The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has ruled that a painting confiscated by the Nazis, despite possibly being “improperly” and “unjustifiably” awarded to the wrong party, will remain at a museum due to the application of the act of state doctrine. This legal principle restricts American courts from questioning the actions of foreign governments carried out within their own territories, thus barring further judicial review.
This decision upholds a prior ruling and marks a continued victory for the legal teams from Nixon Peabody in Los Angeles and Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Houston. More about the court’s decision can be found here.