Cooley Participates in Landmark Charlottesville Lawsuit

New York – October 12, 2017 – Cooley, in collaboration with law firms Boies Schiller Flexner and Kaplan & Company, has filed a complaint in federal court on behalf of 11 people injured in violence stemming from a planned rally by neo-Nazis, white supremacists and white nationalists in Charlottesville this last August.

The lawsuit, which seeks declaratory, compensatory, injunctive and punitive relief, alleges that certain white supremacist groups and individuals committed civil rights violations and conspired to violate other laws in the planning of the Charlottesville marches and the incitement of violence over the course of two days. The Ku Klux Klan, Vanguard America, the Nationalist Front and the League of the South are named among the more than two dozen defendants.

“Like so many people, we were appalled by the events in Charlottesville this past August,” said Cooley partner Alan Levine. “As a firm, we are dedicated to lending our strength to the kinds of pro bono cases that support the foundations of democracy, and we aim through this lawsuit to hold these defendants accountable for their actions and restrain future violence.” 

Alan Levine, David Mills and Robert Cahill are leading the Cooley team. 

About Cooley LLP

Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law.

Cooley has 900 lawyers across 12 offices in the United States, China and Europe.

Press Coverage

"Star Litigators Notch First Win in Suit Against Charlottesville Neo-Nazis" – Law.com

"White Nationalists Can't Nix Charlottesville Violence Suit" – Law360