Today’s Oregonian includes this thoughtful editorial about what is at stake in our on-going case against KBR for Oregon National Guard Soldiers. I have to agree with the editorial board that what is at issue is more than whether and how KBR will be required to repair the damage… Continue Reading →
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D. Or.) has done his part to get to the bottom of the sad story of Oregon National Guard soldiers exposed to toxic chemicals at the KBR Qarmat Ali facility. Rep. Blumenauer previously asked the Secretary of Defense to provide information about the agreements–both for KBR and… Continue Reading →
Mike Doyle and I were in court this morning fighting off more KBR motions. The KBR defendants asked Judge Papak to prohibit us from taking discovery because–according to KBR–their motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction required no discovery. They also asked Judge Papak to prohibit discovery until… Continue Reading →
This is an update on our case, Bixby v. KBR, U.S. District Court Case No. CV 09-632-PK (D. Or.). In the case, soldiers serving in the Oregon National Guard claim that KBR defendants are responsible for their exposures to hexavalent chromium, a cancer-causing toxic chemical. The soldiers claim that KBR… Continue Reading →
It started with a political noise machine. Before their appointments to the U.S. Department of Justice, it seems that several current DOJ lawyers defended Gitmo detainees on a pro bono basis. Apparently former Vice President Cheney’s daughter, Elizabeth Cheney, is connected to the group that posted this… Continue Reading →
This is the second part of a three-part series on what Oregon consumers need to know when dealing with injury claims. In case you missed it, here is Part 1 . And should you need more information, here is Part 3. So as I noted in… Continue Reading →
In Portland last week, Senator Wyden held a press conference to announce his support for expanding VA benefits for soldiers exposed to toxic chemicals in Iraq. This arguably sounds bland. It is not. Senator Wyden and Oregon National Guard Vets It’s important for a few reasons. Let’s talk first… Continue Reading →
Politicians bowing to the infernal media noise machine appear to be caving on criminal trials for those accused of acts of terror. Gutless. The point is better made here at Defending People, one of my favorite law blogs. Having never tried a criminal case, I have to… Continue Reading →
Sometimes the best legal advice to a recalcitrant client about their case is, “Stick a fork in it; it’s done.” And so it goes with KBR and the horrifying case of Jamie Leigh Jones. When Ms. Jones claimed that she was drugged and raped while working in… Continue Reading →
Senator Byron Dorgan (D. N.D.) announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election. I’ve never been to North Dakota, and I had only passing awareness of Senator Dorgan until this summer. That changed as a result of my work on behalf of Oregon National… Continue Reading →