Natalie Weatherford

Bar / Professional Activity

• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, (CAALA), Board Member
• American Bar Association (ABA), Member
• State Bar of California, Member
• American Association for Justice (AAJ), Member
• Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), Member

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• In December 2024, Natalie obtained a confidential settlement in lawsuits against the LAUSD on behalf of former first-grade students at 96th Street Elementary School, who were sexually abused by their teacher, Louis Moreno, during the late 80s and early 90s. In October 1991, Louis Moreno was charged and arrested with 36 counts of felony child molestation involving 13 minor victims. Those charges were later amended to include 53 counts of felony child molestation involving 16 minor victims. The attorneys held a press conference that garnered coverage on KABC, KNX, KTLA, Univision, Telemundo and KNBC. The lawsuit was filed in November 2021. The trial has not been set yet. , 2024
• In February 2024, Natalie obtained a $13 million verdict on behalf of the plaintiff, Jane Doe, against Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The jury apportioned 80% of the fault for Jane Doe’s damages to LAUSD. Jane Doe was groomed and sexually abused by Daniel Garcia, a nineteen-year-old special education paraprofessional at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS) in Van Nuys, California. Doe was fourteen years old at the time the grooming began. Before he abused Jane, LAUSD had received notice that Garcia had dated a student at the LAUSD school he was assigned to before being transferred to DPMHS. Garcia was charged with several felonies related to the sexual abuse of Jane Doe and he pleaded no contest to felony statutory rape. , 2024
• In January 2024, Natalie obtained a $35 million verdict on behalf of Plaintiff Jane Doe 4, against Pomona Unified School District. Jane Doe 4 was raped by Herman Hopson, her former track coach at Pomona High School (PHS) when she was just 16 years old while on an overnight track trip. It is alleged that Hopson sexually assaulted at least four other minor, female PHS students. , 2024
• In December 2023, Natalie obtained a $25 million verdict against the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) for the sexual abuse of Plaintiff John Doe 2 throughout 2008-2011. John Doe 2 was sexually abused by SBUSD security guard and assistant football coach, Justin Sell at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California. Sell groomed and sexually abused John Doe 2 beginning when the Plaintiff was 14 years old. , 2023
• In September 2022, Natalie obtained an $8.5 million settlement on behalf of two plaintiffs who were sexually assaulted by their high school coaches in the mid-90s. The two plaintiffs were 14 and 15 years old at the time and sexually assaulted by the basketball coach and track and field coach. It was uncovered that these coaches had engaged in inappropriate behavior with other minor female students and despite this being known by students and high school personnel, nothing was done to further investigate or prevent these coaches from having close contact with the female students.  , 2022
• In March 2022, Natalie obtained a $102.5 million verdict for two female Dartmouth Middle School students who were sexually abused by Samuel Neipp, a music teacher. Natalie and attorney Lauren Cerri of Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard represented the two women through the five-week-long jury trial against the Union School District (USD). Natalie represented one victim of Neipp who sexually abused her for three years with no intervention from USD administrators, despite those administrators having witnessed them alone together on multiple occasions and having received several complaints from parents about him. The $37 million award to Natalie’s client was part of a total $102.5 million verdict divided between the two victims of Neipp. In 2017, Neipp was arrested and sentenced to 52 years in prison. This verdict was named to the TopVerdict Top 10 Verdicts in California in 2022., 2022
• In July 2021, Natalie obtained a confidential settlement of $1 million on behalf of Jane Doe against Covina Valley Unified School District and Jason Van Duyne. Doe, a high school student, was sexually abused by her history teacher, Van Duyne, beginning when she was 15 years old. Duyne, who was 31 years old at the time, began grooming Doe by paying special attention to her, complimenting her on her appearance and inviting her to spend time with him during lunch and after school in his classroom. This eventually led to sexual encounters that occurred numerous times on and off campus. As a result of the abuse, Doe has been intensely emotionally damaged and has been diagnosed with PTSD.  , 2021
• In March 2021, Natalie and attorney John Taylor obtained a $5 million settlement, the largest in the nation for a female trainee truck driver who was raped by her supervising co-driver. Natalie and John represented Jane Doe in the lawsuit against CRST, a national long-haul truck driving service, and Eric Horton, her CRST driving instructor. CRST has a lengthy history of sexual assault complaints – receiving hundreds of complaints from women each year. Despite an EEOC and class actions against CRST, the company has failed to take any significant steps to investigate the complaints properly and more importantly, to prevent sexual assault by driver supervisors against female students.  , 2019
• Natalie secured a $5 million settlement on behalf of child who was sexually abused by her junior high school teacher. The litigation of this case led to the enactment of Civil Code Section 1708.5.5 and Evidence Code Section 1106(c) which changed the laws regarding consent evidence for minors in California S.M. v. Los Angeles Unified School District, Elkis Hermida., 2018
• In April 2018, Natalie obtained a multi-milliondollar settlement on behalf of a woman who was raped at her job during an armed robbery. The victim was a manager at clothing store located in a shopping center in West Los Angeles, California, and the robbery and rape occurred while she was closing the store for the evening. Non-violent crimes had occurred on the premises before, yet the shopping center failed to increase security or address the cause of increased illegal activity. Natalie sued the shopping center on the victim’s behalf, arguing that it had a responsibility to provide a safe work environment for employees on the property. , 2014

