Shell settles Alien Tort Statute claim

About a month ago, I reported that Wiwa v. Royal Dutch Petroleum, a case filed under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) and the Torture Victim Protection Act alleging that Shell recruited Nigerian police and military to attack villages and crush opposition to the company's development in the region was set to go to trial. Two days ago, on the eve of trial, Shell has agreed to pay $15.5 million to settle the claims. For the full story on Law.com go here. According to a story in the Chicago Daily Bulletin, Shell, which continues to operate in Nigeria, acknowledged no wrongdoing, claimed it had no part in the violence that took placer and eportedly stated that it agreed to settle the lawsuit in the hope of aiding the "process of reconciliation."