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- The Great Trials Podcast
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- audio
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- Education,
- True Crime
- People |
- Premiere Date |
- 2018-12-14
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- #GreatTrialsPodcast
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- Biweekly
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Submit ReviewThis week Steve and Yvonne interview Bill Atkins of Warshauer Woodward Atkins (https://warlawgroup.com/) and Bill is joined by the plaintiff in the case, Mr. Mark Tuggle. A podcast first!
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Guest Bio:
William J. Atkins
Bill Atkins represents clients in medical malpractice, wrongful death, and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has developed unique expertise representing children injured or killed in daycare facilities, victims of sexual abuse in youth service, religious or academic institutions, and victims of excessive force by law enforcement officers. He is also a certified mediator and arbitrator.
Bill began his career prosecuting felonies and misdemeanors in Douglas County. He transitioned to civil practice in 2000 and has earned a reputation as a tenacious trial lawyer. He has secured multiple six and seven-figure verdicts and settlements for his clients in employment discrimination, civil rights, medical malpractice, and other catastrophic personal injury cases.
Juries have returned multi-million-dollar verdicts in all of Bill’s medical malpractice cases. Bill has also secured multi-million-dollar settlements for his clients in commercial trucking cases, sexual abuse of children by a volunteer in a youth services organization, and the family of a little girl who choked to death in a daycare center.
Bill is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association’s Executive Committee. He is a GTLA Champion and PAC member. Bill has given seminar presentations on a variety of topics including medical malpractice, non-emergency medical transport, auto and trucking, trial techniques, employment discrimination, and police misconduct.
Bill volunteers his time to serve as co-director of the Walton High School Mock Trial Program. Each year, he recruits lawyers to help teach high school students the fundamentals of trial practice. The team has finished in the top 3 in the Region every year, won a District championship, and earned a spot in the State tournament 2 times, including a run to the final four in 2021.
Bill lives in Marietta with his wife, Kathleen, and Puppy, a delightful 15-pound poodle mix. He has four stepchildren scattered around the country and enjoys frequent visits with them. He plays golf, enjoys sailing, and wastes far too much emotional energy rooting for various sports teams.
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Natalie Woodward of Warshauer Woodward Atkins (https://warlawgroup.com/) and Dax López of DelCampo Grayson Lopez Attorneys at Law (https://dglattorneys.com/).
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Guest Bios:
Natalie Woodward
Anyone who meets Natalie Woodward feels like they have known her their entire life. It is this ability to put people at ease that makes her such an effective trial lawyer. Natalie secured a $77.7 million psychiatric malpractice verdict in September 2022 for the Carusillo family who’s son was forced out of a mental health facility without his medication in 2017. Watch the News Nation interview about the case.
In 2010, she tried her first jury trial as lead counsel in a wrongful arrest case and secured a $1 million verdict which is the largest verdict of its kind in Georgia history. In 2021, she was interviewed about this trial. https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-e8jnd-101dc94
Her cases have made international and national news including her fight to protect the rights of children on social media. https://youtu.be/cfGYpv8iKIE
In 2014, she argued before the Georgia Court of Appeals to obtain increased protection for children targeted on social media. https://caselaw.findlaw.com/ga-court-of-appeals/1680364.html Natalie has also led the fight to secure justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Natalie is a proud native of Powder Springs, Georgia and is a venerable “Double Dawg.” She received undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science from UGA and then graduated from UGA Law in 2002. While in law school, she was a member of the 2001 Champion Intrastate Moot Court Team, President of her Second Year Class and Chair of the Moot Court Board.
Natalie serves on the Executive Committee for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the Bench and Bar Committee of the State Bar of Georgia. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the best lawyers in the State for the past six years and was selected as one of the Best Young Lawyers in Georgia by Atlanta Magazine.
Dax López
For nearly 11 years, Dax served as a judge on the State Court of DeKalb County where he presided over complex criminal and civil matters. As only the second Hispanic judge on a court of record in the history of Georgia, Dax was known to be an efficient, fair, and just jurist who earned the respect of lawyers and litigants alike.
A native of Ponce Puerto Rico, Dax attended Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt Law School where he was an editor on the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law and the president of the Vanderbilt Bar Association. After law school, Dax served as the law clerk for federal judge Hector M. Laffitte in the Federal District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.
Prior to his appointment to the bench, Dax was a trial lawyer at three prestigious law firms in Atlanta specializing in complex civil matters, business litigation, product liability, and employment law.
Throughout his legal career, Dax has received numerous recognitions. Dax has been named as one of the Top Fifty Industry Leaders by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, as among Georgia’s Legal Elite by Georgia Trend magazine, and as a Rising Star in 2009 and 2010 by the SuperLawyer Magazine. In 2010, Mundo Hispanico named Dax to be the Funcionario Destacado del Aňo. In 2011, Dax was named by Georgia Trend Magazine to be among the best and brightest 40 Under 40 and by The Fulton Daily Report to be among those in the legal profession who were “On the Rise.” He is also the recipient of the Justice Benham Community Service Award.
Dax served on the Board of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials for 15 years, and as President of the Georgia Hispanic Bar Association from 2006-2008. He is also a past president of the Cooper Inn of Court. Currently, he is a Trustee on the Board of Leadership Georgia, a member of the Board of Councilors for the American Jewish Committee, and a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s regional board. He is also a member of the State Bar of Georgia’s Board of Governors and a member of the Standing Committee of Interpreters.
In 2015, President Barack Obama nominated Dax to a vacant seat on the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Unfortunately, Dax did not receive a hearing in the U.S. Senate and his nomination expired at the end of President Obama’s term.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Mike Haggard of the Haggard Law Firm (http://www.haggardlawfirm.com/).
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Episode Description:
Best Lawyers of America’s 2017 Trial Lawyer of the Year Mike Haggard of The Haggard Law Firm explains how he secured one of the largest single personal injury verdicts in Florida history on behalf of Lorri and Lonnie Hinton, the parents of 2-year-old Loren “Tookie” Hinton. Loren suffered irreversible brain damage, leaving her unable to walk or talk after she nearly drowned in an apartment complex pool. The six-foot-deep pool was enclosed by a broken gate that the complex’s staff knowingly delayed fixing, without notifying tenants of the danger it posed to children. A Broward County jury assigned 99% of the blame to 2331 Adams Street Corporation and 1% to Loren’s father Lonnie for a lapse in supervision.
Guest Bio:
Mike Haggard
Compassionate, empathetic and a fervent advocate for victims of crime, Michael Haggard has dedicated his career to the pursuit of justice on behalf of his clients in the courtroom securing unprecedented awards and as an activist who continuously lobbies for permanent solutions and changes through local, statewide and federal legislation. Specializing in pool drowning, negligent security, wrongful death, unsafe premises, and products liability, Haggard has established himself as a powerful force in the South Florida Legal Community as the Managing Partner for The Haggard Law Firm. After spending time as a Public Defender and working with a small personal injury firm before joining The Haggard Law Firm, Haggard was named a partner in 2001, secure in the belief that every case holds equal importance and could mean the opportunity to award a family resolution to a devastating incident.
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Gregg Goldfarb of Gregg M. Goldfarb, LLP (https://gregggoldfarb.com/) and the “Cut to the Chase” Podcast (https://www.cuttothechasepodcast.com/).
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Guest Bio:
Gregg Goldfarb
Gregg Goldfarb has been diligently representing injured clients for over 25 years. He has helped thousands of clients in complicated litigation receive millions of dollars in compensation for their injuries. His extensive experience includes whistleblower litigation, mass tort claims, accidents, PIP insurance claims, and civil rights claims. A valued member of his community, Gregg has been advocating for the disabled community for 15 years, serving as past President of the South Florida Center for Independent Living, and starting an environmental non-profit called Clean Miami River.
With a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, Gregg has worked on over 5000 legal cases in state and federal court.
Gregg also hosts Cut to the Chase: podcast, which has nearly 100 episodes where he interviews the best lawyers in the country and on some of the biggest cases, and experts on topics ranging from the universe, energy, cryptocurrency, insurance, and even movies.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masstortguy/
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Anthony Elman & Frederick Joseph of Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC (https://www.elmanlaw.com/).
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Guest Bios:
Anthony Ellman
Anthony (Tony) Elman is the Lead Trial Attorney of the Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC. He has been named a "Super Lawyer" by Thomson Reuters each year from 2016-2022. This "Super Lawyer" designation is granted to no more than 5% of lawyers based upon 12 indicators of both professional achievement as well as peer recognition.
Anthony Elman was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 22, 1966. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1988 from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, went on to earn his J.D. degree in 1991 from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana, and earned his Master of Law degree (L.L.M.) in health care law in 1994 from the DePaul Law School/Health Law Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He was admitted to the State of Illinois Bar and the General and Trial Bar of the United States District Court of North Eastern Illinois in 1992.
Frederick Joseph
Frederick is a partner and trial lawyer for the Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC. He was named to the 2021 & 2022 "Rising Stars" group of lawyers by Thomson Reuters as part of their "Super Lawyers" awards. This "Rising Stars" designation is for those under 40 years old or who have been practicing law for 10 years or less and is granted to the Top 2.5% of lawyers. The designation is based upon 12 indicators encompassing both professional achievement and peer review.
The Elman Joseph Law Group concentrates on Illinois personal injury lawsuits involving car, truck, SUV, motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian accident injuries. The firm also handles cases involving premises liability injury cases (including "slip & fall" accidents), workplace accidents, injuries and accidents that occur in nursing homes, and other situations where injury or death has resulted due to the negligence or intentional actions of another person.
Frederick prides himself on his success rate at arbitration and at trial. Like other lawyers at the Elman Joseph Law Group, LLC, he is unwilling to just "settle" cases by accepting inappropriate offers from the insurance companies.
Among his accomplishments are the results he achieved in two Cook County car accident cases. Mr. Joseph has obtained the highest jury verdict awards in two separate Cook County municipal division courtrooms in 2018. Both verdicts are more than double the amount of the next highest verdict in their respective courtrooms. In one car accident court trial, the verdict was 12 times the final offer from the defense attorney; in the other lawsuit, the verdict was over 5 times the final offer from the defense attorney.
Another example of Mr. Joseph's trial capabilities took place recently in Cook County. The plaintiff (a public school teacher) was struck after the defendant ran a red light and collided with her vehicle. The insurance company wanted to settle the case for less than the plaintiff's medical bills, and award her nothing for her pain and suffering. Mr. Joseph, unwilling to settle for that amount, took the case to trial. After closing arguments, the jury returned a verdict for his client for over four times what the insurance company was offering to settle the case.
He graduated from the Purchase College Conservatory of Music, and he continued his graduate studies at Boston University. His J.D. degree is from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. During law school, he was a member of the Dean’s List, participated on the ABA Mock Trial Team, and spent two years clerking in the litigation/product liability group for a prestigious national corporate defense firm.
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Daniel Callahan, founding partner of Callahan & Blaine (law.com/">https://www.callahan-law.com/) and owner of Callahan Consulting (https://callahanconsulting.com/).
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Guest Bio:
Daniel Callahan
Throughout his career, Daniel J. Callahan has always been known as one of the top trial attorneys in California. His notable jury verdicts included a $934,000,000 jury verdict obtained after a three-month jury trial in a complex business dispute entitled Beckman Coulter vs. Flextronics. This unanimous verdict was the largest in California in 2003 and remains the largest in Orange County history.
Mr. Callahan also went on to obtain a $50,000,000 settlement in a road design case against the City of Dana Point. Exclusive of large class actions, this continues to be the largest personal injury settlement in United States history.
Mr. Callahan also obtained, after a two-month jury trial, a $38 Million settlement on behalf of a class of newspaper delivery drivers against The Orange County Register. This is still the highest employment settlement in Orange County’s history.
Mr. Callahan grew up in Chicago, Illinois where he went on to receive his BA, magna cum laude, from Western Illinois University in 1976, and graduated with honors from the UC Davis School of Law in 1979, while serving as Editor of the Law Review. He began his career in Hawaii before relocating to Southern California and starting his own firm by opening the doors on St. Patrick’s Day, 1984. Mr. Callahan also provides corporate consulting to law firms and lawyers regarding litigation and strategy through Callahan Consulting Group, LLC.
law.com/meet-the-team/daniel-j-callahan/">Read Full Bio Here
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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Jake Zimmerman of The Zimmerman Firm (firm.com/">http://zimmerman-firm.com/) and Genevieve Zimmerman of MeshBesher and Spence (https://www.meshbesher.com/).
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Guest Bios:
Jake Zimmerman
Jake Zimmerman has litigated on behalf of plaintiffs whose total recoveries approach a billion dollars. Much of his practice focuses on intellectual property disputes, and on patent litigation and licensing in particular. He has also litigated high-stakes cases on behalf of personal injury plaintiffs and defendants. He was selected as a 2019 Attorney of the Year in Minnesota for his groundbreaking work on behalf of a parent whose son was killed at Sandy Hook. He was again selected as an Attorney of the Year in Minnesota in 2021 for his role in appeals from the Bair Hugger MDL litigation against 3M.
Jake graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota School of Law. He lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife, Genevieve, and two wonderful children.
firm.com/past-recoveries/">Read Full Bio
Genevieve Zimmerman
Genevieve presently serves as court-appointed Co-Lead Counsel for plaintiffs in MDL 2666: In re Bair Hugger Products Liability Litigation. Genevieve was trial counsel in the only bellwether trial. The Bair Hugger MDL includes claims brought by patients who allege the Bair Hugger patient warming system caused deep joint infections following total hip and total knee replacement surgeries.
Genevieve is also Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs in MDL 2775: In re Smith & Nephew Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Products Liability pending in the District of Maryland. The MDL includes claims brought on behalf of patients who required revision surgery as a result of defective BHR products. Plaintiffs have successfully defeated a motion to dismiss based on preemption and tried the first MDL bellwether case in July 2021. After a three-week trial, the jury agreed Smith & Nephew was negligent for its false or misleading communications to orthopedic surgeons.
Since 2013, Genevieve has served as a court-appointed member of the Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel Committee for MDL 2441: In re Stryker Rejuvenate and ABGII Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, and is also one of four attorneys appointed to the Settlement Committee for the Stryker MDL, which helped to negotiate a settlement in excess of $1.43 billion.
Additionally, in May of 2019, Genevieve was appointed to the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee of the 3M Combat earplug litigation MDL.
She is one of 14 lawyers appointed by Judge Englehardt to MDL 2740, In re Taxotere, which includes claims brought by women who have suffered permanent baldness as a result of the use of Taxotere.
She was court appointed to the PSC for the Biomet MDL in the Northern District of Louisiana, and helps patients suffering from hips made by Smith & Nephew, DePuy, Wright/MicroPort, and Zimmer.
Genevieve’s past work includes helping heart defibrillator patients after a Guidant recall in 2006. She represented patients who suffered serious injuries and death following the use of the recalled prescription drug Vioxx. She has assisted hundreds of clients in obtaining settlements for defective products including Yaz, transvaginal mesh, hernia mesh, Actos, to name a few.
During 2007-2009, Genevieve spent nearly 75% of her time providing pro bono legal services to the survivors and families who lost loved ones as a result of the I-35W Bridge Collapse. The consortium was successful in obtaining recoveries exceeding $75 million.
Genevieve serves the community through ongoing pro bono work where she has represented victims of domestic violence seeking to obtain court orders for protection, immigrants seeking to update immigration documents, and high school students seeking protection of their first amendment rights to equal access to school facilities.
Genevieve is currently the immediate Past President of the Minnesota Association for Justice, having served on the Board of Governors since 2009, and was proud to receive the “Member of the Year” award in 2012, and the “Star” award in 2021. She is a past member of the Board of Governors for the American Association for Justice. Genevieve has been rated by SuperLawyers as a Super Lawyer since 2014.
On a personal note, Genevieve volunteers and raises money for scholarship funds for her alma mater, St. Paul Central High School. In whatever free time she has left, she enjoys travel, skiing, recreational marathons, teaching her kids how to swing a hammer, shovel class five, and cheering for her Minnesota sports teams.
firm.com/past-recoveries/">Read Full Bio
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On this episode, Steve and Yvonne share a short update on the future of The Great Trials Podcast. You can expect a slight change in the show's release schedule. You can also look forward to new interviews with tremendous trial lawyers that we can't wait to share with you.
Happy New Year from The Great Trials Podcast team!
This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Kila Baldwin of Kline and Specter, PC (https://www.klinespecter.com/)
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Episode Details:
A Philadelphia attorney with a strong track record leading complex cases against medical device manufacturers, Kila Baldwin of Kline and Specter, PC discusses the high-profile trial in which she represented Ella Ebaugh, a woman who sustained lifelong injuries due to defective transvaginal mesh implants designed by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. In her 40s, Ella was diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence, which caused her bladder to leak unexpectedly. She was implanted with a TVT-Secur and TVT sling and later endured three mesh removal surgeries because the mesh had eroded into her bladder and urethra. Today, Ella is incontinent, wears adult diapers and suffers from frequent urinary tract infections. Using Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson's actions against them, including statements made in internal emails, Kila Baldwin was able to successfully persuade the Philadelphia jury to decide in favor of Ella. In 2017, the jury returned a verdict of $7.1 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages, citing Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson’s negligent design of the products and willful disregard for patient safety.
Guest Bio:
Kila Baldwin
Kila B. Baldwin, a partner at Kline & Specter, has been involved in a number of the firm's high-profile cases, including as lead counsel in trials that resulted in verdicts of $80 million, $57.1 million and $41 million against Johnson & Johnson in transvaginal mesh cases.
Baldwin was selected as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer for 2019 and 2020. From 2011-2018 she was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer — Rising Star and for 2014-2019 as a New Jersey Super Lawyer -- Rising Star, designating her as among the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in the two states who are 40 or younger. She also was selected for the 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 editions of the peer-review publication Best Lawyers in America.
In her latest major case, Baldwin in February 2020 achieved a $12.75 million settlement with a medical device manufacturer, Monteris Medical Inc., whose NeuroBlate Sidefire broke during surgery and caused brain damage to the patient. (Read article) Prior to that case, Baldwin obtained a $75 million settlement in a wrongful death case, the largest pre-trial settlement in a case in Pennsylvania history.
In May 2019, Baldwin was co-counsel in a six-week trial that resulted in an $80 million jury verdict against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon Inc. for a Media, Pa., woman injured by a surgically implanted vaginal mesh device. The verdict in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court included $50 million in punitive and $30 million in compensatory damages, making it the country's largest compensatory award to date in a vaginal mesh case. (Read article)
A few months earlier, Baldwin won a $41 million verdict -- including $25 million in punitive damages – against a J&J for a Lancaster, Pa., woman who suffered permanent injuries from a vaginal mesh device designed and marketed by a company subsidiary. (Read article)
In late 2017, Baldwin won a major jury verdict against J&J for a Pennsylvania woman injured by a vaginal mesh device made by the company's Ethicon Inc. subsidiary. The award included $7.1 million in compensatory and $50 million in punitive damages for the behemoth drug and device maker's reckless behavior in selling the defective product implanted in women across the country. (Read article) The verdict was featured on the BBC program Panorama. In earlier cases, Baldwin was co-counsel in two trials that resulted in verdicts of $12.5 million and $13.5 million for two other women injured by the surgically implanted vaginal mesh products. (See the Hammons and Carlino cases.)
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jim M. Perdue, Sr. and Jim M. Perdue, Jr of Perdue and Kidd (https://www.perdueandkidd.com/).
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Episode Details:
Texas trial lawyers Jim M. Perdue, Sr. and Jim M. Perdue, Jr. -- Perdue & Kidd's father-and-son trial team -- take a look back at the first case they ever tried together. Listen as this accomplished trial team explains how they secured justice for the wrongful death of a patient who died as a result of the negligence of a nurse anesthetist during routine orthopedic surgery. In September 1997, 40-year-old Mark Alexander was scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, but the anesthesiologist left him in the hands of an inexperienced nurse anesthetist, who failed to provide Mark with adequate ventilation during the surgery and neglected to record Mark's heart rate for 17 minutes. As a result, Mark was deprived of adequate blood flow to the brain for 10 to 14 minutes and remained in a coma for two weeks before passing away on October 3, 1997. Involved in the case while Mark was still in a coma, Jim M. Perdue, Sr. was able to collect powerful pieces of evidence he presented at trial: phone recordings and messages from Mark's family. In spite of the defense's attempts to cast blame on the other anesthesiologists and professional associations named in the lawsuit or to distance themselves from having any role in Mark's medical care, the father-and-son legal team was able to hold the doctors accountable for their contribution to Mark's substandard care and proximate cause of death. Jim M. Perdue, Sr. and Jim M. Perdue, Jr. strategically engaged the jury's senses with impressive storytelling and by sharing a visual timeline of the tragic events, a video of Mark languishing in a coma and the hard data comparison of the anesthetist's records versus the medical equipment records. In October 1999, a Harris County, Texas jury unanimously found the four defendants negligent and awarded $3.6 million in damages to Mark's wife and surviving parents.
Guest Bios:
Jim M. Perdue, Sr:
Jim M. Perdue, Sr. is Of Counsel to Perdue & Kidd. Mr. Perdue received both his Bachelor of Science cum laude and his Juris Doctorate cum laude from the University of Houston.
Mr. Perdue has had over five decades of success in securing substantial and in some cases unprecedented multi-million dollar verdicts and recoveries for his clients. He has lectured across the country, speaking before law schools, scientific associations, medical groups, bar associations, trial lawyer organizations, and colleges of advocacy, delivering over 400 presentations on topics including the substantive law of malpractice and product liability, professional responsibility, rules of evidence, the psychology of jury persuasion, special issue submission, and trial strategy and technique.
He has authored texts and treatises on the substantive law of medical malpractice and product liability. The appellate courts of Texas have often cited his books, law review, and law journal articles. Moreover, numerous appellate opinions in cases he has prosecuted have pioneered the way for today’s victims of negligence, defective products and corporate indifference.
In 1989, Forbes magazine dubbed Mr. Perdue “King of the Malpractice Lawyers.” He has been a trailblazer in plaintiffs’ litigation for the past fifty plus years. He is one of the most well-known medical malpractice and product liability trial lawyers in Texas.
Jim M. Perdue, Jr:
Jim M. Perdue, Jr. is a named partner at Perdue & Kidd, with a national practice focusing on trying lawsuits, from cases involving defective medical products and pharmaceutical liability claims to catastrophic injuries of all types. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and Medical Professional Liability by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. He currently serves on the Rules Advisory Committee of the Texas Supreme Court. Jim Perdue Jr. is both an Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates and Fellow in the International Society of Barristers. Mr. Perdue is listed among the “Top 100 Attorneys in Texas” in Texas Monthly by Thomson Reuters, where he has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” since the award was created 11 years ago. He is also named in “The Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White 2006-15) for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury practice.
Jim Perdue Jr. has tried over 30 personal injury cases to jury verdict, including multi-million dollar verdicts for cases involving pharmaceutical liability, workplace injury, and medical malpractice. This includes his $27.6 million dollar verdict against Boston Scientific, listed as one of the largest product liability verdicts of 2014 by the National Law Journal. Jim Perdue Jr. has spoken at over 100 legal seminars and published on a wide range of topics, from trial techniques to tort law. He has made appearances on Good Morning America, Court TV, and local television as a legal commentator on civil justice legislation, automotive safety, and product liability law.
Jim Perdue Jr. r attended the University of Texas and graduated summa cum laude. He then received his J.D. cum laude at the University of Houston Law Center and was named their Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 2006. He is Past-President of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, Past-Chair of the Professional Negligence Section of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, a member of Leader’s Forum of American Association for Justice, a fellow of the Texas and Houston Bar Foundations, and a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. The Houston Young Lawyers Association honored Jim Perdue Jr. with the Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Attorney Award in 2002.
Mr. Perdue serves on the Boards of TIRR Foundation, which is the charitable research arm of TIRR Hospital in Houston, Texas, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Foundation (Houston); and the Silver Spurs Alumni Association. Jim Perdue Jr. is a past director of the Texas Lyceum and Past President of the University of Houston Law Center Alumni Organization. He and his wife Nicole have three sons.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Ian Alexander, Katrina Taraska, and Joseph Preiser of Goldberg & Goldberg (https://www.chicagomedicalmalpracticefirm.com/).
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Episode Details:
Chicago trial lawyers Ian Alexander, Katrina Taraska, and Joseph Preiser of Goldberg & Goldberg share how they successfully represented 25-year-old model Irma Sabanovic's grieving family after Irma drove her car over an unmarked curb and drowned in the Chicago River. In May 2011, Irma drove her Ford Focus to Goose Island to pick up her boyfriend from a late-night performance at a nightclub and got lost on a dead-end street bisected by the Chicago River. Due to the City of Chicago's failure to maintain barriers or provide warnings to motorists --despite knowledge of a similar incident that occurred more than a decade earlier -- Irma unknowingly drove her car over the curb and into the water. After an extensive search, her body was discovered nine days later in her vehicle. At trial, the defense attempted to blame Irma for her own wrongful death, insinuating she was drunk, driving impaired, and not paying attention. In May 2016, a Cook County, Illinois jury awarded Irma's family $13,890,000 in damages, delivering the #6 verdict in Illinois in 2016.
Guest Bios:
Katrina M. Taraska
Originally from the East Coast, Katrina M. Taraska grew up in a family of seven in Peoria, Illinois. Her mother was a language teacher proficient in French, Italian and Spanish who devoted her time to the enrichment of the lives of her students while teaching at area schools. Her father, a dedicated pathologist, was one of the four original founders of the Midwest affiliate of St. Jude Children’s Hospital, which provides care to children with childhood diseases.
Unique to Ms. Taraska’s chosen career in personal injury law, she was the victim of a propane gas explosion, in which a commercial building collapsed on her, her mother, her brother, and a close family friend. The explosion left Taraska with extensive second and third-degree burns early in her life. She was hospitalized for 3 months, during which she underwent skin grafting of her arms, legs, hands, and chest. Incredibly, a year prior to the explosion, Ms. Taraska’s father and a reconstructive surgeon opened the only downstate burn unit in Peoria where she was successfully treated despite the severity of her burns. It is this life-changing event that has played a significant role in Ms. Taraska’s career of representing the injured.
After graduating from law school Ms. Taraska has successfully represented clients and their families in complex litigation.
In 1995, Katrina Taraska began practicing law in downstate Illinois where she grew up. In 2000 she became a partner with a Peoria law firm where she enjoyed the privilege of advocating for her clients in their respective claims for personal injuries, medical negligence, worker's compensation, and employment discrimination. She frequently appeared before the Circuit Court of Peoria County, Illinois, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Employment Security, and in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois.
In 2009, Ms. Taraska joined the Chicago law firm of Goldberg & Goldberg, where she continued her professional experience as a Plaintiff’s lawyer in tort litigation. As a focus of her practice, she concentrates on representing individuals and their families in catastrophic medical malpractice and wrongful death claims. Her cases have involved spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, complications from surgical procedures, cardiovascular injuries, birth injuries, interventional radiology, infections, negligence in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries involving alleged abuse and neglect, gynecological and obstetric injuries, and products liability cases. Ms. Taraska also represents individuals involved in transportation accidents (railroad grade crossings, motor vehicle accidents, and semi-truck collisions), as well as premises liability claims, and injuries from assault, battery, and false imprisonment.
Throughout her career, Ms. Taraska has been active in professional organizations including the Peoria County Bar Association, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, the American Inns of Court (Abraham Lincoln Chapter), the National Employment Lawyers Association, and the Chicago Bar Association. She has been a guest writer for the Peoria Woman Magazine and enjoys mentoring younger lawyers in their professional endeavors.
Ms. Taraska is a member of the Catholic Church and is active in the service of those individuals in need in the local community.
m-taraska.html">Read Full Bio
Ian R. Alexander
Mr. Alexander concentrates his practice on representing the victims of catastrophic injuries in the areas of medical malpractice and complex personal injury litigation. Mr. Alexander first joined Goldberg & Goldberg in 1999 and became a partner in 2004. Mr. Alexander has tried to verdict and/ or settled numerous medical malpractice, product liability, aviation, railroad, construction negligence, and other complex personal injury cases. Mr. Alexander has been appointed to the plaintiff’s steering committee in the litigation arising out of the Amtrak-Bourbonnais Train Disaster, the Hinkley Air Disaster, and the Oshkosh Mid-Air Disaster, among other litigation. Mr. Alexander has published articles regularly on issues pertaining to medical malpractice litigation.
Mr. Alexander was raised in north suburban Chicago and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his legal education at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Alexander is admitted to practice before the Illinois Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He is also a member of the Federal Trial Bar. Mr. Alexander is married and has two children. He resides with his family in Highland Park, IL.
r-alexander.html">Read Full Bio
Joseph Preiser
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Joseph M. Preiser grew up in the suburbs of Oak Park and River Forest. Joseph’s father, a personal injury attorney, unintentionally set Joseph on a path toward a career in law. From an early age, often unbeknownst to his father, Joseph read his father’s books authored by prominent trial attorneys including, Gerry Spence, Robert Shapiro, Irving Younger, and Vincent Bugliosi, sparking Joseph’s interest in law and justice.
After graduating from Oak Park-River Forest High School, Joseph attended the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. While pursuing his undergraduate degree, Joseph began to hone his skills as a trial lawyer by participating on the University of Illinois’ Mock Trial team. During his senior year, Joseph’s team won the Regional Mock Trial Championship and competed in the Mock Trial National Championship in Des Moines, Iowa.
In 2006, after working for a year at a large Chicago law firm, Joseph received an Honors Scholarship and enrolled at Loyola University in the Juris Doctorate and MBA programs. While attending law and business school, Joseph worked as a judicial extern for Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thomas L. Hogan and as a traffic prosecutor for the City of Chicago, where he prosecuted over 185 bench trials to verdict.
In 2009, Joseph graduated with a joint J.D./M.B.A. degree. While earning his degrees, Joseph obtained recognition on the Dean’s List, was a participant on the Health Law Moot Court team, assisted at Loyola’s Business Law Clinic, obtained his M.B.A. with honors, and became a Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society member.
After graduation, Joseph immediately went to work for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office as an Assistant State’s Attorney. In his first year, Joseph authored and filed more than 30 appellate briefs in the Illinois Appellate Court, First District. Notably, Joseph authored the State’s brief in People v. Tripp, a matter of first impression in Illinois, in which the Appellate Court agreed with Joseph’s position and published an opinion in his favor. Joseph also argued on behalf of the State before the Illinois Appellate Court in People v. Primbas, an animal cruelty case that resulted in the death of a Rottweiler, where the Appellate Court again agreed with Joseph and published an opinion in his favor.
For the following four years, Joseph worked in the Traffic Division where he prosecuted DUIs and represented the victims of automobile crashes. During his time in the Traffic Division Joseph refined his skills in the courtroom, prosecuting over 600 trials to verdict including 14 jury trials. In recognition of his performance and dedication, the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists awarded Joseph with a Certificate of Recognition and Achievement.
In late 2014, Joseph was assigned to the State’s Attorney’s Office’s Felony Review Unit. During his time, he spoke to victims of crimes, Mirandized and obtained statements from violent offenders, reviewed evidence, and provided consultation on charging decisions to law enforcement agencies throughout Cook County.
In 2015, Joseph joined Goldberg & Goldberg where he continued his practice as a civil trial lawyer with a concentration on representing the victims of medical malpractice. Joseph is involved in all matters related to the trial of these complex civil litigation matters, including taking and defending depositions, drafting and arguing contested motions, attending court, and assisting on all of the firm’s catastrophic medical malpractice and wrongful death claims. Joseph has specialized knowledge in Illinois Traffic Law and crash investigations, particularly as they affect victims in car crashes, motorcycle crashes, and pedestrian injuries. Dedicated to the needs of all of his friends and clients, Joseph is willing to lend his assistance on any law-related matter. Joseph relishes the opportunity to work with and learn from the other talented lawyers at Goldberg & Goldberg. Joseph appreciates the firm’s devotion to their clients, their comprehensive commitment to preparation, and their unrelenting fearlessness in the courtroom.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Christine Spagnoli of Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP (https://www.gbw.law/).
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Episode Details:
Santa Monica, California attorney Christine Spagnoli of Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP shares how she advocated for injured church members and their grieving families after a Ford E350 15-passenger van overturned following a tire tread separation. In April 2004, four members of Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church traveled on Sacramento's I-5 in a van equipped with Goodyear Load Range E tires. Due to known tread separation problems, Goodyear conducted a voluntary replacement program on these tires, but Ford failed to notify its dealers. The tread on the church van's factory-mounted Goodyear tires separated, causing the van to flip four times, killing the driver William Brownell and front-seat passenger Tony Mauro and injuring passengers Marlene Shirley and Alexander Bessonov. Ford knew the E350 15-passenger van was susceptible to overturning, given professional driver tests that indicated oversteering and handling issues, but the company allowed the vehicle to go to market without modifying the design. In 2011, a Sacramento jury found Ford Motor Company negligent and returned a $73 million verdict, including $50 million in punitive damages against Ford in favor of the plaintiffs.
Guest Bio:
Christine D. Spagnoli
Christine D. Spagnoli is a partner of Greene, Broillet & Wheeler in Santa Monica, specializing in representing plaintiffs in product liability, personal injury and legal malpractice actions. She has obtained many multimillion-dollar verdicts, including the 1999 General Motors case in which a defective fuel tank was found responsible for the burn injuries of two adults and four children. The jury returned with a landmark $4.9 billion verdict. She was co-counsel in the largest personal injury verdict in California, which resulted in a $58 million verdict for a man severely burned by a defective O-ring.
Chris is one of the state’s most trusted legal leaders as a member of the Los Angeles Judicial Selection Advisory Committees (JSACs). In January 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom named Ms. Spagnoli to the influential committee that reviews judicial candidates under consideration for nomination and appointment and will provide important feedback before forwarding their names to the Governor for review.
The awards and honors bestowed on Chris by these various organizations include the Consumer Attorneys of California’s 2014 Robert E. Cartwright Award and its 2010 Marvin E. Lewis Award as well as the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles 2005 Ted Horn Memorial Award. These awards recognized Chris for her excellence in trial advocacy and her dedication to teaching trial advocacy to her colleagues as well as her selfless gift of her talents in service to the organizations and consumers. She was honored as one of Loyola Law School of Los Angeles’ Champions of Justice in 2013. In May 2017, Consumer Watchdog, a non-profit consumer advocacy group, bestowed on Chris its Rage for Justice Lifetime Legal Achievement Award. On June 7, 2018, the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles inducted Chris into its Hall of Fame, honoring CAALA members with distinguished legal careers who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and society.
In 2018 Chris was named as one of California’s Top 30 Plaintiff attorneys by the Daily Journal, which also has ranked her as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California and one of the Top 50 Women Litigators since 2004. She has also been named a “Super Lawyer” in the Southern California Super Lawyers peer-nominated listings compiled and published by Law & Politics, and one of the Best Lawyers in America by Woodward/White, Inc., based on a survey of her peers.
As a frequent lecturer and author, Chris has shared her expertise on various trial techniques including demonstrative evidence, direct and cross-examination methods, written discovery and demonstrating head trauma injury in children. Among the organizations she has addressed are CAALA, CAOC, AAJ, the American Bar Association, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and Trial Lawyer associations in Colorado, Connecticut, Missouri, Washington, and the Western Trial Lawyers Association.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Dan Huff of Huff, Powell & Bailey, LLC (https://www.huffpowellbailey.com/).
