The cases described here are not intended as a guarantee of success in your case. These cases are only representative of the types of cases the firm has been involved with. No promise of success can be made to you, guaranteeing the outcome of your case.

Complex Litigation

O'Connor Berman Dotts and Banes has been lead counsel for parties involved in complex litigation in the Commonwealth on numerous occassions. Some examples are listed below:

Doe Plaintiffs v. The Gap et al.
Represents ten manufacturer defendants sued in the Commonwealth District Court and the Honolulu District Court in class action suits for alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and RICO. Allegations by plaintiffs of slave labor and underpayment of wages. The class consists of about 25,000 plaintiffs.

In re Estate of Larry Hillblom
Represented first a long time girlfriend of the late Mr. Hillblom (founder of DHL, Inc.) in a palimony claim, and then acted as counsel to an heir claimant in arbitration proceedings involving a $1 billion estate.

3K Corporation v. American Pacific Textile, Inc.
Breach of contract claims by contractor who built multi-million dollar garment factory complex. Counterclaim for delay damages, liquidated damages, breach of contract.

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Construction Law

TM Corporation v. Woosung
Obtained six-figure verdict for plaintiff subcontractor in contract dispute with general contractor arising from construction of new Commonwealth courthouse.

Lee v. TAC International Constructors
In case of first impression, established the Economic Loss Doctrine as law of the Commonwealth.

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Criminal Defense

Commonwealth v. Guerrero
Jury verdict of not guilty on all counts, including first degree murder, second degree murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, robbery and burglary. (April, 2001)

Commonwealth v. Sablan
Jury verdict of not guilty of kidnaping and assault with a dangerous weapon.

United States v. Zhou Liang
Indictment dismissed for improper venue in alien smuggling case involving interpretation of the federal High Seas Venue statute, following successful appeal to the Ninth Circuit. Reported at 224 F.3d 1057 (9th Cir. 2000).

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Labor Law

The O'Connor Berman Dotts and Banes firm practices extensively in the area of labor law. Representative cases include:

Srisuwan v. Onwel
Jury trial over alleged Fair Labor Standards Act violations that resulted in a zero verdict for each of eleven plaintiffs. We represented defendant employer.

EEOC v. Sako
Action brought by the EEOC alleging Family Leave Act violations.

In re Daichi Hotel
Represented Hotel and defeated union efforts to unionize work force in NLRB sanctioned election.

In re Sako
Represented garment factory management and defeated union efforts to unionize work force in two NLRB sanctioned elections.

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Local Counsel Service

O'Connor Berman Dotts and Banes has acted as local counsel for mainland firms in these and other cases:

Mr. Bill
Cargo ship sank between islands of Yap and Guam in a typhoon on Christmas day. Eight crew were rescued from the life raft after the raft's flooring peeled away. Products liability case. We defended life raft manufacturers and designers.

Phillip Morris
We represented Phillip Morris, Brown & Williamson Tobacco and the American Tobacco Company when they settled the multi-billion dollar states-attorney-general lawsuits in 1999. We have assisted Phillip Morris in their subsequent Marshall Islands Litigation.

Heirs of Babauta v. Colt's Manufacturing
Products liability action against manufacturers of famous Colt's guns, after Mr. Babauta was machine-gunned to death in a murder case on Saipan.

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Product Liability

Montecillo v. Di-All Chemical Co.
Represented plaintiff in claim for eye injuries resulting from defective chemical bottle manufactured by off-island corporation. Leading CNMI Supreme Court case interpreting Commonwealth long-arm statute and constitutional minimum contracts requirements. Have successfully litigated minimum contacts issues in numerous other cases, for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Caldwell v. Enstrom Helicopter
We represented Enstrom in wrongful death case involving helicopter crash into Philippine Sea near Saipan.

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Public Interest

Borja v. Tenorio
Represented winning candidate in Commonwealth gubernatorial election, in case which established the right of the governor to serve a third term in office. A constitutional amendment limiting the governor to two terms was held to be non-retrospective.

Commonwealth-Federal Relations
Represented or assisted litigants, intervenors, or amici curiae in numerous cases involving the application of federal laws in the CNMI, and the Commonwealth's countervailing right of self-government, including National Labor Relations Board v. Saipan Hotel Corp., 114 F.3d 994 (9th Cir. 1997), U.S. ex rel. Richards v. De Leon Guerrero, 4 F.3d 749 (9th Cir. 1993), Hillblom v. United States, 896 F.2d 426 (9th Cir. 1990), and A&E Pacific Construction Co. v. Saipan Stevedore Co., 888 F.2d 68 (9th Cir. 1989). Our firm's work has been instrumental in shaping the ongoing debate on these issues.

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Tort Litigation

Fitial v. Kim
Represented plaintiff in personal injury electrocution / amputation case. Obtained plaintiff's verdict of $3.5 million. (Largest personal injury verdict in the Commonwealth).

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