Saipan Office

O'Connor Berman Dotts
& Banes

Second Floor, Marianas Business Plaza
P.O. Box 501969
Saipan, MP 96950-1969
Telephone: (670) 234-5684
Fax: (670) 234-5683
Email

PRACTICE AREAS

Disclaimer

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 occasions. Some examples are listed below:

Doe Plaintiffs v. The Gap et al.
Represented eleven 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 consisted of about 25,000 plaintiffs.

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

K 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

O’Connor Berman Dotts & Banes has extensive experience in the field of construction law.  A few of the many construction law cases the firm has been involved with include:

Lloyds v. Black Construction
Represented engineering company in multimillion dollar claim involving pier construction and damage to vessels.  Taken to trial and defense verdict obtained for the firm’s client.

TM Corporation v. Woosung
Obtained 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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Labor Law

O'Connor Berman Dotts and Banes practices extensively in the area of labor and employment law. The firm has been involved in litigation involving Title VII, the FLSA and the NLRA, as well as the local Nonresident Works Act and wrongful termination cases asserting violation of public policy.  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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Product Liability and Tort Litigation

O’Connor Berman Dotts & Banes has a history on involvement in products liability and tort case.  A few examples include:

 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
Represented Enstrom in wrongful death case involving helicopter crash into Philippine Sea near Saipan.

Fitial v. Kim
Represented plaintiff in personal injury electrocution / amputation case. Obtained largest personal injury jury verdict in the Commonwealth.

Lacy v. United States
Represented plaintiff in medical malpractice lawsuit against Tripler Army Hospital. Involved multiple experts and fact witnesses.  Pursued to a final judgment against the United States. 

Wabol v. Wyeth
Represented plaintiffs in Fen Phen litigation filed in Commonwealth Superior Court, then removed to Federal Court.  Combined with other clients of the firm for a group settlement.

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Criminal Defense

O’Connor Berman Dotts & Banes has been involved in a number of high profile criminal defense cases.  Examples include:

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 kidnapping 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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Local Counsel Service

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

Mr. Bill Litigation
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
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
Represented Colt’s in a products liability action after a family dispute led to a fatal shooting.

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