Elawvate

Join Ben for his discussion with attorneys Taylor Asen and Trevor Savage about their recent $2.4 million verdict in Bangor, Maine in a case involving a surgical mal positioning that caused an arm injury and CRPS. Taylor and Trevor explain how they worked closely with the client to get her to the right specialist who could diagnose her medical condition. They talk about the challenges of presenting a CRPS injury at trial. They discuss how they resisted the defense effort to stipulate to liability and were able to present compelling evidence of corporate indifference and system failure in the lack of safeguards or systems to make sure that the surgery was done safely, and the lack of follow through, investigation, or changes that came out of this incident. They discuss how they responded to the defense’s 11th hour surprise surveillance video, which the judge allowed into evidence over objection. They used the surveillance to further polarize the case and show the lie in the hospital’s claim to be taking responsibility for its actions. They discuss the use of data analysis to recognize the true value of the case and to formulate the amount asked for in closing. About Taylor Asen www.gideonasen.com Taylor specializes in medical malpractice cases, trucking accident cases, and other complex personal injury cases. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars for his clients. Taylor possesses a unique combination of intellect, competitive drive, and human empathy that makes him a powerful advocate for his clients. Taylor has dedicated his career to championing the interests of individuals who have suffered harm or injury from corporate misconduct, individual negligence, and bad medical care. Taylor’s efforts on behalf of injured Mainers have resulted in several of the largest case settlements in Maine history. Recently, Taylor and his colleague Meryl obtained one of the largest jury verdicts in a child sex abuse case in Maine’s history. Taylor has been recognized as one of Maine’s leading plaintiff’s attorneys. He is only one of two lawyer from Northern New England listed in Lawdragon’s list of the top 500 plaintiff’s attorneys in the nation—the other lawyer from Northern New England is his partner, Ben Gideon. Taylor is also included in Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch and Super Lawyers Rising Stars; these designations are given to attorneys that distinguish themselves during their first decade of practice. “Nobody is more committed to his clients than Taylor,” said Ben Gideon. “His mind is always working. It’s not unusual for me to receive a call after midnight from Taylor, wanting to brainstorm about a thorny problem or about case strategy. Taylor is also a gifted legal writer, enabling our clients to gain the upper hand in motions and briefs submitted to the courts. When it comes to the full range of personal qualities and skills needed to achieve extraordinary client results, there are few lawyers I’ve met who can match Taylor.” Taylor is on the Board of Governors of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and has served as Co-Chair of the MTLA’s Legislative Committee for the past three years. Taylor has testified in the Maine Legislature on numerous occasions, and played a critical role in the fight to raise Maine’s cap on wrongful death damages in 2019. Taylor also has experience litigating class action cases on behalf of employees, consumers, and victims of civil rights abuses. From 2019 to 2020, he co-counseled a class action on behalf of Maine prisoners who were denied treatment for Hepatitis C. That lawsuit resulted in a historic settlement with the Maine Department of Corrections, under which the DOC agreed to treat all incarcerated individuals who have chronic Hepatitis C. Taylor is an Adjunct Professor at Maine Law School, where he co-teaches Trial Advocacy. A native of Maine, Taylor is a graduate of Yale Law School. At Yale, Taylor worked in the Veterans Legal Services Clinic, representing veterans...

Join Rahul and Ben for their conversation with Canadian trial lawyer, Paul Miller, who shares the fascinating account of his effort to find justice for Canadian diplomats impacted by Havana Syndrome. Paul explains the mounting evidence showing that Canadian and American diplomats posted in Cuba, England, Russia, Vietnam, and China have been targeted by weapons that use microwave or similar technology that is invisible but can cause brain damage, leading to a variety of life-long injuries and symptoms. The story is somewhere between science fiction and spy novel, but much more troubling because the human victims are real people, including diplomats and their families. About Paul Miller https://hshlawyers.com/ “I became a personal injury lawyer because I wanted to ensure that people, when devastated by injuries had access to not only benefits and compensation, but access to the courts in order to seek out justice for injuries they have suffered.” A dedicated advocate for people who have suffered personal injuries, Paul has 20 years of experience involving cases of defective products and medical devices and fighting for those denied justice. Paul has proven experience with high profile cases including serving as co-counsel for Canadian Diplomats in Cuba affected by Havana Syndrome, co-counsel representing Canadian Veterans affected by Mefloquine, co-counsel representing B.C. in its class action lawsuit against opioid drug companies, co-lead counsel for the victims of the 2005 Air France crash at Toronto’s Pearson airport, and as representative for 23 Canadians involved in litigation surrounding the events of September 11, 2001. His passion for helping those wronged by negligence led to his dedicated work on the MK Airlines Halifax Plane Crash, TVM Litigation, and presently, the Ethiopian Airline Crash, Hernia Mesh Litigation and Essure. A Certified Specialist in Civil Litigation, Paul has been nominated twice for Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers and recognized in Best Lawyers for his work in Product Liability Litigation. He’s a past board member of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association (2004–2006) and a current board director with the US-based organization Public Justice. Paul is an avid golfer. When not tirelessly working on cases or spending quality time with his wife and four children, you’ll likely see him out on the green. Professional Success Settlements and Verdicts Past results are not predictive of future results and each situation is unique and requires individual and independent legal advice. $5.55 Million* Thought Leadership Articles Media Mentions Speaking and Teaching Engagements Education Professional Associations and Memberships Honours and Awards Community Involvement

