Shell, a Dutch corporation, argued that the law used to bring the company before a U.S. court, the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), should not apply.

FORBES: Shell, Corporate Social Responsibility and Respect for the Law

When she started her company F International in 1962, the idea of people working from home was alien to most businesses.

BBC: Teleworking: The myth of working from home

The lawsuit seeking unspecified damages is based on several claims, but rests primarily on the Alien Tort Statute and the Torture Victim Protection Act, which open the door for the Saharkizes to sue a Finnish company for goings-on in Iran.

FORBES: How similar is the lawsuit against Nokia Siemens to Wang Xiaoning v. Yahoo?