Multi-Billion Dollar Corporation Drops Suit Against Inter-American Development Bank, After Court Holds It Can't Sue as "Doe Corporation" |
Free Speech
The case helps illustrate why the legal rules surrounding when parties can litigate under pseudonyms are so important.
Eugene Volokh | 1.14.2026 8:33 AM
Here's a paragraph summary from Chief Judge James Boasberg's initial decision denying pseudonymity to the company, in Doe Corp. 1 v. Inter-American Development Bank (D.D.C.):
Plaintiffs are corporate entities who have filed this lawsuit against the Inter-American Development Bank, claiming that the IDB has improperly initiated sanctions proceedings against them. Doe Corporations allege that those proceedings violate both Defendant's governing charter and its contracts with Plaintiffs. Concerned that revealing that they are the subjects of the IDB's sanctions proceedings would result in "reputational harm," "crater new business," and "jeopardize existing projects," Doe Corporations now move to proceed under pseudonyms….
The D.C. Circuit upheld that decision (disclosure: I filed a friend of the court brief arguing that the company indeed shouldn't be able to sue pseudonymously). Yesterday, that decision essentially became final (the D.C. Circuit issued its mandate to the lower court),........