Join Rahul and Ben for their discussion with Indiana trial lawyer Lee Christie and Trial Lawyers for Justice Attorney, Karen Zahka, as they break down their recent trial against Tesla. Although the case started out as a simple pickup truck vs. motorcycle accident involving a left turn, the personal involvement of Elon Musk led to an unusual investment of resources on the defense side and high drama in the courtroom. To get to verdict, the plaintiff had to navigate a series of landmines and obstacles, including numerous law firms entering and exiting the case, a sea of motions, dozens of requests for mistrial and a hold-out juror that almost led to a mistrial during jury deliberations. Link to animation video mentioned in episode: https://hypelegal.wistia.com/medias/z8rn4p0v6u About Lee Christie Indiana Personal Injury Lawyers | Christie Farrell Lee & Bell (cflblaw.com) Lee Christie is a part­ner with Christie Farrell Lee & Bell and is a life­long Indi­ana res­i­dent. He is pas­sion­ate in rep­re­sen­ta­tion, and takes pride in the relationships he devel­ops with his clients. He has exten­sive trial expe­ri­ence in both fed­eral and state court and is a fre­quent lec­turer on trial, medi­a­tion, per­sonal injury, med­ical mal­prac­tice, truck­ing acci­dents, and set­tle­ment issues. Lee has represented thousands of clients who have been personally injured and has obtained settlements and verdicts as high as $30.5M. Lee is highly civically engaged with several Indiana organizations, including the Walker Foundation (founding board member and officer) and Indianapolis Bar Foundation (board member and officer), and is a patron of the YMCA. He is past president of the Lawrence Township Girls Basketball League and continues to work with youth in the inner city of Indianapolis. Achievements Lee has been selected by Super Lawyers as a Top 10 Super Lawyer in Indi­ana and was named the Best Lawyer, Indi­anapo­lis Lawyer of the Year for Medi­a­tion (2014) and Arbitration (2012). He is a mem­ber of the Indi­ana Trial Lawyers Asso­ci­a­tion, the Amer­i­can Asso­ci­a­tion for Jus­tice, the Inter­state Truck­ing Lit­i­ga­tion Group, and Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. Lee has verdicts and settlements ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to over $30 million. Hon­ors Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers® for: Memberships Court Admissions Bar Admissions Recognitions About Karen Zahka Home - Trial Lawyers For Justice (tl4j.com) Karen is a Partner at Trial Lawyers for Justice. She is an experienced and passionate trial lawyer. While she was born and raised in Massachusetts, Karen litigates and tries cases nationwide. She is currently admitted to practice in Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma. She practices in other jurisdictions via pro hac vice. Throughout Karen’s career, she has contributed to many multi-million verdicts and settlements, including but not limited to: Andrea Larkin, et al. v. Dedham Medical Associates, et al.: Karen was integral in successfully recovering over $40 million (with interest) for a 28-year-old woman who suffered a catastrophic stroke hours after labor and delivery of her daughter. Following this victory, Karen fought to defend and succeeded in defending the verdict from the insurance company’s attempt to overturn it on appeal. Edward Xu v. Tufts Medical Center, et al.: Karen contributed to a $24.4 million verdict on behalf of a family whose newborn suffered from severe short bowel syndrome, which requires that he be tube fed for the rest of his life. Estate of Joshua Messier v. Bridgewater State Hospital: Karen helped to obtain a $3 million settlement for a family whose 23-year-old disabled son was improperly restrained and killed by correction officers at a Massachusetts prison. This success resulted in sweeping systemic changes to improve the care and treatment of disabled individuals in state prison systems. Estate of Zoe...

In this episode, Rahul and Ben discuss major trends in trial practice and big picture take aways from the last 3 ½ years of the podcast. The conversation begins with a discussion of nuclear verdicts in the golden age of trial, moves on to case analysis and key issues, then to strategies or courtroom success, and ends with discussion of the impact of the MAGA juror. About Rahul https://www.panish.law/ravipudi.html Rahul Ravipudi is a partner at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and has spent his legal career handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians, industrial or construction accidents, utility negligence, dangerous conditions of public and private property as well as cases of sexual abuse and sexual assault. Mr. Ravipudi also represents consumers in class actions against businesses who engage in unfair/illegal business practices and public entities in cases where corporations have endangered the safety, health, property or comfort of the public. Mr. Ravipudi currently serves as Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel in the Social Media Cases litigation which involves cases of children and young adults harmed or driven to suicide by social media algorithms as well as Public Entity Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel in the JUUL Labs Product Cases, representing school districts and other public entities in California involved in litigation against the electronic cigarette manufacturer. He also serves as Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Southern California Fire Cases litigation arising out of the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California as well as on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee in the California North Bay Fires litigation. Mr. Ravipudi previously served on the Steering Committee in the Blythe bus crash litigation. Named 2017 Trial Lawyer of the Year by Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Mr. Ravipudi has obtained numerous landmark verdicts and settlements including a $160.5 million jury verdict for a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a vicious beating by security personnel for a nightclub, a $46,475,112.33 jury verdict for a beginning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu student who suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury while sparring with a Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club instructor who performed a technique which rendered the student an incomplete quadriplegic, a $28,500,000+ settlement for a special needs student who was catastrophically injured after being struck by a vehicle while under the care and supervision of Victor Elementary School District (VESD) personnel, as well as a $23,500,000 settlement on behalf of the family of Paul Lee, a 19-year-old non-verbal autistic student who tragically died aboard a Whittier school bus after the driver left him behind to engage in a sexual tryst with a coworker. The Lee case was a catalyst for significant change in school transportation with Governor Jerry Brown signing the “Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law” in September 2016, requiring all school buses in the state of California to be equipped with a child safety alarm system that must be deactivated by the bus driver before departing the bus. The new law will go into effect at the start of the 2018-19 school year and requires bus drivers to receive training in child-safety check procedures. Committed to serving as an advocate for his clients, Mr. Ravipudi has obtained numerous eight-figure awards including a $20,500,000 jury verdict for the mother of a high school student who was killed while walking to a bus stop, a $19,786,818 jury verdict for a man who suffered severe burn and traumatic brain injuries when his rental home exploded as a result of Southern California Gas Company negligence, a $13,935,550 jury verdict for 19-year-old pedestrian who suffered extensive injuries as a result of being struck on the sidewalk by a vehicle driven by a Los Angeles County employee, a $13,000,000 settlement for the children and parents of a woman who...