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Episode Details:
Georgia defense attorney Dan Huff of Huff, Powell & Bailey, LLC, a firm specializing in the defense of medical negligence cases for physicians and hospitals, explains how he secured a unanimous verdict in favor of radiologist Dr. Joshi and the staff at Radiology Associates of DeKalb, who were faced with charges of medical malpractice and the wrongful death of 51-year-old podiatry patient Lisa Calhoun. In June 2014, Lisa went to her podiatrist with leg pain and was told she may be suffering from deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clots in her legs. The podiatrist ordered an ultrasound, which was then interpreted by Dr. Joshi. The ultrasound confirmed a DVT diagnosis, but there was a factual dispute as to whether the diagnosis was communicated by Dr. Joshi’s office to the podiatrist. A few days later, Lisa was admitted to the emergency room, complaining of severe chest pain and shortness of breath. While in the hospital, she claimed that she was unaware of the ultrasound results and died of cardiac arrest several hours later. Disputing the claim that Dr. Joshi’s office did not communicate the ultrasound results to the podiatrist, Dan walked the jury through the proper procedures associated with communicating radiology results and shared evidence of phone calls between Lisa and her podiatrist's office as well as between the radiology technologist and the podiatrist's office. This evidence convinced a DeKalb County, Georgia jury that Dr. Joshi and the staff at Radiology Associates of DeKalb neither violated the standard of care nor served as a proximate cause to Lisa's death, resulting in a defense verdict.
Guest Bio:
Dan Huff
Since 1991, Dan has specialized in the defense of high damages lawsuits, primarily medical malpractice lawsuits and claims. He has represented defendants in more than 110 jury trials. He has defended and successfully tried cases for every specialty of medicine and numerous hospitals throughout Georgia. Dan’s trial record would be a proud career for any defense lawyer and remarkable because Dan has tried and won so many cases in so few years. In the past five years Dan has tried more than 30 medical malpractice cases in Georgia. Many of those cases have been against the best plaintiffs' attorneys in the state.
Because of Dan’s trial record and reputation with plaintiffs' attorneys, he is able to obtain the best possible outcomes for physicians and hospitals whether the case is tried or resolved.
In addition to representing defendants, Dan is a regular contributor to legal and medical publications and seminars. Dan and his firm are proud to donate their time and resources to help several local charities and provide pro bono legal representation to indigent clients.
In 2018, Dan became a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. Founded in 1950, the College is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada. Fellowship in the College is extended by invitation only and only after careful investigation, to those experienced trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds, who have mastered the art of advocacy and whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality. Lawyers must have a minimum of fifteen years trial experience before they can be considered for Fellowship. Membership in the College cannot exceed one percent of the total lawyer population of any state or province. There are currently approximately 5,800 members in the United States.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mark Avera of Avera and Smith (https://www.avera.com/).
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Episode Details:
Gainesville, Florida trial lawyer Mark Avera of Avera & Smith explains how he secured justice for Yvonne Wiederhold, the wife of the late Rich Wiederhold, by connecting the actions of one negligent delivery driver in Orlando, Florida to the larger Domino’s Pizza corporation through established right-of-control practices. Rich, a retired Brevard County District Fire Chief, strategically swerved and ultimately rolled his truck to avoid crashing into a Domino’s delivery car that pulled out in front of him. Rich was rendered a quadriplegic and died 15 months later due to complications. An Orange County, Florida jury returned a verdict of $8,977,788.55 in damages against Domino's Pizza LLC.
Guest Bio:
Mark Avera
Like his father before him, Mark Avera has a history of many years of service to the people of Florida. His knowledge and understanding of the legal needs of his clients come not only from the practice of law but from his early career as sheriff’s deputy in Alachua County.
Before becoming a law partner at Avera & Smith in 1989 (then Avera & Avera), Mark served as a sheriff’s deputy for Alachua County. He became the department’s youngest deputy ever to be promoted to the rank of Sergeant. His primary assignments were uniform patrol division, SWAT, and the supervision of the department’s Street Crimes Unit.
Mark completed his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida while working midnight shifts for the Sheriff’s Department and went on to graduate from UF with a law degree. Today, Mark serves as Managing Partner for Avera & Smith and works alongside his brother, Lance Avera, who specializes in workers' compensation law, and partner Rod Smith, who specializes in personal injury law.
Mark is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law (B.C.S.) by the Florida Bar. He received his initial certification in 1998 and has remained qualified for board certification in civil trial law since that time. Board Certification is the Florida Bar’s highest level of evaluation in competence and experience within a specific area of law and indicates superior professionalism and ethics in practice. Only slightly more than 1,000 of the more than 100,000 lawyers currently licensed in the State of Florida are actually Board Certified in Civil Trial Law.
During his career, Mark’s professionalism and dedication to his work as a trial advocate are reflected by his induction into the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and in 2015 his induction into the International Society of Barristers. His accomplishments in the courtroom are recognized yearly in legal publications such as Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Florida’s Super Lawyers, and in 2007 he was recognized by Lawdragon as one of the top 500 Plaintiff’s lawyers in America.
After the landmark Supreme Court decision in Engle v. Liggett Group, Inc., Mark has been involved in representing Engle plaintiffs against various tobacco companies responsible for the deaths of smokers who began smoking as children in the 1940s and 1950s.
Beyond his professional achievements, he believes in community service to give back to the community which has been an integral part of his life.
Mark serves on the Board of Directors for the Santa Fe College Foundation and in the past served on the Boards of Directors for the Children’s Home Society, North Central Florida Community Foundation, and the Executive Committee of the North Florida Heart Ball, American Heart Association.
Mark is married to the former Stacy Marie Upchurch and their blended family consists of four children; Alexandria, Danielle, Myles, and Weston. They all enjoy the outdoors and travel.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Patrick Malone of Patrick Malone & Associates, P.C. (https://www.patrickmalonelaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Acclaimed Washington, D.C. plaintiff’s attorney Patrick Malone discusses how he secured a $3.6 million verdict on behalf of a two-week-old baby girl who suffered a serious chemical burn from an intravenous line delivering liquid nutrition and antibiotics in her ankle at Georgetown University Hospital. The tip of the intravenous needle migrated into the muscle and fat, causing permanent injury that required multiple medical interventions. At trial, Malone demonstrated that the nursing staff at the hospital allowed the IV line to go unchecked, directly contributing to the severity of the burn.
Guest Bio:
Patrick Malone
Patrick Malone is a leading patient safety advocate and attorney who represents seriously injured people in medical malpractice lawsuits, product liability cases and other types of lawsuits. Mr. Malone has won a long string of exceptional verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. He is the co-author of an acclaimed book teaching other attorneys how to win cases: Rules of the Road: A Plaintiff’ Lawyer’s Guide to Proving Liability.
Patrick Malone is a son of the Midwest. He grew up in an Irish Catholic family in Wichita, Kansas, the oldest of seven children. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Kansas, he worked as a reporter for United Press International in Kansas City, then won a prestigious journalism fellowship at the University of Michigan, where he studied public health issues and wrote freelance articles for the Washington Post. Malone then worked as a medical writer and investigative reporter for the Miami Herald, where he won a number of awards, including a finalist designation for the Pulitzer Prize for a series co-authored on “dangerous doctors.”
After he was accepted at Yale Law School, Malone and his wife Vicki sold their home in Miami and moved to a rental apartment in New Haven, Connecticut with their infant son. They had one more son while at Yale and a third after moving to the Washington area. At Yale, Malone won several student awards, including best “moot court” argument. He worked for a year after graduating for a prominent federal judge, U.S. District Judge Gerhard Gesell in Washington, D.C. In 1985, Patrick Malone began his career as an attorney representing seriously injured people.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Betty Nguyen Davis (http://www.bettydavislaw.com) & Bethany Schneider (https://schneiderlawpc.com/).
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Episode Details:
The National Trial Lawyers 40 Under 40 honoree Bethany Schneider of Schneider Law, P.C. and three-time Georgia Super Lawyers honoree Betty Davis of The Davis Injury Firm LLC discuss a recent personal injury case involving a metro Atlanta hotel, a general contractor, a subcontractor, and a Haitian cab driver. Struck by an 8-foot metal pipe falling from the construction site four floors above, cab driver Max Laguerre sustained a traumatic brain injury, due to a lack of safety precautions taken by Cajun Contractors, Inc. In June, a DeKalb County, Georgia jury returned a $5 million verdict, which was added to a $1 million pre-trial settlement with the hotel and over $500,000 in punitive damages.
Guest Bios:
Betty Nguyen Davis
Betty Nguyen Davis is an Atlanta injury attorney who solely focuses her practice on plaintiff’s personal injury work. Betty is consistently recognized by her peers as a top attorney in Georgia by Super Lawyers and Georgia Trend and is highly recommended by her clients as an aggressive and persistent, yet caring and accessible attorney.
Bethany Schneider
With more than a decade of trial experience, Bethany has built a reputation as a preeminent trial lawyer in Georgia and Florida. Bethany has always had a passion for fairness and justice and knew from an early age that she wanted to be a trial lawyer, fighting on behalf of others in the courtroom. Bethany grew up in Franklin, Tennessee, before attending the University of Georgia from 2002-2005, where she graduated with an ABJ and BA with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa. She briefly left the Southeast for law school and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with honors in 2009. While in law school, she honed her trial skills on the mock trial team and was honored with the award for the Best Advocate in her graduating class.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Russ Herman, Senior Partner of Herman, Herman & Katz, L.L.C. (hhklawfirm.com).
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Episode Details:
In late 2011, HH&K partner Russ Herman helped finalize the 14-year-old class action lawsuit, Scott v. American Tobacco Company, with a judgment that ordered certain tobacco companies to fund a statewide, 10-year smoking cessation program benefiting more than 200,000 Louisiana smokers who are members of the plaintiff class (the “Scott Class”). The judgment created a court-established and court-supervised smoking cessation program to benefit Louisiana residents who began their smoking habit before September 1, 1988. Since the judgment, the defendant tobacco companies have deposited the funds with the Court to create the Smoking Cessation Trust (“SCT”).
Guest Bio:
Russ Herman
Russ M. Herman is a Senior Partner of Herman, Herman & Katz, L.L.C. He graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. Degree and L.L.B. in 1966. In 1977, he was chosen “Outstanding Trial Lawyer” by the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association and was LTLA President in 1980-81.
He has authored over 200 articles, papers and books in various aspects of Civil Trial Practice and has been published in various works including Am Jur; Trials; Shepard’s/McGraw Hill; The National Business Institute; Trial Magazine; The Forum; and Personal Injury Annual by Matthew Bender.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Brian Panish of Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi LLP (www.psbr.law).
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Episode Details:
Trial lawyer Brian Panish shares how he secured a multi-million dollar verdict for a U.S. Air Force Academy Captain who suffered catastrophic injuries after a truck driver hit him while riding his motorcycle. The truck driver, who suffered from seizures, was charged for his negligent behavior after dragging the Captain for more than a football field.
Guest Bio:
Brian Panish
One of the country’s leading trial attorneys, Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Brian Panish has obtained some of the most significant jury verdicts in United States history on behalf of plaintiffs. His courtroom victories include a $4.9 billion record verdict in the landmark products liability case Anderson v. General Motors, over 100 verdicts and settlements in excess of $10 million, six verdicts in excess of $50 million, and more than 250 verdicts and settlements over one million dollars in personal injury, car accident, wrongful death, and business litigation cases.
Mr. Panish consistently serves in a leading role in the largest personal injury cases in California and the country — he currently serves as Plaintiffs lead counsel in the Southern California Fire Cases litigation arising from the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California and serves on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee for the 2017 North Bay Fires in Northern California. Additionally, Mr. Panish has been appointed Lead Trial Counsel in the Porter Ranch/Aliso Canyon Gas Blowout Litigation and has served in leadership roles in the Asiana Airlines Crash Litigation, the Olympus Superbug CRE Litigation, and DePuy ASR Hip Implant Litigation, among others.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Eric Fong of Fong Law (https://www.ericfonglaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Eric Fong, an accomplished lawyer who has tried more than 100 civil and criminal jury trials, shares how he successfully represented his client William Tisdale after being brutally attacked by a robber due to a convenience store's lack of employee training and proper security measures. Around 11 p.m. on November 4, 2015, William Tisdale entered an Apro convenience store in Parkland, Washington, and was immediately told by the clerk to call 911. Not realizing that there was a robber inside the store who was threatening to kill the clerk and demanding money from the register, William stepped outside to call 911 only to be violently beaten by the baseball bat-wielding thief as he stole William's car. Eric Fong used enhanced animation to show jurors the severity of William's numerous injuries, including multiple skull fractures, traumatic brain injury, and retinal damage, as they occurred in real-time via the video footage of the attack. In spite of the defense's attempts to minimize William's injuries and to blame him for not remembering to take his medications due to a TBI, the jury responded to Eric Fong's re-telling of William's story and his appeal for empathy and compassion for his client. In June 2021, a Pierce County, Washington jury — limited by COVID-19 precautions and virtual trial proceedings — found Apro was 90% at fault and William was 10% at fault in this groundbreaking premises liability case. The jury awarded William $91 million in total damages, which is the largest compensatory damages verdict for an individual plaintiff in Washington state.
Guest Bio:
Eric Fong
Imaginative and yearning to explore with measured recklessness, Eric Fong lives for the adrenalin only a courtroom provides. With over 100 civil and criminal jury trials under his belt, he is recognized as an innovator of creative trial work in both fields of law.
Eric protected low-income housing residents of WA State against oppressive crime control measures, creating the constitutional right to intimate association. His $91,000,000 verdict is the largest compensatory damages verdict for one person in Washington State. His representation of iconic funk musician & legend, George Clinton allowed Mr. Clinton to keep his historic body of work. Decided in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, this is the definitive copyright case in the United States.
Eric lives with his beloved fiancé and co-collaborator Courtney, 2 amazing daughters, and his courtroom dog “Happy” on the beautiful Burley Lagoon.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Gilion Dumas of Dumas & Vaughn, LLC (https://dumasandvaughn.com/).
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Episode Details:
Gilion Dumas, a partner at Dumas & Vaughn, LLC in Portland, Oregon, and an experienced litigator in child sexual abuse cases, explains how she successfully represented former Boy Scout Kerry Lewis, who was sexually abused by an adult Boy Scout volunteer multiple times in the early 1980s. From 1982 to 1984, Kerry was mentored by Timur Dykes, who admitted to a Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -- the organization that sponsored Kerry's Boy Scout troop -- that he had abused 17 boys before January 1983. Despite this admission, the church, the Boy Scouts of America organization, and the Portland-based Cascade Pacific Council allowed Dykes to remain involved in the organization and to work directly with children, failing to notify the parents of Boy Scouts, like Kerry, who unfortunately became another abuse victim following Dykes' admission. Through a groundbreaking use of the Boy Scouts of America's secret "perversion files" containing allegations of sex abuse within the organization, trial lawyer Gilion Dumas and her legal team were able to hold the Boy Scouts of America and local Cascade Pacific Counsel responsible for the abuse Kerry, who was 38 at the time of trial, suffered as a boy. In 2010, a Multnomah, Oregon jury awarded $1.4 million in non-economic damages, assigning 60% of the negligence to the Boy Scouts of America, 15% to the Cascade Pacific Council, and 25% to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which settled before the trial began. In a separate six-week trial, a jury returned a punitive damages award of an additional $18.5 million against the Boy Scouts of America.
Guest Bio:
Gilion Dumas
Gilion Dumas is a partner at Dumas & Vaughn, LLC in Portland, Oregon. She has substantial litigation experience, most recently representing survivors of child sexual abuse and sexual assault. She is known for her diligent advocacy and compassion for her clients, bringing legal savvy, clear communication, and common sense to the stressful and often confusing experience of civil litigation. Gilion knows her way around the courtroom, having tried many cases, both on her own and as “second chair.” She obtained a judgment of over $4.5 million for a young Oregon woman who was sexually molested as a child. She was also one of the trial attorneys in the 2010 child sexual abuse trial in Portland against the Boy Scouts that resulted in a $19.9 million verdict for the plaintiff.
Gilion is currently involved in dozens of claims on the West Coast and around the country against schools, churches, and youth-serving organizations that allowed children to be abused by employees or volunteers. She and her law partner Ashley Vaughn represent many alumni of Catlin Gabel, an elite private school in Portland, for claims of abuse dating back to the 1960s; over 60 men with claims in the Boy Scouts' bankruptcy; 12 men with claims for abuse in the Assemblies of God Royal Ranger program; and several cases involving adult women sexually assaulted by medical professionals.
Gilion graduated cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, where she was an editor on the law review. She is an active member of the state and federal bars in Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho. She recently served on the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar’s Litigation Section, is a former Chair of the Oregon State Bar’s Business Litigation Section, and is a former President of the Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Gilion is active in her community, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Cascade Policy Institute. She is an avid reader and the author of a popular book blog, Rose City Reader.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Neama Rahmani of West Coast Trial Lawyers (https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/).
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Episode Details:
West Coast Trial Lawyers' President and co-founder Neama Rahmani looks back on his days as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and shares how he convinced a California jury that Laura Elana Trejo-Macias intentionally and knowingly tried to cross the U.S.-Mexico border with more than nine pounds of methamphetamine in her car. In March 2011, a trained drug detection dog at the San Ysidro port of entry alerted Customs and Border Protection Officers of contraband in Laura's newly acquired 2003 Chevy Tahoe. U.S. border officials found nine packages of methamphetamine with a street value of $130,000 in a modified shell of the vehicle's radiator. In spite of the defense's attempts to portray Laura as a successful businesswoman who was tricked into being a blind mule by an employee who had access to the car the day before, Neama Rahmani presented evidence that convinced the jury that Laura was, in fact, guilty of trafficking methamphetamine. In 2012, Laura was sentenced to more than 12 years in jail.
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Guest Bio:
Neama Rahmani
Neama is the President and co-founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers.
Neama graduated from UCLA at the age of 19 and Harvard Law School at the age of 22, making him one of the youngest graduates in the 200-year history of the law school. Upon graduation, Neama was hired by O’Melveny & Myers, the largest law firm in Los Angeles at the time, where he represented companies such as Disney, Marriott, and the Roman Catholic Church.
But Neama wanted to help ordinary people, not corporations, so he joined the United States Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted drug and human trafficking cases along the United States-Mexico border. While working as a federal prosecutor, Neama captured and successfully prosecuted a fugitive murderer and drug kingpin who had terrorized Southern California and was featured on “America’s Most Wanted.” Neama was then appointed to be the Director of Enforcement of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, an independent watchdog that oversees and investigates the elected officials and highest-level employees of the City of Los Angeles, including the Mayor and City Council. He held that position until becoming a trial lawyer for the people.
Neama has extensive trial experience. He has led teams of more than 170 attorneys in litigation against the largest companies in the world. Neama has successfully tried dozens of cases to verdict as lead trial counsel and has argued and won before both state and federal appeals courts. Over the course of his career, Neama has handled thousands of cases, obtaining many seven and eight-figure settlements and judgments, and has helped his clients win more than one billion dollars.
Neama is a regular legal commentator on news and television and sits on the UCLA Political Science Board of Advisors. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, an attorney for foster children, son, daughter, and dog, Lola.
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This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Marc Diller of Diller Law, P.C. (https://www.dillerlaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum member Marc Diller of Diller Law, P.C. explains how he secured justice for tenant Cathrine Erickson when her landlord failed to prepare her Watertown, Massachusetts rental property for winter, creating a dangerous situation that resulted in permanent injury to Cathrine's right leg. After being informed by Cathrine and other tenants that the drain at the end of the sloped driveway was not working properly, landlord Rosalie Cunio chose to withhold important property information and ignore the contractor's proposed solution in favor of a cheap fix. The repair was ineffective, as water continued to pool, taking days to drain. The drainage problem was compounded when winter came and Rosalie did not "winterize" the rental property, including shutting off the exterior water. In February 2013, Cathrine returned home from her job as head coach of Northeastern University's track and field team and slipped on black ice caused by water spraying from a hose. As a result, Cathrine sustained a serious injury requiring a titanium rod as well as seven screws to stabilize her right leg. Today, this accomplished coach struggles with mobility and suffers from chronic pain. In March 2019, trial lawyer Marc Diller detailed the landlord's negligence and violations of common sense safety practices to a Middlesex County, Massachusetts jury. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Cathrine, awarding $2,324,815.62 in damages.
Guest Bio:
Marc Diller
On May 15, 1992, Marc Diller was a senior in high school in Brookline, MA. Brookline’s local paper, The Brookline Citizen, profiled Marc Diller as its Brookline Student of The Week. The article was titled, “Diller, an attorney in training”.
Even back then, Marc’s passion for service and the law was evident.
Nearly 30 years later, Marc uses that passion to deliver safety and justice to his clients.
Marc helps people and their families during their most vulnerable times. It’s his ethos to hold corporations and insurance companies accountable for wrongdoings. Marc fights corporate and individual wrongdoers when it results in wrongful death or catastrophic injury.
Marc doesn’t back down from the fight. Throughout his 20+ year career, Marc has held property owners, who maintain dangerous conditions, accountable for their wrongdoings. He has made companies take responsibility for the death or losses that result from making, designing or selling dangerous products. Marc also makes employers on construction sites answer for unsafe work conditions. When motorcyclists, pedestrians, bicyclists and those in cars are killed or injured by dangerous drivers and the companies that employ them, Marc seeks justice. He goes after the drunk, distracted and drowsy drivers, the companies that employ them and the restaurants, bars, and clubs that ignore safe service practices and let drivers drive dangerously.
“Our client’s trust us to do right by them,” says Diller “and I insist that all Diller Law, PC’s lawyers care about safety and accountability in our community.”
Marc grew up in Brookline, MA, the son of a lawyer and an educator. At the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor he wrote for the Michigan Daily newspaper, majoring in English and communications. From there, he went to Suffolk University Law School, his father William’s alma mater. Marc worked with his dad at the Law Offices of William Diller starting in 1997. William mentored Marc until 2013.
Marc learned a lot from William’s 40+ years experience in law. William was the editor-in-chief of the Suffolk Law Review (’69), clerked for Justice Reardon at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (’70), was an associate at one of Boston’s premier law firms, and during William’s 40 years in private practice, he handled many complex and significant personal injury cases.
In 2013 Marc started DILLER LAW, P.C.
Marc’s aggressive, yet practical approach to litigating and resolving personal injury cases has earned him recognition from his peers in the legal community.
Professionally, Marc serves on numerous legal organizations and committees dedicated to the ethical and competent litigation of cases as well as the proper administration of justice.
Personally, Marc is the father of two children. He coaches recreational basketball for his sons. In his free time, Marc enjoys golfing and watching movies.
Lawyers all over the country consult Marc, who has appeared in State and Federal trial courts as well as our State’s appellate court.
diller-attorney.html">Read Full Bio
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey Robert Mongeluzzi of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky (https://www.smbb.com/).
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Episode Details:
Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame inductee Robert Mongeluzzi of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky shares how he successfully represented the families of nine customers and employees who were killed or seriously injured in the collapse of a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Philadelphia on June 5, 2013. Nearly two weeks before the collapse of an unsupported four-story brick masonry structure onto the one-story store, Salvation Army officials were warned about the risks posed to the Thrift Store due to ongoing demolition of neighboring properties. The Salvation Army chose to ignore the warnings and failed to notify customers or employees of the danger, resulting in seven fatalities and numerous injuries. After a high-profile 15-week trial, Robert Mongeluzzi convinced the Philadelphia jury that this was no accident, securing a liability verdict, with 75% of the liability for the customers assigned to the Salvation Army and the liability for the employees divided among property owner Richard Basciano, the architect and other parties. Following the liability verdict, Robert Mongeluzzi settled the case for $227 million in the damages phase.
Click Here to Read/Download Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Robert J. Mongeluzzi
Robert J. Mongeluzzi is one of the finest trial lawyers in America. He has the largest personal injury verdict affirmed on appeal in Pennsylvania history, the largest individual personal injury settlement in Pennsylvania history, the largest multi-plaintiff personal injury settlement in Pennsylvania history, the largest workplace injury verdict in Pennsylvania history, the largest verdict in a motor vehicle accident in Pennsylvania history and the largest dram shop verdict in Pennsylvania history. He has the largest settlement of a construction case in American history. He was one of the lead plaintiffs attorneys in the largest settlement of a railroad accident case in American history. He has the largest verdict for a construction worker in American history. He has the largest wrongful death settlement in Philadelphia County history. He has the largest settlement in Lehigh County history. He has handled six cases with verdicts or settlements of $100 million or more. He has had more than 400 verdicts and settlements in excess of a million dollars. He was inducted into the National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2018, was awarded the Legal Intelligencer Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and was the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers 2019 Michael A. Musmanno Award honoree.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Randy Kinnard of Kinnard Law (www.kinnardclaytonandbeveridge.com/).
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Episode Details:
Accomplished trial lawyer, veteran and Purple Heart recipient Randy Kinnard of Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge Attorneys at Law explains how he secured the largest verdict in Weakley County, Tennessee history for Cody Wade. At the age of 17, Cody was intubated following a traumatic car crash and struggled to breathe normally once it was removed. With the trach tube re-inserted, he was transferred to Cane Creek Rehabilitation Hospital and put under the care of a doctor who failed to consult a specialist or to provide reasonable care when Cody expressed concern and signs of respiratory distress following the second removal of the trach tube. Without the tube, Cody’s airway collapsed and he sustained irreversible brain damage, leaving him unable to speak or move. A Dresden, Tennessee jury returned a $15.2 million verdict following a lengthy five-week trial.
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Guest Bio:
Randy Kinnard
Before becoming a trial lawyer, Randy Kinnard was a soldier. He graduated from West Point and then served in the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam as a Lieutenant and airborne ranger. He commanded 250 men in combat. He was awarded the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, the Bronze Star for Valor, Purple Heart and Combat Air Medal for 28 air assaults in combat.
After his military service, Randy went to law school in Memphis. Randy has tried over 250 jury trials for plaintiffs. He has won many record setting verdicts, including the Erin Andrews’ case of $55 million.
He’s a past president of the Tennessee Association for Justice.
Randy is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates and he lives in Nashville. He has served on several non-profit boards.
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mark Mandell of Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, Ltd (https://www.mbmjustice.com/).
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Episode Details:
Acclaimed trial lawyer Mark Mandell of Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, Ltd. explains how he successfully advocated for Alissa Moulton, who was ejected from her boyfriend Alexander Arango's car after he lost control while driving under the influence, leaving her paralyzed. In April 2010, Alexander, who was only 18 years-old at the time, became highly intoxicated after he was illegally served alcoholic drinks at Twin River Casino and Royal Liquors store in Rhode Island. While under the influence, Alexander drove his mother's 1997 Toyota Camry and lost control of the passenger-filled vehicle as it struck a median barrier, crossed two highway lanes, rolled onto its roof and hit a tree, ejecting Alissa and another passenger. Today, Alissa is paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair. Despite the defense's attempts to poke holes in the established timeline of events and to question whether Alexander was served drinks at the casino, a Providence, Rhode Island jury found in favor of the plaintiff Alissa, returning a total judgment of $21,270,455.69 in November 2016. This landmark dram shop liability case is also featured in Mark Mandell's book Advanced Case Framing.
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Guest Bio:
Mark Mandell
Mark Mandell graduated from Georgetown University Law Center receiving his J.D. in 1974. When Mark graduated from Georgetown he served as a law clerk for the Honorable U.S. District Judge Edward W. Day in the United States Federal District Court in Providence for a year before entering private practice.
Mark is certified for his expertise in civil trials by two national organizations. He is a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. Attorney Mandell is also nationally recognized and Board Certified as an expert in medical negligence litigation by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. Double board certification nationally is rare for trial lawyers. Both certifications require trial experience and passing a national certification examination.
Mark is actually Triple Board Certified as he is also board certified in Civil Pretrial Practice by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification.
Mark is a member of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates. Membership in the Inner Circle is limited to 100 of the best trial lawyers in the country. The Inner Circle has been described as “an invitation-only group of the best plaintiffs lawyers in the United States”.
Mark is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Membership in the College is an honor that is given only after a lengthy and rigorous evaluation.
Attorney Mark Mandell is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and a member of the American Law Institute. He has also attained bar membership in United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and in the States of Rhode Island and Alabama.
Mark Mandell has served as President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Roscoe Pound Institute of Civil Justice, the Rhode Island Bar Association and the Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association. He has chaired the Board of Bar Examiners for the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island and is a Past Chair of the National Center for Victims of Crime. He is also a Past President of the National Crime Victims Bar Association. He not only has served these presidential roles but has served many intermediary positions in these prestigious groups.
Attorney Mandell is a current member of the Rhode Island Supreme Court Ethics Advisory Panel and has also served on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Judicial Appointments, the Rhode Island Supreme Court Commission on the Future of Rhode Island Judicial System, the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, and the Governor’s Council on Mental Health.
He is currently a member of the Alabama Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, the Rhode Island Association for Justice, and the Rhode Island Bar Association. Mark has written 22 articles in well-known journals and has lectured many hundreds of times to Trial Lawyers Associations, state and national, in 45 different states and internationally. Attorney Mandell is currently listed in the publication “The Best Lawyers in America“.
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jeffrey Kroll of Kaveny + Kroll Trial Attorneys (www.KavenyKroll.com).
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Episode Details:
Accomplished trial attorney Jeffrey Kroll of Kaveny + Kroll Trial Attorneys shares how he secured one of the largest premises liability compensatory awards in the nation and the largest verdict ever reported against the city of Chicago on behalf of college dance student Tierney Darden. In 2015, Tierney suffered life-altering injuries at O’Hare International Airport after a poorly maintained pedestrian shelter weighing 750 pounds fell on top of her, shattering her spinal cord. Today, Tierney is paralyzed from the waist down and suffers from severe neuropathic pain on a daily basis. A post-verdict settlement of $115 million was reached with the city of Chicago.
Click Here to Read/Download Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Jeffrey Kroll
Jeffrey J. Kroll is an award-winning attorney who has represented injured victims of negligence throughout the country for nearly three decades in the areas of trucking accidents, products liability, and medical malpractice. In 2017, Mr. Kroll was part of the trial team that obtained a record-breaking $148 million jury verdict on behalf of a dancer who was paralyzed when a shelter collapsed on her at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Overall, his verdicts and settlements have exceeded $1 million on 80 separate occasions.
Mr. Kroll has lectured throughout the country on personal injury and wrongful death matters. He has had more than 125 legal articles published on topics ranging from strategic jury selection and maximizing an injured client’s recovery, to successfully handling wrongful death cases and preparing and cross-examining expert witnesses. He is well known in Chicago media for countless segments and publications, and has taught Trial Advocacy and Medical Malpractice Law at DePaul University and Northwestern Law School. Mr. Kroll was the only Illinois attorney to be published in the Anatomy of a Personal Injury Lawsuit, 4th Edition, released by Trial Guides and the American Association for Justice.
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This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by Jeff Harris and Jed Manton to recap 4 years and 150+ episodes of the Great Trials Podcast! (https://www.hlmlawfirm.com/).
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Episode Details:
Today’s episode includes lessons learned from over 150 interviews with America’s top trial lawyers. We discuss key takeaways on anchoring damages, demonstratives, expert witnesses, and much more.
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Guest Bios:
Jeff Harris
One of the nation’s top trial attorneys, Jeff Harris is an award-winning litigator who handles high-profile, complex cases across a wide variety of practice areas. He excels at securing justice for clients who have been seriously injured or killed, holding responsible parties accountable for their actions as well as their negligence.
Over the course of his career, Jeff has secured hundreds of millions in jury verdicts and settlements for his clients and has helped make a variety of products, vehicles and industries safer for everyone. His cases have been featured in The New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, 20/20, CBS Evening News and many other national media outlets.
Jeff has obtained numerous record-setting verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients and has been repeatedly included on the annual survey of top jury verdicts in the United States, compiled by the National Law Journal. He has been inducted to the Georgia Verdicts Hall of Fame and honored on the Georgia Super Lawyers Top 100 list, the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 list and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel’s Top One Percent list.
Jeff has earned a reputation as a strategic, aggressive litigator who takes on major corporations and wins cases on behalf of his clients. Jeff has successfully litigated cases involving product defects, business disputes, wrongful death, catastrophic injury, bad faith, aviation accidents, medical negligence and industrial accidents. His specialty is trying cases to a jury. He is routinely brought into complex cases at the request of other attorneys to handle the trial of those disputes.
Jed Manton
Jed Manton is committed to representing individuals and business that have been harmed by the actions of others. With a solid track record, Jed has helped numerous clients who have been seriously injured or who have lost a loved one obtain justice, while holding the wrongdoer accountable.
Many injuries occur because of a single individual’s carelessness. However, Jed also recognizes that oftentimes tragedy strikes as a result of a series of missteps by multiple people. For example, the poor design of a road or the defective design of a particular automobile often plays a significant role in an automobile wreck. In three recent cases, Jed helped secure over $8 million for families where the police initially determined that HLM’s client was at fault for the collision. After the firm’s thorough investigation, the true cause for each wreck was determined to be a poorly designed road.
Jed has also helped families secure millions of dollars of compensation related to defective automobiles. Whether it is a defective tire, a poor braking system, an overworked truck driver or the improper location of a guardrail, Jed always digs deep into the underlying facts of each case to ensure that all responsible parties are identified and held accountable for their actions.
While the cornerstone of the justice system is making sure an injured client is fairly compensated for his or her past and future injuries, Jed takes particular satisfaction in knowing that HLM’s work has resulted in roads being made safer, cars being designed differently and facilities being investigated by law enforcement to prevent needless injuries to others.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mary E. Alexander of Mary Alexander and Associates, P.C. (https://www.maryalexanderlaw.com).
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Episode Details:
Former president of the American Association for Justice Mary E. Alexander of Mary Alexander & Associates, P.C. explains how she secured justice for a University of Arizona college student severely injured after riding a rented Curry Company bicycle in California’s Yosemite Park. The bike’s used brakes caused Mary Hall to crash, rendering her a quadriplegic dependent upon a breathing machine. A jury in Fresno County, California returned a $13.3 million verdict, including $11.17 million in special damages.
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Guest Bio:
Mary E. Alexander
Widely recognized as one of San Francisco’s top personal injury attorneys, Mary Alexander established her stellar reputation in the legal community after obtaining some of the largest and highest profile verdicts and settlements in the state of California over the course of her career.
She earned a national reputation for her work protecting consumer rights, and her dedication to her clients has won her numerous awards from attorneys, clients, legal publications and others.
Ms. Alexander is a Past-President of both the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and Consumer Attorneys of California, and her lobbying work for consumer rights is matched only by her success on behalf of her clients.
Also mentioned in the episode: www.trialbyagreement.com
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Steve Susman of Susman Godfrey, L.L.P. ( https://www.susmangodfrey.com/)
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Episode Details:
Leading trial lawyer Stephen “Steve” Susman of Susman Godfrey LLP talks about how he obtained the largest verdict in 2009 in Dallas County, Texas by representing a trio of NL Industries stockholders (Efficasey Environmental LLC, Highland Environmental Management, LLC and Industrial Recovery Capital Holding Company) who were being offered a fraction of their stock’s worth because NL Industries’ management had depleted the company’s funds. Rather than admit to wrongdoing, NL Industries attempted to intentionally miscalculate or undervalue the stocks, committing a breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract that did not sit well with the jury, who also delivered a $5 million punitive damage verdict against NL Industries’ general counsel.
