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Armenian Bar Association Petitions the United States Supreme Court in
Genocide Recovery Lawsuit
hetq
21:13, August 20, 2012
The Armenian Bar Association has prepared and filed written legal
arguments with the United States Supreme Court in an effort to reverse
an appellate court decision in Movsesian v. Versicherung AG, which
nullified a California statute allowing for the pursuit of
Genocide-related life insurance recoveries. Earlier this year in the
Movsesian case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a
California law which extended the statute of limitations for
Genocide-era life insurance claims on the grounds that the United
States' alleged position of non-recognition trumped California's
efforts to allow for the legal redress of these insurance claims. The
Armenian Bar Association urged the Supreme Court to reconsider the
errant appellate decision and to allow for the enforcement of the
California insurance-oriented law which pertains to an area of
fundamental state sovereignty.
Joining the Armenian Bar Association on its amicus brief, which was
written and assembled on a pro bono basis by a team of lawyers from
the law firm of Bingham McCutchen and helmed by the Armenian Bar's
founding Chairman--the renowned David Balabanian--are the esteemed
Attorneys General of the States of California, Michigan, Nevada, Rhode
Island and several federal and state legislators.
Edvin Minassian, the two-term immediate past Chairman of the Armenian
Bar Association, is owed a huge debt of gratitude for his wise counsel
and active participation in the joint effortS to serve and protect the
legal interests of the Armenian community, this time all the way to
the steps and through the doors of the country's ultimate and final
tribunal. With Mr. Minassian's sharp focus and commitment and with the
compelling advocacy of Mr. Balabanian, the Armenian Bar Association
has, for the first time, weighed in with the Supreme Court asking that
it uphold the rights of the Armenian Genocide's victims and their
heirs.
Due to the leadership of our former Chairmen Edvin Minassian and David
Balabanian, our resolve is clearly at an all time high. Claims for
unpaid life insurance policies dating back to the Armenian Genocide
were first brought by plaintiffs' attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan, a
Lifetime Honorary Member of the Armenian Bar Association. Attorneys
who have also been representing plaintiffs include Armenian Bar
members Mark Geragos and Brian Kabateck, and Lee Crawford Boyd. Igor
Timofeyev of the law firm of Paul Hastings filed the original appeal
on behalf of plaintiffs, urging the high court to overturn the Ninth
Circuit's en banc ruling.
Also lending support to the Supreme Court petition are our partners,
the ANCA, the Zoryan Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research and
Documentation, Inc., Genocide Education Project, Jewish Alliance for
Law & Social Action, the Center for the Study of Law & Genocide, and
the International Human Rights Clinic of the University of Southern
California Gould School of Law. The ANCA, through the crucial efforts
of its Legislative Director Kate Nahabetian, also an ArmenBar member,
played a
critical role in securing the on-the-record support of the
aforementioned States Attorneys General.
Armenian Bar Association
Genocide Recovery Lawsuit
hetq
21:13, August 20, 2012
The Armenian Bar Association has prepared and filed written legal
arguments with the United States Supreme Court in an effort to reverse
an appellate court decision in Movsesian v. Versicherung AG, which
nullified a California statute allowing for the pursuit of
Genocide-related life insurance recoveries. Earlier this year in the
Movsesian case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a
California law which extended the statute of limitations for
Genocide-era life insurance claims on the grounds that the United
States' alleged position of non-recognition trumped California's
efforts to allow for the legal redress of these insurance claims. The
Armenian Bar Association urged the Supreme Court to reconsider the
errant appellate decision and to allow for the enforcement of the
California insurance-oriented law which pertains to an area of
fundamental state sovereignty.
Joining the Armenian Bar Association on its amicus brief, which was
written and assembled on a pro bono basis by a team of lawyers from
the law firm of Bingham McCutchen and helmed by the Armenian Bar's
founding Chairman--the renowned David Balabanian--are the esteemed
Attorneys General of the States of California, Michigan, Nevada, Rhode
Island and several federal and state legislators.
Edvin Minassian, the two-term immediate past Chairman of the Armenian
Bar Association, is owed a huge debt of gratitude for his wise counsel
and active participation in the joint effortS to serve and protect the
legal interests of the Armenian community, this time all the way to
the steps and through the doors of the country's ultimate and final
tribunal. With Mr. Minassian's sharp focus and commitment and with the
compelling advocacy of Mr. Balabanian, the Armenian Bar Association
has, for the first time, weighed in with the Supreme Court asking that
it uphold the rights of the Armenian Genocide's victims and their
heirs.
Due to the leadership of our former Chairmen Edvin Minassian and David
Balabanian, our resolve is clearly at an all time high. Claims for
unpaid life insurance policies dating back to the Armenian Genocide
were first brought by plaintiffs' attorney Vartkes Yeghiayan, a
Lifetime Honorary Member of the Armenian Bar Association. Attorneys
who have also been representing plaintiffs include Armenian Bar
members Mark Geragos and Brian Kabateck, and Lee Crawford Boyd. Igor
Timofeyev of the law firm of Paul Hastings filed the original appeal
on behalf of plaintiffs, urging the high court to overturn the Ninth
Circuit's en banc ruling.
Also lending support to the Supreme Court petition are our partners,
the ANCA, the Zoryan Institute for Contemporary Armenian Research and
Documentation, Inc., Genocide Education Project, Jewish Alliance for
Law & Social Action, the Center for the Study of Law & Genocide, and
the International Human Rights Clinic of the University of Southern
California Gould School of Law. The ANCA, through the crucial efforts
of its Legislative Director Kate Nahabetian, also an ArmenBar member,
played a
critical role in securing the on-the-record support of the
aforementioned States Attorneys General.
Armenian Bar Association