COSTA MESA, Calif. - Wednesday, June 10th 2015 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that a team of its lawyers has just won an important victory for its client the Republic of Ghana before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

The case arose after the capital City of Accra, Ghana, sought to hire a contractor to reconstruct its sewage systems. In 2013, TJGEM, LCC, a disappointed bidder from Missouri, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Republic of Ghana, the City of Accra, the Mayor of Accra and others seeking $595 million in alleged damages. TJGEM alleged that the contract had been improperly awarded to another U.S. company. TJGEM also alleged that Ghana had misappropriated its intellectual property and conspired with the winning bidder to infringe on TJGEM’s rights.

On Tuesday, June 9, 2015, in a summary disposition, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the District Court’s dismissal of the lawsuit based on foreign sovereign immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The District Court’s decision is found at TJGEM, LLC v. Republic of Ghana, et al., 26 F.Supp.3d 1 (2013). The Court of Appeals held that TJGEM had failed to carry its burden of presenting evidence of commercial activity within the United States, or of commercial activity outside of the United States that had a direct effect in the United States, so as to defeat the foreign sovereign immunity of the Republic of Ghana and City of Accra.

In this regard, the Court of Appeals also held that the case was properly dismissed as to the remaining defendants under the Supreme Court’s decision in Republic of the Philippines v. Pimentel, 553 U.S. 851 (2008), in order to give full effect to the foreign sovereign immunity of Ghana and Accra.

Partner Juan Basombrio led the Dorsey team and argued the appeal, with the assistance of Partners Chip Magid and Matthew Ralph, and Associates Kate Santon and Jill Gutierrez.

About Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Clients have relied on Dorsey since 1912 as a valued business partner. With locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, Dorsey provides an integrated, proactive approach to its clients' legal and business needs. Dorsey represents a number of the world's most successful companies from a wide range of industries, including leaders in the banking, energy, food and agribusiness, health care, mining and natural resources, and public-private project development sectors, as well as major non-profit and government entities.

Contacts

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Jeri Longtin-Kloss, 612-492-5315

longtin.kloss.jeri@dorsey.com

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