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Guest Bio:
Steve Susman
Recognized as one of the most successful plaintiff’s attorneys in the United States, Stephen Susman has built an unparalleled history of legal victory on an extremely straightforward idea — he gets paid for results, not effort. Although his career can be measured in many ways — the dozens of professional awards he has received, the very successful firm he has built, his remarkable record of winning very high-profile cases, working for plaintiffs against an array of large corporate interests, his defense work for select corporate and individual clients, it can all be traced back to Susman’s deep-rooted belief that his compensation should come from getting results.
Honored as one of the nation’s Top 10 litigators, The National Law Journal(June 5, 2006) issue, Susman is among a highly select group to have been included Chambers USA for over 10 years in The Best Lawyers in America for over 25 years. The Business Insider, Law Review (January 20, 2010 issue), named him one of the eleven lawyers you definitely do not want to see across the aisle. Jury consultant, Don Vinson, in his book America’s Top Trial Lawyers, ranks Susman among the 14 best trial lawyers in the United States and International Commercial Litigation’s worldwide annual poll of lawyers ranked Susman as the Litigator of the Year and then top litigator in the United States in two separate years.
Also mentioned in the episode: www.trialbyagreement.com
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This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Russ Herman, Senior Partner of Herman, Herman & Katz, L.L.C. (hhklawfirm.com)
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Case Details:
In late 2011, HH&K partner Russ Herman helped finalize the 14-year-old class action lawsuit, Scott v. American Tobacco Company, with a judgment that ordered certain tobacco companies to fund a statewide, 10-year smoking cessation program benefiting more than 200,000 Louisiana smokers who are members of the plaintiff class (the “Scott Class”). The judgment created a court-established and court-supervised smoking cessation program to benefit Louisiana residents who began their smoking habit before September 1, 1988. Since the judgment, the defendant tobacco companies have deposited the funds with the Court to create the Smoking Cessation Trust (“SCT”).
Guest Bio:
Russ M. Herman is a Senior Partner of Herman, Herman & Katz, L.L.C. He graduated from Tulane University with a B.A. Degree and L.L.B. in 1966. In 1977, he was chosen “Outstanding Trial Lawyer” by the Louisiana Trial Lawyers Association and was LTLA President in 1980-81.
He has authored over 200 articles, papers and books in various aspects of Civil Trial Practice and has been published in various works including Am Jur; Trials; Shepard’s/McGraw Hill; The National Business Institute; Trial Magazine; The Forum; and Personal Injury Annual by Matthew Bender.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Shanin Specter of www.klinespecter.com
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Episode Details:
Inner Circle of Advocates member Shanin Specter of Kline & Specter, PC shares how he obtained the largest contested liability personal injury verdict in Pennsylvania history after 39-year-old Carrie Goretzka was fatally electrocuted by a 7200 volt power line. West Penn Power linemen failed to properly clean the wires with a wire brush before installing them, per the manufacturer’s instructions, resulting in the line overheating and falling to the ground as a live wire in her yard.
The result of this premises liability case led to the re-training of Pennsylvania linemen, infra-red inspections of power lines and the creation of an Electric Safety Division by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to investigate reported electrical injuries. An Allegheny County jury returned a $109 million verdict, including $48 million in compensatory damages and $61 million in punitive damages.
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Guest Bio:
Shanin Specter
Shanin Specter is a preeminent American trial lawyer. He is a founding partner of Kline & Specter, one of the leading catastrophic injury firms in the United States.
Specter has obtained more than 200 verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million, including jury verdicts of $153 million against a major automaker and $109 million against a Pennsylvania power company. In all, he has achieved 16 eight- or nine-figure verdicts, among them news-making cases involving medical malpractice, defective products, medical devices, premises liability, auto accidents, and general negligence.
He is a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, whose membership is limited to the top 100 plaintiffs’ trial attorneys in the United States.
Beyond winning substantial monetary compensation for his clients, many of Specter's cases have prompted changes that provide a societal benefit, including improvements to vehicle safety, nursing and hospital procedures, the safe operation of police cars, training for the use of CPR at public institutions, and inspections, installation and maintenance of utility power lines. One case spurred the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to create a new Electric Safety Division to investigate reported electrical injuries. Most recently, Specter’s lawsuit on behalf of the victims of a fire escape collapse helped move the City of Philadelphia in 2016 to enact an ordinance requiring all fire escapes to be regularly inspected.
Specter earned his undergraduate degree with honors from Haverford College, his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an LL.M. with First Honors from Cambridge University.
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This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Paula Jossart of Jossart Law Office, LLC (https://www.jossartlaw.com/)
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Episode Details:
Award-winning Minnesota personal injury lawyer Paula Jossart of Jossart Law Office, LLC discusses how she secured justice for Scott Kowalewski, a switchman who was exposed to toxic hydrocarbons while working at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) Northtown Yard in Minneapolis in 2014 and, as a result, suffered a severe neurological injury. Rail cars carrying hazardous chemicals from a fracking site in Texas leaked, causing Scott to feel a burning pain in his chest and to lose consciousness. Scott was later diagnosed with a progressive neurological disorder, which significantly diminishes his motor function, making it difficult to swallow, write, get out of bed or perform everyday tasks. Despite BNSF's claims that the company is not responsible for Scott's health problems and many evidence and discovery abuses, a Hennepin County, Minnesota jury returned a verdict of $15,343,753 in damages against BNSF for violating the Federal Employers' Liability Act. Following the jury trial, Judge Amy Dawson assigned a $4.6 million misconduct penalty to BNSF for concealing and destroying evidence related to the case, paying off a witness and misleading federal investigators.
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Guest Bio:
Paula Jossart
Paula Jossart is an experienced personal injury attorney and railroad injury attorney recognized for her record of success in actions against railroads and insurance companies. She has achieved multiple seven and eight-figure verdicts in her career including a recent $21 million judgment against the BNSF. In 2015, she achieved three million-dollar-plus verdicts for victims with personal injury claims in Hennepin County (Minneapolis, MN). She also attained one of Minnesota’s larger personal injury verdicts ─ totaling more than $12.5 million ─ for a man burned by steam from a boiler on which he was working.
A fearless advocate for her clients, Paula Jossart has represented persons in personal injury and FELA (Federal Employees’ Litigation Act) cases in Minnesota and states across the country, including Arizona, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. She served as lead counsel for injured victims in the nation’s largest anhydrous ammonia spill and has worked on many other large chemical exposure cases.
Choosing the right personal injury attorney your important life matter can make a significant difference in the outcome. Paula Jossart encourages potential clients to do their own research before hiring an attorney. Ask about the attorney’s actual courtroom and trial experience. Ask about the results that are being advertised on their website. Who achieved the results? What did the result actually mean for the client? Does the attorney put clients first? Or, does the attorney have a record of urging most clients to settle out of court?
Paula Jossart is a union designated attorney, a tenacious fighter, and a caring and compassionate client advocate. Respected by her peers, she was honored as a Minnesota Attorney of the Year, Outstanding Trial Lawyer by the Minnesota Association of Justice, a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics numerous times, and named one of the Top Young Lawyers. She is a member of the Academy of Rail Labor Attorneys and the Minnesota Association of Justice.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mike Papantonio of Levin Papantonio ( https://www.levinlaw.com/ ).
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Episode Details:
Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame inductee Mike Papantonio, a senior partner with Levin Papantonio in Pensacola, Florida, takes a deep dive into the high-profile $920 million dollar class-action settlement and multiple jury verdicts against DuPont related to the company’s West Virginia plant discharging the Teflon chemical PFOA (C8) into the air and water around the Ohio River Valley. Area citizens were exposed to a highly toxic chemical for decades, causing a number of serious health problems. This high-profile case -- which is featured in the documentary, The Devil We Know -- highlights the dangers of DuPont's chemical C8 and the connection between C8 and various forms of cancer, ulcerative colitis, and other diseases.
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Guest Bio:
Rex Parris
Mike Papantonio is a senior partner with the law firm of Levin-Papantonio. He has received numerous multi-million dollar verdicts on behalf of victims of corporate malfeasance. His award-winning work handling thousands of mass tort cases throughout the nation has helped make Levin-Papantonio one of the largest plaintiff law firms in the country.
Mr. Papantonio is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by the Florida Bar and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He is a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. He is a member of The National Trial Lawyers (past president), American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Association for Justice, the Southern Trial Lawyers Association, and the Florida Justice Association, where he served on the board of directors for five years.
Mr. Papantonio is one of the few living attorneys inducted into the Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame. He is listed in the publications Best Lawyers in America and Leading American Attorney.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Rex Parris of Parris Lawyers (https://www.parris.com/).
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Episode Details:
National Institute for Trial Advocacy Master Advocate Rex Parris describes how he obtained one of the nation’s top motor vehicle accident verdicts in 2018 on behalf of Anthony Taylor. Only 25 at the time of the collision with Schilling’s car, Taylor suffered a broken neck and severe spinal cord injury that rendered him a quadriplegic. A previous corrective back surgery for adolescent scoliosis conflicted with the post-accident reconstructive back surgery, causing serious infection and extensive hospital stays. Today, Taylor requires round-the-clock care. A Los Angeles, California jury returned a verdict of $41,634,170 in damages.
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Guest Bio:
Rex Parris
Rex Parris is recognized as one of the most successful and innovative trial lawyers alive today. Rex handles a wide variety of cases, ranging from severe personal injury to class actions, products liability, and business torts. When he is not in trial, Rex tours the country speaking to trial lawyer organizations about the intersection of cognitive science and the persuasion of jurors. Rex has been profiled in numerous national media outlets, including “20/20,” “Nightline,” the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and a myriad of legal journals.
Rex has achieved outstanding results in the courtroom over the span of his career – he obtained the first million-dollar verdict in California’s Kern County as a young lawyer and, years later, obtained a historic, record-breaking defamation jury verdict in Los Angeles for $370,000,000. In between, Rex has obtained dozens of seven-, eight- and nine-figure verdicts and settlements. His success is hardly happenstance – Rex prepares every case for trial using the latest science in persuasion skills. Everything from metaphoric choices, word selection and visuals are tested and re-tested before each trial.
In addition to managing his trial calendar and the Firm’s diversified practice, Rex also manages one of California’s fastest-growing cities. As the mayor of Lancaster since 2008, Rex has gained nationwide media attention for his efforts to improve the wellbeing of the city’s residents. For example, gang violence dropped 82%, the city’s downtown area was completely redeveloped during the worst economic downturn in over 75 years, and all of the city’s municipal buildings were converted to solar power.
Rex and his wife, Carrol, founded the Firm in 1985 with the goal of building a truly great law firm. That goal has never changed – they continue to innovate and work tirelessly to improve the service and results they provide daily.
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This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Frank Mangiaracina of Kline & Specter PC (https://www.klinespecter.com/).
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Episode Details:
Philadelphia-based personal injury attorney Frank Mangiaracina with Kline & Specter PC discusses how he secured justice for David Coryell, a motorcycle driver involved in an automobile wreck with a delivery driver employed by a Domino’s franchise. On July 27, 2016, defendant Steven Morris was driving a delivery vehicle to deliver Domino’s food when he made a sudden left turn into oncoming traffic, crashing his vehicle into David and his motorcycle. David suffered severe physical and emotional injuries from this incident. After numerous operations, he was left with the decision to either amputate his left leg or experience permanent and progressive pain. Despite the defense’s attempts to claim that Domino’s did not have control over a franchisee’s operations and therefore could not be held accountable for the actions of a franchisee’s employee, Mangiaracina established that Domino’s and the franchisee have a “master-servant relationship,” arguing that Domino’s did, in fact, have control over the franchisee and therefore should be held responsible. The jury agreed, and on August 13, 2021, a Philadelphia County jury returned a $2,009,553 verdict in favor of plaintiff David Coryell.
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Guest Bio:
Frank Mangiaracina
Frank Mangiaracina focuses his practice on catastrophic personal injury. He is a staunch advocate and proven trial lawyer who helped compile more than $60 million in recoveries in the five years before coming to Kline & Specter.
Most recently, in a COVID-era trial during the summer of 2021, Mangiaracina won a $2.1 million verdict against Domino’s Pizza for a client who suffered severe and permanent injuries to his leg when his motorcycle was struck by a delivery driver. As co-lead counsel at trial, Mangiaracina gave a closing argument that helped convince the jury that Domino’s was responsible for the actions of a franchisee.
He was also co-counsel in litigation that achieved a $44 million pre-trial settlement in a product liability case for an oil rig worker who was left a quadriplegic after he was struck by a falling light fixture.
In medical malpractice cases, among others, Mangiaracina helped win settlements of $5.5 million, $5 million and $3.5 million for, respectively, failures to timely diagnose stroke, diagnose and treat sepsis and to treat an aortic aneurysm.
These recoveries were made with Mangiaracina’s prior firm, Sheridan & Murray LLC in Fort Washington, Pa. He also worked as an attorney at Berger & Montague in Philadelphia and as a law clerk with the Philadelphia firm of Saltz, Mongeluzzi & Bendesky.
Because of his litigation success, Mangiaracina has been named a Pennsylvania Rising Star by Super Lawyers for four consecutive years (2019-2022). The independent lawyers survey group recognizes the top 2.5 percent of attorneys in the state who are 40 or younger.
Mangiaracina earned his law degree at the Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he graduated magna cum laude, in the top five percent of his class and was a member of the Order of the Coif honor society. He was, simultaneously, staff editor for the Temple Law Review and a member of Temple’s renowned National Trial Team, which placed in the semifinals of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s “Tournament of Champions,” an invitation-only competition.
At Temple, Mangiaracina won several awards and scholarships, including the Integrated Trial Advocacy Graduation Award, the Benjamin and Natalie Levin Memorial Scholarship, the Class of 1978 Scholarship and the Faculty Law Scholarship.
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This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Andy Conn of Harris Lowry Manton, LLP (https://www.hlmlawfirm.com/) and Drew Gilliland of the Nick Schnyder Law Firm, LLC (https://www.schnyderlawfirm.com/).
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Episode Details:
In this informative episode, Georgia trial lawyers Andy Conn and Drew Gilliland share their strategies to maximize verdicts in relatively small motor vehicle accident cases. On May 5, 2022, a Cobb County, Georgia jury awarded $1.225 million to a couple who sustained injuries as the direct result of a rear-end collision. Harris Lowry Manton LLP partner Andy Conn served as lead counsel in the Cobb County State Court case, which resulted in a notable jury verdict totaling more than 17 times the value of the plaintiffs’ original medical bills. On May 2, 2022, a Douglas County, Georgia jury awarded $218,400 to a plaintiff who was severely injured in a motor vehicle accident involving texting and speeding. Drew Gilliland at Nick Schnyder Law Firm, LLC secured a jury verdict totaling more than 10 times the value of the plaintiff’s original medical bills.
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Guest Bios:
Drew Gilliland
Drew is a trial attorney who loves helping clients through difficult times. His client philosophy is simple: treat every client like a family member.
After graduating from Emory University School of Law (where he was the recipient of the Dean’s Honor Scholarship), Drew started his legal career as a felony prosecutor for the State of Florida, and tried more than 50 jury trials during his tenure. Drew and his wife then moved back to Georgia where he represented Fortune 500 companies in personal injury lawsuits.
After seven years of learning the ins and outs of how the defense industry protects itself against personal injury lawsuits, Drew decided to use his skills to represent people who have been injured by another’s negligence. Since he became a personal injury lawyer, Drew has worked for the largest personal injury firm in the country as well as a boutique litigation firm.
Drew has lectured on trial strategies and is frequently asked to co-counsel on cases with other attorneys. He has recovered millions of dollars for his clients since he became a personal injury attorney.
Andy Conn
Andrew (Andy) Conn joined Harris Lowry Manton LLP in 2016, after earning his J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and B.B.A. from University of the Georgia’s Terry College of Business. At the firm, Andy’s legal practice includes complex civil litigation matters including catastrophic injury cases and business tort litigation. He excels at trial work and has extensive experience in commercial motor vehicle, products liability, medical malpractice and premises liability cases.
Andy is very active in the legal community where he is a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA), State Bar of Georgia and American Association for Justice. He currently serves as the Education Chair for GTLA and has been a member of the GTLA Political Action Committee since 2018. Over the years, he has held a number of leadership positions, including serving as the Savannah Trial Lawyers Association Scholarship Chair, GTLA New Lawyers Division Chair, GTLA Membership Committee Chair and Savannah Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Executive Board member. In 2015, Andy was selected for the GTLA LEAD Program, where he sharpened his leadership skills and pushed for trial policies protecting individuals’ rights.
For five consecutive years, Andy has been honored as a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star and has been recognized for his work in areas ranging from medical malpractice to products liability.
Passionate about causes involving children, Andy volunteers with Make-A-Wish Georgia and is heavily involved with the Kids Cancer Alliance, a non-profit organization based out of Louisville, Kentucky that fosters positive experiences and creates valuable memories for children fighting cancer and their families. He also participates in the CJA program, where he works with indigent court-appointed clients in need of legal representation in Georgia’s Southern District Federal Court.
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview John Gomez of Gomez Trial Attorneys (https://www.thegomezfirm.com/)
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Episode Details:
Award-winning trial lawyer John Gomez of Gomez Trial Attorneys shares how he secured justice for a California couple whose lives changed forever after a slip-and-fall in an El Pollo Loco restaurant. Because WKS Restaurant Corporation refused to pay overtime for workers to clean the grills after closing, employees chose to violate company policy and began cleaning an hour before closing. The resulting slippery floors caused a customer to fall, tear his quadricep and suffer a traumatic brain injury that has left him with severe optical problems.
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Guest Bio:
John Gomez
John Gomez founded the firm alone in 2005. He acts today as President and Lead Trial Attorney. From humble beginnings, he attended three separate San Diego public high schools and Grossmont Junior College before graduating from the Nation’s top-ranked law school, Yale University, in 1993. In between, John was named an Academic All-American football player for the University of San Diego’s Toreros. He clerked for a federal judge, worked for the international law firm of Latham & Watkins and served the United States as an Assistant United States Attorney until becoming a trial lawyer for people in 2000.
Since that time, he has established himself as one of California’s most recognized and accomplished trial lawyers. Lawyers USA named him the national Lawyer of the Year in 2010. He has twice been named San Diego’s Trial Lawyer of the Year. The Consumer Attorneys of San Diego have awarded him an unprecedented nine separate Outstanding Trial Lawyer Awards. He has been named a Top 100 California Attorney overall by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, a Top 10 San Diego attorney overall by San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, and has been voted by peers a top 10 San Diego Super Lawyer every year since 2012. He was featured as the subject of the cover story in that 2012 publication.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Render Freeman of Andersen, Tate & Carr, P.C. (https://www.atclawfirm.com/).
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Episode Details:
Georgia trial lawyer Render Freeman, a partner at Andersen, Tate & Carr, P.C., explains how he secured a landmark verdict for the grieving widow of a metro Atlanta orthodontist who was killed while riding his dirt bike at a popular off-roading park in Union Point, Georgia. On September 28, 2019, Dr. Adam White was riding his dirt bike on the trails at Durhamtown Off Road Park when he was fatally struck by a 62-foot falling tree. The tree was knocked down by an excavator being driven on the track, which was a direct violation of Durhamtown Off Road Park's rule prohibiting maintenance or construction work on the track while it was in use. Durhamtown owner Mike McCommons' negligence in bringing an excavator onto the active trail served as a major focus at trial. Despite the court's ruling on the inadmissibility of evidence in three other deaths at Durhamtown Off Road Park as well as McCommons' attempts to avoid personal liability with the selling and re-branding of the park, Freeman convinced the jury to make a strong statement by delivering a verdict in this tragic wrongful death case. On April 29, 2022, a Greene County, Georgia jury found McCommons and five associated corporate entities liable for Dr. White's death and delivered a $22 million verdict. This is the largest verdict ever awarded in the Ocmulgee Judicial Circuit and in Greene County, Georgia history.
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Guest Bio:
Render C. Freeman
Render Freeman has dedicated his legal career to helping injured victims hold wrongdoers financially responsible for their carelessness. As a trial attorney, Mr. Freeman has a broad range of experience in litigating complex disputes, including wrongful death, personal injury, products liability, motor vehicle and trucking collisions, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse and malpractice, premises liability, negligent hiring and negligent security. Mr. Freeman has been lead trial counsel in jury trials all over Georgia from Federal District Court in Atlanta to smaller Superior Courts in the remote corners of our State.
Mr. Freeman has developed a national reputation for expertise in litigating and trying personal injury lawsuits. He has lectured in Palm Springs, CA; Boca Raton, FL; Newport, RI; Rogers, AK; Cincinnati, OH; Fargo, ND; and other cities around the country. Mr. Freeman is a 2015 graduate of the Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming – an exclusive 4-week program providing advanced training for personal injury trial lawyers. Mr. Freeman is an active member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice (“AAJ”), regularly attending advanced seminars to hone his litigation and trial skills.
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Laura Shamp of Shamp Silk, LLC (https://www.shampsilk.com/).
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Episode Details:
Laura Shamp obtained a verdict of $11 million dollars for an ex-smoker in a case against Philip Morris USA Inc. The jury awarded $3.2 million in punitive damages after finding that the tobacco company had committed fraud and intentionally misrepresented the dangers of smoking to consumers. (Jordan v. Philip Morris Tobacco Co.) The verdict was affirmed on appeal.
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Guest Bio:
Laura M. Shamp
From her career as a college athlete playing in the Final Four to graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, Laura Shamp has always been a fierce competitor and has always played to win.
Over the past 20 years, she has handled all types of major litigation and is known as one of the few trial lawyers able to get multi-million dollar verdicts in some of the toughest jurisdictions and has an $11 million dollar jury verdict against Philip Morris to prove it. So, it is not surprising that she is consistently listed as one of Georgia’s “Super Lawyers.”
Laura’s success as a trial lawyer is only matched by her success as an appellate advocate. Her reported cases have helped shaped the law in Georgia regarding medical malpractice and the use of expert witness testimony in professional negligence cases and include: Hankla v. Postell, 293 Ga. 692, Georgia Supreme Court 2013; EHCA Cartersville v. Turner, 280 Ga. 333, Georgia Supreme Court 2006; Lee v. Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, 297 Ga. App. 692, Georgia Court of Appeals (2009); Houston v. Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, 295 Ga. App. 674, Georgia Court of Appeals 2009. Laura also chairs the Georgia Trial Lawyers Amicus Committee, which submits “friend of the court” briefs to the Georgia Supreme Court and Georgia Court of Appeals on issues affecting the civil justice system.
Laura graduated in 1988 from Harvard Law School with honors. After graduating, she served as a federal law clerk to United States District Court Judge Robert H. Hall. In 2004, she returned to Harvard to study patient safety and medical errors under Don Berwick and Lucian Leape, leaders in the field of patient safety, and in 2005 obtained a Masters Degree in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. Laura is dedicated to working to try and improve the quality of medical care in Georgia and serves on several committees that review legislation to try and address issues of medical error and patient safety.
Before founding Shamp Silk, Laura had a successful solo practice for over 15 years. Before that she was at Doffermyre, Shields, Canfield, Knowles & Devine, where she practiced for four years doing plaintiffs and general civil litigation work. She began her career at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan as a general civil litigator.
Laura is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, as well as all other trial and appellate courts in the State of Georgia.
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This week, we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Chris Stewart of Stewart Miller Simmons Trial Attorneys - https://smstrial.com/
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"Our client was staying at a local motel in a small rural county in Georgia when she was sexually assaulted by a total stranger who gained access to her room by handing a key card to the desk clerk and asking her to re-code it. Our client suffered severe mental and physical injuries. We were able to prove at trial the hotel was negligent and at fault for failing to have a written procedure in place regarding hotel keys and failure to train its employees."
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Guest Bio:
Chris Stewart
Chris handles a variety of cases including wrongful death, civil rights, premises liability, mass torts and sexual assaults. Chris has won numerous record-setting jury verdicts and made U.S history when he won the first billion-dollar jury verdict for a rape victim.
Chris is also recognized worldwide as one of the top civil rights lawyers of his generation. He has represented some of the most famous civil rights cases of this century including George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks. He also represented Walter Scott, who was shot in the back on video by a police officer. The Walter Scott case settled for $6.5 million dollars – the highest in South Carolina history, and the officer received a twenty-year prison sentence. Chris also represented Alton Sterling who was held down and killed on video by police in Baton Rouge.
Other high profile cases include Gregory Towns of Georgia, which led to a record settlement and two prison sentences for the officers involved, Chase Sherman of Florida who was killed on video which led to a record settlement, and Deaundre Phillips who was shot on video by police which is still in court.
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This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Nathan Werksman of Merson Law PLLC (https://mersonlaw.com/) and Jon Davidi at Panish|Shea|Boyle|Ravipudi LLP (https://www.psbr.law/)
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Episode Details:
Trial lawyers Nathan Werksman of Merson Law PLLC and Jon Davidi at Panish|Shea|Boyle|Ravipudi LLP discuss how they secured justice for a woman who was viciously attacked by a dog as well as the challenges of conducting a jury trial held at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 15, 2016, plaintiff Jennefer Jones took a walk around her neighborhood and attempted to pass neighbor Mathew Epstein, who was walking a 55-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback named Turkey on the sidewalk. Turkey lunged and attacked Jennefer, biting her right forearm, breaking the skin and dragging her to the ground, where she fell on her elbow. Jennefer was later diagnosed with two injuries: radial tunnel syndrome in her forearm and lateral epicondylitis in her elbow. Despite being put in a cast, injected with platelet-rich plasma and more than 80 physical therapy sessions, Jennefer continued to experience pain that greatly affected her ability to perform everyday tasks and to work as a golf instructor. The defense argued that Turkey didn't bite Jennefer but simply scratched her and asserted that any pain is from a pre-existing condition or an overuse injury related to her golf instruction career. Nathan Werksman and Jon Davidi called out the defense's tactic of referring to Jennefer's lateral epicondylitis by its more common name of "tennis elbow" to persuade the jury of the injury's true origin. In October 2020, an Orange County, California jury found in favor of Jennefer and awarded her $309,250 in damages.
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Guest Bios:
Nathan Werksman
As a trial attorney at Merson Law PLLC, lawyer Nathan Werksman fights for the injured and wronged in complex personal injury, medical malpractice, products liability, sexual abuse, and mass tort litigation.
Prior to joining Merson Law, Mr. Nathan Werksman recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients through both settlement and trial at the distinguished California personal injury firm Panish, Shea & Boyle LLP.
Prior to that, Mr. Werksman clerked at internationally renowned law firm Kirkland & Ellis, plaintiffs’-side class-action giant Robbins Geller Rudman Down, and at the Office of the San Francisco Public Defender.
While at Robbins Geller, he worked on behalf of cities and counties across the U.S. suing the opioid manufacturers for the irreparable damage caused by their products. During his time at the San Francisco Public Defender, Mr. Werksman assisted in a trial resulting in an acquittal on all felony counts for his client.
Mr. Werksman obtained his law degree from Stanford Law School where he founded and served as president of the Stanford Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Association. While at Stanford, he also served as co-president of the American Constitution Society (ACS) and earned prizes for achieving the highest marks in several classes, including The Plaintiffs’ Lawyer: Institutional Constraints and Ethical Challenges. He also served as research assistant to Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom, a scholar on tort law and legal ethics. Mr. Werksman completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated summa cum laude double majoring in History and Spanish.
Nathan is very involved in the New York legal community and in making New York a more just place for the injured. He is on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, is a member of the Products Liability Committee at the New York City Bar Association, and is on the Executive Committee of the UJA’s Young Lawyers Division.
Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Werksman is admitted to practice law in New York, California, and Nevada.
Jon Davidi
As a trial attorney at Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP, Jon Davidi represents individuals in complex personal injury, wrongful death, and product defect cases. Passionate about trial work and representing people in their time of need, Mr. Davidi has obtained over $10 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients.
Most recently, he obtained two jury verdicts that were more than double the defense’s best offer. Notably, one of those verdicts was awarded during the first post-Covid, socially-distanced jury trial in Orange County, California.
Mr. Davidi received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law where he was a member of the Honor Society and graduated cum laude. He was also a member of the mock trial team and recognized as one of the nation’s top advocates after winning the National Championship in the American Association for Justice (AAJ) Trial Tournament. Throughout the competition, judges commented on his ability to be persuasive and to evoke compassion for his client.
Fluent in Farsi, Mr. Davidi is a member of the State Bar of California as well as an active member of both the Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAALA) and the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). Outside of work, he enjoys live music, new restaurants, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Ironically, he’s never seen an episode of Law & Order.
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This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Michael A. Kelly of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger (https://dicellolevitt.com/)
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Episode Details:
Accomplished California personal injury lawyer Michael A. Kelly, a shareholder at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger and recent Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame inductee, shares how he secured justice for the first of thousands of victims of a defectively designed medical device. On December 5, 2007, U.S. Air Force veteran Loren "Bill" Kransky underwent hip surgery in Montana, receiving a DePuy ASR Acetabular Hip System orthopaedic implant. DePuy, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, first put the ASR Acetabular Hip System on the market in Europe in 2004, and soon after began receiving notifications from prominent surgeons that the device was flawed. Despite receiving these notifications, DePuy continued to market the metal implant as a low-wear product that required only one surgery and failed to report product issues to American doctors. On August 4, 2010, a recall was issued and the Depuy ASR Acetabular Hip System was labeled as defective, but the damage was already done for millions of patients, including Loren. Following the recall, Loren underwent revision surgery to have the implant removed because it was shedding metal debris into the tissue of his hip and bloodstream. In March 2013, a Los Angeles jury returned a verdict in favor of Loren, awarding $8,338,136.12 in damages for the pain caused by the defective design and ultimately helping to facilitate a $2.5 billion national settlement for all victims.
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Guest Bio:
Michael A. Kelly
Mike Kelly is one of the nation’s top personal injury attorneys. For four decades he has protected consumers from corporate greed, medical mistakes, dangerous household products, unsafe medical devices, and motor vehicle accidents of every kind. He has tried, settled, and arbitrated more than 200 cases where the recovery by his client exceeded $1 million. In 2020 he helped negotiate the multibillion-dollar resolution of the 2017 California wildfire lawsuits brought against utility giant PG&E. Before that, his $8.341 million verdict in the first DePuy ASR/Johnson & Johnson metal-on-metal artificial hip litigation helped produce a $2.5 billion national settlement for all victims.
In 2021 Mike was the number one vote-getter for the second year in a row on the 2021 list of Northern California “Super Lawyers”. A member of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, Kelly was also included on the “Top 10” and “Top 100” list of lawyers in Northern California for the 18th time, as well as being selected by Best Lawyers to its prestigious roster for the 20th consecutive year. Recognized for his leadership in some of the most significant consumer protection cases in our state, Kelly made the list of the Los Angeles Daily Journal’s 2021 Top Plaintiff Lawyers and was inducted into Lawdragon’s Hall of Fame for his many years of pro-consumer successes, most recently demonstrated by his role in the litigation against the giant utility PG&E for the damage caused by the 2017-2018 Northern California wildfires and the devastating Butte County Camp Fire.
When resolution by mediation or settlement fails, Kelly is ready to take his clients’ cases before juries. Recent trials have produced a $4 million jury verdict against the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District for the death of a pedestrian struck by one of its buses, a $5.6 million jury verdict against a Super Shuttle driver for the death of a retired restaurateur, a $12.75 million recovery against a domestic automaker(auto rollover), a $10.5 million settlement for the wrongful death of a single mother, and a major 8-figure confidential settlement against Kaiser Health Plan for a catastrophically injured infant. His $8.35 million verdict on behalf of a construction worker who lost an arm showed his skill in work-site injury cases. His $23.2 million jury verdict in a birth injury medical malpractice case in Minnesota ranks among that state’s largest verdicts for obstetrical injury.
Beyond stellar results for his clients, Kelly is proud of his many contributions to the legal community. He is a speaker for 360 Advocacy for whom he chairs its annual Trucking Litigation program. He teaches regularly for NITA, The Rutter Group, ABOTA, the Consumer Attorneys of California, AAJ, SFTLA, and the Bar Association of San Francisco. He served for 10 years as the Director of Teacher Training programs for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and remains a member of its Board of Governors. He has long been active in protecting the rights of the underrepresented, working for pedestrian and bicyclist safety, lobbying for compensation fairness for medical malpractice victims, and protecting the rights of the LGBT community.
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This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Christopher Stombaugh of DiCello Levitt Gutzler (https://dicellolevitt.com/)
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Episode Details:
Accomplished trial lawyer Christopher Stombaugh, a partner at DiCello Levitt Gutzler in Chicago, shares how he successfully represented Costa Rican native Adriana Guzman after she suffered PTSD following a sudden decompression incident on a commercial Boeing 757 flight. On October 26, 2010, Adriana boarded a Boeing 757 in Miami. During the flight, a two-foot hole developed in the fuselage of the Boeing plane, causing a sudden decompression and a rapid descent from 32,000 feet to 10,000 feet. Adriana recalls the frightful incident, saying it felt like "a kick in the stomach" and that she feared was going to die. Years later, Adriana continued to suffer a range of medical issues from the traumatic experiences of that day aboard the Boeing plane. In spite of the defense's attempts to claim that Adriana's injuries were pre-existing conditions related to her past psychological history or to draw attention to Adriana's leave of absence from her doctoral program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, trial lawyer Christopher Stombaugh kept the jurors focused on Adriana's life-altering injuries. Christopher Stombaugh used a timeline of events, expert witnesses and a physical demonstration of the impact of altitude on the body via a shaken soda can to help the jury understand the nature of Adriana's injuries. On April 12, 2018, a Massachusetts District Court jury returned a $2.2 million verdict in favor of plaintiff Adriana Guzman with damages deducted and prejudgment interest added, resulting in a final verdict of $2,271,651. The Boeing Company's attorneys filed an appeal claiming that Christopher Stombaugh and the plaintiff's trial team utilized controversial reptile tactics at trial, but a U.S. Magistrate Judge denied the appeal.
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Guest Bio:
Christopher Stombaugh
For more than 30 years, Chris Stombaugh has been devoted to his true passion, advancing the art and science of trial advocacy. Chris focuses on trial. He has successfully tried to verdict cases for people around the country injured by hospitals, aircraft manufacturers, insurance companies, agribusiness, construction companies, truck companies and many other industries. His approach empowers people to tell their stories in a way that resonates with juries and has led to several record-setting, seven and eight figure jury verdicts.
Chris speaks regularly to state bar and trial lawyer associations nationwide on modern and effective trial advocacy and is a key member of DiCello Levitt’s Trial Practice Team. In addition to his own successful practice, Chris teaches trial lawyers cognitive neuroscience to benefit their clients.
Chris is the past president of the Wisconsin Association for Justice, having served as president of the WAJ 2014 term. He has been chosen as a Wisconsin Super Lawyer every year since 2010. He is an active member in a number of other trial lawyer associations.
