In partnership with the Center for Constitutional Rights, Patterson Belknap achieved justice for former detainees who were tortured by a government contractor at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq war. Following a six-day trial, which featured in-person and remote testimony from the plaintiffs, U.S generals, government contractor employees, and former military personnel involved in the torture, the jury found the government contractor liable for conspiracy to inflict torture and cruel, inhuman, and degraded treatment. The jury awarded each of the three plaintiffs $3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages, for a total of $42 million in damages against the government contractor. This was close to the maximum punitive damages award that the Court permitted the plaintiffs to request. 

This victory comes after 16 years of litigation, including more than 15 attempts by the government contractor to have the case dismissed, five appeals, and a mistrial following a hung jury in May 2024. The case is the first of its kind to have made it to trial, and the first verdict holding a government contractor legally responsible for torture at the infamous prison.

The firm, along with co-counsel at New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG), achieved a provisional approval of a settlement on behalf of Medicaid patients receiving in-home care services through the state’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. The program’s ineffective transition to just one fiscal intermediary put thousands of disabled New Yorkers at risk of losing critical care. The firm and NYLAG filed a putative class action in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in a preliminary injunction granting a program enrollment extension, as well as administrative support for participants and continued pay for health aides during the transition. The Court then granted conditional approval of a settlement agreement between the parties, pending an opportunity for class members to object at a fairness hearing. The approved settlement requires the DOH to send additional written communications to consumers that describe resources available for help, along with robust outreach to participants at risk of being disenrolled from their long-term care plans due to the transition.

The firm, in partnership with Mobilization for Justice, secured a favorable settlement in a disability discrimination lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against numerous Adult Care Facilities that provide housing and services to New Yorkers with disabilities. The lawsuit, brought on behalf of the Fair Housing Justice Center, accused the facilities of discriminating against prospective residents who use wheelchairs. The settlement includes monetary relief, new facility policies to prevent discriminatory practices, and monitoring and compliance testing.  

This victory allows wheelchair users to access critical housing services and holds housing providers accountable for serious discriminatory conduct. The firm secured attorneys’ fees for its work on this matter, which will be donated to Mobilization for Justice in support of its Disability and Aging Rights program.