We’ve all heard the stories of doctors who cause harm to patients by systematically performing medically unnecessary procedures, just to line their own pockets. These circumstances rise to a level beyond ordinary medical negligence to fraud or criminal acts. However, when we litigate individual medical malpractice cases, the rules of discovery and evidence can pose barriers that make it difficult to determine whether a client’s experience reflects a larger pattern and practice by the doctor and the medical business. Join us for our discussion with Washington, DC trial lawyer, Katie Bertram, as she tells the story of a case in which she was able to show this larger pattern of a doctor performing medically unnecessary medical procedures in an out-patient surgery center setting that provides very few checks and balances on this type of rogue behavior. About Catherine "Katie" Bertram Website: https://www.blg-dc.com/ Catherine D. “Katie” Bertram started the Bertram & Murphy, building on decades of experience as both a medical malpractice attorney and director of risk management at Georgetown University Hospital. In those environments, she learned how doctors and hospitals work, as well as how their attorneys assess claims against them. She draws on this knowledge to advocate for patients and their families. “People want someone who’s competent, caring, and careful. They’ve just gone through the worst thing in their lives and been betrayed by doctors or a hospital — people that we’re supposed to trust,” she said. “I can set forth what happened and why it was negligent.” Bertram graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Bachelor of Social Work. While accompanying a social worker to court one day, she found her true passion—the law. “The minute I walked into court, I knew that’s what I should be doing,” she said. She obtained her law degree from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., in 1989, becoming the first lawyer in her family. The faculty nominated her as Woman Law Student of the Year. Bertram focuses on personal injury and medical malpractice in part because her mother is a nurse. “It allows me to combine the law and medicine,” she said. “I enjoy talking to juries and teaching them about complicated medical cases in an easier way.” Bertram has achieved several distinctions throughout her career. She is one of 20 people serving on the D.C. Bar’s Board of Governors and also is a board member of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, which finds lawyers to meet the legal needs of D.C.’s low-income residents, nonprofits, and small businesses. She’s been an adjunct law professor at American University’s Washington College of Law since 2013, teaching a course about medical malpractice. Among her charitable work, she is an active supporter of Public Citizen, the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, and a founding member of the Washington, D.C., charity Power 100. She also sews quilts for military veterans through the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Licensed to practice in Washington, D.C., and in Maryland, Bertram has a notable record of favorable verdicts. In 2017, she won $8 million on behalf of her clients against Edward Dunne, M.D., and Foxhall Urology, and in 2018, she won a $1.25 million verdict against Capital Women’s Care and others for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. But even though she and her firm have a strong track record, she and Heather J. Kelly also work hard to settle cases in their clients’ best interests. If they’re able to reach a settlement before formally filing the case, they’ll lower their fees. A third-generation Washingtonian, Bertram enjoys spending time with her family and on the Chesapeake Bay when not in court. She’s proud of the individualized attention that the Bertram & Murphy provides. “I can limit the number of cases I take so I can work very...

Louisville, Kentucky trial lawyer Sheila Hiestand has harnessed the same competitive zeal she had as a starting center on a division one college basketball team to become one of Kentucky’s leading trial lawyers. Sheila has successfully litigated and tried many high-profile cases, including a recent case in which she obtained a $36 Million judgment on behalf of the family of victims of a January 2018 shooting at Marshall County High School in which two students were killed and several others injured. Sheila discusses this case, including some of the many legal obstacles she confronted and the impact on the families she represented after this tragedy. About Sheila Hiestand Website: https://mhkylaw.com/ “The Lady Litigator” As a college basketball player who started in two final four appearances, Sheila knows the importance of hard work, drive and heart. Sheila—aka “The Lady Litigator” for her tenacity in court—is dedicated to helping women and their families through the very difficult process of personal injury claims. She has served as the president of the Kentucky trial lawyers with the Kentucky Justice Association and has worked tirelessly to fight for injured people for more than 30 years. This includes several trials with extraordinary results for her clients, such as an auto accident case where she earned a $743,000 verdict and a medical practice failure to diagnose cancer case where she earned a $1.3 million verdict. She also has achieved many 7-figure settlements for her clients in trucking, medical malpractice, auto and motorcycle cases. After graduating from Centre College, Sheila received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky School of Law. Soon after she was recognized as the Fayette County Bar Association Outstanding Young Lawyer and was rated an “AV Lawyer” by Martindale-Hubbell®. She has also been recognized among the American Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Kentucky; Super Lawyers Top 50 Lawyers in Kentucky; Super Lawyers Top 25 Women Lawyers in Kentucky; as Top Lawyer by Louisville Magazine, and has received a long list of awards. When not practicing law, Sheila enjoys spending time with her three children and husband and loves to compete in triathlons. She plays viola, violin, cello and piano and is a past member of the Lexington Singers. Sheila is also fluent in Spanish and has volunteered at the Federal Correctional Institute to assist Spanish-speaking inmates with legal matters pro bono. Education Memberships Top Attorney Personal Injury Licenses Awards Fayette County Bar Association Outstanding Young LawyerThe American Trial Lawyers AssociationNAOPIA

Before Maryland-based trial lawyer Reza Davani began rolling the dice with juries, he was a competitive poker player. Join Ben and Rahul for their discussion with Reza, in which he recounts how principles and lessons learned from playing poker translate to trial practice. Reza provides many valuable strategies for trial success, including identifying and planting “landmines” for the defense as part of his case. In addition to his phenomenal success as a trial lawyer, Reza is a sought-after speaker and teacher of trial tactics, and there is much for any practitioner to learn from listening to this episode. You may want to listen more than once. About Reza Davani Website: Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer | Compensation After an Accident (kbaattorneys.com) KBA is fortunate to work with Mr. Reza Davani because he is a true trial lawyer. He has tried many cases and is a student of the art, studying trial strategies, attending seminars, and always polishing his skills. His passion for client advocacy and willingness to fight made his partnership at KBA a great fit. Mr. Davani has worked on both sides of the aisle, representing local, national, and international companies, governmental entities, and injured victims as both a plaintiff and defense lawyer. He has represented clients and worked on matters in state, federal and bankruptcy courts around the country, including in Maryland, Mississippi, Washington D.C., New Jersey, California, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Georgia, Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina, and New York. (He is licensed in Maryland and has worked in other states on a pro hac vice basis.) Within Maryland, he has represented clients in matters in Prince George’s County, Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Allegany County, Cecil County, Washington County, Montgomery County, Charles County, Howard County, Talbot County, Carroll County, Wicomico County, and Harford County. He has the experience and helped clients with cases concerning complex litigation, product liability, commercial litigation, franchise disputes, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death and survival actions, direct lawsuits against insurance companies, qui-tam whistleblower cases, amputation injuries, and a variety of personal injury matters, including medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, vehicle collisions, commercial truck and tractor-trailer crashes, boating-collisions and allisions, and premises liability, including tripping hazards and dangerous trees. Mr. Davani is committed to advocating aggressively for his injured clients, which he has done for the past ten years. In recent years, he personally helped injured victims and their families recover close to $15,000,000 in settlements and verdicts. Each case is different and prior results does not mean future success, we are confident he is going to help KBA clients hold defendants accountable and prevent future harms through the civil justice system. He is also committed to community outreach and giving back to those in need. He has done non-profit legal work for a public defender’s office, the Prisoner Rights Information System of Maryland, Inc., the Mississippi Center for Justice, and a clinic representing ex-offenders. Attorneys often turn to him for advice which he offers for free to help improve justice in our communities. Mr. Davani is also a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2019-2021. EDUCATION

