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Sep 14, 2005
Daily Journal
“Workers Sue Wal-Mart, Claim They Worked in Sweatshops”
By Draeger Martinez

A group of workers from California and five foreign countries sued Wal-Mart on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging they were forced to toil in sweatshop conditions earning wages less than their nation’s legal minimums.
Lead plaintiffs’ lawyer Dan Stormer said the lawsuit marks the first time in a decade that the retail giant has to defend itself in court against sweatshop allegations. . .
"Because of the Kathie Lee Gifford incident and other examples of using sweatshop labor, they adopted the ‘standards for suppliers’ agreement," said Stormer, a name partner of Hadsell & Stormer in Pasadena. "But they clearly have not lived up to that agreement in regard to these plaintiffs."

August 3, 2005
San Jose Mercury News
“Lawsuit claims Chevron paid for deadly raids on 2 Nigerian villages”
By Elise Ackerman

The receipt for the Jan. 4, 1999, military raid, which left four villagers dead and nearly 70 missing and presumed dead, came to light this summer as part of a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of the victims in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. . .
Barbara Enloe Hadsell, an attorney for the villagers, said that in addition to paying the security forces, Chevron loaned them the helicopter that was used in the attack.
She said Chevron personnel not only accompanied the soldiers as they flew to Robin Creek but also directed the pilot to "deviate from his course" to pursue villagers who were "getting away."

July 24, 2005
Los Angeles Times
“Case Puts Spotlight on Office Affairs; A state Supreme Court decision may lead employers to monitor workplace relations”
By Molly Selvin

Until Monday, however, the state Supreme Court had yet to make a clear statement on whether a boss who shows obvious favoritism toward one employee creates a hostile work environment for other employees. Lower courts in California had issued conflicting rulings.
"That’s what this case stands for," said Pasadena lawyer Dan Stormer, who has won several high-profile sexual harassment suits. "It is stating the obvious – but there was no clear statement until now."

June 20, 2005
The Boston Globe
“Immigrants cry foul over cleaning franchises”

In California, a group of immigrants and low-wage workers settled a claim against the company in 2003. They alleged that Coverall failed to meet any of the promises it made to them.
Virginia Keeny, a Pasadena, Calif., lawyer who represented the plaintiffs, said some of the workers were recruited by Coverall employees; others saw notices in local newspapers about franchising opportunities. In every case, she said, the workers were presented with detailed legal contracts in English rather than in their native languages.

June 1, 2005
City News Service
“10 School Districts Sue State, Demand Standardized Testing in Spanish”
By Meredith Pierce

The Hawthorne school district and nine others filed suit today in a bid to force the state to test 1.6 million students who are not proficient in English in a form and language they understand. . .
The law firms representing plaintiffs in the suit are Burke Williams & Sorensen in San Diego, the law offices of Marc Coleman in Long Beach and Hadsell & Stormer Inc. in Pasadena. Other plaintiffs are the California Association for Bilingual Education, Californians Together, the California League of United Latin American Citizens and several students. They are asking the court to declare that the state has violated NCLB and the English-language learners’ rights under the California Constitution.

April 29, 2005
Los Angeles Times
“Judge Lifts Court Control Over O.C.’s Jail System; The ruling says state law now makes oversight largely redundant. Plaintiffs vow to appeal.”
By Jeff Gottlieb

After 27 years, the Orange County jail system no longer must operate under court-ordered guidelines governing the treatment of prisoners, a federal judge has ruled. . .
The decision angered attorneys for the plaintiffs, who vowed to appeal the decision and said they would prevail. . . Attorney Dan Stormer said he agreed that state law set standards for jail conditions, but "that law is not being followed."

April 10, 2005
Pasadena Star-News
“Small Pasadena law firm takes on the big issues and wins”
By Sonya Geis

The small law practice has a sizable reputation as a powerful advocate for civil rights. Its 10 lawyers have a long record of wins in cases that pit women, minorities, prisoners and the disabled against large institutions. Its partners regularly appear on lists of the top trial lawyers in Southern California. . . .
In 1996, the firm entered new territory by taking on a human-rights lawsuit against El Segundo-based oil company Unocal. . . . [T]he company settled the case last month. The terms of the settlement are confidential, but industry-watchers speculate the amount is around $55 million, said Arvind Ganeshan, director of business and human rights programs for Human Rights Watch.

April 4, 2005
Los Angeles Times
“Obituaries; John T. McTernan, 94; Lawyer Fought to Protect Civil Rights”
By Dennis McLellan, Times Staff Writer

John T. McTernan, a highly regarded Los Angeles civil rights lawyer who fought many landmark civil liberties and labor cases, including seven before the U.S. Supreme Court, has died. . .
One of McTernan's most important cases, which was decided by the Supreme Court in 1957, established the rule that a defendant has the right to be informed of the evidence the government says it has gained from informers and to examine and challenge that evidence.
"This is an extraordinarily important principle in a democracy -- that the accused be able to confront the evidence that the government says it has against them, so that we do not have a system of secret tribunals," Barbara Hadsell, a Pasadena civil rights lawyer who worked with McTernan for nearly 20 years, told The Times last week. . .

Mar 22, 2005
Daily Journal
“Unocal, Burma Villagers Settle Violence Case: Suit Says Oil Giant Allowed Soldiers to Rape, Kill, Enslave – 1980s Construction”
By Blair Clarkson

Unocal Corp. finalized a settlement Monday with Burmese villagers over allegations the oil giant allowed Myanmar soldiers to rape, murder and enslave villagers during construction of a gas pipeline in the 1980s.
Though the financial terms were confidential, news sources reported in March that Unocal had sued its insurers in Los Angeles federal court, claiming that the companies had declined to cover the proposed settlement and honor policies worth $55 million. . .
"We're extremely pleased with the result," said plaintiffs' attorney Dan Stormer of Pasadena's Hadsell & Stormer. "The case has now been concluded."

March 9, 2005
CNN
“Slavery and Trafficking in the United States”

GUTIERREZ: A neighbor finally called the police. No criminal charges were filed against the Jacksons, but civil rights attorney Dan Stormer filed a civil law suit against them.
STORMER: The Jacksons have stature within the community. I mean, this is a man who is vice president of corporate legal affairs for Sony. The jury found under the laws of this country that she had been held, falsely imprisoned, held as a slave, and her rights violated.

February 2005
International Enforcement Law Reporter
“Unocal Settles Alien Tort Claims Act Suit on Myanmar”
By Bruce Zagaris

On December 13, 2004, plaintiffs and the Unocal Corporation agreed to settle lawsuits concerning human rights violations committed during the construction of a pipeline in Myanmar. . .
Dan Stormer, a lawyer for the villagers, said the settlement would be used partly to develop programs to improve living conditions, health care and education and protect the rights of people from the pipeline region.