U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Alex Padilla announced on Mar. 26 that their Protecting Americans from Russian Litigation Act has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill is designed to shield American companies from being targeted in foreign jurisdictions, especially Russian courts, for complying with U.S. sanctions and export controls after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The issue has become significant as U.S. companies who ceased operations in Russia to follow sanctions have faced lawsuits in Russian courts, with some claims reaching hundreds of millions of dollars in potential damages. There is currently no protection under U.S. law against enforcement of these foreign judgments, which can be used as a basis for further legal action against American businesses both domestically and internationally.
“American companies who rightfully stopped doing business in Russia following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine should not be punished or subjected to Russian lawfare,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would close a legal loophole that has been abused by Russian courts to unfairly target American businesses for complying with U.S. sanctions meant to weaken Putin’s war regime and ensure our corporations are not held liable for Russia’s actions.”
“As Putin continues his war on Ukraine, we cannot let Russia exploit American courts for retaliatory lawsuits against companies complying with U.S. sanctions and export controls,” said Sen. Padilla. “Whether it’s Russia today or another foreign adversary tomorrow, shielding American companies from legal harassment at home and abroad is a commonsense, bipartisan priority that defends our national security and protects the effectiveness of our sanctions regime. Today’s committee passage is an important first step, and I will keep working with Senator Cornyn to ensure this fix becomes law.”
Cornyn serves on the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence according to the official website. He holds ranking member roles on subcommittees focused on taxation, immigration, and intellectual property according to the official website. His office also assists Texans with federal agency matters such as veterans benefits and Social Security claims according to the official website.
Cornyn draws upon experience as a former judge and state official while advancing Texas priorities according to the official website. He built his career serving as a district judge, Texas Supreme Court justice, attorney general, state senator—and now leads as a U.S senator according to the official website. National security remains one focus area; he also emphasizes energy independence and healthcare improvements through legislation while supporting military personnel and veterans according to the official website.