From representing Yoko Ono to winning class action lawsuits on behalf of actors and musicians, Neville Johnson and his partner Douglas Johnson (no relationship) have built one of the most interesting and successful entertainment law practices in the nation, specializing in representing “talent” as opposed to the business side of the industry. Join Rahul and Ben for a fascinating discussion with Neville and Doug, as they describe how they got their start in this practice, recount some of their most interesting cases, and talk about trends in entertainment law resulting from new technologies. About Neville Johnson - Senior Partner Website: Johnson and Johnson, LLP Law Firm | Johnson and Johnson, LLP (jjllplaw.com) Professional Experience: Neville L. Johnson graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Berkeley (1971). He received his law degree from Southwestern Law School (1975), graduating near the top of his class. He has tried over 28 civil jury trials and over 70 civil trials and arbitrations without a jury. He is a member of the invitation-only American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and is on the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles (CAALA since 2005), the Board of Directors of the national organization Public Justice, and on the Board of Governors of the Beverly Hills Bar Association 2013-2015 and 2020-2022 (BHBA). Johnson is a long-time member of the invitation-only Los Angeles Copyright Society, and on the Board of The California Society of Entertainment Lawyers. He was nominated for Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2005 by CAALA. He was Co-Chair of the Entertainment Law Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association from 2009 to 2011. He has been on the Planning Committee of the USC Entertainment Law Institute since 2011. He has appeared in courts in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In 2020, Mr. Johnson and his team secured a verdict in a Right of Publicity case of over 9 Million Dollars in damages, and over 7 Million Dollars in attorneys fees. Mr. Johnson has litigated and settled countless cases against a wide array of defendants concerning royalty accounting, profit participation, publicity rights, idea theft, copyright infringement, and many other entertainment law matters. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School since 2012, where he teaches Entertainment and Media Litigation. However, his greatest pride has been in defending the privacy rights of all citizens against the worst malefactors in the media. His work in this field was perhaps best summarized by Professor David A. Elder, a leading expert on the law of privacy, who published the following special dedication in his treatise, Privacy Torts: To Neville L. Johnson… who has led the charge, often successfully (and always creatively and with great passion) in exposing some of the worst outrages of media newsgathering. Neville ranks with Brandeis and Warren as the great defenders of privacy. All America is in his debt. Mr. Johnson has practiced entertainment law and IP law since 1975 [except for 10 months in 1977-78 when he was a Public Defender (juvenile) in Los Angeles County and handled over 100 matters, including two murder trials and one attempted murder trial]. Mr. Johnson has represented many well-known celebrities and entertainment concerns. The firm currently represents Sylvester Stallone in net profit litigation, and many other writers, directors, actors, producers, musicians, models, and JoJo Siwa, the biggest teen star in the world. He and his firm have been lead counsel in many class actions, including pioneering class actions in the entertainment industry against the entertainment unions, major record companies and motion picture companies. The firm has also handled a number of consumer class actions. The firm handles 15 to 20 right of...

Chicago-based trial lawyer Jeffrey Kroll is no stranger to risk. On the road to some of his biggest verdicts, including a 2017 verdict for $148 million, Jeff has turned down big money to cast his lot with the jury. Join Ben and Rahul for their conversation with Jeff, in which he discusses some of the core beliefs and strategies that inform his highly successful approach to trying cases to juries. Listeners will come away with many insightful tips that will benefit their own trial practices. About Jeffrey Kroll Website: Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys | Kaveny + Kroll Jeffrey J. Kroll is a founding partner at Kaveny + Kroll, a Chicago firm focused primarily on plaintiffs’ tort litigation. Jeff has been representing victims of negligence for over three decades and has taken cases to verdict throughout the country in the areas of trucking accidents, products liability, premises liability, medical malpractice and transportation negligence. In 2017, Jeff was a major part of the trial team that won a record-breaking $148 million verdict on behalf of a dancer paralyzed by a collapsed shelter at O’Hare International Airport. This is the highest compensatory damage award to an individual plaintiff in Illinois history. Jeff regularly handles complex damage cases and has received multimillion dollar verdicts and settlements. Jeff obtained a $15.2 million verdict on behalf of a man who was seriously injured when he was struck and run over by a forklift at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. He obtained a $5.25 million dollar verdict in the first U.S. bike share death. During his career, he has obtained verdicts or negotiated settlements on over 80 occasions where the results have exceeded $1 million, including six cases which have exceeded $10 million. Jeff has obtained more than $430 million in verdicts and settlements throughout his career. Jeff is also active in national bar associations where he routinely speaks and writes on several trial topics as part of his commitment to maintaining quality and professionalism in the legal community. He has been asked to lecture on over 160 occasions and has published over 139 articles for lawyers. Based on his substantial contributions to continuing legal education, the Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education recognized Jeff with IICLE’s 2015 Addis E. Hull award. In 2008, that same group awarded Jeff the Top Instructor in CLE courses. Jeff is also a highly sought-after legal commentator, making frequent local and national media appearances to provide in-depth legal insight and analysis of current events. He has been interviewed in countless television segments, podcasts, and publications.

