FEDERAL CIVIL RICO LAWSUITS

FEDERAL CIVIL RICO LAWSUITS

Civil RICO is a Federal law and RICO is an acronym of that Federal law, standing for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.  There is also a Federal Criminal Rico statute which is similar in many ways to the federal Civil RICO statute.  RICO was originally written by Congress to go after organized crime, but Civil RICO claims have been used with successfully increasing frequency by businesses and individuals against other businesses and individuals not involved in traditional organized crime.

While proving a Federal Civil RICO claim can be daunting and difficult, RICO contains powerful remedies, including the recovery of attorney’s fees and treble damages.  Moreover, having those allegations leveled against you or your business can in and of itself be frightening.

The basic underpinnings of proving a RICO claim require a plaintiff to demonstrate that, among other things, the defendants committed multiple acts of fraud, typically mail and wire fraud.  Mail and wire fraud are known as predicate acts under RICO.  There are a number of other legally complicated and esoteric elements involved in proving a RICO claim that require the knowledge and skill of a seasoned lawyer to understand.

If you or your business has been named in a lawsuit which includes allegations of RICO, you need the counsel and services of an attorney immediately.  Schwartz, Conroy & Hack has successfully defended businesses and individuals in Civil RICO lawsuits for more than 15 years and our attorneys understand the difficulties in intricacies involved in proving a Civil RICO claim.

Contact us and we will help you and ease your mind.