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This week we’re replaying a classic GTP episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Robin Frazer Clark of The Law Firm of Robin Frazer Clark, P.C. (https://www.gatriallawyers.net/)
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Episode Details:
Former State Bar of Georgia President Robin Frazer Clark explains how she secured justice for the only son of 75-year-old Jayne Fox, a woman who suffered a traumatic vocal cord injury during intubation for a lung biopsy, causing Jayne to suffer post-surgical aspiration pneumonia and leading to her death. Admitted to Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for a biopsy of a spot on her lung, Jayne was initially intubated with equipment that was much too large for her petite 97 lb., 5-foot frame. Following the surgery, nurses observed Jayne having difficulty clearing secretions, and an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist found abnormalities indicating aspiration pneumonia. However, the ENT and nurses failed to report their observations to the attending physician, Dr. Roy Rajan, who also failed to properly supervise Jayne’s medical care or visit her in person. As a result, Jayne's treatment plan was not adjusted to treat her condition, and she passed away at Emory University Hospital nearly six weeks after her surgery. Despite the defense's attempts to blame Jayne's age, her son and the rarity of her post-operation condition, a Dekalb County, Georgia jury returned a verdict of $2,350,000 in damages against Emory Clinic and Dr. Rajan.
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Guest Bio:
Robin Frazer Clark
Robin Frazer Clark is the owner and founder of the law firm of Robin Frazer Clark, P.C., and has practiced law in Georgia for 31 years. Ms. Clark devotes her practice exclusively to plaintiff’s personal injury. Her motto is “A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats.” She is the Co-host of the podcast “See You In Court.”
Ms. Clark was sworn in as the Fiftieth President of the State Bar of Georgia on June 2, 2012, only the second woman ever to serve as President of the State Bar of Georgia and served as President of the 45,000-member association in 2012-2013. One of Ms. Clark’s initiatives she created while President is the State Bar of Georgia’s Suicide Prevention Campaign, “How to Save a Life.” Ms. Clark is a Past President of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA), also only the second woman in the organization’s history to lead GTLA. Ms. Clark is a Past President of The Lawyers Club of Atlanta (LCA), in which she has been a member for over 25 years. Ms. Clark is the only person ever to have served as President of all three of those professional associations, the State Bar of Georgia, GTLA and Lawyers Club of Atlanta. Ms. Clark is a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers (ISOB) whose membership is by invitation only and which is dedicated to the preservation of trial by jury, the adversary system and an independent judiciary. ISOB founders conceived the organization to bring together the best of the trial bar in a setting devoid of partisan interests. Ms. Clark also serves on the Board of Directors of the ISOB Foundation. Ms. Clark is an Associate of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a National professional association dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the right to trial by jury as guaranteed by the 7th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Ms. Clark is also a member of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL), and a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. She is a Past Chair of the Atlanta Bar Association Litigation Section. Ms. Clark serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation (GCJF) and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency (CCLC). Ms. Clark previously served on the Board of Directors for the Commission on Dispute Resolution, on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Continuing Judicial Education (ICJE), the Board of Directors of the Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) and the Board of Directors for the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism (CJCP). She is also a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and a member of the American Bar Association (ABA). Ms. Clark has previously served on the State Bar of Georgia Office of General Counsel’s Investigative Panel and the Review Panel.
Ms. Clark has testified extensively before the Georgia General Assembly on issues as far ranging as the discriminatory effect of caps on damages, the detrimental impact of the proposed elimination of vicarious liability in Georgia, the Juvenile Justice Reform Legislation, signed into law in 2013 by Governor Deal, and the elimination of the assignability of legal malpractice claims. Ms. Clark served on the Georgia General Assembly Bicameral Evidence Code Committee that was responsible for drafting the Georgia Evidence Code that was passed and signed into law in 2011 and went into effect in January 2013. Through her advocacy on behalf of Georgia citizens with the Georgia Legislature, she has built strong relationships with numerous Legislators and has worked to promote the cause of justice and protect the constitutional rights of all Georgia citizens.
Ms. Clark received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Vanderbilt University in 1985 and received her Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in 1988. Ms. Clark has been extensively published. As President of the State Bar of Georgia she had 162 articles published in 84 different publications, with a total circulation of 3,122,569. Clark is the author of “Who’s Your Neighbor? Our Moral Obligation to Discuss Mental Health with Our Peers,” Verdict Magazine, Winter 2018; “I’d Rather See a Sermon,” Verdict Magazine, Fall 2016; Building a Connection: Saving the Life of Your Fellow Lawyer, Daily Report, August 2016; “ARE YOU OKAY? ”The Most Important Conversation No One Wants to Have, Atlanta Bar Association Magazine, March 2015; “Realizing the Dream of Equality for All,” Georgia Bar Journal, Vol. 18, No. 7, June 2013; State Bar’s Suicide Prevention Campaign Tells ‘How to Save a Life,’ Daily Report, September 2013;“All I Really Know About Professionalism I Learned in Golf,” Georgia Bar Journal, Vol. 18, No. 6, April 2013; “Decisions Are Made By Those Who Show Up,” Georgia Bar Journal, Vol. 18, No. 5, February 2013; “How To Save a Life,” Georgia Bar Journal, Vol. 18, No. 4, December 2012; “Legal Trailblazers: Women in Leadership,” Georgia Bar Journal, Vol. 18, No. 2, October 2012; “Sharing the Abundance and Lifting All Boats,” Georgia Bar Journal, Vol. 18, No. 1, August 2012; There is No Me Without You~Don Keenan: The Road to Serendipity, a Passion for Children, Verdict Magazine, Winter 2011; There is No Me Without You~Pressing On for a Cure: Patrick Chance’s Story, Verdict Magazine, Winter 2009; Voir Dire: It’s Elementary, My Dear Watson, Verdict Magazine, Winter 2009; There You Go Again: Other Similar Incidents in Medical Malpractice Cases (A Case Study of Bean v. Northeast Georgia Medical Center), Verdict Magazine, Vol. 29, No. 3, Fall/Winter 2004, Essential Tools for Overcoming Trial Fear, Trial Excellence, Advanced Trial Tactics for Attorneys, May 2001 and Closing Argument Tips: Compensatory and Punitive Damages, Trial Excellence, Tactics, Legal Updates & Samples, September 2001.
Ms. Clark is admitted to the State and Superior Courts of Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Northern and Middle Districts, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. Ms. Clark has tried over 70 jury trials and has argued before Georgia appellate courts over 40 times. Ms. Clark has given numerous speeches for the State Bar of Georgia, the Institute of Continuing Legal Education of Georgia and for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, has appeared on The Layman’s Lawyer on Atlanta Public Television on the issue of products liability and has appeared on Leyes Cotidianas or Everyday Law on Georgia Public Television on the issue of harmful change of Georgia Civil Justice System in 2005. Ms. Clark has served as volunteer counsel for The Carter Center program “Not Even One Child’s Death by a Firearm is Acceptable or Inevitable”, the Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired and the Atlanta Bar Foundation’s Truancy Intervention Project. Ms. Clark is also a volunteer lawyer with Civil Lawyers Against World Sex Slavery (CLAWSS).
Ms. Clark is married to William T. Clark, Director of Political Affairs for Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. They have two children, Chastain “Chaz”, age 25, and Alexandria “Alex”, age 22. Chaz is a graduate of Georgia College and State University and is attending graduate school at Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Architecture. Alex is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where she was Captain of the UGA Rowing Team and is now a 2L at the University of Georgia School of Law. Ms. Clark is a member of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church on the beautiful Emory University Campus. Ms. Clark is an avid golfer, carrying a 19 handicap.
You may read more about Ms. Clark on her website, www.gatriallawyers.net, or her blog, www.atlantainjurylawyerblog.com. You may reach Ms. Clark also at robinclark@gatriallawyers.net and follow her on Twitter @robinfclark.
frazer-clark.html">Read Full Bio
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This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Doris Cheng of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger (https://www.walkuplawoffice.com/)
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Episode Details:
Acclaimed California trial lawyer and former San Francisco Bar Association president Doris Cheng of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger shares how she successfully represented a grieving mother after her son was fatally struck by a city bus while riding his bike. On May 15, 2017, Maria Renteria's son, Luis Alvarez, Jr., rode his bike in the right lane of a Los Angeles street until he came upon a stopped Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) bus and, adhering to the rules of the road, moved to the left lane to pass the bus. In an attempt to return to the right lane and travel in front of the bus, Luis was struck by the bus, dragged 70 feet and killed on impact. Trial lawyer Doris Cheng argued that the bus driver failed to be aware of her surroundings and did not adhere to her training, while defense counsel countered that the bus driver should not be held to a higher standard of care than Luis or any bicyclist. In spite of the defense's tactics, which included revealing the estrangement between Luis and his mother due to Luis's father's chronic abuse, a Los Angeles County jury assigned a percentage of negligence to both LACMTA and Luis, awarding Maria $1,400,000 in damages for the tragic loss of her son. In this in-depth discussion, Doris Cheng discusses everything from dealing with bad facts in voir dire to when to abandon the conventional "rules of the road" formula, instead focusing on the fundamental rules of persuasion: ethos, pathos and logos.
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Guest Bio:
Doris Cheng
A frequent guest lecturer and adjunct professor, Ms. Cheng has trained lawyers and judges nationally and internationally. As part of the Rule of Law Initiative, she has had the privilege of training trial lawyers and judges in Mexico, Kosovo, and Macedonia. She has also collaborated and trained with civil practitioners in Singapore and Belfast. This past year, she led trial skills training for criminal prosecution offices in Glasgow, Scotland and multiple Caribbean countries.
Ms. Cheng is also the Program Director of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s Western Region Advocacy Teacher Training Program. In 2012, she was awarded the Robert E. Keeton Award for outstanding service by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She is the 2015 recipient of the University of San Francisco Professional Achievement Award.
Ms. Cheng is involved in local bar associations and community organizations. She is the current President (former Secretary) of the San Francisco Bar Association and immediate Past President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association. She is a former Chair of the Civility Matters! Program and current national representative for the American Board of Trial Advocates (San Francisco Chapter). She is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She serves on the Kaiser Arbitration Oversight Board.
She is a co-author of the eminent Rutter Group California Practice Guide on Personal Injury, and the trial practice guide, Mastering the Mechanics of Civil Jury Trials.
Following the induction of new Fellows of The American College of Trial Lawyers, Doris Cheng gave a speech to all the new inductees about being awarded such an elite honor.
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This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Chrysta Castañeda of The Castañeda Firm (firm.com/">https://castaneda-firm.com/)
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Episode Details:
Accomplished Dallas oil and gas litigator Chrysta Castañeda of The Castañeda Firm discusses how she secured justice for oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens, the owner of Mesa Petroleum Partners, in a landmark breach of contract case against three Texas oil companies, securing the nation's 12th largest verdict in 2016. In January 2007, Mesa Petroleum Partners signed a participation agreement with J. Cleo Thompson and Baytech, affording Mesa 15% ownership in oil wells and other assets in Texas over a five-year period. Mesa Petroleum elected to participate in all offered deals, but unbeknownst to Pickens, Mesa Petroleum's 15% interest was being used to purchase assets and to drill more than 160 wells under the auspices of two newly formed companies: Patriot Resources and Delaware Basin Resources. In 2009, Delaware Basin Resources attempted to buy out Mesa Petroleum from the original agreement and recruited Baytech to initiate an offer that Mesa Petroleum ultimately rejected. Despite the defense's claims that Pickens stated in a phone call that he wanted out of the agreement, except for his initial investment in a Lyda Well, and assertions that Pickens did not pay his fair share and was looking to repair his reputation after making poor business decisions during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, Chrysta Castañeda secured justice for her client. In November 2016, after a five-week trial, a Reeves County, Texas jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, awarding more than $140 million in damages plus legal fees. This groundbreaking case is also featured in the book The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens, written by Chrysta Castañeda and Loren Steffy.
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Guest Bio:
Chrysta Castañeda
Chrysta Castañeda is a go-to lawyer for high-stakes litigation in the energy industry and beyond. Practicing for over twenty-five years, she has built a solid reputation for adeptly handling technical litigation, often serving as lead trial counsel in high-profile disputes of media interest. Her win for T. Boone Pickens’ Mesa Petroleum Partners was recognized as the 12th largest verdict in 2016 in the nation by The National Law Journal and earned her a spot as one of the NLJ’s Elite Trial Lawyers of 2018, as well as induction into Texas Lawyer‘s Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame. Following this series of high-profile recognitions, Chrysta was inducted as a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation in the beginning of 2020.
Chrysta developed her reputation and commitment to excellence from practicing for more than two decades at top firms worldwide. Since founding the Castañeda Firm, Chrysta has prioritized delivering the quality of representation found in large law firms in a personalized way. Chrysta and her team strive to out-prepare the opposition, from investigation through trial.
Chrysta not only has more than two decades of experience litigating energy and oil and gas matters but also holds a degree in engineering. Her technical training in combination with her experience in crisis communications frequently proves invaluable to clients, enabling her to effectively explain complex scientific concepts to judges and juries.
Clients value Chrysta’s strength and tenacity. As Chrysta puts it, “We take pride in having both the knowledge and experience clients require, as well as the necessary tenacity and creativity to craft winning strategies. We aim to prepare so thoroughly that we can adapt without hesitation to changing dynamics at trial or in discovery. I want our clients to feel confident and assured when The Castañeda Firm is on their case.”
Outside of the oil and gas and energy industries, Chrysta has extensive experience in commercial litigation, trade secrets, products liability, pharmaceutical, medical device, and toxic tort litigation.
firm.com/team/chrysta-castaneda/">Read Full Bio
Book Link:
The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens
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This week we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Victor Vital of Barnes & Thornburg LLP (https://btlaw.com/)
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Episode Details:
Texas Lawyer Verdicts Hall of Fame inductee Victor Vital, a partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, shares how he secured a take-nothing defense verdict in a business fraud claim against his clients, CAT Seattle and Ascend Health Corporation. Both companies countersued Jim Graham, a Dallas oil magnate, and his company, Duffy, for illegally wiretapping a conversation that resulted in a $2 million purchase agreement. Jim Graham secretly and without consent recorded a critical conversation with a "spy pen" during business negotiations. A Dallas County, Texas jury sided with Victor's clients regarding the wiretapping claim, resulting in the recovery of attorneys' fees.
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Guest Bio:
Victor Vital
Victor’s trial experience ranges from patent litigation, unfair competition, contract disputes, business tort cases, and high net worth divorce cases to trade secret and non-compete litigation, real estate disputes, products liability matters, catastrophic injury and death cases, consumer fraud matters, and white-collar criminal matters. Because of his broad trial experience, clients and lawyers turn to Victor regardless of subject matter when they need a trial lawyer for their important cases. Beyond his trial experience, Victor has successfully resolved through settlement and dismissal all types of complex civil litigation matters. Moreover, Victor has secured favorable plea deals and indictment declinations in a range of white-collar criminal matters, including wire fraud and mail fraud, tax evasion, securities fraud, Ponzi cases, and money laundering.
Notably, Victor was inducted into the Texas Lawyer Verdicts Hall of Fame for securing a No. 1 verdict -- the largest employment verdict in Texas in 2012 – for a corporate plaintiff in a complicated noncompete/trade secrets matter. In 2016, Victor secured the largest (No. 1) verdict in the fraud category in the Texas Lawyer Top Texas Verdicts & Settlements of 2016, with a jury verdict of nearly $34 million (including $16 million in punitive damages) in a partnership dispute involving claims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. This top 2016 jury verdict also made the National Law Journal Top 100 list.
Victor is often brought onboard on the eve of trial – in the final months or weeks leading up to trial – because of his deep trial experience. Moreover, Victor is a prolific author and invited lecturer/educator on trial issues. He also teaches trial practice techniques and provides commentary on major trials and cases in the media.
Victor previously served as a partner in national and international law firms and has prosecuted cases in a prominent district attorney’s office.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Randall Sorrels and Alexandra Farias-Sorrels of Sorrels Law (https://sorrelllawfirm.com/)
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Case Details:
Husband-and-wife trial team Randall Sorrels and Alexandra Farias-Sorrels of Sorrels Law share how they secured justice for an airline wing walker who was struck by a fueling truck and catastrophically injured. On September 7, 2019, Ulysses Cruz donned his yellow vest and held bright orange wands to guide a United Airlines plane when Allied Aviation Fueling Company truck driver Reginald Willis struck Ulysses with the vehicle. Ulysses was paralyzed on impact, underwent spine stabilization surgery and suffered an accident-related stroke that affected the right side of his body and the left side of his brain. In the courtroom, award-winning trial lawyers Randall and Alexandra Sorrels sparred against the defense attorney, who attempted to place blame on United Airlines and to label Ulysses as a wing walker with a lack of "situational awareness." The Sorrels Law duo countered with proof that Reginald Willis violated Allied Aviation Fueling Company's policies by continuing to drive while blinded by the sun. On October 25, 2021, a Harris County, Texas jury found Allied Aviation Fueling Company 70% responsible and driver Reginald Willis 30% responsible for the accident and awarded Ulysses Cruz and his family a $352.77 million verdict, which is believed to be the largest actual damages verdict in U.S. history for an injured worker.
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Guest Bios:
Randy Sorrel
Randy Sorrels holds the unique distinction of being the only Texas board-certified plaintiffs’ lawyer ever to have been elected to serve as President of the State Bar of Texas and selected as one of the Top 100 lawyers in the state by Texas Super Lawyers magazine. His passionate representation of clients and lawyers has garnered statewide recognition and numerous prestigious awards. Randy and his partner/wife obtained what is believed to be the largest actual damages verdict in United States’ history for an injured worker — $352.7 million – in a fully contested jury trial. In short, whether it is in the courtroom or in the boardroom, Randy has an unparalleled track record of success for his clients and the organizations he leads.
As a leader, Randy was voted by Texas lawyers to become the 2019-2020 State Bar President by the widest margin of victory in State Bar history. During his presidential service, he traveled Texas solidifying his reputation for helping not only those who hire him, but also helping fellow lawyers. His network of friends and relationships throughout the state is vast, and he is often hired by lawyers who are in need of representation. As a zealot advocate for his clients, Randy holds four board certifications including in Personal Injury Trial Law, Civil Trial Law and Civil Trial Advocacy from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. And in a peer selection process, for the last 14 years he has been named one of the Top 100 lawyers in the state. He is sought after by the nationwide and local media for legal analysis, commentary and perspective.
Randy’s success in the courtroom is also well-known throughout Texas and the nation. He has taken dozens of cases to trial, securing multi-million-dollar verdicts in personal injury cases, medical malpractice cases, plant explosion cases and business lawsuits. During the time of Covid, Randy and the Sorrels Law team secured two of the largest personal injury jury verdicts in the country in high-profile cases that received media attention worldwide. In one of the cases, the jury returned an actual damages verdict of $352.7 million for an injured worker who suffered catastrophic injuries, while in the other the jury awarded two minor league baseball players $3.24 million. For 2022, Randy has been named the Best Lawyers® Personal Injury – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” in Houston, and has been named the Best Lawyers’ Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs “Lawyer of the Year” in Houston on three separate occasions. He has received some of the highest legal honors in the state, including being awarded the State Bar of Texas President’s Award (recognizing the one Texas Lawyer who provided the most outstanding contributions through distinguished service to the lawyers of Texas), the Judge Sam Williams Award (recognizing the Texas lawyer who provides the greatest contribution to both local bars and the State Bar of Texas), and the Houston Bar Association President’s Award (recognizing significant contributions to an HBA program). Early in his career, Randy was honored with the Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer of Houston Award (recognizing the one young Houston lawyer who exemplified significant professional traits both inside and outside the practice of law). He started his career as a lawyer at the internationally acclaimed Fulbright & Jaworski (now Norton Rose Fulbright).
Alex Farias-Sorrels
Alex Farias-Sorrels is a passionate litigator, who left “Big-Law” to pursue her desire to help people who have been wrongly injured. She treats her clients like family and handles every aspect of her cases as if she were handling them for her own mother, father, sister, or brother. A Latina, native Houstonian, and bilingual lawyer, Alex is proud to bring a woman’s touch to personal injury law.
Alex attended both undergrad (2007) and law school (2010) at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, graduating with honors. While graduating in the top 10% of her law school class, Alex also interned for the appellate division of the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston and for Legal Services of Greater Miami.
After law school, as part of a fellowship program, Alex served as a full-time law clerk for U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Jeff Bohm for a year. At the same time, and on a part-time basis, she received her first exposure to plaintiffs’ work at a respected personal injury law firm in Houston where she handled personal injury cases and business disputes. In her second year of practice, she worked as a briefing attorney for the Supreme Court of Texas, clerking for Justice David Medina. There, she assisted the Court in assessing complex state law issues and also helped draft the Court’s opinions.
After her term at the Court, Alex joined the international law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, a Philadelphia-based firm with over 2,200 lawyers worldwide. Alex practiced in the firm’s Houston litigation section and focused mostly on complex commercial cases and insurance recovery cases. She also handled products liability and personal injury cases, including aircraft crashes. She served as first-chair counsel in more than ten trials, and was often called on to assist on thorny appellate issues. Alex’s largest victory came in an arbitration award, as she was instrumental in securing an almost $300 million arbitration award on behalf of a major Fortune 500 company on a fraudulent transfer claim.
Alex and her husband Randy Sorrels have a young son, Houston Alexander, who is bilingual, and keeps them busy when they are not working. They also have two rescue dogs – Gio and Luna. Alex is active in the bar, currently serving as a board member on both the Texas Bar Foundation and the Houston Young Lawyers Foundation.
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This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Micha Star Liberty of Liberty Law Office, Inc. (https://libertylaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Award-winning California trial attorney Micha Star Liberty discusses how she successfully advocated for the grieving parents of 24-year-old Amelie Le Moullac after she was fatally struck by a commercial vehicle while riding in a San Francisco bike lane in 2013. A responsible bicyclist, Amelie wore her helmet and stayed in the designated bicycle lane, but neither action prevented her from being run over by a 13,000-ton Daylight Foods, Inc. box truck, which illegally crossed the bike lane to make a sudden right turn. Amelie died from her injuries, including a fractured skull and crushed torso. Micha Star Liberty helped secure key video footage of the crash from a nearby business security camera after the San Francisco Police Department failed to conduct a thorough investigation, which was later revealed to be part of a larger bias against bicyclists. Despite the defense's attempts to blame Amelie and to depict her as a reckless bicyclist, Micha Star Liberty invoked a California Vehicle Code statute, which underscored the fact that Amelie had the right to remain in her bike lane and treat it as a safety zone in the event of a turning vehicle, which trumped the defense's use of a more general statute. In January 2015, a San Francisco jury ruled that Amelie shared no responsibility in her tragic death, found the driver to be at fault and awarded Amelie's parents a total of $4 million in damages.
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Guest Bio:
Micha Star Liberty
Micha Star Liberty is the owner of Liberty Law Office, Inc. — a diverse legal practice primarily representing individuals who have suffered a serious injury or abuse, including child sexual abuse. The firm also represents employees who have been discriminated against or harassed in the workplace, and Micha has assisted businesses with finding a common ground when releasing an employee on best terms.
Ms. Liberty is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She has held the title of President and Vice President of multiple legal and political organizations, expanding her network of associates and resources, which often helps to expedite the legal process for the greater benefit of her clients.
“My clients come to me during a time of tremendous pain, anguish, and often confusion. They need help and a specialized kind of help. Someone to talk to who will listen; someone who can offer confidential protection under the law; someone with trial knowledge who has worked with similar experiences so they know they are not alone. Everyone needs help and compassion during hard times. My calling in life is to be that advocate for my clients, and I’m never one to back down from a fight for what is right.”
Ms. Liberty is a frequent lecturer and published author, focusing much of her public speaking on trial practice, discovery techniques, the importance of mentoring, and best practices for opening a law office and law office management.
In 2015, the Consumer Attorneys of California — an organization made up of more than 3000 lawyers in California alone — presented her with the Street Fighter of the Year award at their 54th annual convention held at The Palace in San Francisco. Ms. Liberty was granted the award after holding the Contra Costa County School District accountable for a child sexual molestation case in which school officials were aware of the abuse and took no action. Every year since 2005, she’s been given the Presidential Award of Merit. In 2005 and 2006 she was presented the Defender of Justice Award and the Outstanding Service Award, respectively. In 2018, she was awarded the Women’s Advocate of the Year Award for her hard work on legislation and for prosecuting numerous cases dealing with the #me too era.
Ms. Liberty was a contributing author and editor for the following practice guides: California Client Communications Manual, and California Basic Practice Handbook, both published by Continuing Education of the Bar.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Bibi Fell of Fell Law, PC (https://www.fellfirm.com/)
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Case Details:
California trial lawyer Bibi Fell, a founding partner at Fell Law, PC and a partner at Athea Trial Lawyers, shares how she successfully represented a breast cancer patient who fell victim to the beliefs and unconventional cancer treatment of a New York Times bestselling author masquerading as a licensed doctor. Plaintiff Dawn Kali was diagnosed with treatable Stage 1 breast cancer and rejected traditional treatment options in favor of the "Father of the Alkaline Diet" Robert O. Young's "pH Miracle" approach, which focused on making the body less acidic and more alkaline. This process involved costly extended stays at Young’s Rancho del Sol in Valley Center, California and expensive intravenous treatments that consisted of little more than baking soda. Unable to pay, Dawn worked for Young in exchange for treatments that were ultimately ineffective. After much time had passed, Dawn went to an oncologist and was diagnosed with terminal Stage 4 cancer that had spread to her spine and femur. At trial, Bibi Fell demonstrated that Young’s "pH Miracle" treatment was neither scientifically nor medically sound. In spite of the defense's claims that Dawn was aware that Young was not a licensed medical doctor and that she was not prevented from seeking conventional medical treatment, a San Diego jury found in favor of Dawn for her claims against Young of intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, false promise and negligence. In October 2018, the jury awarded Dawn a $105,356,000 verdict, including $15 million in punitive damages.
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Guest Bio:
Bibi Fell
Bibi represents plaintiffs who suffered catastrophic injuries or the death of a loved one. She is the Founding Partner of Fell Law, PC, in San Diego, California and is a Partner at Athea Trial Lawyers, a nationwide plaintiff’s firm comprised of six prominent female trial lawyers.
Bibi is one of the few women attorneys to have received a verdict over $100,000,000.00 as lead trial counsel. Bibi is a National Board Member for the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Membership is extended by invitation only to lawyers who have demonstrated extensive trial experience, civility and professionalism. In 2018, Bibi was one of three finalists for Consumer Attorneys of California’s “Consumer Advocate of the Year,” Consumer Attorneys of San Diego’s “Trial Lawyer of the Year” award and received the “Outstanding Trial Lawyer” award and “Outstanding Advocate” award from Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. In 2020, she received the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” award from Pepperdine Law School. Bibi has also been selected to be a member of Lawdragon 500, The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the Daily Journal’s Top 100 Women Lawyers, and has been selected as a Top 50 San Diego Superlawyer and Top 25 Women Superlawyer.
Bibi gives back by teaching Advanced Trial Advocacy at the USD Law, serving as the program director for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy’s Pacific Deposition Skills program, and teaching trial skills through NITA around the country and internationally. Bibi devotes her time to serve as a “Parent Partner” to parents of children newly diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a malignant liver tumor found in young children.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jim Gilbert of The Gilbert Law Group, PC (https://www.thegilbertlawgroup.com/)
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Case Details:
Jim Gilbert, the founder of Colorado's The Gilbert Law Group, PC and former national chairman of the Attorneys Information Exchange Group, shares how he successfully represented Bosnian War refugee Dzemila Heco after she suffered life-altering injuries due to a defective seatback. In August 2007, Dzemila's 2000 Dodge Neon was rear-ended by another car at a stoplight in Vermont. Dzemila, who was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, should have been able to walk away from this minor traffic accident, but her seatback collapsed on impact, causing her to sustain a neck injury that rendered her a permanent quadriplegic in need of round-the-clock care. In today's new episode, learn how "Lawyer of the Year" honoree Jim Gilbert held the seatback manufacturer, Johnson Controls, Inc., responsible for their defective design. Jim discusses how he used expert testimony as well as Johnson Controls, Inc.'s own testing and internal documents against them, including Johnson Controls, Inc.'s 1998 patent filing that stressed the disadvantages of a single-sided recliner. Two years after filing, the same single-sided recliner was implemented in the design of Dzemila's 2000 Dodge Neon. In spite of the defendant's claims that the seat in Dzemila's car met Chrysler's requirements and exceeded government and industry safety standards, the Chittenden County, Vermont jury found the seat to be defective. In June 2013, the jury awarded Dzemila a groundbreaking $43.1 million verdict, the largest jury verdict in the state of Vermont at the time.
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Guest Bio:
Jim Gilbert
A 1968 graduate of New York University Law School, James L. Gilbert is the owner of The Gilbert Law Group, P.C. an Arvada, Colorado law firm. The firm specializes in product defect litigation, primarily automotive and truck products. He now has over 45 years of experience litigating complex cases against some of the world’s largest corporations. Jim Gilbert was voted 2019 Lawyer of the Year in Colorado.
Highly skilled and comfortable in the courtroom, Mr. Gilbert has received a number of favorable jury verdicts. His work involving defective aftermarket windshield installations, including a $6,100,000 jury verdict against an aftermarket installer, was chronicled in a cover story in Lawyers Weekly entitled "Personal Injury Cases That Made a Difference." Jim Gilbert has obtained many eight-figure jury verdicts including $35,000,000 (California) awarded in a conversion van case, $17,500,000 (Colorado) awarded in a seatbelt case, $43,500,000 (Vermont) awarded in a seatback failure case, and most recently $52,000,000 (Colorado) in a seatbelt failure case.
Mr. Gilbert is a frequent lecturer and member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group with membership limited to 100 lawyers. He is an invited fellow in the Society of Trial Lawyers, a fellow in the International Society of Barristers, is listed as a Top 100 in the National Trial Lawyers Organization, and is listed in Best Lawyers in America and several other national organizations. He was the national chairman of the Attorneys Information Exchange Group for 15 years.
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This week, we’re replaying a classic GTP episode where Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Natalie Woodward of of Jordan Woodward Cathey (http://thetrial.attorney/).
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Episode Details:
Jordan Woodward Cathey founding partner Natalie Woodward discusses how she secured justice for the former Chief of Police for the City of Braswell, Georgia after he was falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted by the Mayor, City Manager and subsequent Chief of Police for the City of Braswell over a reimbursement dispute. In 2007, Robert Richard Lucas was initially told by the Mayor that he would be reimbursed for the purchase of used vehicles for the police department, but after five months of waiting, the Mayor and City Manager informed Robert that they considered the vehicle to be a non-reimbursable donation to the City. Unable to reach an agreement, Robert resigned as the Chief of Police and took possession of the vehicle, as the title was still in his name. The City of Braswell reported the car stolen and continued to pursue criminal prosecution with a warrant for Robert's arrest, despite a neighboring county officer's determination that the vehicle ownership dispute was a civil matter. Robert was unjustly placed in a holding cell with criminals who were likely well aware of his previous law enforcement position. In spite of the defense's attempts to utilize a reimbursement check that didn't materialize until after the lawsuit was filed, trial lawyer Natalie Woodward emphasized the lack of proper procedure and Georgia Bureau of Investigation involvement. In 2010, a Rome, Georgia jury returned a verdict in favor of Robert, awarding $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants.
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Guest Bio:
Natalie Woodward
Anyone who meets Natalie Woodward feels like they have known her their entire life. It is this ability to put people at ease that makes her such an effective trial lawyer. In 2010, she tried her first jury trial as lead counsel in a wrongful arrest case and secured a $1 million verdict which is the largest verdict of its kind in Georgia history. In 2021, she was interviewed about this trial.
Her cases have made international and national news including her fight to protect the rights of children on social media. In 2014, she argued before the Georgia Court of Appeals to obtain increased protection for children targeted on social media. Natalie has also led the fight to secure justice for victims of childhood sexual abuse.
Natalie is a proud native of Powder Springs, Georgia and is a venerable “Double Dawg.” She received undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science from UGA and then graduated from UGA Law in 2002. While in law school, she as a member of the 2001 Champion Intrastate Moot Court Team, President of her Second Year Class and Chair of the Moot Court Board.
Natalie serves on the Executive Committee for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and the Bench and Bar Committee of the State Bar of Georgia. She has been recognized by her peers as one of the best lawyers in the State for the past six years and was selected as one of the Best Young Lawyers in Georgia by Atlanta Magazine.
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This week, we replay a classic GTP episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Kalpana Srinivasan and Max Tribble of Kalpana Srinivasan and Max Tribble of Susman Godfrey LLP (https://www.susmangodfrey.com/)
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Case Details:
High-stakes trial lawyers Kalpana Srinivasan and Max Tribble of Susman Godfrey LLP explain how they secured the largest intellectual property verdict in the United States in 2018 in a countersuit against Title Source, Inc., a company providing valuation services to Quicken Loans. Originally, Title Source, Inc. sued Kalpana and Tribble's client HouseCanary, Inc. for breach of contract. HouseCanary filed crossclaims regarding Title Source's allegedly improper use of the data and discovered, via a PowerPoint presentation, that Title Source was violating the rules of its nondisclosure agreement and stealing HouseCanary’s trade secrets to reverse-engineer a competing automated valuation model. After seven weeks of trial, a Bexar County, Texas jury returned a verdict of $706.2 million, including $201.6 million for the value of the trade secrets, and cleared HouseCanary of any allegations of wrongdoing.
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Guest Bios:
Kalpana Srinivasan
Ms. Srinivasan tries high-stakes cases for plaintiffs and defendants in courtrooms across the country. A partner in the Los Angeles office and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, she has secured significant victories for her clients in antitrust, patent, trade secret, copyright, class action, and other disputes.
Ms. Srinivasan won a $706.2 million jury verdict for client HouseCanary in a misappropriation of a trade secret, fraud, and breach of contract case. As co-lead counsel, Ms. Srinivasan played a crucial role in this landmark win. Read more on the win here or see the case featured in Lawdragon’s feature story, “Revenge of the Hatchlings: How Susman Godfrey Won Almost a Billion Dollars for HouseCanary” or in Law360‘s “How They Won It” series.
Ms. Srinivasan recently obtained court approval for a class action settlement valued at over $100 million with music streaming service, Spotify. The deal resolved claims of copyright infringement. She currently serves as Court-appointed co-lead counsel for a certified class of hundreds of millions of consumers impacted by Qualcomm’s anticompetitive conduct in the sale of chipsets used in mobile devices and its patent licensing practices.
Ms. Srinivasan’s practice includes pursuing and defending patent infringement actions, including cases involving standard-essential telecommunications patents; gaming and graphics patents; and cybersecurity software.
Max Tribble
Max Tribble, serving as lead counsel, secured a jury verdict of $706.2 million for client, HouseCanary in a misappropriation of trade secret, and breach of contract case related to HouseCanary’s innovative technology for valuation, appraisal, and real estate analytics. At the conclusion of the seven-week trial, a 12-person jury found unanimously in favor of HouseCanary, awarding HouseCanary $706.2 million against Title Source, an affiliate of Quicken Loans, on counterclaims in this high-stakes legal battle.
The award was finalized in October 2018 and in 2019, a judge confirmed the jury award in full and allowed a judgment of more than $740 million (including prejudgment interest and attorney fees) to stand. This landmark win has been featured as a top story of the week by Texas Lawyer and covered by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Dallas News, and Law360. It was also featured on Law360’s “How They Won It” series and was highlighted in Susman Godfrey’s recent “Intellectual Property Practice Group of the Year” recognition by Law360.
Lawdragon profiled the win in their feature story, “Revenge of the Hatchlings: How Susman Godfrey Won Almost a Billion Dollars for HouseCanary” and National Law Journal named Tribble a Winning Litigator (ALM) for this win. The verdict also appeared at number one on Texas Lawyer’s 2019 Intellectual Property Hall of Fame. Read more about the case here.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Derrick Alexander Pope of Hidden Legal Figures (https://www.hiddenlegalfigures.com/).