Videos

• Meet Natalie Weatherford

Educational Background

• Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California
• California State University, Long Beach

White Papers

• When districts fail to investigate, do not offer adequate training and supervision or provide glowing (but false) recommendations to problem teachers in order to move them to another school, then civil lawsuits can force the districts to change this behavior. The criminal system does not address this conduct; it is merely aimed at punishing the perpetrator of the abuse. Holding school districts and administrators and perpetrators responsible through civil litigation is an important way to end the epidemic and bring about permanent change with new policies and training for teachers and coaches., Turning a Blind Eye: Sexual Abuse in California Schools, 2015

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• Sexual abuse cases involving minors are some of the most challenging and emotional – yet rewarding – cases that a plaintiffs’ attorney can take on. Representing minor victims of sexual abuse requires an ability to navigate the most sensitive topics while aggressively fighting for the documents and information that you will need to win your case. Do not expect any compassion from defense counsel despite the delicate nature of these cases. Sexual-abuse cases are often hard-fought legal battles on every issue − from liability to damages − and defense counsel will take any opportunity to discredit the minor victim, attack the victim’s family, and cover up or diminish their clients’ wrongful conduct. Here’s what you need to know to successfully represent your minor plaintiff in a suit against the perpetrator of the abuse and the perpetrator’s employer., Author, Litigating Childhood Sexual-Abuse Cases, The Advocate, 2014
• Natalie explains key legal and strategic considerations for preparing and presenting your closing argument., Author, Delivering a Powerful Closing Argument, Telling Your Story Using Demonstratives And Evidence, The Advocate, 2024
• Discussed in detail are several automatic protections for victims of sexual abuse and sexual harassment aimed at protecting them from irrelevant and unnecessary violations of privacy., Author, Protecting Your Plaintiff in Sexual-Misconduct Cases, The Advocate, 2020
• AB 218 was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 13, 2019 and will take effect on January 1, 2020.Natalie Weatherford and Sonya Ostovar of Taylor & Ring, explain how this new bill will impact victims of childhood sexual abuse and it will spearhead change moving forward., Author, How Will the California Assembly Bill 218 Impact Victims of Childhood Sexual Assault, Lawyer Monthly, 2018
• A short primer on practice and procedures., Author, Government Tort Claims: Practice and Procedures, The Advocate, 2018
• Filing and having your motion to compel ruled on has become more difficult, particularly within the Los Angeles Superior-Personal Injury Court (“PI Court”). Hearing dates can be set far out in the future and in-person discovery conferences with the judge are generally required before the motion-to-compel hearing. The opposing party’s participation is needed throughout the motion-to-compel process – from scheduling the IDC to stipulating to extend the time to file the motion to compel which is almost always necessary to comply with the deadlines to file the motion. If opposing counsel wants to be difficult, they can make the entire process both frustrating and time consuming. Opposing attorneys are aware of the difficulties in bringing motions to compel and use these difficulties to their advantage. More and more it seems that evasive responses to written discovery and inapplicable, blanket objections are the norm. Motions to compel are often necessary to set the tone in your case and acquire the documents and information you need to win your case., Author, Motions to Compel: The New Reality, The Advocate, 2016
• Sexual assault, abuse and harassment cases present many complex and unique evidentiary issues. Here are the seven key evidentiary issues that you will face in these challenging cases., Co-Author, Seven Key Evidentiary Issues in Sexual Assault, Abuse and Harassment Cases, The Advocate, 2015

Firm News (Newsletters)

• Taylor & Ring Blog

Honors

• Top Plaintiff Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2024
• Natalie was named by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) as the 2024 Trial Lawyer of the Year for securing three major verdicts of $25M, $35M, and $13M. , Trial Lawyer of the Year, CAALA, 2024
• Consumer Attorneys of Southern California: Visionaries, Los Angeles Times B2B, 2024
• Women of Influence: Attorneys, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2024
• Women of Influence: Attorneys, Los Angeles Business Journal, 2023
• Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, CAALA, 2022
• Natalie has been named to the Best Lawyers list since 2020., Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2025
• Rising Stars, Law360, 2019
• Top Women Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2021
• Top Women Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2023
• “Rising Star” Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, CAALA, 2016
• “Rising Star” Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist, CAALA, 2018
• Top Women Lawyers, Daily Journal, 2024

“Natalie is an accomplished trial lawyer.”

“Excellent attorney at handling sexual abuse cases”