MIAMI — Rivero Mestre announced today that it has secured a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to proceed with a lawsuit against American Airlines under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act.

The lawsuit, brought by José López Regueiro, alleges that American Airlines trafficked José Martí International Airport in Havana—a property seized from the plaintiff’s family by the Cuban government in 1959—by operating flights in and out of the airport since 1991. The Eleventh Circuit panel unanimously reversed the district court’s dismissal of the case, holding that the Helms-Burton Act does not require the plaintiff to have been a U.S. citizen at the time the property was confiscated or when he acquired his interest.

“We are very gratified that the Eleventh Circuit has correctly adopted our arguments and reopened Mr. López Regueiro’s case against American Airlines for its exploitative trafficking in the Havana airport, which was stolen from Mr. López Regueiro’s family,” Andrés Rivero said. “We will continue to pursue traffickers like American Airlines and Expedia to stop and punish their shameful support for the repressive communist regime in Cuba.”

This comes just months after Rivero Mestre secured a landmark result with nearly $120 million in verdicts in the first-ever Helms-Burton jury trial.

Media coverage includes:

Courthouse News Service – American Airlines must face suit over confiscated Cuban airport

Law360 – 11th Circ. Revives American Airlines Cuban Property Suit

CiberCuba – U.S. Court allows Cuban’s lawsuit against American Airlines to be reopened for using airport confiscated by Castro’s regime

VisaVerge – American Airlines Required to Face Lawsuit Over Confiscated Cuban Airport

About Rivero Mestre LLP

Rivero Mestre, from its offices in Miami and New York, represents clients from investigation to verdict and appeal in complex business disputes in U.S. federal courts, state courts, and domestic and international arbitration proceedings. The firm’s practice focuses primarily on representing clients in a broad range of complex commercial disputes including financial institution matters, antitrust matters, intellectual property disputes, and litigation and arbitration relating to Latin American trade and investment. For more information, visit www.riveromestre.com.