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Episode Details:
Hidden Legal Figures Podcast host Derrick Alexander Pope returns to discuss what proved to be Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.'s last legal stand and how its historical significance continues to impact protests to this day. In February 1968, more than 1,000 African-American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, went on strike after two black sanitation workers were killed on the job. A local pastor invited King to help the protestors nonviolently strike for job safety, better wages, benefits and union recognition. On March 28, 1968, King and other protestors peacefully marched through Memphis until violence broke out and looting took place, resulting in numerous injuries, arrests and the calling of the National Guard. Unhappy with the unwanted attention his presence and participation brought, the City of Memphis sued King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference associates, including Hosea Williams, James Bevel, James Orange, Ralph Abernathy and Bernard Lee. On April 3, 1968, U.S. District Court Judge Bailey Brown issued a temporary restraining order against King as part of the city's attempts to thwart the next planned march. On today's special collaborative episode with the Hidden Legal Figures Podcast, Derrick Alexander Pope shares how King's lawyers Mike Cody and Lucius Burch sought and secured a compromise with the City of Memphis, which resulted in lifting the restraining order and allowing the march to go on with safety restrictions in place. The night before the compromise was formalized, King was tragically assassinated.
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Guest Bio:
Derrick Alexander Pope:
Derrick Alexander Pope, who describes himself as a composer and conductor of ideas, is President and founding Director of The Arc of Justice Institute. In this role, he has responsibility for all aspects of its standing initiatives and programs and host of its podcast, Hidden Legal Figures.
Before The Arc, Mr. Pope enjoyed a distinguished career in the public, private, and academic sectors. He has provided counsel to the legislative and executive branches of government at the federal, state, and county level, having most recently served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. He is a former Assistant Legislative Counsel to the Georgia General Assembly and former Legislative and General Counsel to the Medical Association of Georgia. During the Obama administration, Mr. Pope was a member of the White House Data Driven Justice Initiative and the My Brother's Keeper Taskforce in 2015 and 2016. In private practice, he has helped protect the inheritance rights of more than 500 families throughout Georgia. Mr. Pope is a former adjunct professor of law at the Georgia State University College of Law where he taught Probate Practice and Procedure.
Mr. Pope has several published works to his credit. He is the author of By the Content of Our Character: A Declaration of Independence for Colored Folks, Negroes, Black People, and African Americans and Thy Will Be Done: An African American Guide to Estate Planning and the Howard Law Journal article A Constitutional Window to Interpretive Reason: Or in Other Words...The Ninth Amendment. In 2012 teaming with this daughter he released a spoken word CD - The Race Track.
An Atlanta native, Mr. Pope is a graduate of Morris Brown College and the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana, earning top honors in the Loyola Law Clinic. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia where serves on three standing committees (Vice-Chair, Communications/Cornerstones of Freedom Program; Advisory Committee on Legislation, and the Editorial Board of the Georgia Bar Journal, and Past Co-Chair of the Committee on Inclusion in the Profession), the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Patrick Arenz of Robins Kaplan LLP (https://www.robinskaplan.com/).
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Episode Details:
Patrick Arenz of Robins Kaplan LLP shares how he successfully represented Twin Cities, Minnesota plastic surgeon Richard H. Tholen after he was denied emergency medical evacuation by Assist America, Inc. for a severe knee injury, which resulted in an above-the-knee amputation. In April 2015, Richard "Dick" Tholen dislocated his knee on a zipline course in Mexico and attempted to use his American Medical Association membership privilege to initiate Assist America's emergency medical evacuation services, which are available to transport members when an international hospital is unable to meet the U.S. standard for medical care. It took more than 35 hours for a licensed doctor to evaluate Dick's injuries. After multiple conversations with Assist America's medical coordinators and the local hospital's improper use of a hard cast on Dick's soft tissue injury, he was denied transport. Taking matters into his own hands, Dick took a commercial flight back to his Minnesota home and was evaluated by doctors who determined that he had a significant blood clot behind his knee. On May 18, 2015 — approximately one month after he sustained the injury — Dick underwent an above-the-knee amputation. In spite of Assist America Inc.'s attempts to blame Dick for the loss of his leg and misrepresent the facts in a published case study, a U.S. District Court of Minnesota jury found Assist America, Inc. negligent and guilty of breach of contract. In November 2021, the jury assigned $10 million in punitive damages to Assist America, Inc. and awarded Dick a $27,882,915.49 verdict, which was the largest personal injury verdict in Minnesota history.
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Guest Bio:
Patrick Arenz:
In an era of litigators, Patrick Arenz is a trial lawyer. According to IAM, Patrick is an “excellent, thorough, and focused cross-examiner.” He handles high-stakes disputes for a diverse set of clients, ranging from Fortune 100 companies to small inventor-led companies and individuals. His practice focuses on patent and copyright infringement matters, trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract disputes, and business and individual tort cases. He is equally adept at representing defendants, and has handled competitor-versus-competitor patent cases on both sides of the “v.” His cases have garnered media attention from outlets including The New York Times, Star Tribune, and even “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.” Based on his accomplishments, Patrick was selected for the Minneapolis/St Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list and the inaugural Bloomberg Law 40 Under 40 list, named a Minnesota Attorney of the Year in 2018, included on the IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals list, and named a Legal Media Group Americas Rising Star 2019 Winner for Best in Litigation: Trial Lawyer.
Patrick has honed his trial skills in courtrooms across the country and spent his early career working alongside renowned trial lawyers, like Ronald J. Schutz. He has since tried a wide range of cases, including patent infringement, breach of contract, personal injury, and felony-criminal defense cases. In 2021, he served as lead trial counsel in a personal injury case wherein his team secured a $27.8 million jury verdict on behalf of Dr. Richard Tholen, a top Twin Cities plastic surgeon, who endured an amputated leg after Assist America refused to evacuate him for proper medical care. This verdict has been reported as the largest personal injury verdict in Minnesota history. In 2020, he secured a complete victory in an arbitration for celebrity chef, Chloe Coscarelli, and her business entity that restored her 50% ownership in the “by Chloe” restaurant company she founded and was previously valued in excess of $60 million; enjoined the company from selling retail products; and awarded Chloe a $2.2 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. He also obtained a final judgment in excess of $2 million in favor of his client following a jury verdict against a former employee accused of misappropriating confidential information. In 2016, he tried a breach of license dispute over unpaid royalties, and obtained a $5.7 million verdict that settled on appeal for $13.5 million. Many of Patrick’s cases have resolved successfully before trial, driven by his preparation and readiness for trial.
Patrick is also adept at handling high-stakes appeals. He has argued at the Eighth Circuit, Ninth Circuit, Federal Circuit, and Minnesota Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. In 2020, for example, Patrick obtained a reversal and remand from the Eighth Circuit in Tholen v. Assist America, in which Patrick also serves as trial counsel for Dr. Tholen in his defamation claim. In 2021, Patrick achieved a reversal and remand from the Minnesota Court of Appeals in Smits v. Park Nicollet, finding a triable issue in a wrongful death action over Park Nicollet’s duty to provide reasonable medical care to its mental health patient and his family.
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This week, in celebration of Martin Luther King Day, we're replaying one of our favorite interviews with Derrick A. Pope of The Arc of Justice Institute (https://onthearc.net/).
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Episode Details:
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Hidden Legal Figures Podcast host Alexander Pope returns to discuss the landmark 1956 case against Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. for his role in the year-long Montgomery, Alabama Bus Boycott and violation of a 1921 anti-boycott law. An example of white Alabama officials' effort to use the courts to quash the Civil Rights Movement, the trial began with numerous attempts by prosecutors to identify King as the official leader of the boycott. King's legal team countered by trying to establish "just cause" or "legal excuse" for the boycott, with 31 witnesses sharing their first-hand experiences with abusive bus drivers and reasons for participating in the boycott. In spite of these moving statements, Judge Eugene W. Carter found King guilty of violating the anti-boycott law and fined him $500 plus an additional $500 in court costs. King's appeal was rejected, and he later paid the fine.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Derrick Alexander Pope:
Derrick Alexander Pope is President and Managing Director of The Arc of Justice Institute. In his role, he has responsibility for its standing initiatives and programs, including hosting its podcast, Hidden Legal Figures.
Before The Arc, Mr. Pope enjoyed a distinguished career in the public, private, and academic sectors. He has provided counsel to the legislative and executive branches of government at the federal, state, and county level, having most recently served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. He is a former Assistant Legislative Counsel to the Georgia General Assembly and former Legislative and General Counsel to the Medical Association of Georgia. During the Obama administration, Mr. Pope was a member of the White House Data-Driven Justice Initiative and the My Brother's Keeper Taskforce in 2015 and 2016. In private practice, he has helped protect the inheritance rights of more than 500 families throughout Georgia. Mr. Pope is a former adjunct professor of law at the Georgia State University College of Law where he taught Probate Practice and Procedure.
Mr. Pope has several published works to his credit. He is the author of By the Content of Our Character: A Declaration of Independence for Colored Folks, Negroes, Black People, and African Americans and Thy Will Be Done: An African American Guide to Estate Planning and the Howard Law Journal article A Constitutional Window to Interpretive Reason: Or in Other Words...The Ninth Amendment. In 2012 teaming with this daughter he released a spoken word CD - The Race Track.
An Atlanta native, Mr. Pope is a graduate of Morris Brown College and the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana, earning top honors in the Loyola Law Clinic. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia where serves on three standing committees (Vice-Chair, Communications/Cornerstones of Freedom Program; Advisory Committee on Legislation, and the Editorial Board of the Georgia Bar Journal, and Past Co-Chair of the Committee on Inclusion in the Profession), the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey continue their interview Don Keenan of The Keenan Law Firm (https://www.keenanlawfirm.com/).
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Episode Details:
Known as a tireless advocate for children and a fierce trial lawyer, Don Keenan of The Keenan Law Firm discusses how he used an innovative causation strategy to successfully represent the family of an infant who sustained a permanent brain injury as a result of her pediatricians' negligence. Sally Bartholomew was born healthy, but three weeks later, she was diagnosed with bronchitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, and an upper respiratory infection. On January 16, 1995, Sally appeared to be turning gray and her Hilton Head Island, South Carolina pediatrician instructed Sally's mother, Carol, to drive the baby to a hospital in Savannah, Georgia. In route, Sally stopped breathing, and Carol administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until EMTs could arrive. Sally's brain was without oxygen for an extended period of time, and she suffered a traumatic brain injury that continues to limit her quality of life and capabilities to this day. Acclaimed trial lawyer Don Keenan explains how he immediately connected with the Beaufort County, South Carolina jury by beginning his opening statement with the story of Carol's traumatic drive to the hospital and simplified his presentation from a PowerPoint to pen-and-paper exhibits to better appeal to an older jury. This is the first recorded case where causation was the initial focus, meaning that Don demonstrated what caused Sally's brain injury before proving the doctor's liability in failing to prepare for the worst possible outcome. After a three-week trial, the Beaufort County, South Carolina jury returned a verdict of $13.75 million in favor of the plaintiff, resulting in the highest medical malpractice verdict in the state at the time.
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Guest Bios:
Don Keenan:
During his forty years specializing in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, Mr. Keenan has secured over 381 verdicts and settlements over $1,000,000, including 15 over $10,000,000 and one over $100,000,000. Mr. Keenan has dedicated his practice to child injury and wrongful death cases arising from medical negligence, products liability, and premise liability, with the goal of making our society safer for children. He has handled cases in 47 states and on three continents.
Mr. Keenan strongly believes that our duty does not end when we secure justice for the child and family. Equally important is learning from the prevention lessons of the case and formulating a public awareness campaign to help prevent future injuries and deaths and when necessary, push for legislation and regulations. He calls this unique approach to law the One-Third Solution: one-third litigating the case, one-third public awareness on the prevention and one-third pushing for regulations and legislation. Examples of his One-Third Solution are the Playground Safety Project being featured on the Today Show for the past three years, The Toy Safety Campaign profiled in USA Today and Good Morning America. The Imagine Magazine Summer 2005 issue featured Don Keenan and his One-ThirdSolution as did Mercedes Momentum Magazine in winter of 2004.
In 1992, he became the youngest National President of the American Board of Trial Advocates and during his tenure, led a delegation of lawyers to Czechoslovakia and later was invited to Russia to produce the first civil trial in the history of those two emerging democracies. In 1997, he became National President of the Inner Circle of Advocates, the most exclusive group of trial lawyers in the country. In 1999, he was given the prestigious Chief Justice Award for Civility and Professionalism, the highest award possible for a lawyer in Georgia. He now serves on the Advisory Committee for the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, which trains the majority of new judges in the United States. In 1990 and again in 1992, he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Don successfully handled the 1980’s U.S. Supreme Court case of Kathy Jo Taylor which was the first case in United States history to establish due process rights for foster children. Again in late 1999, he handled the nationally publicized case of Terrell Peterson, an abused foster child, who was on the cover of Time Magazine (11/2000) and was the subject of the highest rated 60 Minute story of the year. Both cases resulted in significant changes in the rights of children in state custody. In 2006 he obtained the largest US jury verdict on behalf of an abused child.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey continue their interview with Moshik Temkin, Harvard University Associate Professor of History and Public Policy and author of The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial (https://carrcenter.hks.harvard.edu/people/moshik-temkin).
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Episode Details:
Harvard University Associate Professor of History and Public Policy Moshik Temkin, author of The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial, discusses the larger implications of this 1920s Massachusetts murder trial and how its proceedings and subsequent international post-verdict protests revealed the U.S. justice system's implicit bias against immigrants. On April 15, 1920, an armed robbery was committed at the Slater-Morrill Shoe Company in Braintree, Massachusetts, resulting in the death of two guards and the theft of at least $15,000 in payroll funds. Italian immigrant anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were accused and charged with first-degree murder. The pair's anarchists beliefs, advocating for the violent overthrow of political and capitalist institutions, and evasion of the World War I draft took center stage at the trial, overshadowing missing and contradictory evidence in the case. Influenced by presiding Judge Webster Thayer's obvious bias, which included calling the defendants "anarchist bastards," as well as the jury foreperson's publicly expressed predetermined verdict, Sacco and Vanzetti were sentenced to death. Worldwide, labor unions held protests and acclaimed writers and political influencers spoke out in support of Sacco and Vanzetti. The pair, who were widely seen as political prisoners, were executed in the electric chair on August 23, 1927. On today's new episode, author and historian Moshik Temkin will share what his extensive research has revealed about this infamous case and the resulting international protests. Learn how this legendary trial impacted global politics and resulted in lasting judicial reform.
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Guest Bios:
Moshik Temkin:
Moshik Temkin, Associate Professor of History and Public Policy, joined the Harvard Kennedy School faculty in 2009. A specialist in the history of the modern United States in global and comparative perspective, with a focus on the connections between history and public policy, he is particularly interested in the interaction between Americans and non-Americans–the effects that American politics have had on the wider world, the roles that international politics have played in American society and policymaking in the United States, and the dynamics created when American and international politics come into contact, or conflict.
He is the author of The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial (Yale University Press, 2011), which was a finalist for the Cundill International Prize, as well as several articles and book chapters. His current research interests include the history of the death penalty in a comparative perspective, the impact of war on public policy intellectuals since World War I, Malcolm X's career and politics in a global context, the relationship between American civil rights and global human rights, and the contest between global political activism and travel control since the Cold War. He is currently at work on a book provisionally titled Undesirables: Travel Control and Surveillance in an Age of Global Politics, to be published by Harvard University Press. He is also the editor (with David Greenberg and Mason Williams) of Alan Brinkley: A Life in History (Columbia University Press, 2019).
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Moshik Temkin, Harvard University Associate Professor of History and Public Policy and author of The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial (https://carrcenter.hks.harvard.edu/people/moshik-temkin).
Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here To Rate and Review
New! Watch GTP on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKdeO4IodggpSLyhWVdcWKw
Episode Details:
Harvard University Associate Professor of History and Public Policy Moshik Temkin, author of The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial, discusses the larger implications of this 1920s Massachusetts murder trial and how its proceedings and subsequent international post-verdict protests revealed the U.S. justice system's implicit bias against immigrants. On April 15, 1920, an armed robbery was committed at the Slater-Morrill Shoe Company in Braintree, Massachusetts, resulting in the death of two guards and the theft of at least $15,000 in payroll funds. Italian immigrant anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were accused and charged with first-degree murder. The pair's anarchists beliefs, advocating for the violent overthrow of political and capitalist institutions, and evasion of the World War I draft took center stage at the trial, overshadowing missing and contradictory evidence in the case. Influenced by presiding Judge Webster Thayer's obvious bias, which included calling the defendants "anarchist bastards," as well as the jury foreperson's publicly expressed predetermined verdict, Sacco and Vanzetti were sentenced to death. Worldwide, labor unions held protests and acclaimed writers and political influencers spoke out in support of Sacco and Vanzetti. The pair, who were widely seen as political prisoners, were executed in the electric chair on August 23, 1927. On today's new episode, author and historian Moshik Temkin will share what his extensive research has revealed about this infamous case and the resulting international protests. Learn how this legendary trial impacted global politics and resulted in lasting judicial reform.
Click Here to Read/Download Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Moshik Temkin:
Moshik Temkin, Associate Professor of History and Public Policy, joined the Harvard Kennedy School faculty in 2009. A specialist in the history of the modern United States in global and comparative perspective, with a focus on the connections between history and public policy, he is particularly interested in the interaction between Americans and non-Americans–the effects that American politics have had on the wider world, the roles that international politics have played in American society and policymaking in the United States, and the dynamics created when American and international politics come into contact, or conflict.
He is the author of The Sacco-Vanzetti Affair: America on Trial (Yale University Press, 2011), which was a finalist for the Cundill International Prize, as well as several articles and book chapters. His current research interests include the history of the death penalty in comparative perspective, the impact of war on public policy intellectuals since World War I, Malcolm X's career and politics in a global context, the relationship between American civil rights and global human rights, and the contest between global political activism and travel control since the Cold War. He is currently at work on a book provisionally titled Undesirables: Travel Control and Surveillance in an Age of Global Politics, to be published by Harvard University Press. He is also the editor (with David Greenberg and Mason Williams) of Alan Brinkley: A Life in History (Columbia University Press, 2019).
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jim M. Perdue, Sr. and Jim M. Perdue, Jr of Perdue and Kidd (https://www.perdueandkidd.com/).
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Texas trial lawyers Jim M. Perdue, Sr. and Jim M. Perdue, Jr. -- Perdue & Kidd's father-and-son trial team -- take a look back at the first case they ever tried together. Listen as this accomplished trial team explains how they secured justice for the wrongful death of a patient who died as a result of the negligence of a nurse anesthetist during routine orthopedic surgery. In September 1997, 40-year-old Mark Alexander was scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, but the anesthesiologist left him in the hands of an inexperienced nurse anesthetist, who failed to provide Mark with adequate ventilation during the surgery and neglected to record Mark's heart rate for 17 minutes. As a result, Mark was deprived of adequate blood flow to the brain for 10 to 14 minutes and remained in a coma for two weeks before passing away on October 3, 1997. Involved in the case while Mark was still in a coma, Jim M. Perdue, Sr. was able to collect powerful pieces of evidence he presented at trial: phone recordings and messages from Mark's family. In spite of the defense's attempts to cast blame on the other anesthesiologists and professional associations named in the lawsuit or to distance themselves from having any role in Mark's medical care, the father-and-son legal team was able to hold the doctors accountable for their contribution to Mark's substandard care and proximate cause of death. Jim M. Perdue, Sr. and Jim M. Perdue, Jr. strategically engaged the jury's senses with impressive storytelling and by sharing a visual timeline of the tragic events, a video of Mark languishing in a coma and the hard data comparison of the anesthetist's records versus the medical equipment records. In October 1999, a Harris County, Texas jury unanimously found the four defendants negligent and awarded $3.6 million in damages to Mark's wife and surviving parents.
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Guest Bios:
Jim M. Perdue, Sr:
Jim M. Perdue, Sr. is Of Counsel to Perdue & Kidd. Mr. Perdue received both his Bachelor of Science cum laude and his Juris Doctorate cum laude from the University of Houston.
Mr. Perdue has had over five decades of success in securing substantial and in some cases unprecedented multi-million dollar verdicts and recoveries for his clients. He has lectured across the country, speaking before law schools, scientific associations, medical groups, bar associations, trial lawyer organizations, and colleges of advocacy, delivering over 400 presentations on topics including the substantive law of malpractice and product liability, professional responsibility, rules of evidence, the psychology of jury persuasion, special issue submission, and trial strategy and technique.
He has authored texts and treatises on the substantive law of medical malpractice and product liability. The appellate courts of Texas have often cited his books, law review, and law journal articles. Moreover, numerous appellate opinions in cases he has prosecuted have pioneered the way for today’s victims of negligence, defective products and corporate indifference.
In 1989, Forbes magazine dubbed Mr. Perdue “King of the Malpractice Lawyers.” He has been a trailblazer in plaintiffs’ litigation for the past fifty plus years. He is one of the most well-known medical malpractice and product liability trial lawyers in Texas.
Jim M. Perdue, Jr:
Jim M. Perdue, Jr. is a named partner at Perdue & Kidd, with a national practice focusing on trying lawsuits, from cases involving defective medical products and pharmaceutical liability claims to catastrophic injuries of all types. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and Medical Professional Liability by the American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys. He currently serves on the Rules Advisory Committee of the Texas Supreme Court. Jim Perdue Jr. is both an Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates and Fellow in the International Society of Barristers. Mr. Perdue is listed among the “Top 100 Attorneys in Texas” in Texas Monthly by Thomson Reuters, where he has been named a “Texas Super Lawyer” since the award was created 11 years ago. He is also named in “The Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White 2006-15) for Plaintiff’s Personal Injury practice.
Jim Perdue Jr. has tried over 30 personal injury cases to jury verdict, including multi-million dollar verdicts for cases involving pharmaceutical liability, workplace injury, and medical malpractice. This includes his $27.6 million dollar verdict against Boston Scientific, listed as one of the largest product liability verdicts of 2014 by the National Law Journal. Jim Perdue Jr. has spoken at over 100 legal seminars and published on a wide range of topics, from trial techniques to tort law. He has made appearances on Good Morning America, Court TV, and local television as a legal commentator on civil justice legislation, automotive safety, and product liability law.
Jim Perdue Jr. r attended the University of Texas and graduated summa cum laude. He then received his J.D. cum laude at the University of Houston Law Center and was named their Outstanding Alumnus of the Year in 2006. He is Past-President of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association, Past-Chair of the Professional Negligence Section of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, a member of Leader’s Forum of American Association for Justice, a fellow of the Texas and Houston Bar Foundations, and a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas. The Houston Young Lawyers Association honored Jim Perdue Jr. with the Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Attorney Award in 2002.
Mr. Perdue serves on the Boards of TIRR Foundation, which is the charitable research arm of TIRR Hospital in Houston, Texas, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church Foundation (Houston); and the Silver Spurs Alumni Association. Jim Perdue Jr. is a past director of the Texas Lyceum and Past President of the University of Houston Law Center Alumni Organization. He and his wife Nicole have three sons.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Bill Stone, James Stone and Ryals Stone of The Stone Law Group (https://www.stonelaw.net/).
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The Stone Law Group's trial team -- comprised of father Bill Stone and sons James Stone and Ryals Stone -- explain how they thoroughly investigated a fatal car accident and proved that their client, a promising 19-year-old University of Mississippi student, was not the proximate cause of his own tragic death, as law enforcement investigators initially concluded. In the early morning hours of March 29, 2013, University of Mississippi freshman Price Thornal was attempting to travel from Oxford, Mississippi to his hometown in Tallahassee, Florida to celebrate his father's birthday. Price's Honda Civic was hit head-on by the defendant, who was driving a Dodge Durango on the wrong side of the divided US Hwy 84. Trial lawyers Bill, James and Ryals Stone used the GPS system in Price's car to plot his trajectory and utilized the defendant's cell phone records as evidence of her negligence and opposing trajectory. In spite of the defendant's attempts to cast blame on Price, the Stone Law Group used basic physics as well as expert accident reconstruction to show the jury which car was traveling in the appropriate direction. In November 2021, after just 20 minutes of deliberation, an Early County, Georgia jury found the defendant's negligence to be the proximate cause of Price's death and awarded $26,141,628 in damages.
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Guest Bios:
William Stone:
Bill is a trial lawyer from Blakely, Georgia, who specializes in personal injury, wrongful death, professional malpractice, product liability, commercial and consumer fraud cases. The firm’s predecessor was founded in 1915 by Bill’s grandfather, the late Wm. Lowrey Stone. Past members of the firm include Bill’s father, Lowrey S. Stone, who formerly served as Chief Judge of Superior Courts, Pataula Judicial Circuit.
Bill was born in Dothan, Alabama, on August 19, 1953. He attended the public schools in Early County, Georgia and graduated from Early County High School in 1971. He attended the University of Georgia College of Business Administration and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting on graduation in 1975. Bill also attended the Netherlands Institute of Industrial Economics near Amsterdam in The Netherlands in 1973.
Bill received his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1977. He was admitted to practice law in the state of Georgia in 1977 and in the state of Alabama in 1985. He is also member of the bars of the United States District Courts for the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia, the Middle District of Alabama, and the Central District of Illinois, as well as the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits.
The publishers of the Martindale Hubble Law Directory have awarded Bill its highest rating (AV) for legal ability and integrity.
Bill is a Life Member and past president of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and is also a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Alabama State Bar, the American Association for Justice, and the Southwest Georgia Trial Lawyers Association.
Bill has served on the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission that recommends candidates to the Governor for appointment to vacant judgeships in Georgia. He has authored a number of published articles and is a frequent lecturer at legal seminars on the subject of trial practice and tort law.
James Stone:
James grew up in Blakely, Georgia and currently lives with his wife, Rachel, in Roswell, Georgia. James practices in our Atlanta office, primarily focusing on cases involving catastrophic personal injury and death from medical negligence, trucking accidents, and motor vehicle accidents.
James, a fifth-generation attorney in his family, grew up with an eye always towards practicing law. Watching his father represent clients who lacked the ability to obtain justice for themselves, James always appreciated the work and time invested in pursuing high-stakes litigation and catastrophic injury cases. Now, James works alongside his father and brother, furthering that pursuit of justice and relentlessly fighting for clients and families injured in accidents are wronged by corporations.
James is a 2009 graduate of the University of Georgia where he received his BBA in Management Information Systems. Afterward, James attended Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School and graduated in 2013.
James was admitted to practice law in Georgia in 2013 and Alabama in 2015.
James is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Alabama State Bar, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association of Justice, the American Bar Association, and the Sandy Springs Bar Association.
James has been involved in numerous complex lawsuits resulting in verdicts or settlements higher than seven figures.
In his spare time, James enjoys recreational activities such as mountain biking, running, softball and coaching little league baseball.
Ryals Stone:
Ryals D. Stone is a Partner in the Rome office of Stone Law Group. He represents individual and small business plaintiffs in cases involving catastrophic personal injuries or wrongful death, specifically those caused by motor vehicle accidents or trucking collisions, unsafe premises, industrial boiler explosions, defective products, medical negligence by a medical provider, insurance bad faith or financial fraud, and other civil RICO racketeering conspiracies.
During his career as a trial attorney Ryals has handled many complex civil cases and has been an active and integral member of the firm’s trial team during numerous multi-week jury trials, which have resulted in verdicts and settlements of over $150 million combined.
Ryals is the oldest son of Stone Law Group senior partner William S. Stone. The firm’s predecessor was founded in 1915 by Ryals’ great-grandfather, the late William Lowrey Stone. Past members of the firm include Ryals’ grandfather, Lowrey S. Stone, who later served for 15 years as Chief Judge of Superior Courts, Pataula Judicial Circuit. Upon being admitted to the Georgia Bar in 2010, Ryals proudly became the 5th straight generation of Georgia attorneys in the Stone family.
Raised in his hometown of Blakely in rural Southwest Georgia, Ryals went on to earn his undergraduate degree in History from University of Georgia in 2005 and his law degree in 2009 from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
During law school, Ryals also studied International Comparative Constitutional Law at the University of Cambridge in England. He earned the highest marks in several of his law school classes, including Trial Advocacy Basic Skills and Professional Responsibility. As a 3rd Year law student he was selected as a distinguished Abraham J. Caruthers Fellow, chosen to mentor Cumberland’s renowned first-year legal research and writing program. Throughout his final year of law school, Ryals gained valuable practice experience as a law clerk in the Bessemer, Alabama District Attorney’s Office and for the In-House Counsel at Southern Progress Corporation.
Ryals is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts of the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of Georgia. He is a Champion member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA), American Association of Justice (AAJ), Attorneys Information Exchange Group (AIEG), the Rome Bar Association, and he currently serves as President of the Pataula Circuit Bar Association. He has continuously served as a voting member of GTLA’s Executive Committee since 2013 and currently serves as an elected officer of the Civil Justice PAC’s Board of Directors. He has served GTLA’s Verdict Editorial Board as a Board member and frequent contributing author since 2015. Ryals currently serves on the Board of Governors of AAJ as one of only 5 Governors from Georgia. Ryals has also served multiple terms on the Board of Directors for the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyers Division.
However, above any of his career achievements Ryals is most proud of his role as the founding member and inaugural Co-Chair of GTLA’s “LEAD” Program (“Leadership Education and Advanced Direction”), a leadership academy he co-created specifically for talented young Georgia trial lawyers. Today, the program boasts nearly 100 LEAD alumni over its first five years, many of whom are now counted as among GTLA’s highest-ranking officers and Board members.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Don Fountain of Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-Rubin (https://www.clarkfountain.com/) and Drew Ashby of Ashby Thelen & Lowry (https://www.atllaw.com/).
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Don Fountain of Clark, Fountain, La Vista, Prather & Littky-Rubin and Drew Ashby of Ashby Thelen & Lowry discuss how they successfully represented the grieving parents of a 7-year-old boy who tragically died in an accident involving a defective boat design on Lake Burton in Georgia. On July 17, 2014, Ryan Batchelder was wearing a life jacket and sitting in the bow seating compartment in the front nose of a rented 2000 Malibu Response LC open bow ski boat when he was washed overboard as the boat circled, crossing its own wake and taking on water in a phenomenon known as "bow swamping." As the front of the boat filled with water, the driver put the boat in reverse to raise it to surface level, but the unguarded propeller sucked Ryan in, resulting in severe blood loss and fatal drowning. Don Fountain and Drew Ashby, along with their colleagues, took the case to trial for the Batchelder family to hold accountable the three entities involved in making boats under the name "Malibu Boats," which is the largest ski boat manufacturer in the world. Together, Don and Drew demonstrated that Malibu Boats West, Inc. and Malibu Boats LLC were negligent for failing to provide warnings concerning the bow swamping hazard associated with the open bow boat. In August 2021, a Rabun County, Georgia jury apportioned fault to Malibu Boats West, Inc., Malibu Boats, LLC and the boat driver for Ryan's wrongful death, awarding $80 million in compensatory damages and $120 million in punitive damages. The jury determined that because the Malibu defendants knew about the bow swamping hazard and made the conscious decision not to warn boat owners and users, punitive damages were also warranted, making this the largest pain and suffering wrongful death verdict in Georgia history.
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Guest Bios:
Donald Fountain:
Donald R. Fountain, Jr. is nationally recognized as a top trial attorney and is known for his work around the country for successfully representing catastrophically injured clients during some of the most traumatic and transformational times in their lives. For twenty-five years, Don has been a double board-certified civil trial lawyer by both the state and national boards and has twice been named “Lawyer of the Year” in plaintiff product liability litigation by Best Lawyers in America®, a prestigious award that was published in the Miami Herald and The Wall Street Journal.
During his more than 30 years as a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer, Don has handled cases in more than 25 states and has tried virtually every kind of case – typical and atypical – from a cruise ship hitting an iceberg in Alaska to the mishandling of human remains by a regional funeral home chain. He frequently works on cases across the country related to automotive products liability, tire defects, consumer product defects, road design defects, construction defects, boating and locomotive accidents, aviation liability, legal malpractice, fires and vehicle/truck accidents. Don has earned hundreds of seven and eight figure verdicts and settlements totaling more than $800 million for his clients throughout Florida and the United States.
In 2021, Don and his trial team successfully secured a $200 million verdict in rural Georgia for their clients, Stephan Batchelder and Margaret Batchelder, who tragically lost their 7-year-old son, Ryan Paul Batchelder, in a 2014 boat swamping defect incident. It was the largest verdict in Rabun County Georgia history, and the largest single verdict for pain and suffering associated with wrongful death in the history of the State of Georgia.
Earning titles that include “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America,” “Leading Plaintiffs’ Lawyers in America,” and “Florida’s Top 10 Attorneys,” Don is frequently called upon by other lawyers to handle major litigation matters that require unique technical expertise and financial resources.
Don is continuously recognized as a “Top Lawyer” in South Florida Legal Guide and as one of the “Legal Elite” in Florida Trend magazine – a recognition he shares with only 2% of lawyers in the state. Don is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®, which denotes the highest level of professional excellence and ethical standards in the legal industry. He has been named a Super Lawyer® by his peers for 15 consecutive years.
Drew Ashby
Drew is an experienced trial lawyer specializing in catastrophic personal injury, defective products, and chemical exposures. Drew has litigated these issues in 15 states.
Drew is one of the only trial lawyers in the country to have secured a seven-figure verdict, an eight-figure verdict, and a nine-figure verdict, all before the age of 40. He holds the record verdict in Rabun County (GA), the record verdict in Lowndes County (GA), and the largest pain and suffering verdict in Georgia history. He holds the 7th largest premises liability verdict in the Southeast in 2019, the 8th largest vehicle crash verdict in the Southeast in 2020, and the largest verdict in any product liability or wrongful death case in Georgia in 2021.
Drew has a special expertise in cases involving defective products of all kinds, including automobiles, aerial lifts and cranes, ATVs, boats, industrial equipment, and a variety of consumer and household products. To date, manufacturers have issued four separate nationwide recalls as a result of his work in cases; most of which were issued in almost unprecedented fashion – in the middle of litigation.
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This week we’re replaying a classic GTP episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Daniel Rodriguez, Chantal A. Trujillo & Danay Gonzalez of Rodriguez & Associates Trial Lawyers (https://www.rodriguezlaw.net/).
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Rodriguez & Associates trial lawyers Daniel Rodriguez, Chantal A. Trujillo, and Danay Gonzalez explain how they became the first trial team to present a school shooting-related civil claim to a jury. On January 10, 2013, Bowe Cleveland was shot by a fellow student, who was repeatedly reported to Taft Union High School administrators for making violent threats, having a "hit list" and drawing scenes of killings. Administrators failed to update their threat assessment plan and implement intervention tactics. As a result, Bowe was shot in his science classroom and suffered multiple punctures in his right lung, massive blood loss, and fractured ribs, requiring over 30 surgical procedures. To this day, Bowe's chest is full of shotgun pellets, and he struggles with PTSD. A Bakersfield, California jury found eight individuals, including the school's assistant principal, negligent and partially responsible for Bowe's injuries, returning a verdict of $3.8 million.