Join Ben and Rahul for their discussion with Ohio Trial Lawyer, Allen Tittle who recently obtained a $6.19 million verdict in a difficult medical malpractice case in rural Ohio. This was a case that Allen round tabled with Ben’s breakout medical malpractice group at the PSBR trial college in California last year. We discuss how Allen successfully used the hospital policies to establish the standard of care and system failures that resulted in the harm to his client. We also talk about how Allen’s unusual and challenging childhood created the foundation for his future success as a trial lawyer and informed his abilities to connect with clients and juries. About Allen Tittle Allen is a born and raised Ohioan. He grew up here, went to undergrad and law school in Ohio, and now serves this community with his law firm. Hardworking blue-collar people are his roots, who he relates with best, and is the reason he couldn’t see himself living anywhere else. Allen was dropped on his great-great-aunt and uncle’s doorstep when he was two weeks old. They took him in when they didn’t have to and raised him as their own. While growing up, the phrase “it takes a village” couldn’t be more true for him. He loves being able to help the people he grew up around and give back to the village that helped raise him. Both as a business and personally, Allen strongly believes in giving back to the community. He has a scholarship for students and is involved with many community initiatives. Allen is best known as a family man, Cleveland sports fan, and supportive member of his community. Experience & Expertise Allen is the founder and co-owner of Tittle & Perlmuter. He started the firm in 2015 at his kitchen table with six figures of student loan debt, his first baby on the way, and a brand new mortgage because he wanted a law firm where clients actually came first. Allen practices exclusively in the area of personal injury, with an emphasis on medical malpractice and nursing home neglect state-wide. Medical malpractice cases are some of the most difficult cases to take on, but he is always up for a challenge and relishes the role of the underdog. Being a lawyer gives him the power to fight the Goliaths of the world, whether it be a billion-dollar insurance company or a multi-million-dollar medical company. He has the honor and privilege of representing people and families who have had their lives turned upside down by catastrophic injuries with life-altering effects. Recovering money, getting justice and answers, and helping families move on is the biggest responsibility that he does not take lightly. Allen has committed his life’s work and legacy to serving his clients and community as one of Ohio’s leading personal injury lawyers. Background & Education Allen was born and raised in Huron, Ohio. After graduating from Huron High School, he attended Bowling Green State University where he graduated Magna cum laude. He then went to law school at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law where he graduated magna cum laude. Because of his education, experience, and expertise, Allen is asked to speak by multiple bars and legal associations like the Ohio Association for Justice, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Lorain County Bar Association, and the Westshore Bar Association. Bar & Court Admissions Community Involvement Honors & Awards Associations

When trial lawyer Jamal Alsaffar of Austin Texas heard about the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, he had the eerie feeling of history repeating itself. Many of the facts were strikingly similar to what had occurred in the Sutherland Springs church mass shooting case in Texas that Jamal tried to a Federal judge, resulting in a $230 million judgment for the families. In the process, Jamal also forced the U.S. Government to disclose documents and information that demonstrated a long-standing pattern of failing to report dangerous, violent, and mentally unstable members of the armed forces to the FBI databank, thereby permitting tens of thousands of deranged or dangerous individuals to purchase and continue to possess firearms. As a result of Jamal’s case, he not only secured compensation for his clients, but he forced the Air Force to enact policy changes that resulted in tens of thousands of dangerous individuals being reported. Join Ben and Rahul for their in-depth discussion with Jamal, including his journey to becoming a trial lawyer that started with him becoming a standout in high school and college mock trial competitions to becoming one of the leading lawyers in the United States in bringing claims against the Federal Government and representing victims of mass shootings. About Jamal Alsaffar Mr. Alsaffar was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and is a nationally experienced trial attorney. Mr. Alsaffar has spent his entire career as a trial lawyer representing individuals and families. He has successfully represented clients in state, federal, and appellate courts across the country in complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases. In addition to a Texas statewide practice, Mr. Alsaffar has a national Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) practice representing veterans and military families around the country including Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington D.C., New York, New Hampshire, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. In 2013, Mr. Alsaffar was selected as one of the 20 “Leading Lawyers” under the age of forty in the state of Texas by Texas Lawyer magazine. His legal peers have voted him as a “Super Lawyer” from 2014-2022 and prior to that as a Texas “Rising Star” from 2006-2014. Mr. Alsaffar has also served as the National Chair of the Federal Torts and Military Advocacy Section for the American Association of Justice, the nation’s premier trial lawyer organization. Mr. Alsaffar served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the University of Texas School of Law, and also served as a volunteer coach for the University of Texas undergraduate trial advocacy team for over ten years. Mr. Alsaffar is a proud father of three children and is a volunteer select soccer coach for the Lake Travis Youth Association and serves on the board of LTYA. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Mr. Alsaffar is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American Association for Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers’ Association, Federal Bar Association, the Capital Area Trial Lawyers’ Association, and the Austin Bar Association. He has served as Co-Chair of the Birth Trauma/Medical Negligence Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice, and has twice served as the Chair of the Federal Tort Liability and Military Advocacy section of the American Association for Justice. He is on the Federal Torts Executive Committee for the American Association for Justice. Mr. Alsaffar is also a fellow of the Texas State Bar Foundation. BAR ADMISSIONS EDUCATION NOTABLE CASE RESULTS HONORS AND AWARDS

Join Ben for his interview of Scott Perry, one of Virgina’s most talented and successful trial lawyers. Scott talks about his transition from Big Law to plaintiffs work and his later transition from a narrow focus on medical malpractice to a broader practice. Scott discusses some of his landmark cases, including a case that changed the safety standard for American rowing and a recent $10 million verdict on behalf of a high school basketball star severely injured during a school community service project. Scott talks about how he navigated the difficult facts of the case to achieve justice for his client. About Scott Perry Before joining Breit Biniazan, accomplished trial lawyer Scott Perry served as a founding partner of Perry Charnoff, PLLC. Perry knows that it’s not just luck, but skill that gets personal injury lawyers the best result. He strives to surround himself with like-minded attorneys who enjoy the challenge of pushing the status quo and raising the bar for trial practice, which is why he joined forces with Breit Biniazan. Perry, who has a history of creating change in his community, strives to leverage this partnership to make an even greater impact for his clients and the communities he serves. Several years ago, Scott represented a family in a devastating case involving a drowning on the Potomac River. The victim, an 18-year-old Filipino immigrant, became a rowing coach while on summer break from his Ivy League university. Unfortunately, one beautiful day, the victim was thrown from the launch and tragically drowned—despite being a strong swimmer. When Perry looked into the case further, he discovered that the sport of rowing in the U.S. fell well behind its European counterparts when it came to safety. Coaches in other countries are required to wear special life vests and safety lanyards—and he successfully argued that safety measures like these could have prevented this tragedy. Perry’s represented families in several other sporting injury and wrongful death cases since then. While at Perry Charnoff, Scott’s unique litigation approach led to multiple multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, including: Helping the Davids Stand Up to the Goliaths Perry believes that trial lawyers and the jury system help level the playing field between well-funded parties and those with fewer economic resources. It’s a David and Goliath challenge between injured plaintiffs and the biggest, most well-financed firms in the U.S.—and these firms fight like mad. With Scott’s broad experience in personal injury litigation, he levels this playing field expertly. And his philosophy of preparing each and every case as if it’s going to trial forces defendants with deep pockets to sit up and take notice. Over the last 20 years, Perry has been consistently nominated as a Washington, D.C.-area “Super Lawyer,” honored in Virginia Lawyers Weekly, and (in 2019) named Medical Malpractice Lawyer of the Year. Each of these honors recognizes Perry’s unsurpassed ability to recover damages on behalf of his clients. Not everyone realizes that, just like doctors, lawyers can become board-certified in certain areas of practice. Perry recently underwent an extensive process to become a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, demonstrating his proficiency in this area of law. Most recently, Scott was selected as a member of the invite-only Inner Circle of Advocates, which limits its members to the top 100 plaintiff trial lawyers in the country. He is one of only two Virginia attorneys selected to the Inner Circle, with the other member being his Partner, Jeffrey Breit. Both completed a rigorous vetting process requiring a review of verdicts and settlements, trial skills, commitment to the community, and general collegiality. Representing Families After a Devastating Loss Perry focuses his practice on catastrophic injury cases such as truck accidents, wrongful death, product liability, and medical malpractice. This...

