FEDERAL COURT ALLOWS J-M MANUFACTURING'S RACKETEERING CLAIMS T0 PROCEED AGAINST ASBESTOS LAW FIRM SIMMONS HANLY CONROY

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- J-M Manufacturing Company, Inc. ("J-MM"), also known as JM Eagle, the leading plastic pipe manufacturer in the world, announced today that a federal court has allowed its racketeering claims against Simmons Hanly Conroy, LLP ("Simmons Hanly"), Sokolove Law, LLC ("Sokolove"), and several Simmons Hanly attorneys and staff to proceed.

In a 55-page opinion issued November 6, 2026, Judge Robert W. Gettleman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois denied the defendants' motion to dismiss J-MM's claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The court also denied the defendants' motion to strike under California's anti-SLAPP statute and their request for attorneys' fees.

J-MM alleges that Simmons Hanly, using Sokolove as a source of referrals, pursued asbestos claims against the company through fabricated exposure narratives, scripted product-identification testimony, and concealed bankruptcy-trust claims in order to extract settlements. The court described the action as alleging "an extensive scheme devised by lawyers and firms to defraud plaintiff through serial lawsuits based on false testimony and concealed information."

The court rejected the defendants' argument that litigation activity can never constitute racketeering. It held that the First Amendment-based Noerr-Pennington doctrine does not require dismissal at this stage, because J-MM's allegations, if proven, would fall within the exception for sham lawsuits and intentional misrepresentations. The court also declined to dismiss the RICO claims as untimely.

"The court has allowed our racketeering claims against Simmons Hanly, its leadership, its lawyers and its referral partner, Sokolove Law, to move forward," said Lisa Carteen, General Counsel of J-MM. "It recognized that litigation conduct is not automatically immune from federal racketeering law when it is part of a scheme built on false testimony and concealed evidence. J-MM has always defended asbestos claims on their merits, and we look forward to proving our claims. Our fight is about restoring integrity to asbestos litigation, so that compensation goes to the people who were truly harmed."

"This is an important ruling for any company that has faced serial sham claims under the cover of litigation," said Ashwin J. Ram of Buchalter LLP, counsel for J-MM. "The court rejected the argument that a law firm's litigation conduct can never be racketeering activity and declined to dismiss the case on First Amendment petitioning grounds. The case now moves into discovery, where J-MM will be able to examine how these claims were generated, investigated, and brought."

The court dismissed J-MM's state-law claims without prejudice under California's litigation privilege. The RICO claims, which provide for treble damages and attorneys' fees, will proceed against all named defendants, who must answer the complaint by December 7, 2026.

The case is J-M Manufacturing Co. v. Simmons Hanly Conroy, LLP, No. 1:24-cv-03853 (N.D. Ill.).

About J-MM: JM Eagle is the one of the world's largest plastic pipe producers and one of Southern California's largest privately-held companies.  Based in Los Angeles, JM Eagle is a family-owned business and a certified minority business enterprise with 17 technologically advanced manufacturing plants and two distribution centers located across the United States. JM Eagle supports local jobs and strengthens the economy with every product proudly made in America. The company has been a leader in the recovery  efforts following the devastating January 2025 wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, donating $6.5 million in funds and equipment to help rebuild and prepare for future wildfires. 

SOURCE J-M Eagle