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Guest Bios:
Daniel Rodriguez
Daniel Rodriguez has a background that is a little bit different than the typical lawyer. Daniel grew up in a migrant farm-worker family. He and his family were constantly on the move. He lived and worked in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and California. Daniel and his five siblings attended between three and five different schools each year up until college.
In addition to working in the fields, Daniel later held a variety of jobs going through college and law school. To name a few, Daniel worked as a dishwasher, worked for PG&E in their mapping department, worked as a salesperson for Sears, Roebuck & Co., sold encyclopedias door to door, and pumped gas at a full-service gas station. Another job that Daniel held was working as a roustabout and mechanic in the oilfields for Atlantic Richfield Co. in Kern County. All of these jobs helped mold Daniel’s perspective on life. Namely, that there’s no substitute for putting in the hard work.
Daniel’s career as a lawyer is also a little bit different than the typical plaintiff’s lawyer. The vast majority of plaintiff’s lawyers hardly ever go to trial. Most of them may take a case to trial once every five years or so. Daniel tried his first jury trial within one month of getting his license to practice law. Daniel’s skill as a personal injury lawyer in Bakersfield has not gone unnoticed. Daniel is proud of the fact that he was selected to teach at Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College. This trial advocacy school is widely considered to be the best in the country. What does jury trial experience and trial skills mean to the client? That Daniel will obtain top and full value for the client’s case because insurance companies respect and fear a skilled and experienced trial lawyer.
Daniel’s professional dedication to the Kern County community has earned him nationwide recognition. He’s been selected to the California Super Lawyers list (by Super Lawyers®) every year since 2009. In 2015, he was named Best Lawyer in Bakersfield by the Best of Bakersfield Reader’s Choice Awards. He is also a member of The National Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only group composed of the premier trial lawyers from across the United States. He’s been a guest on Hot 94.1’s “The Romeo Show”, Univision, and interviewed in major news outlets.
Danay Gonzalez
Danay was born in Bakersfield and raised in Lamont, California. In this small town, her family owned a jewelry store where Danay grew up learning the value of community. There, she learned how to work hard and interact with customers. While they loved their home in Lamont, Danay’s family moved to Bakersfield to pursue new opportunities when she was in the eighth grade. She went on to graduate from Ridgeview High School, where she enjoyed being in choir and theatre, reading and writing in her English classes, and debating politics with her fellow students in AP courses.
After high school, Danay attended UCLA, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 2013 (Once a Bruin, always a Bruin!). While she loved living in Los Angeles and experiencing a different life with new horizons in the city, she always knew that she wanted to come home and be a positive influence in her community.
Growing up in Lamont, she saw that many of her classmates were afraid to speak up for themselves at the risk of being deported or getting their families in trouble. She saw them living in fear, and she knew that it wasn’t right. She saw the way that the people of her community looked up to Daniel Rodriguez, not only for being a successful member of the Hispanic community but also for the way that he fought for the rights of her friends and neighbors. Because of his influence, she knew she wanted to become a lawyer and stand up for people’s rights like he does. Coming from a family where her grandparents couldn’t read, write, or speak English, Danay is passionate about giving a voice to the people who need it most.
Chantal A. Trujillo
As a Bakersfield native, Chantal graduated from Centennial High School in 2004 (Go Golden Hawks!). Chantal then attended CSU Bakersfield for 2 years until transferring to the University of Texas where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She further pursued her education at St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, TX, earning her Juris Doctor in 2011.
After venturing to the Lone Star state, Chantal found herself back in Bakersfield, where she was born and raised. In late 2011, she joined the team at Rodriguez & Associates, where she has gained a home away from home. She is well-known for late nights at the office, consistently putting in the extra hours to achieve positive results in all of her cases. During Chantal’s time at the firm, she has handled numerous personal injury and wrongful death cases, some of which have gone to jury trial and produced great verdicts.
Working in this field has shaped Chantal tremendously into the kind of lawyer you forget is a lawyer because of how much of herself she pours into her cases. She truly breaks the mold by taking the time to understand and meet her clients’ requests and concerns throughout the civil litigation process.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview John Uusta of Kelley | Uustal (https://kelleyuustal.com/).
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John Uustal, a founding partner of Kelley | Uustal in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, discusses how he refused to accept the findings of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, engineering experts, firefighters and police officers and instead pursued justice for a 3-year-old girl who was badly burned by a defective pressure cooker. On September 14, 2015, toddler Samantha Gonzalez was being bathed by her grandmother in the kitchen sink when a Vasconia Aluminum 8 Quart Pressure Cooker on the nearby stove began to malfunction and opened under pressure, spraying scalding liquid onto the child. Sixty percent of Samantha's body was covered in second and third-degree burns, resulting in the loss of a leg, hand and all her fingers. The manufacturer, Lifetime Brands, denied any defect and instead blamed Samantha's grandmother for the tragic incident. John and his legal team discovered a major corporate cover-up when older models, unlike the newer models that had been used for testing, were found to have a defective lid-locking system that made them unsafe for use on stoves with higher temperatures higher than 2,000 watts. Despite knowledge of the design flaw, Lifetime Brands never issued a recall or a warning to consumers and instead quietly made design adjustments in newer models. On November 6, 2018, a Broward County, Florida Circuit Court Judge approved a $27 million settlement in favor of the plaintiff, resulting in one of the largest recoveries ever obtained in the U.S. for a consumer product design defect.
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Guest Bios:
John Uustal:
John Uustal is a founding partner of the Kelley | Uustal law firm in Fort Lauderdale. Uustal leads a team of fourteen elite trial lawyers, who have won some of the largest verdicts in the country. He limits his own practice to a small number of “cases that can’t be won for families that can’t afford to lose.” He has taken on some of the most complex and difficult legal cases of our time. His successes have resulted in safer fuel tanks, safer seat belts, safer medical care, and safer equipment for firefighters. That success has earned him some powerful enemies. A car company promised to bankrupt him, he was attacked and maligned by Big Tobacco, and he was threatened in Argentina after antagonizing government officials who had been complicit in Argentina’s dirty war. He has won every case he has tried against tobacco companies. He has won every one of his cases involving keyless ignition defects. He has been named Product Liability Lawyer of the Year by America’s Best Lawyers, awarded the Most Effective Lawyer for Product Liability by the Daily Business Review, and has been interviewed and chronicled by national newspapers and television news programs.
The day after John Uustal started law school, Hurricane Andrew tore through the University of Miami, destroyed parts of the city, and shut down the school. Once the campus and surrounding areas reopened, his first-year class was forced to complete a full year of law school in much less time. For months they studied law at a ridiculous pace under tremendous pressure while living without electricity or phone service and at the same time struggling to help those still in need. At the end of that school year – with all its impossible demands and incredible responsibility - Mr. Uustal ranked first in the entire student body and had earned the Book Award for the highest grade in the class in every single class that year.
He turned his attention to trial skills and was prosecuting criminals in Miami courtrooms even before he graduated. He earned what was reportedly the highest score in the entire state on the Florida Bar Examination. In his first few years of practice he obtained a $51 million verdict trying a car crash case himself, helped make national news when he discovered a massive corporate scheme to cover-up the real reason that people were burning alive in General Motors vehicles, and tried cases across the country.
Mr. Uustal now handles incredibly complex and difficult cases against the best defense attorneys in the world. His successes have resulted in safer fuel tanks, safer seat belts, safer medical care, and safer equipment for firefighters and paramedics.
His most prominent recent cases have been against companies that knowingly sell dangerously defective products. He represented a young girl who was severely burned when a pressure cooker malfunctioned and won one of the largest recoveries ever in the entire country; and this was on a case that other lawyers rejected. He handled cases involving keyless ignition defects that killed people in their homes and won every case. He was so infuriated by the refusal of automobile companies to fix their vehicles in the ways their own engineers specified that he worked with the
New York Times on a comprehensive story of the defect, which led to hearings in the U.S. Senate. He has won every case he has tried against tobacco manufacturers, who have been selling dangerous products for decades. He has been named Product Liability Lawyer of the Year by America’s Best Lawyers, Awarded the Most Effective Lawyer for Product Liability by the Daily Business Review, and has been interviewed and chronicled by national newspapers and television news programs.
His work has also earned him some powerful enemies. A car company promised to bankrupt him, he was attacked and maligned by Big Tobacco, and he was threatened in Argentina after antagonizing government officials who had been complicit in Argentina’s dirty war. His firm is organized specifically so that it can withstand such intimidation. The words of Clarence Darrow, painted on the walls, create clarity in every decision that requires sacrifice: “I have lived my life, and I have fought my battles, against power. I have asked no odds from them, and I never will.”
Mr. Uustal limits his practice to representing families who have suffered catastrophic injuries or wrongful death, even when other attorneys say the case can’t be won. With truly devastating injuries, the difference between a good recovery and a great recovery may be all the difference in the world. To make that kind of difference he can only handle a few cases at a time. There is no other way.
Clients have called him “the real deal”; “an old-school fighter” who “cared about us as people first.”
Mr. Uustal grew up in Fort Lauderdale. His mother was a teacher, his father was a coach, and he saw the real impact they each had on so many young lives. He coaches competitive soccer for Fort Lauderdale Select, and he finds opportunities to coach in the law as well. He believes that it is important to freely give his time advising, assisting and teaching other attorneys who ask for help. He gives lectures across the country and teaches trial skills.
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This week, in light of the tragedy that recently occurred during filming of the movie Rust, we’re replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jeff Harris of Harris, Lowry, and Manton (www.hlmlawfirm.com) and Rebecca Franklin Harris of Franklin Law (franklinlawllc.com).
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Two-time Georgia Super Lawyers Top 100 honoree Jeff Harris of Harris Lowry Manton LLP and award-winning trial lawyer Rebecca Franklin Harris discuss the landmark wrongful death case that occurred on the set of the Gregg Allman biopic “Midnight Rider.” Unbeknownst to camera assistant Sarah Jones and the rest of the crew, they were filming on active railroad tracks owned by CSX Transportation. Sarah was struck and killed by a train and quickly became the face of Hollywood’s film safety movement. Thanks to a strong case presented by Jeff Harris and Rebecca Franklin Harris, a Chatham County, Georgia jury returned an $11.2 million verdict.
Visit - https://www.safetyforsarah.com/
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
Rebecca Franklin Harris:
As founder of Franklin Law, LLC, Rebecca Franklin Harris works with clients both locally in Savannah and across the country in cases involving consumer rights and product safety. In addition to dangerous consumer products, her practice includes cases arising out of trucking accidents, medical malpractice, aviation disasters and premises liability incidents.
Rebecca has been repeatedly recognized for her legal achievements, being inducted into the “Verdicts Hall of Fame” and named as part of “Georgia’s Top 40 Under 40” by Georgia’s leading legal publication, The Fulton County Daily Report. She was a recipient of the “Courageous Pursuit of Justice Award” given by The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and has consistently been recognized as part of the “Rising Stars” selection in the annual Georgia Super Lawyers publication. She has also been selected Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association.
Jeff Harris:
One of the nation’s top trial attorneys, Jeff Harris is an award-winning litigator who handles high-profile, complex cases across a wide variety of practice areas. He excels at securing justice for clients who have been seriously injured or killed, holding responsible parties accountable for their actions as well as their negligence.
Over the course of his career, Jeff has secured hundreds of millions in jury verdicts and settlements for his clients and has helped make a variety of products, vehicles and industries safer for everyone. His cases have been featured in The New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, 20/20, CBS Evening News and many other national media outlets.
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Part two of our discussion with Edward Larson, Ph.D., J.D., author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion (Ed Larson).
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Edward Larson, Ph.D., J.D., author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion and the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law and University Professor of History at Pepperdine University, explains the historical significance and societal impact of the landmark "Scopes Monkey Trial." In March 1925, the state of Tennessee passed the Butler Bill, which prohibited the teaching of evolution or anything but Divine Creation in schools. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sought a test case and found one in Dayton, Tennessee science teacher John Scopes. During the eight-day trial, John Scopes pleaded not guilty to charges of violating the Butler Bill. He was represented by the ACLU and legendary trial attorney Clarence Darrow, who argued that the Butler Bill was unconstitutional and impeded basic freedom of religion rights. The special counsel for the prosecution was iconic American orator William Jennings Bryan, a political titan, former Secretary of State, celebrated speech maker and acclaimed U.S. Congressman who served as a major force behind the creation of the Butler Bill. The legal battle between Darrow and Bryan was truly an epic showdown, pitting two of the nation’s best orators against one another in a court of law. On July 21, 1925, the jury returned a guilty verdict after nine minutes of deliberation, and Judge John Raulston ruled that John Scopes was ordered to pay a $100 fine for violating the Butler Bill. The verdict was overturned on a technicality at the Tennessee Supreme Court on January 15, 1927. In today's episode, learn why the Scopes trial is considered one of the most important cases in 20th century America and how it became the first trial to be broadcast live on the radio. Hear Edward Larson's analysis about the case, the precedents it set for Constitutional law in America and why the topic of evolution vs. creationism in schools is still being debated nearly 100 years later.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Edward Larson
Ed Larson holds the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law and is University Professor of History at Pepperdine University. Originally from Ohio with a PhD in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and law degree from Harvard, Larson has lectured on all seven continents and taught at Stanford Law School, University of Melbourne, Leiden University, and the University of Georgia, where he chaired the History Department. Prior to becoming a professor, Larson practiced law in Seattle and served as counsel for the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. He received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Ohio State University but still roots for the University of Wisconsin in football.
Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in History and numerous other awards for writing and teaching, Larson is the author or co-author of fourteen books and over one hundred published articles. His 2015 book, The Return of George Washington: Uniting the States, 1783-1789, was a New York Times Bestseller and resulted in Larson being invited to deliver the 2016 Supreme Court Historical Society lecture in Washington, give the annual Gaines Lecture at Mount Vernon, and serve as a featured presenter for the Library of Congress's Madison Council event. His other books, which have been translated into over twenty languages, include An Empire of Ice: Scott Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science; A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign; and the Pulitzer Prize winning Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion. Larson's articles have appeared in such varied publications as Nature, Atlantic Monthly, Science, Scientific American, Time, Wall Street Journal, American History, The Guardian, and dozens of law reviews. His latest book, On Earth and Science, was published by Yale University Press in 2017.
A popular lecturer, Larson has taught short courses at universities in China, Europe, and South America; and given addresses at over 80 American universities. He was a resident scholar at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Study Center; held the Fulbright Program's John Adams Chair in American Studies; participated in the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Writers and Artists Program; and served as an inaugural Fellow at the Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. A panelist on the National Institutes of Health's Study Section for Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues of the Human Genome Project, Larson is interviewed frequently for broadcast, print, cable, and internet media, including The Daily Show, The Today Show, and multiple appearances on PSB, BBC, the History Channel, C-SPAN, CNN, Fox News, MNBC, and NPR.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Edward Larson, Ph.D., J.D., author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion (Ed Larson).
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Episode Details:
Edward Larson, Ph.D., J.D., author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion and the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law and University Professor of History at Pepperdine University, explains the historical significance and societal impact of the landmark "Scopes Monkey Trial." In March 1925, the state of Tennessee passed the Butler Bill, which prohibited the teaching of evolution or anything but Divine Creation in schools. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sought a test case and found one in Dayton, Tennessee science teacher John Scopes. During the eight-day trial, John Scopes pleaded not guilty to charges of violating the Butler Bill. He was represented by the ACLU and legendary trial attorney Clarence Darrow, who argued that the Butler Bill was unconstitutional and impeded basic freedom of religion rights. The special counsel for the prosecution was iconic American orator William Jennings Bryan, a political titan, former Secretary of State, celebrated speechmaker, and acclaimed U.S. Congressman who served as a major force behind the creation of the Butler Bill. The legal battle between Darrow and Bryan was truly an epic showdown, pitting two of the nation’s best orators against one another in a court of law. On July 21, 1925, the jury returned a guilty verdict after nine minutes of deliberation, and Judge John Raulston ruled that John Scopes was ordered to pay a $100 fine for violating the Butler Bill. The verdict was overturned on a technicality at the Tennessee Supreme Court on January 15, 1927. In today's episode, learn why the Scopes trial is considered one of the most important cases in 20th century America and how it became the first trial to be broadcast live on the radio. Hear Edward Larson's analysis about the case, the precedents it set for Constitutional law in America, and why the topic of evolution vs. creationism in schools is still being debated nearly 100 years later.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
ABOUT EDWARD LARSON'S BOOK:
Guest Bio:
Edward Larson
Ed Larson holds the Hugh and Hazel Darling Chair in Law and is University Professor of History at Pepperdine University. Originally from Ohio with a Ph.D. in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and law degree from Harvard, Larson has lectured on all seven continents and taught at Stanford Law School, University of Melbourne, Leiden University, and the University of Georgia, where he chaired the History Department. Prior to becoming a professor, Larson practiced law in Seattle and served as counsel for the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC. He received an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Ohio State University but still roots for the University of Wisconsin in football.
Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in History and numerous other awards for writing and teaching, Larson is the author or co-author of fourteen books and over one hundred published articles. His 2015 book, The Return of George Washington: Uniting the States, 1783-1789, was a New York Times Bestseller and resulted in Larson being invited to deliver the 2016 Supreme Court Historical Society lecture in Washington, give the annual Gaines Lecture at Mount Vernon, and serve as a featured presenter for the Library of Congress's Madison Council event. His other books, which have been translated into over twenty languages, include An Empire of Ice: Scott Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science; A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America's First Presidential Campaign; and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion. Larson's articles have appeared in such varied publications as Nature, Atlantic Monthly, Science, Scientific American, Time, Wall Street Journal, American History, The Guardian, and dozens of law reviews. His latest book, On Earth and Science, was published by Yale University Press in 2017.
A popular lecturer, Larson has taught short courses at universities in China, Europe, and South America; and given addresses at over 80 American universities. He was a resident scholar at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Study Center; held the Fulbright Program's John Adams Chair in American Studies; participated in the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Writers and Artists Program; and served as an inaugural Fellow at the Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon. A panelist on the National Institutes of Health's Study Section for Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues of the Human Genome Project, Larson is interviewed frequently for broadcast, print, cable, and internet media, including The Daily Show, The Today Show, and multiple appearances on PSB, BBC, the History Channel, C-SPAN, CNN, Fox News, MNBC, and NPR.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Derrick Alexander Pope, Managing Director of the Arc of Justice Institute and host of the Hidden Legal Figures Podcast (https://onthearc.net/).
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Episode Details:
Derrick A. Pope, Managing Director of the Arc of Justice Institute and host of the Hidden Legal Figures Podcast, returns to discuss the landmark Civil Rights decisions in Buchanan v. Warley (1917) and Shelley v. Kraemer (1948). On today's episode, learn about the significance of each case and how the two decisions are intimately related. Preparing to celebrate its 104th anniversary in November 2021, the unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in Buchanan v. Warley ruled that Louisville, Kentucky's residential segregation laws were unconstitutional and violated the personal and property rights afforded to all U.S. citizens by the 14th Amendment. Chief Justice Edward Douglass White upheld the rights of whites and Blacks to sell property to one another and initiated a turning point in the Court's attitude toward the rights of African Americans. Years later, private covenants -- not laws -- were being used to segregate neighborhoods. In 1948, Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson ruled in Shelley v. Kraemer that private covenant agreements do not violate 14th Amendment rights and that the state's enforcement of discriminatory private covenants does violate the 14th Amendment. This ruling made racial discrimination in housing no longer judicially enforceable and established a legal precedent for future efforts to enforce the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.
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Guest Bio:
Derrick Alexander Pope
Derrick Alexander Pope, who describes himself as a composer and conductor of ideas, is President and founding Director of The Arc of Justice Institute. In this role, he has responsibility for all aspects of its standing initiatives and programs and host of its podcast, Hidden Legal Figures.
Before The Arc, Mr. Pope enjoyed a distinguished career in the public, private, and academic sectors. He has provided counsel to the legislative and executive branches of government at the federal, state, and county level, having most recently served as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. He is a former Assistant Legislative Counsel to the Georgia General Assembly and former Legislative and General Counsel to the Medical Association of Georgia. During the Obama administration, Mr. Pope was a member of the White House Data Driven Justice Initiative and the My Brother's Keeper Taskforce in 2015 and 2016. In private practice, he has helped protect the inheritance rights of more than 500 families throughout Georgia. Mr. Pope is a former adjunct professor of law at the Georgia State University College of Law where he taught Probate Practice and Procedure.
Mr. Pope has several published works to his credit. He is the author of By the Content of Our Character: A Declaration of Independence for Colored Folks, Negroes, Black People, and African Americans and Thy Will Be Done: An African American Guide to Estate Planning and the Howard Law Journal article A Constitutional Window to Interpretive Reason: Or in Other Words...The Ninth Amendment. In 2012 teaming with this daughter he released a spoken word CD - The Race Track.
An Atlanta native, Mr. Pope is a graduate of Morris Brown College and the Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, Louisiana, earning top honors in the Loyola Law Clinic. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia where serves on three standing committees (Vice-Chair, Communications/Cornerstones of Freedom Program; Advisory Committee on Legislation, and the Editorial Board of the Georgia Bar Journal, and Past Co-Chair of the Committee on Inclusion in the Profession), the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the United States Supreme Court Historical Society, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
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This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Zoe Littlepage of Littlepage, Booth, Leckman ( http://www.littlepagebooth.com/ ).
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Case Details:
Three Nevada women who developed breast cancer as a result of their use of Wyeth’s hormone replacement drugs, Prempro and Premarin. The jury found that Prempro and Premarin helped cause their cancers and that Wyeth misled the public about the drugs’ health risks. The court ultimately awarded $22.8 million in compensatory damages and $35 million in punitive damages.
Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Zoe Littlepage’s practice focuses on complex cases including mass torts, defective medical product or drug cases as well as human rights issues. She typically spends months each year in trial, all across the country. Ms. Littlepage’s jury awards made the list of the Top 10 Largest Verdicts in the country for 2007, 2009 and 2010.
In 2011, Zoe Littlepage was induced into The Inner Circle of Advocates. Founded in 1972, The Inner Circle of Advocates is an invitation only group of 100 of the best trial lawyers in America who are selected for their character, experience and success in the courtroom. The Inner Circle of Advocates was described by The Washington Post as, "A select group of 100 of the nation's most celebrated trial lawyers" and is recognized as one of the most exclusive groups of attorneys in the nation. Inner Circle members often work collectively to share experience, skills and knowledge in pursuit of justice.
American Lawyer magazine as well as Fortune magazine named Ms. Littlepage as one of America’s “Premiere Lawyers.” She has also been nominated as a “Super Lawyer” as well as “Top Lawyer” in the country multiple years running. In 2008, she received the Clarence Darrow award for Best Mass Tort Lawyer. Texas Lawyer praises Ms. Littlepage’s tenacity stating “all bets should be on Littlepage.” Chambers USA, a legal publisher, recognizes Zoe Littlepage as a leading lawyer in nationwide product liability litigation and notes that “Zoe Littlepage of Littlepage Booth does ‘a bang-up job for plaintiffs.’” According to lawyers interviewed by Chambers USA, “[w]hen you see her, you know you have a fight on your hands.”
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Sarah Stempky-Kime of Christensen Law (https://www.davidchristensenlaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Sarah Stempky-Kime, an experienced trial lawyer and managing attorney at Christensen Law in Michigan, discusses how she secured justice for Vaylma Dorado, a woman who suffered a TBI and sustained other serious injuries after she was rear-ended by a cement truck. On September 17, 2010, Vaylma sat in her Volkswagen Jetta waiting to make a turn when she saw a cement truck in her rearview mirror that showed no signs of stopping. The 66,000-lb cement truck –– driven by a distracted company employee –– crashed into the back-end of Vaylma's car and propelled her vehicle into a utility pole. As a result, Vaylma endured three spinal fusion back surgeries, hip fusion surgery and shoulder surgery, making her unable to live independently or remain employed. On today's episode, hear how Sarah Stempky-Kime focused on McCoig Concrete Company and the driver's admitted liability at trial and kept the jury's attention on the extent of Vaylma’s injuries, while countering defendants' attempts to minimize those injuries. On June 11, 2014, a Wayne County, Michigan jury awarded Vaylma $17,800,000 in damages, marking the second-largest verdict or settlement in a Michigan courtroom in 2014.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Sarah Stempky-Kime
Sarah is the managing attorney at Christensen Law, where she recently celebrated her 12th anniversary. Integral to the successful operations of the firm, Sarah has been working alongside founder David Christensen since 2009, partnering on major trials protecting the rights of accident victims.
Sarah is responsive and compassionate when it comes to her clients, and a strong litigator with a history of successful verdicts won in challenging court situations. Sarah has far more trial experience than her years in practice would suggest, making her stand out as one of the state’s best young trial attorneys. “I’ve learned that everyone deserves the same attention. People who have been hurt are going through the extreme stress of trying to heal while dealing with the added stress of being in a lawsuit. They’ve been wronged, and they need someone to represent their interests. That’s where I come in.”
A native of Cheboygan, Michigan, Sarah graduated from Alma College in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Her psychological background makes her an effective communicator and helps her empathize with clients who are recovering after traumatic automobile accidents.
Sarah attended Michigan State University College of Law, graduating in 2010 with a certificate in Trial Practice from the Trial Practice Institute. While in law school, Sarah demonstrated remarkable advocacy skills, and reached the finals in several national Mock Trial Competitions. She also captained the Arbitration Team, which won the regional competition in Omaha in 2009.
Her success in law school has continued in the courtroom. She has won several multiple million-dollar trials and settlements, improving her clients’ lives after auto accidents impacted their ability to work or live independently. In 2014, Michigan Lawyers Weekly named one of Sarah’s victories second-highest on its list of 2014 Million Dollar Verdicts. Her skills as an orator and success at trial have continued to attract statewide recognition and accolades and awards.
She sits on the executive board for the Michigan Association for Justice , a top advocacy organization committed to making Michigan’s justice system fair, effective, and accessible to all the state’s residents, and is a regular presenter for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
Sarah and her family reside in Birmingham, where they are active members of the community, participating in annual neighborhood cleanups around Detroit and various charitable outreach programs. She also provides guidance for other parents experiencing the challenges of childhood brain injury and epilepsy, and supports the Brain Recovery Project and Detroit Horsepower.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Eric Fong of Fong Law (https://www.ericfonglaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Eric Fong, an accomplished lawyer who has tried more than 100 civil and criminal jury trials, shares how he successfully represented his client William Tisdale after being brutally attacked by a robber due to a convenience store's lack of employee training and proper security measures. Around 11 p.m. on November 4, 2015, William Tisdale entered an Apro convenience store in Parkland, Washington and was immediately told by the clerk to call 911. Not realizing that there was a robber inside the store who was threatening to kill the clerk and demanding money from the register, William stepped outside to call 911 only to be violently beaten by the baseball bat-wielding thief as he stole William's car. Eric Fong used enhanced animation to show jurors the severity of William's numerous injuries, including multiple skull fractures, traumatic brain injury and retinal damage, as they occurred in real-time via the video footage of the attack. In spite of the defense's attempts to minimize William's injuries and to blame him for not remembering to take his medications due to a TBI, the jury responded to Eric Fong's re-telling of William's story and his appeal for empathy and compassion for his client. In June 2021, a Pierce County, Washington jury — limited by COVID-19 precautions and virtual trial proceedings — found Apro was 90% at fault and William was 10% at fault in this groundbreaking premises liability case. The jury awarded William $91 million in total damages, which is the largest compensatory damages verdict for an individual plaintiff in Washington state.
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Guest Bio:
Eric Fong
Imaginative and yearning to explore with measured recklessness, Eric Fong lives for the adrenalin only a courtroom provides. With over 100 civil and criminal jury trials under his belt, he is recognized as an innovator of creative trial work in both fields of law.
Eric protected low-income housing residents of WA State against oppressive crime control measures, creating the constitutional right to intimate association. His $91,000,000 verdict is the largest compensatory damages verdict for one person in Washington State. His representation of iconic funk musician & legend, George Clinton allowed Mr. Clinton to keep his historic body of work. Decided in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, this is the definitive copyright case in the United States.
Eric lives with his beloved fiancé and co-collaborator Courtney, 2 amazing daughters, and his courtroom dog “Happy” on the beautiful Burley Lagoon.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Daniel Kramer and Teresa Johnson of Kramer Trial Law (https://www.kramerlaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
California trial lawyers Daniel Kramer and Teresa Johnson of Kramer Trial Law share how they secured justice in a major premises liability case that was one of the first in-person civil jury trials to be held in Los Angeles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kramer and Johnson represented Louis Acosta, a 40-year-old electrician who was severely injured on a job site at a strip mall in Riverside, California in 2016. Two years earlier, Athena Management, Inc. — the property management company that MAS Realty, LLC hired to oversee a shopping center they owned in Riverside — was told by roofing inspectors that a rooftop hatch was broken and the access ladder needed to be repaired in order to meet OSHA compliance requirements and to address safety concerns. The rooftop hatch was never repaired, so when Louis attempted to fix malfunctioning exterior lights, he opened the hatch — not realizing it was broken — and the 40-pound hatch door slammed down on his spine. Louis immediately felt his right side go numb. He continues to struggle with chronic pain and has endured numerous surgeries, resulting in hardware being placed in his spine, neck and lower back. Trial lawyers Daniel Kramer and Teresa Johnson countered the defendants' attempts to claim they were not notified in 2014 about the broken hatch and to blame the roofing inspector as well as Louis for his own injuries. In August 2021, a Los Angeles jury found defendants Athena Management, Inc. and MAS Realty, LLC negligent and responsible for Louis's injuries, awarding him $12,622,238.75 in total damages. The jury found that the property management company was 80% at fault and the property owner was 20% at fault, with no comparative fault for the plaintiff.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
Daniel Kramer
Daniel Kramer is a trial lawyer who specializes in representing families and individuals involved in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death matters, as well as employment discrimination and retaliation lawsuits. Daniel has obtained numerous jury verdicts as lead counsel, all victories on behalf of his clients. Multiple verdicts have been featured in both The Daily Journal, Verdict Search, The Huffington Post, and Fox 11 News. Five verdicts were ranked as the top 50 verdicts in the state of California for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 by TopVerdict.com. Early in his career, Daniel tried one of the first cases in Los Angeles County history to embrace a controversial new law regarding the recoverability of health insurance payments in personal injury actions. In his first year with the firm, Daniel obtained a $3 million settlement on behalf of the family of a WWII veteran who was tragically killed when a truck owned by a large grocery store chain ran a red light and crushed their husband and father to death. In 2015, Daniel obtained a $1,237,500 settlement on the eve of trial on behalf of CalTrans worker who was severely injured in a freeway collision. In 2016, Daniel obtained a $1,420,000 settlement just before trial against a shopping center for failing to protect its customers when a vehicle jumped a curb severely injuring a mother and her two daughters. Also in 2016, Daniel obtained a $1,000,000 policy limits settlement on behalf of a family who lost their 87-year-old father and grandfather who fell down a poorly lit stairwell. In late 2016, Daniel obtained a $2,160,000 jury verdict against the City of Los Angeles in a slip and fall case. That verdict was selected as one of California’s Top 100 verdicts in 2016. In 2017, he obtained a $1,830,000 wrongful termination verdict and judgement on behalf of a minimum wage worker who was terminated because of his disability, where the jury awarded punitive damages. In 2018, Daniel received a $2,847,500 verdict against two large construction companies after his client fell in an open trench resulting in 3 broken ribs and permanent nerve damage. Last year, Daniel obtained an $850,000 verdict in a very difficult slip and fall trial where the client suffered a fractured knee cap.
Teresa Johnson
Teresa is a trial lawyer practicing in the areas of plaintiff’s personal injury, wrongful death and employment litigation. Along with Dan Kramer, Teresa has second-chaired several trials, and has secured numerous six and seven figure verdicts and settlements for her clients. Since 2016, four of the verdicts have ranked among the top verdicts in the state of California by TopVerdict.com. As her clients’ legal representative during their most difficult times, Teresa is committed to zealously advocating for her clients from the moment the case is signed up and all the way through trial.
In 2018, Teresa graduated from the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) Plaintiff Trial Academy, a rigorous six-week course designed to teach advanced trial skills. Teresa has also authored several articles on subjects such as cross-examination of expert witnesses and how to conduct jury selection in a premise liability case.
Prior to joining the firm, Teresa attended Loyola Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctorate in 2015. While at Loyola, Teresa gained experience as a judicial extern to the Honorable R. Gary Klausner in the United States District Court, Central District of California. Teresa was President of the Consumer Law Society, a student-run organization intended to educate other students on the role of the Plaintiff’s bar, and was also on the Editorial Board as the Chief Research Editor of the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review. In 2015 after graduating, Teresa completed a Fellowship sponsored by the American Board of Trial Advocates, a prominent organization comprised of trial lawyers throughout the nation.
Teresa is currently licensed to practice in California state courts and federal district courts in the Central District of California, and is an active member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. Teresa was selected as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in 2020.
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This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Karen Koehler of Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore Law Firm (stritmatter.com).
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Case Details:
Acclaimed trial lawyer Karen Koehler, also known as the “Velvet Hammer,” discusses how she secured justice for dozens of victims of the Sept. 24, 2015 mass casualty crash involving a defective duck boat -- a World War II vessel turned amphibious vehicle -- and a tour bus full of international students on the Aurora Bridge in Seattle. She held the state of Washington responsible for the dangerous undivided, two-lane highway on which the wreck occurred as well as the Ride the Ducks Seattle and Ride the Ducks International companies for their disregard for safety in maintaining their duck boats.
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Guest Bio:
In the mid-2000’s an opponent told me that other defense attorneys were calling me “The Velvet Hammer™”. When asked why, he said: because you smile so sweetly while you are hammering us into the ground. I thought that was funny and adopted the name.
Being a lawyer is part of my soul. My work is part of who I am. The stories of my clients will never leave me. The child who could not bear to see his father take his last breath... The son who waved goodbye to his mother as he headed off to school, not realizing that would be the last time he would see her… The teenager on a school trip who woke up to see bones coming out through her skin… The young man struck down and killed in front of the police who had been ordered not to enter the Mardi Gras riot zone…The siblings who were in the hospital for so long that they had to postpone the funeral for their parents by a year… The eighth grader sitting in the rear passenger seat when the bumper from another car went through the vehicle and into her lovely face… The Boeing worker whose leg was almost torn off from the impact, fragments of bone lying in the street… The maintenance lead burned to death by an acid solution… The widows who created shrines in their bedrooms for their beloved spouses…The sister who saw her baby sister die. So much preventable sorrow.
My job is to make sure that wrongdoers are brought to justice and that the lives and losses of my clients are fully honored and respected. I love my job.
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Trial Lawyer of the Year, Washington State Association for Justice (WSAJ), 2005
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Named as Top 10 Super Lawyer in Washington State, Super Lawyers, 2014
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Named as Top 100 Super Lawyer in Washington State, Super Lawyers, 2007-2018
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Named as Top 50 Women Washington Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers, 2003-2018
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Named as one of the top 500 leading Lawyers in America, Lawdragon Magazine, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2015
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Listed in "The Best Lawyers in America", Best Lawyers publication, 2006-present
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Top Trial Practice Blawg, American Bar Association, 2011, 2012
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Rated AV, Martindale-Hubbell (highest available rating)
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Ronald Johnson and Jay Vaughn of Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery (https://justicestartshere.com/).
