Federal judge tosses 3M blackmail suit

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The latest development in the ongoing legal battle between 3M, attorney Lanny Davis and a British investment group has a Washington, D.C., federal judge tossing the blackmail lawsuit 3M filed against Porton for lack of jurisdiction.

The Davis case remains.

3M alleged Porton Capital, the investment group, tried to extort about $34 million from them in payment of what Porton thought it was owed contractually as a result of an acquisition of a British company. It specified that Porton was intimidating stockholders and damaging business relations in the United Kingdom.

The judge dismissed the suit writing that, "3M has wholly failed to address the Porton Defendants' substantial argument that an exercise of personal jurisdiction over them would offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice."

"Today's decision completes a decisive trans-Atlantic victory for Porton," Porton attorney Lee Wolosky said. "As we said from the beginning, and as today's federal court decision affirms, 3M's U.S. blackmail claims were nothing more than a desperate publicity stunt intended to distract attention from the U.K. trial, which ended with 3M being held liable for breach of contract.

"Porton is pleased to have prevailed in the U.K. trial and to be dismissed from the U.S. litigation."

Porton chief executive Harvey Boulter agreed.

"3M's multiple unsuccessful lawsuits in our view were an improper attempt to thrust confidential settlement discussions into public view, and to launch multiple attacks against Porton and the U.K. government," he said.