During a recent two-month period, Maryland and Pennsylvania-based trial lawyers Briggs Bedigian and Jon Stefanuca obtained verdicts of $34 million and $187 million in back-to-back trials in complex birth injury cases. Join Ben and Rahul for their discussion with Briggs and Jon about their path to handling these challenging, highly leveraged, and risky cases, and the strategies they have developed for sustained and repeated success. Whether you handle birth injury cases or not, this episode contains important lessons that will benefit anyone who tries cases for a living. About Briggs Bedigian H. Briggs Bedigian (“Briggs”) is a trial lawyer dedicated to representing victims of medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injuries nationwide. Briggs and his partner, Charles Gilman, co-founded Gilman & Bedigian, LLC with one guiding principle – to provide the absolute best legal representation to those most in need. Briggs’ particular set of trial skills sets him apart from his peers when he steps into the courtroom. His familiarity with the trial process and his humility and comfort trying cases in front of juries has proven both persuasive and productive. Briggs has tried more than 70 cases to verdict, including winning the largest medical malpractice verdict in Pennsylvania history, $182 million on behalf of a catastrophically injured child. His record of success also includes winning the second largest medical malpractice verdict in Maryland history of $55 million. While Briggs prepares every case for trial, he routinely achieves multimillion-dollar pre-trial settlements, many in excess of eight-figures. Experience has proven that the hard work of trial preparation and his assertive strategy has been crucial to his success. Briggs has earned a reputation in the legal community as the “go-to attorney” for catastrophic medical malpractice and personal injury cases. When judges, defense lawyers, doctors, and prominent lawyers refer Briggs their serious personal injury cases, you know he is providing top notch legal representation – and getting top results. Bar Admissions: Special Admissions by way of Pro Hac Vice: Education: Professional Associations and Memberships: Honors and Awards: About Jon Stefanuca As a trial attorney at Gilman & Bedigian, LLC, Jon handles a variety of medical malpractice and personal injury cases. Jon has extensive experience with cases involving catastrophic injuries, including, but not limited to: Jon dedicates most of his time to helping children injured by medical negligence, including children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and developmental delays. Beyond medical negligence, Jon has extensive experience with toxic exposure cases, including carbon monoxide poisoning and lead paint poisoning. He has handled hundreds of birth injury cases around Maryland and across the country. Some of his recent jury verdicts speak for themselves: In addition to medical malpractice litigation, Jon has extensive experience with toxic exposure cases, including carbon monoxide and lead paint cases. His experience includes class actions, mass actions, business disputes, contract disputes, intellectual property disputes, and non-disclosure agreement . litigation. Prior to joining Gilman & Bedigian, LLC, Jon was a trial attorney with Murphy Falcon & Murphy, a nationally recognized group of elite trial lawyers. Jon represented the injured in a variety of cases involving medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injuries, product defects, brain injuries, lead poisoning, and carbon monoxide poisoning, among other cases. He was a member of the litigation team in the class action filed against St. Joseph Medical Center and Dr. Mark Midei, which culminated in a $37,000,000.00 settlement. Jon was also a member of the litigation team in the class action filed against Kennedy Krieger Institute, involving allegations of unethical and unlawful...

Gideon Asen attorney, Trevor Savage, joins the podcast to talk about a recent case he and Ben Gideon tried involving a delay in diagnosis of prostate cancer. Ben and Trevor discuss some of the legal challenges they had to overcome and how they used focus groups and big data to identify key issues and frame the case effectively for trial. They discuss their approach to voir dire, opening statements, use of demonstrative aides and order of witnesses. About Trevor Savage Trevor is a skilled trial attorney who represents clients in claims involving medical malpractice, wrongful deaths and other complex personal injury cases. After completing a clerkship with the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Trevor began his career at a large firm in Portland, representing medical providers, businesses, and insurance companies. Trevor’s experience as a defense attorney gives him a unique perspective that he uses to give Gideon Asen’s clients an advantage during litigation with insurance companies. A native of Maine, Trevor is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, and then the University of Maine School of Law. At Maine Law, he served as Managing Editor of the Maine Law Review and as a legal writing teaching assistant for first-year students. During law school—alongside his then-classmate and current colleague, Meryl Poulin—he distinguished himself as one of two “Prize Arguers” of their class and argued before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. He and Meryl Poulin—another Gideon Asen attorney—later competed nationally as teammates on the Maine Law Moot Court Team, finishing in the top three of a competition of more than forty teams. While at law school, Trevor interned with the Appellate Division of the United States Attorney’s Office and then with Judge Kermit V. Lipez of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He also worked as a Student Attorney at the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office (winning his first two jury trials as a second-year law student). Trevor lives in North Berwick, Maine, with his wife, Amy, and two children, Jacob and Will.

