Lawsuit against Engility ends with no liability

A lawsuit against Engility Corp. that stemmed from the wars after the break up of Yugoslavia has been resolved with no findings of liability against the company.

But Engility is making a $1.4 million donation to International Christian Ministries, a group that works with refugees and displaced persons, the company announced Friday.

The lawsuit, Jovic et al v. Engility Corporation Inc., began when the company was still part of L-3 Communications. It was spun-out from L-3 in 2012.

The plaintiffs claimed in 2010 that they had been harmed by military operations during the wars after Yugoslavia broke up, Engility said in a release. The plaintiffs alleged the company was liable for their injuries because it had provided training to the Republic of Croatia Department of Defense in 1995.

In 2014, Engility made a motion, and the U.S. District Court dismissed all claims based upon alleged violations of international law. A second motion by Engility to dismiss the remaining allegations was still pending. But the two parties resolved the case through mediation and the remaining claims were dismissed.

“From the outset of this case, which began more than six years ago, we have steadfastly maintained that there was no factual or legal basis for the suit and that fact is explicitly recognized by today’s events,” said Tom Miiller, Engility senior vice president and general counsel.

As for the donation, Miller said, "Although the company never had any legal responsibility to the Plaintiffs in this case, humanitarian assistance is always in order to protect and assist persons who are displaced by military conflicts.”