2011 Archived News

Stoll Berne settles overtime class action against vegetable processor

March 4, 2011 – Stoll Berne filed a class action against Stahlbush Island Farms in Corvallis demanding overtime pay for workers in Stahlbush’s vegetable processing operations.  On March 2, 2011, the parties reached a settlement.  The settlement covers more than 100 current and former employees of the Corvallis-area company. Steve Larson represents the plaintiffs in this lawsuit. Read the full story as originally published in the Corvallis Gazette-Times by clicking here.

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Christopher Place Senior Communities receives $750,000 award in arbitration

April 14, 2011 – Steve Larson recently represented Christopher Place Senior Communities in an arbitration with Frontier Management.  The demand for arbitration made the following allegations:Christopher Place Senior Communities owns and operates a number of senior residential care facilities in the United States, but none in the Pacific Northwest.  Frontier Management manages dozens of senior residential care facilities in the Pacific Northwest.  Frontier Management encouraged Christopher Place to purchase an Alzheimer’s Senior Residential Care facility in Oregon, and offered to manage it.  Frontier prepared the budgets and pro formas used as part of the due diligence for the acquisition.

Shortly after the purchase, the state of Oregon inspected the facility and noted some improvements that needed to be made.  This is typical in the industry.  However, Frontier Management failed to make the corrections required, and the State issued a stop placement order, which prohibited the facility from admitting new residents, and was unable to get the stop placement order lifted for five months.  The demand for arbitration alleged that Frontier Management breached the Management Agreement and was negligent in managing the facility.  Christopher Place Senior Communities sought to recover its lost profits.  The arbitrator awarded $757,333 in damages, and asked the parties to submit briefs on whether and how many dollars of attorney fees were recoverable.  Shortly thereafter, the case settled.

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Nadine Gartner joins Stoll Berne

April 20, 2011 – STOLL BERNE announces that Nadine A. Gartner has joined the firm as an associate attorney.  As a former law clerk at the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Court of Federal Claims, Nadine brings knowledge of federal practice and insight into the judiciary.  Nadine’s practice will emphasize complex business litigation and class action litigation.

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Andy Davis joins Stoll Berne

June 1, 2011 – STOLL BERNE announces that Andy Davis has joined the firm as a shareholder. Andy Davis concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial real estate including development, investment and finance.  He advises clients in a wide range of commercial real estate transactions and matters, including the purchase and sale, development, investment, leasing, financing, management and ownership of commercial properties.  He has over 24 years of professional experience in commercial real estate, including six years before law school in real estate brokerage and development. Andy has represented clients from private and institutional real estate companies, large and small corporations, investors, advisors, developers and owners of commercial real estate.  He has experience in transactions involving office, retail, industrial, multi-family, investment and corporate properties.

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Larson Interviewed on OPB

June 27, 2011 – Steve Larson was interviewed on the Think Out Loud radio program on Oregon Public Broadcasting on June 24, 2011.  The topic was the recent class action decision by the US Supreme Court in Dukes v. Wal-Mart, which Steve has commented on in his Class Actions Bloghttp://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/shows/whither-women-wal-mart/.

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Former Service Technician at Reddy Ice Corp. Sues for Overtime

August 13, 2011 – Today, a former service technician of Reddy Ice Corporation filed a putative nationwide collective action lawsuit on behalf of himself and other service technicians across the country.  The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.  The complaint asserts violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, alleging that service technicians were not paid proper overtime for their overtime hours worked.  The plaintiff is represented by Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis, Nichols Kaster, LLP in San Francisco, California, and Stoll Berne in Portland, Oregon.

