16 Nov Firm Fights Back Against Oil Industry On Behalf of Environmental Youth Groups

Files Anti-SLAPP Motion Against Big Oil

Last year, Peiffer Wolf sued the City of Los Angeles on behalf of a group called Youth for Environmental Justice.  The basic idea of the case was that Los Angeles was rubber-stamping oil-drilling applications in communities of color (but not elsewhere).  The oil drilling was seriously harming the environment and public health in communities of color throughout Los Angeles.

The City did the right thing: it changed its practices.  We thus subsequently settled our lawsuit and dismissed the case.

It came as quite a surprise, therefore, when the oil industry turned around and sued the youth groups.  Yes, you read that right: the oil industry sued the youth groups because the youth settled their case and dismissed it.

Fortunately, California law prohibits such retaliatory conduct, proscribing strategic lawsuits against public participation (also known as “SLAPPs”).  Yesterday, we filed an anti-SLAPP motion on behalf of our clients.  You can find the anti-SLAPP motion here.  And the press release here.

As always, we thank our terrific co-counsel: Gladys Limón, of Communities for a Better Environment; Kassie Siegel and Maya Golden Krassner, of Center for Biological Diversity; and Deepak Gupta, of Gupta Wessler.  It’s a pleasure working with all of them.