Join Ben for his discussion with trial lawyers Larry and Lauren Acker from Travers City, Michigan. Larry, who has spent his career trying legal and accounting malpractice claims, offers insights into how best to avoid having money embezzled from your law practice and how to avoid being sued for malpractice. This father and daughter team discuss trying a recent accounting malpractice case together and the approach to communicating these types of cases to jurors. About Lawrence J. Acker _________________________ Lawrence J. Acker, P.C/ The Acker Law Firm 12930 S. West Bayshore Drive Traverse City, MI 49684 248-229-1911 Education: B.A., Oakland University, Rochester MI 1970 M.A.T., Oakland University, Rochester MI 1972 J.D., Detroit College of Law, Detroit MI 1977 Practice Areas: Legal Malpractice Medical Malpractice Accounting Malpractice Family Law Fraud Issues Personal Injury Lawrence Acker is a trial attorney. He has conducted trials in multiple Federal jurisdictions and multiple State Courts. He has conducted arbitration hearings at the American Arbitration Association, at JAMS and has served as a private arbitrator. Fellow of The American College of Trial Lawyers (FACTL 2007). Fellowship in the ACTL is available only by invitation. Fellows are inducted after rigorous investigation of adherence to the highest standards of trial performance and professional ethics. Membership is available to no more than 1% of the Trial Lawyers in the USA and Canada, after an attorney has established a reputation for excellence in trial advocacy. Lawrence Acker served as Chairman of the State of Michigan Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers for a two-year term (2019-2020). Lawrence Acker is a past member of the Michigan Character and Fitness Committee. Lawrence Acker has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America, Martindale Hubbell Directory of Preeminent Attorneys and Michigan Super Lawyers Lawrence Acker has served on the Editorial Board of Michigan Lawyers Weekly. He was nominated as “Lawyer of the Year” in 2002 by Lawyers Weekly. Most recent trial completed: Lake Michigan Carferry vs. DeBoer Baumann, CPA firm. Mason County Circuit Court, Ludington, Michigan; Case No. 2019-000249-NM Entered judgment on jury verdict with interest 6/22/2023 in the amount of $746,918. Co-counsel Ms. Lauren Acker. About Lauren Acker Associate, Lawrence J. Acker, P.C/ The Acker Law Firm 12930 S. West Bayshore Drive Traverse City, MI 49684 Education: J.D. William & Mary Law School, 2019 B.A. Washington & Lee University, 2012 Admitted to Practice: Michigan District of Columbia Oregon Lauren has been assisting her father, Lawrence J Acker, with cases since November 2019, focusing on professional malpractice and personal injury. Lauren is involved in all aspects of matters in Michigan State Courts and Federal Court including U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Michigan; Southern District of Texas, Houston Division; and Central District of California, Los Angeles. Lauren sat second chair during a jury trial for accounting malpractice that resulted in the largest jury verdict in Mason County, Michigan.

Douglas “Monte” Tynes is a second-generation trial lawyer from Pascagoula, Mississippi. Monte, who serves as the co-chair of the damages section of the Edge Trial College, has an insatiable desire to continue learning and getting better at the craft of trying cases. In his career, Monte has tried numerous jury trials in civil rights, employment, personal injury, and medical malpractice cases. He tries cases in Mississippi, in some of the most conservative and difficult plaintiff’s venues in the Country. Monte shares his recent experience achieving a verdict of almost $ 1 million in a low speed, no damage, rear-end car accident trial in a conversative Mississippi venue. Monte talks about his “speed trial” technique and how he presented his difficult damages case. Monte talks about other lessons learned from this and several other recent trials, and what he is continuing to do each day to hone is skills at the craft of trying cases. About Monte Tynes Douglas L. Tynes, Jr., who prefers to go by the much more informal ‘Monte’ Tynes, is a second-generation attorney, who began practicing law with his father, Douglas L. Tynes, in 2006. After the latter’s retirement in May 2013, Mr Tynes continued practicing in the same historic building where his father had worked for more than 30 years. Mr. Tynes is a devoted practitioner of the law. He goes the extra mile to become better acquainted with his client by making house calls, so he may know them in their surroundings. Mr. Tynes makes sure that his team at Tynes Law Firm share his work ethic and is equally understanding of the needs of his clients. Areas of Specialization: Mr. Tynes’ practice includes: Automobile accidents 18-wheeler accidents Medical malpractice Criminal law Family law cases such as divorce, custody, and child support Mr. Tynes is admitted to practice in all state courts in Mississippi, as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Education: Mississippi College School of Law, 2002-2005 Active in the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association student chapter Earned a Juris Doctorate in May of 2005 University of Mississippi School of Law, 2004-2005 Finished final year of law school as a visiting student Georgia Institute of Technology, 1998-2002 Earned Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Sigma Phi Epsilon Wrote for The Technique, the school’s weekly newspaper While attending school full time, also worked at Pond & Co., Architects and Engineers Ocean Springs High School Graduated with High Honors Lettered in football and soccer Part of civic organizations such as Phi Kappa Representative Clients: Mr. Tynes has an impressive success rate when fighting complex and challenging cases. He has also obtained favorable results in several other kinds of cases, such as a recent $260,000.00 verdict in a sexual harassment case against former Sheriff Mike Byrd. In one of his most rewarding cases, Mr. Tynes, along with his co-counsel, obtained a rare acquittal in a capital murder case in ‘State of Mississippi v Tevin James Benjamin’. Personal Life: A longtime resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Monte is passionate about his family, fishing, and anything to do with Georgia Tech. He is married to Leilani Tynes, and they have four beautiful children.

Join Ben and Rahul for their conversation with Nevada trial lawyer Christian Morris. Attorney Morris describes her journey, from going up on a farm in Maine with no electricity or running water to being named 2019 Trial Lawyer of the Year in Nevada after obtaining a $31 million verdict on behalf of a young California woman who suffered anaphylactic shock while attending a convention in Las Vegas. Along the way, Attorney Morris describes how she found her own authentic approach, style, and voice as a lawyer that has enabled her to connect with jurors and to build a successful practice and career that she loves. About Christian Morris Christian Morris, Esq., is a personal injury trial attorney. Christian focuses exclusively on personal injury cases and making sure her clients obtain a just verdict or settlement. She recently received a $31 million dollar verdict for a woman who was severely brain damaged due to the negligence of Medic West, an ambulance company that chose to eliminate a lifesaving medication from their medic’s jump bags to save $2.42 per bag. She is licensed to practice law in Nevada in both state and federal courts. Christian also holds bar licenses in California and New Jersey. In February, 2012, Christian successfully passed the New York State Bar. In 2013, Christian was accepted to the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyer’s College, and she continues her work with the Gerry Spence Method on the Ranch in Wyoming. Christian was voted Nevada’s Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Nevada Justice Association for 2019. She is the second woman in twenty-two years to receive the honor. Christian also serves on the Board of Governors for the American Association of Justice. Christian is well respected in the legal community for her candor, hard work and commitment to the civil justice system. Her verdicts have changed the law in Nevada for both premises liability cases and how Plaintiffs’ counsel can be compensated for their fees. She has conducted both jury trials and bench trials and has published decisions by the Nevada Supreme Court. Christian is the proud mother of Jackman Reese Burnette (age 5) and Winter Ryan Burnette (age 3).