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Stoll Berne receives Corporate Philanthropy Award

September 21, 2011 – The Portland Business Journal recognized Stoll Berne in the Small Company Category as one of the top ten corporate philanthropists in Portland for the 2010 financial year. Stoll Berne contributed $71,402 to charitable and non-profit causes in 2010.  The top four beneficiaries of Stoll Berne’s giving in 2010 were Stand for Children, the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, the National Consumer Law Center, and the Oregon Ballet Theatre.This is the fourth year that Stoll Berne has been recognized by the Portland Business Journal for its charitable giving. Stoll Berne is proud to support the non-profit organizations, public schools, and volunteer organizations that make the city of Portland work for all of its citizens.

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Social Justice by Bike

October 28, 2011 – Riding a bike is a privilege.  Not everyone has this opportunity.  Stoll Berne supports Cycle Oregon’s Cycle Safe Program which was launched this year to help introduce cycling to kids in rural Oregon.  Read more by clicking on this link to “Social Justice by Bike”, an article written by Gina Binole and published on October 27, 2011 in the Sustainable Business Oregon section of the Portland Business Journal.  Keith Ketterling, managing shareholder of Stoll Berne, and Cycle Oregon board member talks about the Cycle Safe Program: “We see this as an opportunity to bring cycling to kids in rural Oregon that may not otherwise have such opportunities.  We see this as creating young cyclists who will help transform their communities, working to improve health and fitness, combat childhood obesity, empower youth, help heal the planet, and improve local economies through tourism.”

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Hot Coffee – The Movie

November 11, 2011 – Steve Larson introduced the keynote speaker, Susan Saladoff, at the National Consumer Law Conference Annual Awards Luncheon on Saturday, November 5, 2011 in Chicago.  Susan produced and directed Hot Coffee, a documentary movie about the McDonald’s coffee lawsuit that has been screening to enthusiastic audiences at film festivals across the country.  Variety Magazine said it was an “Eye Opening Indictment of the way big business spins the media.”  Watch the movie trailer by clicking here.

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Larson Encourages Other Law Firms to Open IOLTA Accounts with Visionary Banks

December 5, 2011 – The Oregon State Bar interviewed Steve Larson for an article published in the December 2011 edition of the Oregon State Bar Bulletin encouraging Oregon law firms to deposit their IOLTA funds with banks that pay the highest interest rates.

This interest earned supplies direct funding to the Oregon Law Foundation to make grants of legal aid and civil legal services providers in the state.  With interest rates low and the demand for such legal services high, it is more important than ever for these funds to earn the highest rates of interest possible.  To read the full article, please click here.

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Honors in 2011

Chambers USA gave individual recognition to Gary BerneKeith KetterlingSteve LarsonRob Shlachter, Robert Stoll, and David Lokting and listed Stoll Berne in Band 1 as being a top firm in Oregon for General Commercial Litigation.

Lawyers recognized in Oregon Super Lawyers list includeGary BerneTim DeJong (Top 50), Keith KetterlingSteve LarsonDavid LoktingRob Shlachter (Top 10), Scott Shorr,  and Robert Stoll.

Lawyers recognized in Oregon Rising Stars list include:  Yoona Park, Joshua Ross, and Jennifer Wagner.

Best Lawyers of America 2012 recognized these seven Stoll Berne attorneys in their annual publication: Gary Berne, Tim DeJong, Keith Ketterling, Steve Larson, David Lokting, Rob Shlachter, and Scott Shorr.

Best Lawyers have named Rob Shlachter as the Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year for 2012 for Bet-the-Company Litigation in Portland, Oregon”.

Benchmark Litigation has listed Stoll Berne as a Highly Recommended local litigation firm in Oregon (the highest category) and lists the following shareholders as local litigation starsGary BerneTim DeJongKeith KetterlingRob Shlachter, and Scott Shorr.

U.S. News and Best Lawyers announced Stoll Berne was a “Best Law Firm” in America.  Specific recognition included: National 2nd Tier for Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Plaintiff, and Portland, Oregon 1st Tier for Appellate Practice, General Commercial Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Securities Litigation, Mass Torts Litigation/Class Actions – Plaintiff Litigation, and Tax Law.

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