- Summary- Law firms- Municipalities say ExxonMobil, Shell and others colluded to intentionally deceive consumers- Devastating 2017 hurricane season was exacerbated by climate change, lawsuit says(Reuters) - Puerto Rican municipalities have filed a lawsuit in federal court saying ExxonMobil Corp, Shell Plc, Chevron Corp and others colluded to publicly downplay the risks of their fossil-fuel products on climate change and are financially responsible for damages from the devastating 2017 hurricane season, which was made worse by global warming.The towns say the companies coordinated a multibillion-dollar "fraudulent marketing scheme" to convince consumers that fossil fuel products do not alter the climate."Puerto Rico was hit by the perfect storm and is the ultimate victim of global warming," said Marc Grossman, a partner at Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, a firm representing the municipalities, in a statement.Exxon spokesperson Casey Norton said that legal proceedings like this “waste millions of dollars of taxpayer money and do nothing to advance meaningful actions that reduce the risks of climate change.”Theodore Boutrous of Gibson Dunn and Crutcher, a counsel for Chevron, said the "lawsuit is a baseless distraction from the serious challenge of global climate change, not an attempt to find an effective solution."The suit claims the oil companies should pay for the damage from the storms, which the municipalities said was made worse by climate change, including lost education and healthcare opportunities and tourism revenue."