A provincial court in Ecuador has entered a multibillion dollar judgment against Chevron Corporation (“Chevron”) in an action brought by indigenous peoples in the Amazonian rain forest (the “Lago Agrio Plaintiffs” or “LAPs”).1 The gravamen of their case is alleged pollution of the rain forest in years ending in 1992 by Texaco, Inc. (“Texaco”), the stock of which Chevron acquired at the end of 2001.2

This claim originated in the United States. Three American lawyers began the original litigation in this Court many years ago.3 After the New York suit was dismissed in 2000 on forum non conveniens grounds, they brought a successor lawsuit on a different legal theory (the “Lago Agrio” case) in Ecuador. The judgment at issue here was entered in that case.