ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS v. SMITH & WESSON BRANDS

No. 22-1823.

91 F.4th 511 (2024)

ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS, Plaintiff, Appellant, v. SMITH & WESSON BRANDS, INC.; Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Inc.; Beretta U.S.A. Corp.; Glock, Inc.; Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc.; Witmer Public Safety Group, Inc., d/b/a Interstate Arms; Century International Arms, Inc.; Baretta Holdings Spa; Glock GES.M.B.H.; Colt's Manufacturing Company, LLC, Defendants, Appellees.

United States Court of Appeals, First Circuit.

January 22, 2024.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Steve D. Shadowen and Jonathan E. Lowy , with whom Richard M. Brunell , Nicholas W. Shadowen , Shadowen PLLC, and Global Action on Gun Violence were on brief, for appellant.

Sameer Advani, James C. Dugan, Gabrielle K. Antonello, Ferdinand G. Suba, Jr., Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, Zainab Ali, and Benita Yu on brief for Jorge Sánchez Cordero Dávila and Raúl Contreras Bustamante, amici curiae.

Thomas M. Sobol and Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP on brief for Scholars of International Law, amici curiae.

Lawson E. Fite, Michael B. Smith, and Marten Law LLP on brief for Gun Violence Prevention Groups, amici curiae.

Roberta L. Horton, Lucy S. McMillan, and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP on brief for Mexican Activists, Scholars, and Victims, amici curiae.

Donna M. Evans, Julie G. Reiser, Molly J. Bowen, Zachary R. Glubiak, and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC on brief for Law Enforcement Officers, amici curiae.

Andrea Joy Campbell, Attorney General of Massachusetts, Elizabeth N. Dewar, State Solicitor, Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California, William Tong, Attorney General of Connecticut, Kathleen Jennings, Attorney General of Delaware, Brian L. Schwalb, Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Anne E. Lopez, Attorney General of Hawai'i, Kwame Raoul, Attorney General of Illinois, Anthony G. Brown, Attorney General of Maryland, Dana Nessel, Attorney General of Michigan, Keith Ellison, Attorney General of Minnesota, Matthew J. Platkin, Attorney General of New Jersey, Raúl Torrez, Attorney General of New Mexico, Letitia James, Attorney General of New York, Ellen F. Rosenblum, Attorney General of Oregon, Michelle A. Henry, Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Peter F. Neronha, Attorney General of Rhode Island, and Charity R. Clark, Attorney General of Vermont, on brief for Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai'i, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont, amici curiae.

Roberto J. Gonzalez, Jacob A. Braly, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP on brief for Latin American and Caribbean Nations and NGO, amici curiae.

Ellen V. Leonida, Matthew Borden, Kory J. DeClark, and Braunhagey & Borden LLP on brief for District Attorneys, amici curiae.

Edward V. Colbert III, Scott Harshbarger, and Casner & Edwards, LLP on brief for Professors of Transnational Litigation, amici curiae.

Noel J. Francisco , with whom Anthony J. Dick , Harry S. Graver , Andrew E. Lelling , Jones Day, James M. Campbell , Campbell Conroy & O'Neil, P.C., James W. Porter, II , Porter & Hassinger, P.C., Mark D. Sheridan , Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, Patricia A. Hartnett , Peter M. Durney , Smith Duggan Cornell & Gollub, Christopher Renzulli , Jeffrey Malsch , Renzulli Law Firm LLC, Jonathan I. Handler , Day Pitney LLP, James Vogts , Andrew A. Lothson , Swanson, Martin & Bell LLP, Nora R. Adukonis , S. Jan Hueber , Litchfield Cavo LLP, Joseph G. Yannetti , Morrison Mahoney LLP, Anthony M. Pisciotti , Danny C. Lallis , Ryan L. Erdreich , Pisciotti Lallis Erdreich , John G. O'Neill , Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C., Michael L. Rice , Katie J. Colopy , and Harrison Law LLC were on brief, for appellees.

Peter M. Torstensen, Jr., Assistant Solicitor General, Austin Knudsen, Montana Attorney General, Christian B. Corrigan, Solicitor General, Brent Mead, Deputy Solicitor General, Tanner Baird, Solicitor's Fellow, Steve Marshall, Attorney General of Alabama, Treg Taylor, Attorney General of Alaska, Tim Griffin, Attorney General of Arkansas, Ashley Moody, Attorney General of Florida, Christopher M. Carr, Attorney General of Georgia, Theodore E. Rokita, Attorney General of Indiana, Brenna Bird, Attorney General of Iowa, Daniel Cameron, Attorney General of Kentucky, Jeff Landry, Attorney General of Louisiana, Lynn Fitch, Attorney General of Mississippi, Andrew Bailey, Attorney General of Missouri, John M. Formella, Attorney General of New Hampshire, Alan Wilson, Attorney General of South Carolina, Marty J. Jackley, Attorney General of South Dakota, Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, Sean D. Reyes, Attorney General of Utah, Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia, and Bridget Hill, Attorney General of Wyoming, on brief for State of Montana and 19 Other States, amici curiae.

H. Christopher Bartolomucci, Kenneth A. Klukowski, and Schaerr Jaffe LLP on brief for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, U.S. Representative Mike Johnson, and 37 other members of Congress, amici curiae.

Christopher A. Kenney, Kenney & Sams, P.C., and Paul B. Stephan on brief for National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc., amicus curiae.

Before Kayatta, Gelpí, and Montecalvo, Circuit Judges.


The government of Mexico brings this lawsuit against seven U.S. gun manufacturers and one gun distributor.1 The district court dismissed Mexico's complaint because it concluded that Mexico's common law claims were barred by the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). That act prohibits...

Let's get started

Leagle.com

Welcome to the leading source of independent legal reporting
Sign on now to see your case.
Or view more than 10 million decisions and orders.

  • Updated daily.
  • Uncompromising quality.
  • Complete, Accurate, Current.

Listed below are the cases that are cited in this Featured Case. Click the citation to see the full text of the cited case. Citations are also linked in the body of the Featured Case.

Cited Cases

  • No Cases Found

Listed below are those cases in which this Featured Case is cited. Click on the case name to see the full text of the citing case.

Citing Cases