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Press Statements

Manufacturers Call for Court to Dismiss Misguided Lawsuits

“This complex issue will not be solved through a patchwork of decisions, but rather through meaningful solutions.”

Washington, D.C. – The following statement was released by Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) ahead of tomorrow’s hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on the motion to dismiss the climate lawsuits filed by San Francisco and Oakland against manufacturers:

“Legal precedent is clear: the Supreme Court has held that these lawsuits are pre-empted by the Clean Air Act. These cases are simply another example of trial attorneys attempting to enrich themselves at the expense of manufacturers and manufacturing workers. These issues require the careful balancing of the nation’s energy needs and economic interests along with environmental concerns and are best addressed through legislative channels, not in the courtroom. This complex issue will not be solved through a patchwork of decisions, but rather through meaningful solutions. We agree with the 15 state attorneys general and the Department of Justice who filed amicus briefs in support of the motion to dismiss in the San Francisco and Oakland cases.”

-MAP- 

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Manufacturers Denounce King County, WA’s Frivolous Lawsuit

Washington, D.C. — In response to the latest climate lawsuit filed by King County, Washington State against manufacturers, Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), released the following statement:

“Lawsuits targeting manufacturers do nothing to address climate change, but will do plenty to line the pockets of plaintiffs’ attorneys — and in this case, the very same attorneys behind countless other public nuisance lawsuits throughout the country. As history has demonstrated, these lawsuits stand little chance in the courtroom.

“While these plaintiffs’ attorneys are working overtime to advance their own interests through the courts, manufacturers are working toward meaningful solutions and are reducing emissions.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

MAP Applauds 15 State Attorneys General for Supporting Manufacturers Against Baseless Lawsuits

Washington, D.C. — In response to fifteen state attorneys general filing an amicus brief in support of manufacturers before Judge William Alsup in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), released the following statement:

“This brief signed by 15 attorneys general from across the country is a significant step in defending manufacturers in America and discouraging further costly litigation. With strong support from the attorneys general across the country, manufacturers look to spend less time in the courtroom fighting baseless lawsuits that enrich trial lawyers and more time working towards meaningful solutions.”

Among the signees is Attorney General Cynthia Coffman of Colorado, where a lawsuit was just filed by the City of Boulder, Boulder County and San Miguel County.

In their brief, the attorneys general note the potential slippery slope presented by the lawsuits, writing, “States have an especially strong interest in this case because the list of potential defendants is limitless. Plaintiffs’ theory of liability involves nothing more specific than promoting the use of fossil fuels. As utility owners, power plant operators, and generally significant users of fossil fuels (through facilities, vehicle fleets and highway construction, among other functions), States and their political subdivisions themselves may be future defendants in similar actions.”

The amicus brief was signed by attorneys general from Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Manufacturers Respond to Boulder Lawsuit

Manufacturers Respond to Boulder Lawsuit

Washington, D.C.—The following statement was released by Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability project (MAP), a Project of the National Association of Manufacturers, in response to reports that Colorado municipalities, including the City of Boulder, are planning to file a climate lawsuit against manufacturers:

“Today in Colorado, we’re seeing another example of trial attorneys attempting to enrich themselves at the expense of manufacturers and manufacturing workers. These baseless lawsuits do nothing to improve the environment and are a waste of taxpayer resources. While manufacturers are working toward meaningful solutions and are reducing emissions, cities are wasting time suing them for making products Americans rely on for their everyday lives.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Calls for an SEC Investigation Regarding Potential Wrongdoing

The NAM’s Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) is calling on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate potential wrongdoing committed by eight California municipalities and New York City in their municipal bond offerings.

These nine municipalities have brought lawsuits seeking damages from manufacturers for the impacts of climate change on their cities. These claims for damages, however, run contrary to the municipalities’ assessments of the impacts of climate change in their municipal bond offerings, raising serious questions about whether bondholders – or the courts – have been misled.

“Over the course of our work advocating for manufacturers in America, we have seen several examples of municipalities asserting specific impacts of climate change. Conversely, bonds offered by these same municipalities state that such predictions are impossible to measure,” MAP Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre wrote in a letter to the SEC’s Public Finance Abuse Unit. “The NAM is increasingly concerned by the municipalities assertions in their legal filings and the approach used to attract investors to its bond offerings.”

Read the full letter sent to the SEC’s Public Finance Abuse Unit here.

MAP Statement on Federal District Court Decision to Hear San Francisco Climate Case

MAP Statement on Federal District Court Decision to Hear San Francisco Climate Case

Ruling “Should Be A Signal To The Plaintiffs’ Bar That This Approach Is A Legal Dead End”

Washington, D.C. – The following statement was released by Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), in response to a decision handed down by Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court of California establishing federal jurisdiction in the San Francisco climate lawsuit:

“This decision from the Northern District of California is a significant setback for these politically-motivated and legally questionable lawsuits and should be a signal to the plaintiffs’ bar that this approach is a legal dead end. Precedent shows that similar cases heard in federal court have been unsuccessful for plaintiffs looking to pin the global challenge of climate change on manufacturers. Plaintiff attorney Matt Pawa, who masterminded the lawsuit in San Francisco, has tried several such cases himself and has been ultimately turned away each time.

