Case Name: REPUBLIC OF PANAMA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. The AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, INC., et al., Defendants, Fortune Brands, Inc., formerly known as American Brands Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Individually and as successor by merger to The American Tobacco Company; Batus, Inc.; Batus Holdings, Inc.; Philip Morris Incorporated; Philip Morris Companies, Inc.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Liggett Group Inc.; The Tobacco Institute, Inc.; Quaglino Tobacco and Candy Company, Inc.; J&R Vending Services, Inc., Defendants-Appellants; Sao Paulo State, of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. The American Tobacco Company, Inc., et al., Defendants, Fortune Brands, Inc., formerly known as American Brands Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Individually and as successor by merger to The American Tobacco Company; Batus, Inc.; Batus Holdings, Inc.; Philip Morris Incorporated; Philip Morris Companies, Inc.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Liggett Group Inc.; The Tobacco Institute, Inc.; Quaglino Tobacco and Candy Company, Inc.; J&R Vending Services, Inc., Defendants-Appellants
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 2001-05-14
Citations: 250 F.3d 315
Docket Number: No. 00-30687
Parties: REPUBLIC OF PANAMA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. The AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, INC., et al., Defendants, Fortune Brands, Inc., formerly known as American Brands Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Individually and as successor by merger to The American Tobacco Company; Batus, Inc.; Batus Holdings, Inc.; Philip Morris Incorporated; Philip Morris Companies, Inc.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Liggett Group Inc.; The Tobacco Institute, Inc.; Quaglino Tobacco and Candy Company, Inc.; J&R Vending Services, Inc., Defendants-Appellants. Sao Paulo State, of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. The American Tobacco Company, Inc., et al., Defendants, Fortune Brands, Inc., formerly known as American Brands Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Individually and as successor by merger to The American Tobacco Company; Batus, Inc.; Batus Holdings, Inc.; Philip Morris Incorporated; Philip Morris Companies, Inc.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Liggett Group Inc.; The Tobacco Institute, Inc.; Quaglino Tobacco and Candy Company, Inc.; J&R Vending Services, Inc., Defendants-Appellants.
Judges: Before EMILIO M. GARZA, STEWART and PARKER, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: Federal Reporter 3d Series
Volume: 250
Pages: 315–319

Head Matter:
REPUBLIC OF PANAMA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. The AMERICAN TOBACCO COMPANY, INC., et al., Defendants, Fortune Brands, Inc., formerly known as American Brands Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Individually and as successor by merger to The American Tobacco Company; Batus, Inc.; Batus Holdings, Inc.; Philip Morris Incorporated; Philip Morris Companies, Inc.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Liggett Group Inc.; The Tobacco Institute, Inc.; Quaglino Tobacco and Candy Company, Inc.; J&R Vending Services, Inc., Defendants-Appellants. Sao Paulo State, of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. The American Tobacco Company, Inc., et al., Defendants, Fortune Brands, Inc., formerly known as American Brands Inc.; R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company; Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, Individually and as successor by merger to The American Tobacco Company; Batus, Inc.; Batus Holdings, Inc.; Philip Morris Incorporated; Philip Morris Companies, Inc.; Lorillard Tobacco Co.; Liggett Group Inc.; The Tobacco Institute, Inc.; Quaglino Tobacco and Candy Company, Inc.; J&R Vending Services, Inc., Defendants-Appellants.
No. 00-30687
Summary Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
May 14, 2001.
Conrad S.P. Williams, III, Michael X. St. Martin, Joseph G. Jevic, Timothy C. Ellender, Jr., St. Martin & Williams Law Firm, Houma, LA, for Plaintiffs-Appel-lees.
Mary Lou Rodon-Alvarez, Schreiber & Rondon-Alvarez, Coral Gables, FL, for Republic of Panama.
Kenneth Nathan Bass, Leigh Ann Hyer, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, DC, Car-melite M. Bertaut, Peter Joseph Rotolo, III, Chaffe, McCall, Phillips, Toler & Sar-py, New Orleans, LA, for Fortune Brands, Inc., Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., Batus, Inc. and Batus Holdings, Inc.
Phillip A. Wittmann, Stone, Pigman, Walther, Wittmann & Hutchinson, New Orleans, LA, for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
David Gruenstein, Wachtell, Lipton, Ro-sen & Katz, New York City, Martin A. Stern, Deborah B. Rouen, Jeffrey Edward Richardson, Adams & Reese, New Orleans, LA, for Philips Morris, Inc. and Philip Morris Companies, Inc.
Steven W. Copley, Ernest E. Svenson, Gordon, Arata, MeCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, New Orleans, LA, Gene E. Voights, Richard Len Gray, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City, MO, Alexander Christos Papandreou, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, Houston, TX, for Lorillard Tobacco Co.
Alan H. Goodman, Thomas Mente Benjamin, Lemle & Kelleher, New Orleans, LA, for The Tobacco Institute, Inc.
Thomas P. Anzelmo, Sr., Catherine Michelle Williams, Campbell, McCranie, Sis-trunk, Anzelmo & Hardy, Metairie, LA, for Quaglino Tobacco and Candy Co. and J&R Vending Services.
Before EMILIO M. GARZA, STEWART and PARKER, Circuit Judges.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM:
In light of our prior decision in Republic of Panama v. The American Tobacco Co., 217 F.3d 343 (5th Cir.2000), the district court's order denying recusal is REVERSED. The district court's orders remanding this action to state court and denying Appellants' renewed request and motion for stay are VACATED. We REMAND this action to the district court for reassignment by the Chief Judge of the district court to a different judge for further proceedings.
Reversed in part and vacated in part; remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.