NEW YORK (August 31, 2023)—Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that a New York-based litigation team filed an amicus brief on behalf of 16 major U.S. cities and Prosecutors Against Gun Violence before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in support of the federal government’s rule that aims to bring “ghost guns” under the same federal regulation as traditional firearms.

Following briefing by the parties and the amici, the Eighth Circuit on August 22 affirmed a lower court’s upholding of the rule in the face of a legal challenge. The litigation team included partners Arthur Greenspan, Rachel Mechanic, David Massey, and Lee Richards, as well as counsel Jacob Taber.   

The amicus brief was filed by the litigation team on behalf of a group of amici, which included the cities of Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Dayton, Hartford, Los Angeles, Newark, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Providence, Rochester, San Francisco, Syracuse and Seattle, as well as the group Prosecutors Against Gun Violence. 

The brief argued that the federal rule is necessary to stop the dangerous proliferation of ghost guns on the streets of the amici’s cities and to promote public safety. The full brief is available to read here.  

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

Media Inquiries: Please email Justin Cole, Head of Media Relations.