LONDON (Standard&Poor's) May 27, 2003--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today its ratings and outlook on U.K.-based international tobacco manufacturer British American Tobacco PLC (BAT; A-/Negative/A-2) are not affected by the recent litigation developments in the U.S., including the decisions on the Boerner and Engle class action lawsuits. In the Boerner case, an individual health-related lawsuit, BAT's U.S. subsidiary, Brown&Williamson Corp. (B&W) was ordered on May 23, 2003, to pay $19 million in damages. B&W will, however, appeal the decision. This case is the second jury decision on an individual case that is adverse to a tobacco company outside Florida or the West Coast. The many potential stages of appeal, however, and the industry track record
