In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001
In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001 represents a multidistrict litigation (MDL) action aimed at obtaining financial restitution for victims and relatives affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks. The case is currently active in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Originally filed in 2002 under the title Burnett v. Al Baraka Banking and Investment within the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, it was initiated by approximately 600 survivors and family members organized as 9/11 Families United to Bankrupt Terrorism. Over time, the group of plaintiffs grew to include more than 6,500 individuals.
This extensive litigation has encountered significant postponements, often being likened to the fictional Jarndyce v. Jarndyce from Charles Dickens' novel Bleak House. Since 2013, investigations have concentrated on purported connections between the September 11 attacks and the government of Saudi Arabia.
The plaintiffs' attorneys at Motley Rice played a key role in founding the investigative entity Rosetta Research and Consulting, which was tasked with examining potential ties between the attacks and members of the Saudi royal family. Rosetta partnered with federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), contributing significantly to operations including the 2005 capture of Afghan narcotics trafficker Haji Bashir Noorzai in New York.