Partner Jason Hipp and Associate Zoë Reinstein, in a team including Associates Christina Isnardi, Lawrence McMahon, and co-counsel Claret Vargas of the Center for Justice and Accountability, were named Runners-Up for Litigators of the Week by The American Lawyer for their exceptional advocacy defeating a motion to dismiss in a groundbreaking human rights case.
The recognition stems from a landmark victory in Kuiper v. Reyes Mena, where a federal judge in the Eastern District of Virginia issued a sweeping September 10 ruling rejecting every attempt by a former Salvadoran military colonel living in the United States to escape accountability for atrocities committed during El Salvador's civil war.
The court's comprehensive decision struck down defenses ranging from sovereign immunity to the retroactive application of the 1991 Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA). By denying all grounds for dismissal, the court delivered a decisive win on core issues in international human rights litigation — ending decades of impunity and affirming that Kuiper's case will be heard on the merits.
Jason led the Jenner team, with support from Associates Christina Isnardi, Lawrence McMahon, and Zoë Reinstein, along with co-counsel from the Center for Justice and Accountability, Carmen Cheung Ka-Man, and Daniel McLaughlin.