREINER & SAUBER LLP 1801 K Street, N.W. Suite 411 Washington, D.C. 20009 (202) 775-4500 (202) 775-4510 (fax) Attorneys for the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia & Herzegovina August 1, 2017 Case 1:03-md-01570-GBD-SN Document 3671 Filed 08/01/17 Page 2 of 33 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF AUTHORITIES .......................................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................ 2 A. The Saudi High Commission .............................................................................................. 2 B. Proceedings ......................................................................................................................... 4 1. Initial Rulings and Related Appeals ....................................................................... 4 2. Doe v. Bin Laden..................................................................................................... 5 3. Proceedings After Doe v. Bin Laden....................................................................... 5 4. JASTA and the Present Remand ............................................................................. 6 C. Allegations Related to SHC ................................................................................................ 8 ARGUMENT ................................................................................................................................ 10 PLAINTIFFS DO NOT PLEAD AND CANNOT PROVE GROUNDS FOR FSIA JURSISDICTION OVER THE SHC ...................................................................... 10 A. Plaintiffs Do Not Sufficiently Allege That SHC or Its Official, Employee, or Agent Committed a Tortious Act ...................................................................................... 12 B. Plaintiffs Do Not Sufficiently Allege or Come Forward With Evidence That the Tortious Act of SHC or Its Official, Employee, or Agent Caused Plaintiffs’ Injuries .............................................................................................................................. 20 1. Plaintiffs Must Allege That SHC or Its Official, Employee, or Agent Was a But-For Cause of the September 11 Attacks...................................................... 21 2. Plaintiffs Must Also Allege That SHC or Its Official, Employee, or Agent Was a Proximate Cause of the September 11 Attacks .......................................... 22 3. Under These Principles, Plaintiffs Have Not Alleged a Causal Connection Between SHC’s Actions and the September 11 Attacks ...................................... 24 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 25 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ..................................................................................................... 27 i Case 1:03-md-01570-GBD-SN Document 3671 Filed 08/01/17 Page 3 of 33 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page(s) Cases Alexander & Alexander of N.Y., Inc. v. Fritzen, 68 N.Y. 2d 968 (1986) .............................................................................................................. 13 Anza v. Ideal Steel Supply Corp., 547 U.S. 451 (2006) .................................................................................................................. 22 Argentine Republic v. Amerada Hess Shipping Corp., 488 U.S. 428 (1989) .................................................................................................................. 10 Bank of Am. Corp. v. City of Miami, Fla., 137 S. Ct. 1296 (2017) .............................................................................................................. 22 Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007) .................................................................................................................. 18 Bigio v. Coca-Cola Co., 675 F.3d 163 (2d Cir. 2012) ............................................................................................... 13, 16 Bridge v. Phoenix Bond & Indemnity Co., 553 U.S. 639 (2008) .................................................................................................................. 21 Burrage v. United States, 134 S. Ct. 881 (2014) ................................................................................................................ 21 Corporación Mexicana De Mantenimiento Integral, S. De R.L. De C.V. v. Pemex–Exploración Y Producción, 832 F.3d 92 (2d Cir. 2016) ................................................ 2 Dejesus v. HF Mgmt. Servs. LLC, 726 F.3d 85 (2d Cir. 2013) ....................................................................................................... 18 Doe v. Bin Laden, 663 F.3d 64 (2d Cir. 2011) ......................................................................................................... 5 Doe v. Islamic Salvation Front, 257 F. Supp. 2d 115 (D.D.C. 2003) .......................................................................................... 25 Duane Thomas LLC v. Wallin, 8 A.D.3d 193 (N.Y. App. Div. 2004) ....................................................................................... 17 First Nationwide Bank v. Gelt Funding Corp., 27 F.3d 763 (2d Cir. 1994) ....................................................................................................... 12 ii Case 1:03-md-01570-GBD-SN Document 3671 Filed 08/01/17 Page 4 of 33 Frontera Res. Azerbaijan Corp. v. State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic, 582 F.3d 393, 399 (2d Cir. 2009) ............................................................................................... 2 Halberstam v. Welch, 705 F.2d 472 (D.C. Cir. 1983) ............................................................................................ 14, 19 Holmes v. Sec. Investor Prot. Corp., 503 U.S. 258 (1992) .................................................................................................................. 21 In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 134 F. Supp. 3d 774 (S.D.N.Y. 2015) ...................................................................... 6, 10, 14, 20 In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 349 F. Supp. 2d 765 (S.D.N.Y. 2005) .................................................................................. 4, 15 In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 392 F. Supp. 2d 539 (S.D.N.Y. 2005) ...................................................................... 4, 10, 11, 17 In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 538 F.3d 71 (2d Cir. 2008) ......................................................................................................... 4 In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 714 F.3d 118 (2d Cir. 2013) ................................................................................... 22, 23, 24, 25 In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 740 F. Supp. 2d 494 (S.D.N.Y. 2010) .................................................................... 14, 15, 16, 20 In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, 741 F.3d 353 (2d Cir. 2013) ....................................................................................................... 5 Jerome B. Grubart, Inc. v. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., 513 U.S. 527 (1995) .................................................................................................................. 22 Kirch v. Liberty Media Corp., 449 F.3d 388 (2d Cir. 2006) ....................................................................................................