Mexico Said to Hire NY Law Firm to Explore Civil Suits Against US Gun Makers
The Mexican government has reportedly hired a New York-based law firm to explore possible civil suits against U.S. gun makers and distributors over the weapons used by drug cartels.
CBS News identified the firm as Reid Collins & Tsai. Anonymous sources told CBS that the firm was hired last November and is considering a civil RICO suit. The Associated Press also has a story.
An estimated 2,000 U.S. guns are smuggled into Mexico every day, according to a 2008 Brookings Institution study.
Reid Collins is described on its website as a boutique trial firm that handles complex commercial litigation, including financial fraud and international money laundering cases.
CBS spoke with Christopher Renzulli, who has represented gun makers. He said the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, passed in 2005, would bar the kind of lawsuit Mexico is considering. Sources told CBS that lawyers at Reid Collins disagree with that assessment.
