Chevron Corp. (CVX) moved Monday to avoid a jury trial in its lawsuit
against a lawyer it accuses of fraud in a high-stakes legal battle over
pollution in Ecuador's jungles.
The oil giant said that if a federal judge in New York tried
the case, the company would drop its claims for monetary damages against
Steven Donziger, a lawyer who won a $19 billion environmental judgment
in Ecuador against Chevron in 2011.
Chevron is suing Mr. Donziger and other representatives of the
Ecuadorean plaintiffs in federal district court in New York for
racketeering, arguing they used fraudulent tactics to obtain the verdict
in Ecuador.
In a court filing Monday, Chevron said that instead of
monetary damages, it would only seek "equitable relief." In the past,
the company said such relief might include blocking Mr. Donziger and his
cohorts from attempting to collect the Ecuadorean judgment in countries
where the company operates, as they have already moved to do in Canada,
Brazil and Argentina.
The company said it reserved its rights to recoup legal fees and court costs from Mr. Donziger, should the court award them.
"Chevron's RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt
Organizations Act] action has always been about exposing the fact that
the judgment against Chevron in Ecuador was procured through fraud and
stopping the perpetrators from profiting from it," said Morgan Crinklaw,
a Chevron spokesman.
Mr. Donziger and representatives of the Ecuadoreans deny
Chevron's claims and accuse the company of improper conduct in the
20-year-old legal battle.
On Monday, Mr. Donziger said he would oppose Chevron's request for a nonjury trial.
"I think this decision clearly proves that Chevron does not believe in the validity of its own case," he said.