“The issue of climate change is a shared responsibility that can in no way be pinpointed to one product or a handful of companies. If the elected officials targeting manufacturers are genuinely concerned about the effects of climate change, they should address those concerns administratively, legislatively, and personally, not through frivolous litigation that does nothing to advance solutions to this global problem.”

Judge Alsup, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1999, noted in his ruling that, “[t]he scope of the worldwide predicament demands the most comprehensive view available, which in our American court system means our federal courts and our federal common law … A patchwork of 50 different answers to the same fundamental global issue would be unworkable.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Manufacturers Respond to de Blasio State of the City Speech

Manufacturers Respond to de Blasio State of the City Speech
MAP Questions Fairness in NYC Climate Lawsuit

Washington, DC — The following statement was released by Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), in response to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s State of the City speech:

“Every one of New York City’s pension plans is underfunded, and New Yorkers are paying substantially more for electricity than the national average—and yet Mayor de Blasio’s solution is to sue manufacturers and divest those funds of one of the most crucial sectors in the American economy. These actions aren’t ‘fair’ and are a direct threat to the jobs and livelihoods of manufacturing workers in New York and across America. Manufacturing is too important to the Empire State.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

Timmons: Mayor de Blasio Owes New Yorkers an Apology

Timmons: Mayor de Blasio Owes New Yorkers an Apology

Should Be Transparent about Trial Lawyer Payday

Lexington, KY – Ahead of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s State of the City address, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement highlighting the mayor’s attack on manufacturers and calling for New York City to make public the financial windfall trial lawyers will receive under his recent lawsuit against the industry:

“We doubt he’ll admit it in his State of the City address, but Mayor de Blasio’s frivolous lawsuit is a farce and a direct threat to the jobs and livelihoods of manufacturing workers in New York and across America. And despite what he says, New Yorkers should also recognize that his divestment plan is misguided, a disservice to the city and a danger to the pensions of firefighters, police officers and other public servants.

“Given the mayor’s entanglement with a web of activists and trial lawyers, it’s clear that he cares more about making headlines than solving the global challenge of climate change. He should use this chance to be transparent about his arrangement with payday-seeking trial lawyers and apologize to his city for dragging New Yorkers into an embarrassing, fruitless and potentially costly stunt.”

Recent records uncovered by the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project show that law firm Hagens Berman stands to gain an astounding 23.5 percent payday if its cookie-cutter lawsuits against manufacturers in other states are successful.

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

NAM President & CEO Jay Timmons Highlights the Series of Frivolous Lawsuits Targeting Energy Manufacturers:

Troy, Michigan – Today, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons delivered the 2018 State of Manufacturing Address at Automation Alley in Troy, Michigan. The speech kicks off a two-week national tour that will discuss industry advances as well as challenges facing the manufacturing sector in the coming years, including the rise of misguided lawsuits against manufacturers spurred on by a coalition of special interests.

“There’s a growing trend, an alliance of activists, plaintiffs’ attorneys and politicians going after manufacturing companies with frivolous, misguided lawsuits. The lawyers want to make money; the politicians want to make headlines.”

“At the NAM, we’re not letting this go unchallenged. That’s why we launched the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project to hold the actors accountable. We’re going to fight back because there’s too much at stake.”

“Over the past decade, the United States has made greater reductions in greenhouse gasses than any nation on earth. We’re proving that environmental stewardship and economic growth can go hand in hand.”

Jay Timmons

President and CEO

National Association of Manufacturers

The National Association of Manufacturers is fighting back against politically-motivated attacks on energy producers through their newly created initiative – The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP). The MAP campaign is dedicated to exposing the activists, public officials and plaintiffs’ attorneys who are orchestrating an unprecedented abuse of the legal system against American manufacturers.

MAP Launches Ad Campaign to Expose Mayor de Blasio’s Attack on Manufacturers

MAP Launches Ad Campaign to Expose Mayor de Blasio’s Attack on Manufacturers

Effort to Highlight Hypocritical and Frivolous Lawsuits

Washington, D.C. – The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) – a campaign of the National Association of Manufacturers – today launched a social and digital media ad campaign to highlight New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s politically-motivated attacks on manufacturers. The mayor recently announced that the city will sue energy manufacturers, joining a misguided national campaign to undermine manufacturing in America.

“Mayor de Blasio’s attack on manufacturers is just the latest example of the Mayor taking his marching orders from deep-pocketed activist foundations and trial lawyers looking for a big payday on the backs of taxpayers,” said Linda Kelly, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and spokesperson for the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP). “This campaign will set the record straight and show New Yorkers how the mayor is wasting public resources on a dead-end legal strategy. While Mayor de Blasio is chasing headlines inside his SUVs, manufacturers are hard at work creating jobs in New York, while also keeping the lights on and ensuring buildings are heated across the city.”

The MAP campaign was created to expose the activists, public officials and plaintiffs’ attorneys who are orchestrating an unprecedented abuse of the legal system against American manufacturers. To learn more about Mayor de Blasio’s attack on manufacturers, click here.

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.