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New! Watch the video recording: https://youtu.be/vJAe3s1SkPo
Episode Details:
Kentucky trial lawyers Ronald Johnson and Jay Vaughn of Hendy Johnson Vaughn Emery explain how they held an asphalt paving company responsible for causing a car crash that killed Amy Skiba. On the morning of January 9, 2019, Amy was driving her 12-year-old twins to school on a two-lane road when a 2013 Chevrolet truck's front tire went off the side of the road. When the truck returned to the roadway, it hit Amy's Honda Accord, and she died on impact. In this episode, learn how Ronald Johnson and Jay Vaughn explained to the jury that Amy's death was not the fault of either driver, instead demonstrating that Eaton Asphalt Paving Co., Inc. was ultimately responsible due to the fact that the company incorrectly re-paved the road two months prior to the accident and created hazardous conditions by removing safety wedges and rumble strips. In spite of Eaton Asphalt Paving Co., Inc.'s attempts to assert they had the permission of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to not mill the road and to cast blame on the driver of the Chevrolet truck, the Boone County, Kentucky jury found in favor of the plaintiff. On July 12, 2021, the jury awarded Amy's surviving children $24 million in damages as well as $50 million in punitive damages against the defendant.
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Guest Bios:
Ronald Johnson
Ronald Johnson is a veteran trial lawyer who has spent his career representing families and persons who have been injured or killed by defective drugs and medical devices, chemicals, dangerous conditions on a property, semi-truck collisions, automobile wrecks, medical malpractice, and other product liability claims.
Ron’s experience and success in this field have been recognized by his peers and by federal courts across the country. Ron is a former president of the Kentucky Justice Association and has been designated as “AV” rated (pre-eminent) by the peer-reviewed publication Martindale, as well as designated a “Super Lawyer” by his fellow attorneys. Ron has also been appointed to numerous leadership positions in nationwide litigation by federal judges. In fact, Ron is the only lawyer currently practicing in Kentucky who has been appointed as lead or co-lead counsel of multiple Multi-District Litigations (MDL’s) in Federal Courts. Ron has tried numerous complex cases, including a medical device case that resulted in a verdict over 7 million dollars. He has also negotiated settlements up to 230 million dollars.
Jay Vaughn
Jay Vaughn is one of the first attorneys to be Board Certified in Truck Accident Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.
Jay was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his undergraduate degree from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky in 1999. Jay graduated from Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University in 2002. He is licensed to practice in both Kentucky and Ohio.
Jay has received Martindale-Hubbell’s esteemed “AV” rating, which recognizes lawyers with the highest ethical standards and professional ability. Since 2013, he has been named to the Kentucky Super Lawyers, which recognizes no more than 5% of attorneys in Kentucky. Jay has tried numerous cases ranging from automobile collision cases to multi-week nursing home neglect cases. He is asked to speak both locally and nationally to other lawyers on a variety of legal topics as he is very active in Kentucky Justice Association and American Association for Justice, serving on the Board for both trial organizations.
Jay focuses his practice on personal injury, car wreck, trucking crash, traumatic brain injury, and wrongful death cases. He understands that his clients have had their lives turned upside down due to the fault of someone else which is the reason for him working tirelessly to achieve justice for his clients, help make up for what was taken from them and giving them hope for the future.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Tyler Thompson of Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC (https://www.kytrial.com/).
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Episode Details:
Kentucky trial lawyer Tyler Thompson of Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC explains how he successfully represented a teenage girl who sustained a permanent brain injury after a crash involving a Monarch Environmental garbage truck parked on the wrong side of the road. On Thanksgiving Day in 2000, 17-year-old Shannon Houchin was driving to work when she crested the top of a hill and saw the headlights of a garbage truck in her lane. She quickly swerved to avoid the large Monarch Environmental truck and swerved again to avoid a pedestrian, which sent her car spinning and sliding sideways into the garbage truck. As a result of the crash, Shannon spent over 50 days in a coma and sustained brain and physical injuries that require round-the-clock care, including involuntary muscle contractions, bilateral third nerve palsy, dementia and hyperphagia -- a memory-related eating disorder. Trial lawyer Tyler Thompson shares how he utilized testimony from residents who had near collisions with Monarch Environmental garbage trucks and how the company ignored warnings about parking on the opposite side of the street for two years — some incidents being as recent as one week before Shannon's accident. In spite of the defense's arguments, a Warren County, Kentucky jury found that Shannon was not at fault and awarded her $27,335,667.87 in damages.
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Guest Bio:
Tyler Thompson
Tyler Smyth Thompson is a graduate of Berea College and the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, and currently the senior partner at the law firm Dolt, Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, PSC in Louisville, Kentucky. He and his wife, Frances Travis Thompson MD, have three daughters, Calley, Madison and Ellery.
Mr. Thompson has represented clients in medical negligence and products liability cases throughout the United States. He has achieved a number of eight-figure settlements on behalf of injured clients and has obtained a number of multi-million dollar verdicts at trial, including three verdicts exceeding $10 million dollars and two verdicts exceeding $20 million dollars.
In 2008, Mr. Thompson became an invited member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, a trial lawyer organization limited to 100 lawyers in the United States, which the National Law Journal has called "a fraternity of superstar personal injury litigators" and the Washington Post recognized as "a select group of 100 of the nation's most celebrated trial lawyers." Super Lawyers Magazine has selected Mr. Thompson as one of the top 10 attorneys in Kentucky on multiple occasions and in the 2021 Edition, he was ranked number one among all Kentucky lawyers.
Mr. Thompson is an invited member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a past recipient of the Peter Perlman Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award, given annually to an attorney in Kentucky who has demonstrated excellence in the courtroom. He has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in Best Lawyers in America.
Mr. Thompson's community service consists of serving as a trustee of Berea College, where he serves on the Executive Committee and chairs the Development Committee, as well as serving on the Boards of the Kentucky Justice Association, Historic Locust Grove and the American Museum of Fly Fishing.
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This week we have a very special episode. Your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview each other and launch a new segment for listener questions.
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Episode Details:
Have you ever wanted to ask a question on The Great Trials Podcast? Well now you can!
We’re launching a new listener question segment where you can submit your questions to be answered live on the air.
To submit a question:
Send us a direct message on Instagram (@greattrialspodcast).
Send us a direct message on Facebook (@greattrialspodcast)
Email us at info@greattrialspodcast.com
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Gregorio "Greg" Francis of Osborne & Francis, PLLC (https://www.realtoughlawyers.com/).
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Episode Details:
Award-winning Florida trial lawyer Gregorio "Greg" Francis of Osborne & Francis, PLLC shares his experience serving as lead counsel for nearly 20,000 African-American farmers who received disparate treatment from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), resulting in the largest settlement of a civil rights case in the history of the American Civil Justice system. Widely known as the “Pigford” or "Black Farmers" cases, this national class action lawsuit sought to address the racial discrimination Black farmers experienced between 1981 and 1996, including the denial or delay of their applications for federal farm credit services, loans or benefit programs. Citing the USDA's internal report of a failed civil rights complaint management system and a lack of diversity in Farm Service Agency county-level commissioners, Greg was able to negotiate a record settlement with the USDA for $1.25 billion to be distributed to class members in the form of damages, forgiveness of debt owed to the USDA and/or a tax payment to offset the awarded funds. This historic settlement was reached on February 18, 2010. As part of the settlement, President Obama signed the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, which provided $1.15 billion to pay successful claims. In May 2021, Gregorio published Just Harvest, a book detailing these groundbreaking cases against the U.S. government.
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Guest Bio:
Gregorio "Greg" Francis
Awarded the Vince Monroe Townsend Legends Award by the National Bar Association for historic leadership in the area of Civil Rights and designated as a Game Changer by Politic365. Gregorio (Greg) Antonio Francis currently serves as lead counsel for the historic Black Farmers case. This national class action challenged the ongoing disparate treatment of Black Farmers across the United States resulting in a $1.25 billion dollar settlement. Nearly 20,000 Black farmers or their descendants received the “JUSTICE” they had long demanded. In RE: Black Farmers is the largest settlement of a Civil Rights case in the history of the American Civil Justice system.
Francis began his legal career in 1994 as an associate with a statewide defense firm specializing in medical malpractice defense, nursing home defense and municipal defense.
In 2001, Francis joined the law firm of Morgan and Morgan, P.A., as a Partner, focusing his practice on medical malpractice, police misconduct, wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases. From 2004-2006, Morgan & Morgan, P.A., participated in a joint venture with famed trial lawyer Johnny Cochran to open an office in Miami, Florida where Francis served as the co-managing partner. After achieving great success with The Cochran Firm, Francis became a shareholder of Morgan & Morgan, P.A. As the firm expanded, Francis was instrumental in opening new offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Jackson, Mississippi. He held the position of managing partner for the Jackson, Mississippi office from its inception through 2014, Francis also served on the firm’s Executive Committee.
In 2018, Francis joined longtime friend and colleague Joseph A. Osborne in forming their own firm, Osborne & Francis, PLLC. The firm has offices in Boca Raton and Orlando. Their firm will focus primarily on product liability, medical device litigation, pharmaceutical litigation, medical malpractice and personal injury litigation.
In addition to his professional achievements, Francis serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Bethune Cookman University. Additionally, Francis has served as legal counsel to the Lay Ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal Church which boasts membership of over 3 million. In 2010, he was appointed to serve on the Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission by Governor Charlie Christ. Francis is very active at all levels of the National Bar Association having served on the Executive Board of the Florida Chapter and as President of the Paul C. Perkins Bar Association from 2001-2003. In the community, Francis is an active member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Winter Park Chapter and was recently featured in the Kappa Journal, RYSE Magazine and Onyx Magazine for his contribution to the local community and for his national accomplishments.
Mr. Francis was born in the Panama Canal Zone and moved to the United States as a young child. He graduated from Oak Ridge High School with honors in 1986. Francis then earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Florida in 1991, and a Juris Doctorate in 1994 from the University of Florida Law School, where he was a Virgil Hawkins Fellow. In law school, he received writing and oral honors in Appellate Advocacy and was named to the Dean’s List. He was appointed as a Justice for the University of Florida Board of Masters, the highest Appellate Court for student disciplinary matters, and rose to the level of Senior Presiding Justice in 1994. He was also a member of the Frederick Douglas Moot Court Team and Publishing Editor for the UMDJA Law Journal. As a result of his academic achievements and extracurricular activities, he was inducted into the prestigious Florida Blue Key Leadership honorary society.
Currently, Francis volunteers his time to a number of local non-profit organizations. Most recently, he launched his own philanthropic platform, Believing In Good, which funds and hosts an annual “For the Kids” toy drive where he returns to the neighborhood of his childhood and distributes Christmas gifts to the children. He serves on the Board of Trustees for St. Mark AME, is a member of the Orlando Chapter of 100 Black Men of America and a Board member for Nap Ford Charter School. Francis is married to the former Keisha Berry, has a daughter, Grier, a son, Gregorio II (Rio), and resides in Windermere, Florida.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Tracey Dellacona of Dellacona Law Firm, LLC (http://www.dellaconalaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Georgia trial lawyer and nurse Tracey Dellacona of Dellacona Law Firm, LLC shares how she strategically represented emergency room patient Ellen Wadsworth, whose misdiagnosed pain resulted in the amputation of both of her legs. On Thanksgiving Day in 2008, Ellen arrived at the hospital with severe pain in both of her legs and cold feet, which a physician's assistant -- after only a brief physical exam and vein testing -- determined to be cellulitis, a type of bacterial skin infection. Despite Ellen's inability to walk and pleas to be admitted to the hospital, the supervising doctor and physician's assistant sent her home with morphine. Hours later, Ellen returned to the emergency room after collapsing in her home, and it was discovered that she had arterial blockages in both of her lower legs. On December 4, 2008, Ellen underwent a double leg amputation below the knee. The defendants argued that Ellen's symptoms and physical conditions were entirely different at each emergency room visit and tried to place blame on Ellen's smoking and pre-existing medical conditions. In 2012, a Gwinnett County, Georgia jury found in favor of Ellen, awarding her $5 million in damages and charging the attending healthcare professionals and medical practice with ordinary negligence.
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Guest Bio:
Tracey Dellacona
Ms. Dellacona graduated cum laude in 1985 from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and worked as an emergency department nurse and cardiac care nurse for several years in North Carolina before moving to Georgia to attend law school. She maintains a current Georgia license as a registered nurse. Ms. Dellacona graduated in 1994 from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law in Macon, Georgia, where she began her own law firm, Dellacona Law Firm.
In 2007, Ms. Dellacona obtained her Master of Business Administration Degree magna cum laude from Wesleyan College. She has served as president of the Middle Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, as an at large Vice-President for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, and is a member of the Bootle Inn of Court, the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the Middle Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the State Bar of Georgia, the American Association for Justice, the Professional Negligence Group, Stroke Litigation Group and the Nursing Home Litigation Group. Ms. Dellacona is AV rated (the highest rating in competency and ethics attorneys can receive by their peers) and a selected Super Lawyer for the past 10 years.
Ms. Dellacona has served as a legal consultant on medical issues for Fox News in Macon, Georgia. She is a frequent guest lecturer on medical negligence issues at numerous legal workshops and healthcare facilities around the nation and in the state of Georgia. Ms. Dellacona also conducts peer review analysis on articles submitted to Trial magazine and is a published author in Trial. She has also been an invited guest speaker at the conventions for the national American Association for Justice.
For 27 years, Ms. Dellacona has worked with numerous attorneys all over the state on medical negligence cases as well as other personal injury matters and she has served as an adjunct professor at Mercer Law School. She also supports numerous charities such as the Alzheimer’s Association and Jay’s Hope and is a member of the Women In Unity Group, an organized group of women whose goals are to support voting, vaccinating and other worthwhile projects.
Ms. Dellacona has obtained numerous multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts including a $ 5 million dollar verdict that changed the law in emergency medicine, a $4.3 million dollar verdict for the wrongful death of a 23-week old fetus, a $5.2 million dollar verdict in a spinal injury case, and a $20 million dollar settlement in a wrongful death trucking case.
Representing clients and families who have been injured by the carelessness of others, whether by negligent healthcare providers (hospitals and/or doctors) or negligent drivers or other corporations, is Ms. Dellacona’s passion.
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This week we are replaying a GTP Classic episode. Your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Kay Van Wey of Van Wey, Presby, And Williams ( https://www.vanweylaw.com/ )
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Case Details:
In the first of a two-episode series, 17-time Dallas Super Lawyer Kay Van Wey shares how she held neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch – widely known as “Dr. Death” – accountable for performing surgeries under the influence of drugs and alcohol and failing to execute procedures properly, often resulting in patient paralysis or death. Representing a number of Dr. Duntsch’s victims, Kay exposed the lack of protection from medical regulatory bodies that are supposed to protect patients from dangerous doctors. Dr. Duntsch is one of the first physicians to be criminally convicted for severely injuring a patient. His heinous actions and operating room horror stories were the focus of the popular Dr. Death Podcast, hosted by top medical journalist Laura Beil.
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Guest Bio:
Kay Van Wey
I’m Kay Van Wey, a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer and Patient Safety Advocate. My clients are everyday people who have been seriously injured by a healthcare provider, medical device, or prescription drug or involved in a life-altering accident.
I am passionate about helping my clients. My team and I take a personalized, hands-on approach to helping our clients navigate the legal system and ultimately achieve the justice and compensation they deserve. I understand just how confusing the legal landscape is and how when you are injured or grieving it is difficult to understand the complexities and navigate through the legal maze.
In experiencing my own personal family tragedy in my late 30’s, I understand first-hand what it feels like to be a victim and go through the difficult process of healing and the road to justice. This is one of the primary reasons that I do this work.
My patient safety advocacy comes from my passion to ensure that bad medical practices, doctors, and procedures that lead to unfortunate outcomes that could be avoided are removed or lessened so that no one else suffers.
You may know me as one of the lawyers that prosecuted multiple civil cases against “Dr. Death.” I had the privilege of representing many of his victims. As I have always said and believed, most doctors are good doctors — and good people. But the system for how we identify, report, and stop bad doctors is failing patients. The tragedy of the Christopher Duntsch story is that so many patients were harmed before he could be stopped. This is just incomprehensible and unacceptable.
Accomplishments:
Texas Super Lawyer (2003 to 2018) – 15+ consecutive years, peer selection
Avvo, 10 rated, peer selection
Million Dollar Advocate Forum – based on results achieved for past clients
Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Forum – based on results achieved for past clients
D- Best Lawyer – peer selection, multiple years
Dallas Bar Association “Trial Legend”- peer selection
My track record is based on hard work, diligence, and pursuing each case that I take to help my clients achieve the justice that they are seeking.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Marc Diller of Diller Law, P.C. (https://www.dillerlaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum member Marc Diller of Diller Law, P.C. explains how he secured justice for tenant Cathrine Erickson when her landlord failed to prepare her Watertown, Massachusetts rental property for winter, creating a dangerous situation that resulted in permanent injury to Cathrine's right leg. After being informed by Cathrine and other tenants that the drain at the end of the sloped driveway was not working properly, landlord Rosalie Cunio chose to withhold important property information and ignore the contractor's proposed solution in favor of a cheap fix. The repair was ineffective, as water continued to pool, taking days to drain. The drainage problem was compounded when winter came and Rosalie did not "winterize" the rental property, including shutting off the exterior water. In February 2013, Cathrine returned home from her job as head coach of Northeastern University's track and field team and slipped on black ice caused by water spraying from a hose. As a result, Cathrine sustained a serious injury requiring a titanium rod as well as seven screws to stabilize her right leg. Today, this accomplished coach struggles with mobility and suffers from chronic pain. In March 2019, trial lawyer Marc Diller detailed the landlord's negligence and violations of common sense safety practices to a Middlesex County, Massachusetts jury. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Cathrine, awarding $2,324,815.62 in damages.
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Guest Bio:
Marc Diller
On May 15, 1992, Marc Diller was a senior in high school in Brookline, MA. Brookline’s local paper, The Brookline Citizen, profiled Marc Diller as its Brookline Student of The Week. The article was titled, “Diller, an attorney in training”.
Even back then, Marc’s passion for service and the law was evident.
Nearly 30 years later, Marc uses that passion to deliver safety and justice to his clients.
Marc helps people and their families during their most vulnerable times. It’s his ethos to hold corporations and insurance companies accountable for wrongdoings. Marc fights corporate and individual wrongdoers when it results in wrongful death or catastrophic injury.
Marc doesn’t back down from the fight. Throughout his 20+ year career, Marc has held property owners, who maintain dangerous conditions, accountable for their wrongdoings. He has made companies take responsibility for the death or losses that result from making, designing or selling dangerous products. Marc also makes employers on construction sites answer for unsafe work conditions. When motorcyclists, pedestrians, bicyclists and those in cars are killed or injured by dangerous drivers and the companies that employ them, Marc seeks justice. He goes after the drunk, distracted and drowsy drivers, the companies that employ them and the restaurants, bars, and clubs that ignore safe service practices and let drivers drive dangerously.
“Our client’s trust us to do right by them,” says Diller “and I insist that all Diller Law, PC’s lawyers care about safety and accountability in our community.”
Marc grew up in Brookline, MA, the son of a lawyer and an educator. At the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor he wrote for the Michigan Daily newspaper, majoring in English and communications. From there, he went to Suffolk University Law School, his father William’s alma mater. Marc worked with his dad at the Law Offices of William Diller starting in 1997. William mentored Marc until 2013.
Marc learned a lot from William’s 40+ years experience in law. William was the editor-in-chief of the Suffolk Law Review (’69), clerked for Justice Reardon at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (’70), was an associate at one of Boston’s premier law firms, and during William’s 40 years in private practice, he handled many complex and significant personal injury cases.
In 2013 Marc started DILLER LAW, P.C.
Marc’s aggressive, yet practical approach to litigating and resolving personal injury cases has earned him recognition from his peers in the legal community.
Professionally, Marc serves on numerous legal organizations and committees dedicated to the ethical and competent litigation of cases as well as the proper administration of justice.
Personally, Marc is the father of two children. He coaches recreational basketball for his sons. In his free time, Marc enjoys golfing and watching movies.
Lawyers all over the country consult Marc, who has appeared in State and Federal trial courts as well as our State’s appellate court.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Ryan Saba of Rosen Saba, LLP (https://www.rosensaba.com/) and Robert Karwin of the Law Office of Robert P. Karwin (https://www.karwinlaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Ryan Saba of Rosen Saba, LLP and Robert Karwin of the Law Office of Robert P. Karwin explain how they successfully represented California high school student Nicholas Tusant after he was struck by a truck in a lighted crosswalk, resulting in severe, life-altering injuries. On March 24, 2017, 16-year-old Nicholas activated the crosswalk's flashing lights and yelled for Joseph Gervais, who was driving a Dodge Dakota truck, to stop. Instead, Nicolas was hit in the crosswalk and rendered unconscious. Nicholas, one of 10 teens injured in this crosswalk between 2007 and 2018, spent 30 days in a coma and months in the hospital healing from a stroke, bone fractures and severe brain damage — all of which continue to make it difficult for him to walk and talk. Despite the City of Hemet's attempts to use a design immunity defense, cast blame on Joseph Gervais' negligent driving and assert that an accident on public property does not constitute a dangerous condition, a Riverside County, California jury found in favor of the plaintiff. In February 2020, Nicholas was awarded $25,656,686.58 in damages, marking the largest personal injury verdict in California in 2020.
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Guest Bio:
Ryan Saba
Ryan Saba is an accomplished civil litigation and trial attorney. Ryan’s practice consists of prosecuting and defending individual, class action and mass action claims. On the plaintiff side, each year Ryan obtains some of the largest settlements and verdicts. On the defense side, Ryan is widely considered one of the premiere “bet-the-company” trial lawyers in California. Ryan has extensive experience in a wide range of federal and state matters, including consumer litigation, employment litigation, women’s rights, complex business and entertainment disputes, catastrophic injury claims, professional responsibility, copyright/trademark, civil rights, maritime, and municipal, insurance bad faith, landowner, and product liability. Ryan has been working with Jim Rosen since 1999 and is a founding partner of Rosen“RosenSaba, LLP.
Robert P. Karwin
Robert P. Karwin began his career as a trial attorney for a personal injury defense firm in Glendale, California that represented such clients as Allstate, State Farm, Mercury, and Avis Rent-a-Car. With the experience gained there, he "has the other team's playbook" and uses those strategies in representing injured people against the insurance companies.
Mr. Karwin has a reputation of taking cases to trial, so insurance companies know he will not back down in his fight for you. He now represents injured people in such diverse matters as auto accidents, slip and fall, dog bites, medical malpractice, and other injury claims.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Timothy Trecek of Habush, Habush & Rottier S.C. (https://www.habush.com/).
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Episode Details:
Two-time Wisconsin Association for Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award winner Timothy Trecek of Habush, Habush & Rottier S.C. shares how he successfully represented Edward Vanderventer, Jr. and his wife Susan after Edward was rendered a paraplegic following a traffic accident due to a seatback defect in the 2013 Hyundai Elantra. In July 2015, Edward was driving a Hyundai Elantra when he slowed down to make a left turn and was hit from behind by a 17-year-old driver. Upon impact, Edward's headrest flew backwards into the back seat and the headrest guide poles within the seatback deformed toward his spine. The headrest guide poles separated his spinal column, rendering him a paraplegic. Despite Hyundai's attempts to blame Edward's spinal injuries on the rear-end crash and a degenerative spinal condition, the Racine County, Wisconsin jury found Hyundai negligent in the design and testing of the driver's seat. In February 2020, the jury awarded $38,164,263 in damages to Edward and Susan Vanderventer, resulting in the largest single plaintiff compensatory award in Wisconsin history and a landmark victory for Timothy Trecek in the same courtroom where he experienced his first trial victory as a high school mock trial attorney 36 years earlier.
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Guest Bio:
Timothy Trecek
In 2020, as lead trial counsel, Tim Trecek obtained a $38.1 million verdict against Hyundai Motor Company, for a defectively designed seat back and head restraint system in his client’s 2013 Hyundai Elantra (see news story). The verdict is the largest single plaintiff compensatory award in Wisconsin history. The verdict included $7.77 million for the plaintiff’s spouse, another record for Wisconsin verdicts. Based on the significance of his 2020 verdict, Tim was honored to receive the Robert L. Habush, Trial Lawyer of the Year Award, the second time being recognized with said award (read acceptance speech). He was also awarded The Litigation Counsel of America’s Tommy Malone Outstanding Verdict Award, an honor bestowed upon one attorney in the US whose verdict is extraordinary in amount or significance.
Tim is the Vice President, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Secretary of Habush Habush & Rottier and has been a member of the law firm since 1995. He is a managing partner of both the Milwaukee and West Bend offices. Tim specializes in all types of personal injury litigation. He has successfully litigated cases involving automobile defects (airbags, seatbelts, seats and structural integrity), construction accidents, mis-filled prescriptions, car/motorcycle accidents, truck/semi accidents, slip/trip and falls, dog bites, injuries involving horses, brain injuries, RSD (reflex sympathetic dystrophy), machine defects (saws, chippers, cement mixer defects, deer stands, snow blowers), child car seats, personal watercraft, and specialized experience with serious burn injuries from events such as explosions and utility/electrical accidents.
Tim has worked on cases throughout the United States. Due to his significant trial experience, he has been certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has been selected for exclusive membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates. He was recognized in the January 25, 2006 issue of the Wisconsin Law Journal (see article) for holding three of the state’s top five settlements in 2005. In 2009, he obtained the third largest reported award in the State of Wisconsin ($6 million) for his client who was injured in an accident with a semi-trailer truck.
In February of 2011, Tim obtained a $16 million award on behalf of eight injured scaffold workers involved in a dust explosion at the WE Energies Oak Creek plant. This is the largest award in the State’s history involving injuries caused by an explosion of PRB (Powder River Basin) coal dust. It also makes Tim the only attorney in Wisconsin to have four multi-million-dollar recoveries against the State’s largest utility.
In 2011, the Wisconsin Association for Justice selected Tim as the annual recipient of the prestigious Robert L. Habush Wisconsin Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for the first time (read acceptance speech). Additionally, he was named as one of Wisconsin’s Leaders in the Law in 2008 by the Wisconsin Law Journal. In 2013 Tim was accepted as a Fellow in the prestigious American College of Trial Attorneys, one of the youngest recipients of this venerable honor. In 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021, he was honored to be listed as “Lawyer of Year” for Product Liability Litigation in Milwaukee, by Best Lawyers in America. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2010. In 2020, Tim was inducted into the invitation-only Summit Council, an exclusive group of the nation’s top civil justice attorneys. Membership requires at least three verdicts of $1 million and at least one verdict in excess of $10 million. From 1999 to 2007, Tim served two terms on the District 2 Committee of the Office of Lawyer Regulation at the request of the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Since 2005, Tim has been teaching an Advanced Trial Practice course at Marquette University Law School. He has given speeches to other lawyers on a variety of legal topics. Using his experience in child car seat defect cases, he has given presentations to parents of preschool children concerning the safe use of child car seats. He is also a Fellow in the International Society of Barristers (proudly serving on their Board of Governors), the invitation-only Litigation Counsel of America, a Fellow in The American Bar Foundation, and a member of the invitation-only Summit Council. Additionally, Tim has been recognized on the Wisconsin Super Lawyers list each year since 2006, making the Wisconsin Top 10 list in 2014 and 2018 – 2020, and the Milwaukee Top 25 list since 2011; in 2020, he was one of the top vote recipients. Tim also serves on the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee’s Board of Directors. The Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee is one of the nation’s oldest, continuously operating, public interest law firms.
Although he was born, raised, and works in southeastern Wisconsin, Tim has earned a national reputation as a successful plaintiff’s trial lawyer. Tim’s successes have been so noteworthy that they have been chronicled in papers such as the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the Fort Worth Star Telegram, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle and dozens of other publications. Tim is also actively involved in his church and the community.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jennifer L. Lawrence of The Lawrence Firm (https://www.lawrencefirm.com/).
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Episode Details:
Top 25 Women Kentucky Super Lawyers honoree Jennifer L. Lawrence of The Lawrence Firm, PSC, shares how she secured justice for the parents of Kyle Smith, a young boy who suffered head trauma that was not thoroughly assessed by a physician and resulted in permanent injuries. In March 2002, 9-year-old Kyle Smith hit his head on a coffee table and later began vomiting, prompting Kyle's parents, Kristi Longbottom and Jesse Smith, to take him to the hospital, where Dr. Gary S. Huber of Qualified Emergency Specialists, Inc. sutured Kyle's laceration and discharged him, stating that the boy just needed to "sleep it off." Kyle was unresponsive the next morning, and an emergency CT scan revealed a large epidural hematoma in the brain that required immediate surgery. Kyle spent over three weeks in the Rehabilitation Care Unit re-learning how to swallow, eat, communicate and walk. A permanent brain injury has affected his mobility. Despite the defense's claims that Dr. Huber advised Kyle's parents to follow the hospital's head injury pamphlet, which stated that patients should be awakened every two hours, a Clermont County, Ohio jury found Dr. Huber negligent. In September 2010, Kyle was awarded $2,112,899 in damages as part of a $2.41 million verdict.
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Guest Bio:
Jennifer L. Lawrence
Jennifer L. Lawrence is a partner of The Lawrence Firm, PSC, in Covington, Kentucky. Ms. Lawrence practices law with a particular focus on product liability, mass torts and medical malpractice. She represents a wide variety of clients throughout the United States including the State of Ohio and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Ms. Lawrence has concentrated her practice representing clients and their families injured as a result of defective medical devices, dangerous drugs and medical and hospital negligence. It is part of Ms. Lawrence’s mission to help families gain closure through the discovery of not only an explanation of what happened but why it happened. Ms. Lawrence hopes that through helping families one at a time that ultimately the quality of production of medical devices and drugs and the quality of care within the healthcare system will improve within our country.
Ms. Lawrence graduated with a B.A. from The Ohio State University and earned her law degree from Salmon P. Chase College of Law. She graduated within the top of her class and earned the highest grades in several classes. While in law school, she was an active participant of Moot Court. She is admitted to practice in Kentucky and Ohio, as well as before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky. Ms. Lawrence is a member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, the Northern Kentucky Bar Association, the Kentucky Justice Association, serving as a District Vice President and a member of the Ohio Association for Justice. She is also a member of the American Association for Justice and has served as a Co-Chair of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical Litigation Group and previously as a board member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group. Ms. Lawrence has been a member of the Salmon P. Chase American Inn of Court. Ms. Lawrence previously served by appointment on the Ohio CLE Commission and on the Kentucky Supreme Court Committee on the Admission To The Bar. She has also served as a board member for the Children's Law Center, the Kenton County Library Foundation Board and has served on boards for various other organizations.
Ms. Lawrence has successfully concluded to verdict trials in both the State of Ohio and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. She has successfully argued before the Ohio Supreme Court, and Appellate courts in Ohio and Kentucky. Ms. Lawrence has been recognized for her accomplishments as an attorney by Super Lawyers and has been named as one of the Top 25 Super Lawyers and Top 50 Super Lawyers in Kentucky for 2021. She has previously spoken on products liability and medical malpractice for a variety of professional organizations including The Ohio Association of Justice, Kentucky Justice Association, American Association of Justice and the Northern Kentucky Bar Association and has co-authored an article on medical malpractice published in the Northern Kentucky Law Review. With her law practice Ms. Lawrence is involved in a wide variety of professional and volunteer activities. She has served as an adjunct professor at Chase College of Law and serves as a volunteer at moot court competitions, local non-profit organizations and serves as a volunteer for her children's activities and school. Ms. Lawrence practices law with her husband and law partner, Rob Lewis.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Eric Rosen of Rosen Injury Law (https://roseninjurylawyers.com/).
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Episode Details:
Rosen Injury Law founder Eric Rosen explains how he secured justice for the family of Vivian Wilkinson, a lifelong smoker who died from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) caused by her addiction to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's cigarettes. Building upon the success of the 1994 Engle class action lawsuit comprised of Florida smokers, trial lawyer Eric Rosen successfully took Broward County, Florida jury members on a journey back in time to when smoking was deeply ingrained in American society, helping them see how that environment influenced Vivian's decisions as well as the actions of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Despite the defense's attempts to convince the jury that the timing of Vivian's initial COPD symptoms failed to meet the statute of limitations, the jury found in favor of Vivian's estate, awarding $3 million in compensatory damages to her children, Vivian and Eugene, and $10 million in punitive damages against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for knowingly concealing information that ultimately contributed to Vivian's death.
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Guest Bio:
Eric Rosen
Eric Rosen is a Fort Lauderdale injury lawyer and founder of Rosen Injury Law, P.A. Mr. Rosen is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a civil trial specialist, a certification held by less than 2% of all attorneys licensed to practice law in Florida.
Eric devotes his practice to representing plaintiffs who have suffered injury or death as a result of another person’s or corporation’s negligence.
As lead trial attorney, Eric has obtained over $100 million in jury verdicts for his clients in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Eric has also co-chaired and served on trial teams obtaining combined jury verdicts in excess of $300 million. His verdicts have been featured extensively in the Daily Business Review, Courtroom View Network and other media outlets.
Eric began his legal career as a prosecutor at the Office of the State Attorney in Broward County, Florida, where he tried dozens of jury trials and countless bench trials to verdict. Mr. Rosen left public service to pursue his passion for helping people who have suffered due to someone else’s misconduct. Mr. Rosen then rose through the ranks to become a partner at a prominent South Florida personal injury and wrongful death firm. For over a decade, Eric dedicated his practice to catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. After unparalleled success, Mr. Rosen pursued his dream of opening his own law firm and established Rosen Injury Law, P.A. As a Fort Lauderdale accident lawyer, he expanded his practice to not only include catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, but to also help those who have suffered a range of injuries that may not be life threatening, but still result in serious pain, inconvenience and loss of enjoyment of life.
In addition to his law school education and his career in both public and private practice, Eric is also a graduate of the renowned Trial Lawyers College established by Gerry Spence; one of the country’s premiere trial schools. This is an intensive three-and-a-half-week trial skills program held in Dubois, Wyoming, by top litigators and trial instructors from around the country. While there, Eric immersed himself in new trial techniques for jury selection, opening statement, direct and cross examination, and closing arguments. He incorporates those skills to this day.
As a Fort Lauderdale injury lawyer, Eric has served on the faculty for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy where he has taught trial skills to lawyers from around the country. He also spends time teaching law students and high school students about personal injury practice, product liability, and trial practice.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Arash Homampour of The Homampour Law Firm (https://www.homampour.com/).
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Episode Details:
Award-winning California trial lawyer and The Homampour Law Firm founder Arash Homampour discusses how he successfully represented grieving widower Kenneth Shinedling and his three daughters after a defective space heater designed and manufactured by Sunbeam Products, Inc. started a fire that tragically killed Kenneth's wife and the girls' mother, Amy Shinedling. In the early morning hours of January 5, 2011, Kenneth woke up to a blazing fire in his bedroom, caused by a Holmes Sunbeam HQ307 radiant heater that did not shut off after heating up and igniting nearby clothing, starting the deadly blaze. Sunbeam failed to provide consumers with warnings about not using the heater while sleeping, per the Consumer Product Safety Commission's 2005 bulletin, and neglected to alert consumers that the advertised automatic safety feature would not shut-off the heater before it started a fire. In spite of the defense's attempts to blame Kenneth for not saving his wife's life, the Los Angeles, California jury found Sunbeam Products, Inc. guilty of negligent design as well as failure to warn. As a result of trial lawyer Arash Homampour's efforts, 80% of the responsibility for Amy Shinedling's wrongful death was assigned to Sunbeam. In a landmark jury verdict, Kenneth and his daughters were awarded $58,650,000 in damages.
