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“The verdict is specific to these three plaintiffs, and we strongly believe it should not have broader application beyond this decision,” a spokesperson said. “We believe this verdict should be overturned on appeal.”

Defense counsel Dani James of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP told the jury during trial that BNP Paribas never intended to fund or enable violence, insisting there was a “world of difference between facilitating transactions and contributing to atrocities.”

“The bank is not responsible for causing violence,” James said. “It did not write a check to the al-Bashir regime.”

The Alleged “Shadow Banking System”

According to the plaintiffs, BNP Paribas funneled roughly $20 billion through Sudanese financial networks between 1997 and 2007, even as U.S. sanctions explicitly barred such activity. The plaintiffs argued this financial lifeline allowed al-Bashir’s government to sustain its military campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arab communities in Darfur.

The refugees — now living in the United States — described horrific abuses, including beatings, sexual violence, forced displacement, and the destruction of their villages, all tied to a regime allegedly propped up by access to Western finance.

Global Implications

Legal observers say the verdict could reshape accountability standards for multinational banks and corporations accused of facilitating human rights violations abroad. It may embolden similar claims against financial institutions that continue to do business with sanctioned or abusive regimes.

The case, attorneys said, “sends a powerful message” that banks cannot “turn a blind eye” to the consequences of enabling access to the global financial system for governments accused of genocide or terrorism.

Representation and Case Information

Plaintiffs (Class Counsel):

• Hecht Partners LLP: Kathryn Boyd, David Hecht, Maxim Price, Michael Eggenberger, Kristen Nelson

• Hausfeld LLP: Michael Hausfeld, Scott Gilmore, Amanda Lee-Dasgupta, Claire Rosset, Mary Van Houten, James Gotz, Percy Metcalfe

• DiCello Levitt LLP: Robert DiCello, Adam Levitt, Greg Gutzler, Carrie Syme, Madeline Harding, Kenneth Abbarno

• Zuckerman Spaeder LLP: Aitan Goelman, Cyril Smith

Defendant (BNP Paribas SA):

• Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP: Barry Berke, Dani James, Michael Martinez, Matt Benjamin, David Salant

• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP: Carmine Boccuzzi, Abena Mainoo, Charity Lee

The case is Kashef et al. v. BNP Paribas SA et al., Case No. 1:16-cv-03228, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.