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Guest Bio:
Arash Homampour
Arash Homampour is a trial lawyer and founder of The Homampour Law Firm, a nine lawyer firm that represents individuals in catastrophic injury/wrongful death, employment and insurance bad faith matters throughout the State. The Homampour Law Firm is considered one of the top trial law firms in the State with record setting verdicts (twelve 8 figure and fifteen 7 figure verdicts) along with many outlier settlements.
In 2021, he was the 5th ranked lawyer in Southern California by Super Lawyers in all practice areas. He was previously named one of the top 30
Plaintiff lawyers in the State by the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He was the recipient of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles 2018 Ted Horn Memorial Award, presented to the lawyer who has provided outstanding service to the Association and the legal community. He also received trial attorney of the year awards from the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association and the Ventura County Trial Lawyers the Association. In 2007, he was named one of the Top 20 Attorneys Under the Age of 40 by the Los Angeles Daily Journal.
Arash Homampour also handles appellate work, including successfully briefing and arguing before the California Supreme Court, and appears as a legal analyst on television. He gives back daily by teaching and helping other lawyers to be the best lawyer they can be. He also started a non-profit called There is a Light Foundation, that will give financial assistance and grants to individuals so they can get to the next level in their life.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Chuck Clay of Pratt Clay LLC (https://www.prattclay.com/).
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Episode Details:
Georgia Super Lawyer Chuck Clay of Pratt Clay LLC shares his experience -- from a record-breaking verdict to an overturn on appeal -- representing construction crane operator Tyler Lee after his left leg was crushed on the job, resulting in an above-the-knee amputation. In September 2013, an effort to free a stuck auger on a Houston, Texas construction site caused a lattice-boom crane to collapse. A piece of the collapsing crane struck Tyler and crushed his leg. Trial lawyer Chuck Clay and his team asserted that Berkel & Co. Contractors Inc. violated standard safety practices in an attempt to save time and money and neglected to ensure that the 21-year-old crane operator was qualified. In 2015, a Brazoria County, Texas jury found Berkel & Co. Contractors Inc. as well as the business that owned the crane, Maxim Crane Works L.P., negligent and awarded plaintiff Tyler Lee and his family a record $43,943,006 million verdict, including $8.5 million in punitive damages against Berkel & Co. Contractors Inc. In 2017, the verdict -- the largest single leg amputee verdict in history -- was overturned on appeal due to the Texas Workers Compensation Act. Listen as Chuck Clay shares what this case taught him about hedging his bets, choosing when to settle and much more.
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Guest Bio:
Chuck Clay
Chuck Clay represents survivors of catastrophic injuries and the families of victims of fatal disasters and violent crimes. He’s built a reputation for taking on cases with a narrow path to victory, overcoming complicated legal challenges, and boxing defendants into optimal settlement resolutions.
Always ready for a trial, Chuck has had jury trials across the country. The combination of personality, worth ethic, and fiercely competitive spirit is loved by clients and respected by nearly all. Chuck had record-setting jury awards in Georgia and Texas. As a zealous yet charismatic litigator, he has a knack for connecting with juries and communicating complex issues in plain language that produces extraordinary results.
Over the last several years, Chuck has accumulated an impressive string of multi-million dollar recoveries for victims and their spouses. Chuck and his partner Bradley Pratt, enjoy a successful track record for handling complex product liability resolving complicated cases requiring highly specialized knowledge including product defect.
Before establishing a plaintiff’s firm in 2013, Chuck practiced corporate defense law for 14 years where he defended and mitigated hundreds of disputes on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, product manufacturers, insurers, and countless small firms and individuals.
Chuck has litigated cases in more than states, and he’s tried numerous multi-million dollar cases. Outside of his practice, Chuck is a frequent lecturer and author on topics such as distracted driving claims, handling catastrophic injury claims, dram shop liability, children’s products liability in Georgia and Nevada, jury trial strategy, deposition tactics and strategies, and premises liability claims.
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This week we're replaying a Great Trials Podcast classic episode that originally aired in January 2020 with guests William Applegate and Liam Duffy of Yarborough Applegate (https://www.yarboroughapplegate.com/).
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Case Details:
Yarborough Applegate attorneys William Applegate and Liam Duffy share how they secured the largest jury verdict in Colleton County, South Carolina history for the wrongful death of landscaper Jose Larios. While trimming palm trees on Edisto Island, South Carolina, Jose screamed in pain and fell from a 25-foot ladder. Further investigation revealed hidden power lines that shocked Jose, causing him to fall and suffer fatal injuries. In this wrongful death case where the defense disputed the cause of Jose’s injuries, the jury returned a verdict of $21 million in damages and assigned 90 percent of the responsibility to Dominion Energy South Carolina and 10 percent to Jose.
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Guest Bios:
William Applegate
William is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law. As a law student, he received the Public Interest Law Society Grant to work in Washington, D.C., served as vice-president of the Pro Bono Board, and was a student member of the John Belton O'Neal Inn of Court. Following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable James R. Barber, III, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of South Carolina, before starting a private practice with Motley Rice, one of the largest plaintiff's firms in the country.
William has represented individuals and companies as plaintiffs throughout South Carolina and the U.S. and has achieved significant recoveries on their behalf. He has experience in a variety of different legal areas and has litigated cases covering a broad spectrum, ranging from Federal Employer's Liability Act relating to occupational disease and catastrophic injuries; Jones Act personal injury; Oil Pollution Act cases relating to oil spills from container ships and oil refineries; products liability relating to unsafe products and unsafe drugs; toxic spills from railroad companies; consumer fraud class actions; commercial litigation, as well as securities fraud, derivative, deal, and misrepresentation cases under the Securities and Exchange Act.
Liam Duffy
Liam is a Washington, D.C. native who has called Charleston home for more than a decade. He is a proud product of the College of Charleston and is a summa cum laude graduate of the Charleston School of Law.
While in law school, Liam earned several CALI awards (highest grade) and finished in the top five of his graduating class. He was champion of the school’s moot court competition and Symposium Editor of the Charleston Law Review, where he brought together the nation’s top legal and medical minds for a CLE program titled “Under Further Review: A Legal Look at the World of Sports.” He also served as an extern for The Honorable C. Weston Houck, U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina and was selected as a student member of the James L. Petigru Inn of Court.
Prior to joining Yarborough Applegate, Liam practiced with one of Charleston’s premier litigation firms, where he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving unfair trade practices, partnership, and LLC disputes, construction litigation, truck tire failure, products liability, e-Discovery, will contests, breach of contract, catastrophic personal injury, copyright infringement, and a litany of other high-stakes litigation. He has substantial first and second-chair trial experience in multi-million dollar cases and has handled all facets of complex litigation in state and federal courts.
At Yarborough Applegate, Liam draws on his varied experience to advocate for the victims (and families of victims) of catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and other serious personal or business losses.
Liam is active in the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division, where he has been recognized for his leadership as Representative for the 9th Judicial Circuit. He was also previously appointed to serve as Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Law Practice Management Committee. Liam is a member of the South Carolina Bar House of Delegates and Vice President of the Charleston Lawyers Club. Through these activities, he is actively involved with Special Olympics South Carolina, Make-A-Wish® South Carolina, and other community organizations.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Craig Milsten of John Martin of KJC Law Firm (https://www.kjclawfirm.com/).
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Episode Details:
Accomplished Massachusetts trial lawyer John Martin of KJC Law Firm discusses how he secured justice for paving contractor Brian Goodrich, who was tragically crushed by a Cimline MAGMA 110 Asphalt Melter/Applicator after a jack slipped, causing permanent, life-altering injuries. In April 2013, Brian used a jack to raise the asphalt melter, so he could perform required routine maintenance on the engine oil plug. The jack did not hold the asphalt melter in place, and the machine fell on top of Brian, crushing his skull. Today, Brian suffers from permanent disfigurement, blindness in one eye, and a significant loss of cognitive function, requiring round-the-clock care. Despite the fact that Garlock Equipment Company, Inc. and Cimline did not manufacture the jack that failed and evidence suggesting Brian was using marijuana while operating the machinery, trial lawyer John Martin convinced the jury that Garlock Equipment Company, Inc. and Cimline, Inc. did not provide the instructions and warnings the manufacturers of the jack intended to be given to consumers. In 2018, a Massachusetts District Court jury found Garlock Equipment Company, Inc. and Cimline, Inc. negligent and awarded Brian, his wife, and two daughters an $11,618,700 verdict.
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Guest Bio:
John Martin
John T. Martin is a Partner at the KJC Law Firm, and he is proud to be a trial attorney who fights against powerful corporate and government interests on behalf of ordinary people. John represents clients who have been accused of criminal conduct, some of whom are innocent and others who have just made a bad decision. John also represents clients in civil cases, including those who have suffered personal injuries in a car crash, at the hands of a drunk driver, a doctor, a nurse, tripped and fell in a grocery store, or were mistreated at work because of their race, gender, religion or sexual orientation.
Top 100 BadgeJohn has won cases in front of juries and judges all across the Commonwealth and has been the lead attorney on some of the most high-profile criminal and civil cases in recent Massachusetts history. In his first civil jury trial when he was about two years out of law school, John achieved the highest award allowed by law for punitive damages in the United States Federal Court. John obtained the fourth largest verdict in New England for the year 2018 and his jury verdicts in sexual harassment cases have gained nationwide attention. John has also helped to mediate and settle many cases, including multiple confidential million-dollar settlements for personal injury cases, insurance bad faith, and discrimination at work. In recent years, John has been contacted by attorneys around the country to consult on cases in other states to help victims seek justice and is currently working on cases in several other states including Rhode Island, Utah, Illinois, Connecticut, and New York.
John argued successfully for the dismissal of claims against the first individual whose drug test was found to have been falsified by Annie Dookhan in the Massachusetts Drug lab scandal and received national notoriety thereafter when he successfully convinced courts across the Commonwealth to release prisoners who had been convicted based on similar false drug tests. John was featured on multiple local and national news programs.
John graduated from Suffolk University Law School with honors and was the New England Champion of the National Trial Competition, the nation's most prestigious mock trial competition, for two consecutive years. Prior to law school, John graduated from Saint John's High School in Shrewsbury Massachusetts, and from Nichols College where he obtained highest honors and was inducted into the Delta Mu Delta honor society. John is the parent of a disabled child and is particularly interested in advocating on behalf of other disabled children and their families.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Craig Milsten of KBG Injury Law (https://resultsyoudeserve.com/).
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Episode Details:
Million Dollar Advocates Forum member Craig Milsten of KBG Injury Law shares how he successfully represented an elderly man with limited vision who was blinded due to a fall on an unmarked step at a shopping center in York County, Pennsylvania. On July 3, 2012, William Waite, a U.S. Army veteran and retired president of an architectural products company with vision in only his left eye, tripped and fell face-first over a single step in the sidewalk at a shopping center owned by Argento Family Partnership. After the fall, William was immediately blinded in his one good eye and has been unable to see ever since, despite undergoing four surgeries, including a corneal transplant. Despite the fact that the primary defendant John Argento is an award-winning civil defense litigator, trial lawyer Craig Milsten secured justice on his client's behalf, citing experts and pointing out to the jury how much money John Argento was willing to spend on legal fees, but not the nominal fee it would have cost to paint the step a different color or to display a warning sign for customers. In March 2017, a York County, Pennsylvania jury found Argento Family Partnership negligent after less than an hour of deliberations and awarded $4,035,329.11 in damages to William in one of the largest personal injury verdicts in York County history.
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Guest Bio:
Craig Milsten
Craig Milsten is an experienced trial attorney with numerous courtroom victories in both state and federal courts, including one of the largest personal injury verdicts in York County history. He is an AV-Preeminent rated attorney by his peers and has been awarded the Client Service award from Martindale-Hubbell in recognition of a record of excellent client satisfaction. He specializes in personal injury cases including automobile accidents, slip and fall injuries and wrongful death as well as nursing home negligence and insurance bad faith cases.
He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States of America, the United States District Courts for the Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the York County Court of Common Pleas. He has handled cases across seven counties in Pennsylvania. He has been admitted to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a prestigious forum reserved only for attorneys who have obtained civil verdicts or settlements in excess of one million dollars. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and has held numerous leadership positions within the York County Bar Association. He also maintains membership in the Pennsylvania Association for Justice.
Craig is a York County native with degrees from The American University in Washington, DC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in York County, prosecuting numerous criminal cases and gaining extensive courtroom and jury trial experience. He also practiced insurance defense law and commercial litigation prior to joining the team at KBG Injury Law, gaining valuable insight into the processes used by insurance companies to defend personal injury cases.
Craig is an active volunteer in the community having held positions on numerous boards of non-profit organizations. He chaired the steering committee of the York Health Foundation’s Double Creek cycling and running event for eleven years during which time the event raised more than a half a million dollars to benefit the Healthy Community Pharmacy. He is a past-President of the Board of Trustees of the York Jewish Community Center during which time he oversaw the JCC’s $5 Million capital campaign to expand its childcare, early childhood education and wellness capacities.
Prior to going to law school, Craig was a sportswriter for the Washington Post. During his days at law school in Pittsburgh, he covered stories of national interest involving the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Penguins. He lives in York with his wife and two children.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview "Mickey" Mixson of Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP (https://www.bmelaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Accomplished business torts lawyer H. Lamar "Mickey" Mixson of Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP discusses how he secured justice for Texas businessman David McDavid after his binding agreement to purchase 85% of the Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) interest in the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and the operating rights to Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena) in Atlanta failed due to breach of contract. On April 30, 2003, David and the David McDavid Group signed a letter of intent with TBS and reached an agreement three months later. Following the passing vote by the Board of Directors, the TBS chief negotiator breached his obligations to David and began secret discussions with Atlanta Spirit LLC, which was led by TBS principal Ted Turner's son-in-law and the son of a long-time Atlanta Hawks board member. A press conference was scheduled to publicly announce the sale to David until he was notified that an agreement had been reached with Atlanta Spirit LLC instead. In spite of the defense's claims that the signed letter of intent contained a 45-day exclusive negotiation period and that Turner could only be bound by a signed written agreement -- not an oral agreement -- the Fulton County, Georgia jury unanimously found for David on the breach of contract and promissory estoppel. Trial lawyer Mickey Mixson secured a $281 million verdict for David, resulting in the largest compensatory damage award in Georgia history and one of the nation's 10 largest verdicts of 2008.
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Guest Bio:
Lamar "Mickey" Mixson
Mickey Mixson represents individuals and corporations in a wide variety of business disputes. He has successfully presented hundreds of complex commercial disputes to juries, arbitration panels and judges, gaining a reputation for success with cases considered “unwinnable” by others.
Mickey’s areas of focus include business torts, corporate governance, partnership and fiduciary disputes, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, attorney and accountant liability, RICO, tender offers, and proxy and securities litigation. In recent years, he has recovered awards and settlements for clients totaling well over $2 billion. He has an equally successful record on the defense side, having obtained summary judgments, dismissals and defense verdicts for numerous major claims.
Mickey is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and recognized by Chambers USA and Chambers Global as one of the highest-ranking trial lawyers in the United States, and among the top commercial litigators in Georgia. According to Chambers, he is a "creative and diligent trial lawyer" with "a superb touch with juries" and "has a fantastic record of success in complex commercial disputes and comes highly regarded for his work in business torts, corporate governance and fiduciary disputes." The most recent version of Chambers USA described him as "one hell of a lawyer."
Mickey is a frequent lecturer, and has published numerous articles on trial practice and business litigation issues such as the effective use of experts, presenting persuasive opening and closing arguments and the ACC Value Challenge. He is currently president of the Atlanta chapter of the International Network of Boutique Law Firms.
REPRESENTATIVE WORK
Co-counsel for the plaintiffs, Six Flags Over Georgia, in a breach of fiduciary duty case against Time Warner Entertainment which resulted in a $454 million jury verdict, the largest verdict ever awarded in Georgia (a verdict which was affirmed on appeal and paid in full).
Lead counsel representing David McDavid in obtaining a $281 million jury verdict against Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) for breaching an agreement to sell McDavid the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Thrashers and the operating rights to Philips Arena.
Affirmed in full on appeal, the jury verdict is the largest compensatory damage award in Georgia history.
Lead counsel for the plaintiff class in Abdallah v. Coca-Cola Co., the largest private class action racial discrimination settlement in history, which settled for $192.5 million.
Achieved a settlement in a contract dispute case between a leading transportation company and a major supplier, resulting in $200+ million recovery for our client.
Represented several groups of individuals asserting related professional liability claims involving tax shelters, recovering more than $350 million through a combination of settlements and awards.
Successfully defended a major regional accounting firm from professional malpractice, fraud and RICO claims, winning summary judgment on all counts.
Successfully defended Farley Industries in a dissenters’ rights case before the Georgia Supreme Court, a decision of first impression which has become the seminal case on dissenters’ rights in Georgia.
Represented one of the largest real estate developers in the United States in the withdrawal of a major regional partner from hundreds of partnerships, including coordinating and successfully concluding simultaneous litigation in multiple forums.
Represented Novelis Corporation in a contract dispute with the consortium representing Coca Cola bottlers. Novelis, the world's leading producer of aluminum rolled products, supplies aluminum can sheets to Coke, which alleged that Novelis had violated the terms of their supply agreement's most favored nation provision. After three years of discovery and proceedings, the Superior Court in Fulton County, Georgia, granted summary judgment in favor of Novelis.
Successfully defended a major airline client in an international arbitration proceeding, recovering more than $40 million on its counterclaims.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Robert Mongeluzzi of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky (https://www.smbb.com/).
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Episode Details:
Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame inductee Robert Mongeluzzi of Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky shares how he successfully represented the families of nine customers and employees who were killed or seriously injured in the collapse of a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Philadelphia on June 5, 2013. Nearly two weeks before the collapse of an unsupported four-story brick masonry structure onto the one-story store, Salvation Army officials were warned about the risks posed to the Thrift Store due to the ongoing demolition of neighboring properties. The Salvation Army chose to ignore the warnings and failed to notify customers or employees of the danger, resulting in seven fatalities and numerous injuries. After a high-profile 15-week trial, Robert Mongeluzzi convinced the Philadelphia jury that this was no accident, securing a liability verdict, with 75% of the liability for the customers assigned to the Salvation Army and the liability for the employees divided among property owner Richard Basciano, the architect and other parties. Following the liability verdict, Robert Mongeluzzi settled the case for $227 million in the damages phase.
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Guest Bio:
Robert J. Mongeluzzi
Robert J. Mongeluzzi is one of the finest trial lawyers in America. He has the largest personal injury verdict affirmed on appeal in Pennsylvania history, the largest individual personal injury settlement in Pennsylvania history, the largest multi-plaintiff personal injury settlement in Pennsylvania history, the largest workplace injury verdict in Pennsylvania history, the largest verdict in a motor vehicle accident in Pennsylvania history and the largest dram shop verdict in Pennsylvania history. He has the largest settlement of a construction case in American history. He was one of the lead plaintiffs attorneys in the largest settlement of a railroad accident case in American history. He has the largest verdict for a construction worker in American history. He has the largest wrongful death settlement in Philadelphia County history. He has the largest settlement in Lehigh County history. He has handled six cases with verdicts or settlements of $100 million or more. He has had more than 400 verdicts and settlements in excess of a million dollars. He was inducted into the National Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2018, was awarded the Legal Intelligencer Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017 and was the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers 2019 Michael A. Musmanno Award honoree.
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On this bonus episode of The Great Trials Podcast, Steve and Yvonne are interviewed by a potential law school student...our producer, Razz! We discuss the LSAT, choosing a school, tips for being successful in law school, the work/life balance of an attorney, and much more.
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Natalie Woodward of Shamp Jordan Woodward (https://www.sjwtriallaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Shamp Jordan Woodward founding partner Natalie Woodward shares discusses how she secured justice for the former Chief of Police for the City of Braswell, Georgia after he was falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted by the Mayor, City Manager and subsequent Chief of Police for the City of Braswell over a reimbursement dispute. In 2007, Robert Richard Lucas was initially told by the Mayor that he would be reimbursed for the purchase of used vehicles for the police department, but after five months of waiting, the Mayor and City Manager informed Robert that they considered the vehicle to be a non-reimbursable donation to the City. Unable to reach an agreement, Robert resigned as the Chief of Police and took possession of the vehicle, as the title was still in his name. The City of Braswell reported the car stolen and continued to pursue criminal prosecution with a warrant for Robert's arrest, despite a neighboring county officer's determination that the vehicle ownership dispute was a civil matter. Robert was unjustly placed in a holding cell with criminals who were likely well aware of his previous law enforcement position. In spite of the defense's attempts to utilize a reimbursement check that didn't materialize until after the lawsuit was filed, trial lawyer Natalie Woodward emphasized the lack of proper procedure and Georgia Bureau of Investigation involvement. In 2010, a Rome, Georgia jury returned a verdict in favor of Robert, awarding $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants.
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Guest Bio:
Natalie Woodward
Anyone who meets Natalie Woodward feels like they have known her their entire life. It is this ability to put people at ease that makes her such an effective trial lawyer. Indeed in her very first jury trial as lead counsel, she secured a $1 million verdict in a wrongful arrest case.
Natalie has extensive experience in personal injury, product liability, medical malpractice, false arrest, and malicious prosecution.
A native of Powder Springs, Natalie is a venerable “Double Dawg.” She received undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science. She then attended and graduated from the University of Georgia School of Law. While at UGA Law, she was the Chair of the Moot Court Board and a member of the champion Intrastate Moot Court Team.
Natalie is a member of the Executive Committee for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association, is a member of the Atlanta Trial Lawyers Society, and serves on several non-profit boards. She has chaired the Small Firm Practice Section of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia and was selected as one of the Best Young Lawyers in Georgia by Atlanta Magazine.
Prior to founding Shamp Speed Jordan Woodward, Natalie began her career at Brinson Askew Berry in Rome, Georgia. She also practiced at Commander & Pound, before starting her own firm in Roswell. She has also worked for both Federal District Court Judge Charles Pannell and Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Sears.
Natalie is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, as well as all other trial and appellate courts in the State of Georgia.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Rich Newsome of Newsome Melton Law Firm (https://www.newsomelaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Orlando trial lawyer Rich Newsome of Newsome Melton Law Firm shares how he successfully advocated for the parents of deceased University of Florida student Abigail Dougherty after she was struck and killed by a Waste Corporation of America (WCA) garbage truck while riding her bicycle. On October 28, 2016, Abigail was riding her bike in the dedicated bicycle lane near 17th Street and University Avenue in Gainesville, Florida, when a 15-year veteran WCA driver made a right turn, striking the rear tire of Abigail's bike in the crosswalk. Abigail and her bicycle were pulled under the truck, dragged and crushed by the right rear tires of the 2,000-ton vehicle. Despite the defense's attempts to blame Abigail for this tragic collision, Rich convinced the jury that WCA was responsible due to its driver's negligent actions, including not checking the right-side mirrors and making a sharp turn at a high speed. In October 2018, an Alachua County, Florida jury assigned 80% of the blame for Abigail's death to WCA and awarded a sum of $12,500,000 in damages to each of Abigail's parents, Pat Dougherty and Anita Forester, resulting in a major $25 million verdict.
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Guest Bios:
Rich Newsome
Rich Newsome is the senior partner of the Newsome Melton law firm and represents people and families in complex civil litigation.
After graduating from the University of Florida College of Law in 1989, Rich worked as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern and Middle Districts of Florida. Rich left the U.S. Attorney's Office in 1993 and went to work for a large product liability defense firm in Orlando, Florida where he represented manufacturers. After defending a manufacturer in a case brought by a family who lost a child, Rich felt compelled to leave the defense practice and began representing only families and individuals. Since then, for more than 25 years, Rich’s practice has focused on representing people who have suffered catastrophic or fatal injuries.
In 2001, Rich was appointed by the Florida Governor to the Fifth District Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission and served as the JNC’s Chairman during his term. He is a Past-President of the Orlando Federal Bar Association, Past-President of the Florida Justice Association, Past-Member of the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice, Past-President of the Central Florida Trial Lawyers Association, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocacy.
Rich is a graduate of the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College and was invited to serve as a member of the College Faculty. Rich is a member of the Florida, Texas, New Mexico, and Oregon Bar Associations.
In 2016, Rich was selected as the “Orlando Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers, a peer-review publication. In 2015, Rich received the Steven C. Sharpe Public Service Award from the American Association for Justice, in recognition of his representation of Corey Burdick who was severely injured by a defective Takata airbag. The Steven C. Sharpe Award is awarded annually to one attorney and their client.
In 2017, Rich was appointed to the Constitution Revision Commission by Richard Corcoran, the Speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives. The 37 member Commission drafted and submitted 32 amendments to the Florida Constitution which were placed on the ballot and approved by Florida voters to be part of the Florida Constitution in November 2018.
In 2019, Rich was recognized by the National Law Journal as having won two of the Nation’s 100 largest verdicts in 2018.
Rich is a member of the Summit Council, a national group of America's best plaintiff trial lawyers. Membership is limited to less than thirty trial lawyers from across the country, is by invitation only, and is extended to lawyers who have a proven record of large jury verdicts and are recognized as leaders of the national plaintiffs bar.
Rich is a founding faculty member of Trial School, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that seeks to foster collaboration between lawyers on today’s best trial advocacy methods and to provide free education and practice for trial lawyers who exclusively represent people and families.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Neama Rahmani of West Coast Trial Lawyers (https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/).
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Episode Details:
West Coast Trial Lawyers' President and co-founder Neama Rahmani looks back on his days as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and shares how he convinced a California jury that Laura Elana Trejo-Macias intentionally and knowingly tried to cross the U.S.-Mexico border with more than nine pounds of methamphetamine in her car. In March 2011, a trained drug detection dog at the San Ysidro port of entry alerted Customs and Border Protection Officers of contraband in Laura's newly acquired 2003 Chevy Tahoe. U.S. border officials found nine packages of methamphetamine with a street value of $130,000 in a modified shell of the vehicle's radiator. In spite of the defense's attempts to portray Laura as a successful businesswoman who was tricked into being a blind mule by an employee who had access to the car the day before, Neama Rahmani presented evidence that convinced the jury that Laura was, in fact, guilty of trafficking methamphetamine. In 2012, Laura was sentenced to more than 12 years in jail.
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Guest Bio:
Neama Rahmani
Neama is the President and co-founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers.
Neama graduated from UCLA at the age of 19 and Harvard Law School at the age of 22, making him one of the youngest graduates in the 200-year history of the law school. Upon graduation, Neama was hired by O’Melveny & Myers, the largest law firm in Los Angeles at the time, where he represented companies such as Disney, Marriott, and the Roman Catholic Church.
But Neama wanted to help ordinary people, not corporations, so he joined the United States Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted drug and human trafficking cases along the United States-Mexico border. While working as a federal prosecutor, Neama captured and successfully prosecuted a fugitive murderer and drug kingpin who had terrorized Southern California and was featured on “America’s Most Wanted.” Neama was then appointed to be the Director of Enforcement of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, an independent watchdog that oversees and investigates the elected officials and highest level employees of the City of Los Angeles, including the Mayor and City Council. He held that position until becoming a trial lawyer for the people.
Neama has extensive trial experience. He has led teams of more than 170 attorneys in litigation against the largest companies in the world. Neama has successfully tried dozens of cases to verdict as lead trial counsel, and has argued and won before both state and federal appeals courts. Over the course of his career, Neama has handled thousands of cases, obtaining many seven and eight figure settlements and judgments, and has helped his clients win more than one billion dollars.
Neama is a regular legal commentator on news and television and sits on the UCLA Political Science Board of Advisors. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, an attorney for foster children, son, daughter, and dog, Lola.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Don Hinkle of Hinkle and Foran (https://www.hinkleforan.com/).
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Episode Details:
Million Dollar Advocates Forum member and accomplished Tallahassee, Florida attorney Donald Hinkle of Hinkle & Foran shares how he held the United States government responsible for the negligence of a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs doctor who failed to promptly diagnose Vietnam War veteran Ronald Mathis' Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, resulting in his untimely death. In preparation for his annual exam, Ronald underwent routine blood tests, which revealed a white blood cell count twice the normal level. His doctor at the Veterans Affairs facility admitted that he overlooked Ronald's elevated white blood cell count and failed to promptly refer him to a hematologist for what was then a highly treatable condition. Without treatment, Ronald's condition worsened and developed into Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia. He was released to hospice care, where he died less than three weeks later in May 2018. Trial lawyer Donald Hinkle worked to secure economic and noneconomic damages for Ronald's surviving family members recognized under Florida's Wrongful Death Act, including his wife of 52 years, Grace, and his two grandchildren whom he had adopted and was raising as his own. Ultimately, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court - Northern District of Florida awarded $4,725,961.76 in economic and noneconomic damages to the Mathis family, ruling against the defendant.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Don Hinkle
Whether it's representing the injured or working with families who have experienced tragic losses, attorney Don Hinkle's track record of success in undeniable. When not representing clients, Don is often asked to lecture other attorneys regarding how to best handle serious automobile accidents, premises liability and medical malpractice cases.
Member of The Million Dollar Advocates Forum for obtained verdicts of more than a million dollars in personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, automobile crash, premises liability and civil rights cases.
When not practicing law, Don enjoys golf, travel, collecting art and his three delightful children.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Gilion Dumas (https://dumasandvaughn.com/).
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Episode Details:
Gilion Dumas, a partner at Dumas & Vaughn, LLC in Portland, Oregon and an experienced litigator in child sexual abuse cases, explains how she successfully represented former Boy Scout Kerry Lewis, who was sexually abused by an adult Boy Scout volunteer multiple times in the early 1980s. From 1982 to 1984, Kerry was mentored by Timur Dykes, who admitted to a Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -- the organization that sponsored Kerry's Boy Scout troop -- that he had abused 17 boys before January 1983. Despite this admission, the church, the Boy Scouts of America organization and the Portland-based Cascade Pacific Council allowed Dykes to remain involved in the organization and to work directly with children, failing to notify the parents of Boy Scouts, like Kerry, who unfortunately became another abuse victim following Dykes' admission. Through a groundbreaking use of the Boy Scouts of America's secret "perversion files" containing allegations of sex abuse within the organization, trial lawyer Gilion Dumas and her legal team were able to hold the Boy Scouts of America and local Cascade Pacific Counsel responsible for the abuse Kerry, who was 38 at the time of trial, suffered as a boy. In 2010, a Multnomah, Oregon jury awarded $1.4 million in non-economic damages, assigning 60% of the negligence to the Boy Scouts of America, 15% to the Cascade Pacific Council and 25% to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which settled before the trial began. In a separate six-week trial, a jury returned a punitive damages award of an additional $18.5 million against the Boy Scouts of America.
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Guest Bio:
Gilion Dumas
Gilion Dumas is a partner at Dumas & Vaughn, LLC in Portland, Oregon. She has substantial litigation experience, most recently representing survivors of child sexual abuse and sexual assault. She is known for her diligent advocacy and compassion for her clients, bringing legal savvy, clear communication, and common sense to the stressful and often confusing experience of civil litigation. Gilion knows her way around the courtroom, having tried many cases, both on her own and as “second chair.” She obtained a judgment of over $4.5 million for a young Oregon woman who was sexually molested as a child. She was also one of the trial attorneys in the 2010 child sexual abuse trial in Portland against the Boy Scouts that resulted in a $19.9 million verdict for the plaintiff.
Gilion is currently involved in dozens of claims on the West Coast and around the country against schools, churches, and youth serving organizations that allowed children to be abused by employees or volunteers. She and her law partner Ashley Vaughn represent many alumni of Catlin Gabel, an elite private school in Portland, for claims of abuse dating back to the 1960s; over 60 men with claims in the Boy Scouts' bankruptcy; 12 men with claims for abuse in the Assemblies of God Royal Ranger program; and several cases involving adult women sexually assaulted by medical professionals.
Gilion graduated cum laude from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, where she was an editor on the law review. She is an active member of the state and federal bars in Oregon, Washington, California, and Idaho. She recently served on the Executive Committee of the Oregon State Bar’s Litigation Section, is a former Chair of the Oregon State Bar’s Business Litigation Section, and is a former President of the Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association. Gilion is active in her community, including serving on the Board of Directors of the Cascade Policy Institute. She is an avid reader and the author of a popular book blog, Rose City Reader.
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This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Micha Star Liberty (https://libertylaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Award-winning California trial attorney Micha Star Liberty discusses how she successfully advocated for the grieving parents of 24-year-old Amelie Le Moullac after she was fatally struck by a commercial vehicle while riding in a San Francisco bike lane in 2013. A responsible bicyclist, Amelie wore her helmet and stayed in the designated bicycle lane, but neither action prevented her from being run over by a 13,000-ton Daylight Foods, Inc. box truck, which illegally crossed the bike lane to make a sudden right turn. Amelie died from her injuries, including a fractured skull and crushed torso. Micha Star Liberty helped secure key video footage of the crash from a nearby business security camera after the San Francisco Police Department failed to conduct a thorough investigation, which was later revealed to be part of a larger bias against bicyclists. Despite the defense's attempts to blame Amelie and to depict her as a reckless bicyclist, Micha Star Liberty invoked a California Vehicle Code statue, which underscored the fact that Amelie had the right to remain in her bike lane and treat it as a safety zone in the event of a turning vehicle, which trumped the defense's use of a more general statute. In January 2015, a San Francisco jury ruled that Amelie shared no responsibility in her tragic death, found the driver to be at fault and awarded Amelie's parents a total of $4 million in damages.
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Guest Bios:
Micha Star Liberty
Micha Star Liberty is the owner Liberty Law Office, Inc. — a diverse legal practice primarily representing individuals who have suffered a serious injury or abuse, including child sexual abuse. The firm also represents employees who have been discriminated against or harassed in the workplace, and Micha has assisted businesses with finding a common ground when releasing an employee on best terms.
Ms. Liberty is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. She has held the title of President and Vice President of multiple legal and political organizations, expanding her network of associates and resources, which often helps to expedite the legal process for the greater benefit of her clients.
“My clients come to me during a time of tremendous pain, anguish, and often confusion. They need help and a specialized kind of help. Someone to talk to who will listen; someone who can offer confidential protection under the law; someone with trial knowledge who has worked with similar experiences so they know they are not alone. Everyone needs help and compassion during hard times. My calling in life is to be that advocate for my clients, and I’m never one to back down from a fight for what is right.”
Ms. Liberty is a frequent lecturer and published author, focusing much of her public speaking on trial practice, discovery techniques, the importance of mentoring, and best practices for opening a law office and law office management.
In 2015, the Consumer Attorneys of California — an organization made up of more than 3000 lawyers in California alone — presented her with the Street Fighter of the Year award at their 54th annual convention held at The Palace in San Francisco. Ms. Liberty was granted the award after holding the Contra Costa County School District accountable for a child sexual molestation case in which school officials were aware of the abuse and took no action. Every year since 2005, she’s been given the Presidential Award of Merit. In 2005 and 2006 she was presented the Defender of Justice Award and the Outstanding Service Award, respectively. In 2018, she was awarded the Women’s Advocate of the Year Award for her had work on legislation and for prosecuting numerous cases dealing with the #me too era.
Ms. Liberty was a contributing author and editor for the following practice guides: California Client Communications Manual, and California Basic Practice Handbook, both published by Continuing Education of the Bar.
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