In this episode, Ben and Rahul break down the recent $46 million verdict Rahul obtained in a case on behalf of a client injured during a Brazilian Jujitsu class. Rahul talks about how he frames the issues in the case to deal with the challenge of many jurors believing that those who engage in dangerous activities, like Jujitsu, assume the risk of injury. He shares his approach to voir dire and to obtaining this high-value verdict in a relatively conservative venue where verdicts tend to be on the lower side. Rahul talks about how the verdict was received in the Jujitsu community and how it is likely to lead to changes that will make the practice safer. About Rahul Ravipudi Rahul Ravipudi is a partner at Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP and has spent his legal career handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians, industrial or construction accidents, utility negligence, dangerous conditions of public and private property as well as cases of sexual abuse and sexual assault. Mr. Ravipudi also represents consumers in class actions against businesses who engage in unfair/illegal business practices and public entities in cases where corporations have endangered the safety, health, property or comfort of the public. Mr. Ravipudi currently serves as Public Entity Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel in the JUUL Labs Product Cases, representing school districts and other public entities in California involved in litigation against the electronic cigarette manufacturer. Has also serves as Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Southern California Fire Cases litigation arising out of the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California as well as on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee in the California North Bay Fires litigation. Mr. Ravipudi previously served on the Steering Committee in the Blythe bus crash litigation. Named 2017 Trial Lawyer of the Year by Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Mr. Ravipudi has obtained numerous landmark verdicts and settlements including a $160.5 million jury verdict for a man who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of a vicious beating by security personnel for a nightclub, a $46,475,112.33 jury verdict for a beginning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu student who suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury while sparring with a Del Mar Jiu-Jitsu Club instructor who performed a technique which rendered the student an incomplete quadriplegic, a $28,500,000+ settlement for a special needs student who was catastrophically injured after being struck by a vehicle while under the care and supervision of Victor Elementary School District (VESD) personnel, as well as a $23,500,000 settlement on behalf of the family of Paul Lee, a 19-year-old non-verbal autistic student who tragically died aboard a Whittier school bus after the driver left him behind to engage in a sexual tryst with a coworker. The Lee case was a catalyst for significant change in school transportation with Governor Jerry Brown signing the “Paul Lee School Bus Safety Law” in September 2016, requiring all school buses in the state of California to be equipped with a child safety alarm system that must be deactivated by the bus driver before departing the bus. The new law will go into effect at the start of the 2018-19 school year and requires bus drivers to receive training in child-safety check procedures. Committed to serving as an advocate for his clients, Mr. Ravipudi has obtained numerous eight-figure awards including a $20,500,000 jury verdict for the mother of a high school student who was killed while walking to a bus stop, a $19,786,818 jury verdict for a man who suffered severe burn and traumatic brain injuries when his rental home exploded as a result of Southern California Gas Company negligence, a $13,935,550 jury verdict for 19-year-old pedestrian who suffered extensive injuries as a result of being struck on the sidewalk by a vehicle driven by a Los...

Join Ben and Rahul for their interview of San Francisco trial lawyer, Sarah London of Lieff Cabraser. Sarah explains how her interest in community organizing ultimately led her to a career as a plaintiff trial lawyer. She views the law as the ultimate weapon for promoting positive societal change. Not long after becoming a lawyer, Sarah London found herself in Florida trying case after case against the big tobacco companies. At first, the plaintiffs were losing every trial. But in time, they found strategies to turn the cases around, win, and obtain large verdicts. This experience of trying similar cases over and over provided a laboratory for better understanding of how to select juries and frame a case for trial success. The insights gained through this process are valuable not just for tobacco litigation, but anyone who conducts jury trials. Sarah was recently appointed as co-lead counsel for the Juul litigation. Sarah’s insights into trial lawyer are both practical and inspirational. You won’t want to miss this episode! About Sarah London “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” Martin Luther King, Jr. A partner in Lieff Cabraser’s San Francisco office, Sarah R. London is a determined, skilled, and experienced advocate for the injured, employees, and consumers. In February of 2020, Sarah was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in the Gilead HIV Drug Kidney & Bone Injuries Litigation. In December of 2019, she was appointed to serve as Co-Lead Counsel and Liaison Counsel for plaintiffs in the nationwide multidistrict Juul e-cigarette fraud and injury litigation. In September of 2019, Sarah was appointed by Judge Judith E. Levy to serve as Subclass Settlement Counsel in In re Flint Water Cases, the federal class action lawsuit seeking justice for the over 100,000 residents of Flint, Michigan who were exposed to seriously elevated levels of lead as a result of insufficient water treatment. Sarah also serves in lead roles in women’s health cases, including work as court-appointed Liaison Counsel and Interim Class Counsel in the federal class action filed on behalf of families in May 2018 against San Francisco’s Pacific Fertility Center over the Center’s March 2018 allegedly negligent destruction of hundreds of frozen eggs and embryos as a result of a leak in a cryogenic storage tank. Sarah also served in a leadership role in successful litigation recovering millions of dollars on behalf of women who suffered serious injuries due to complications from allegedly defective trans-vaginal surgical mesh. Sarah has been directly involved in several recent California environmental disaster cases, including litigation against Plains All American Pipeline arising out of the 2015 oil spill in Santa Barbara, and two important class action cases on behalf of homeowners and businesses that suffered economic injuries in the wake of the massive Porter Ranch gas leak, which began in October of 2015 and lasted into February of 2016. A Super Lawyers Rising Star for eight consecutive years and 2015 finalist for the Consumer Attorneys of California Streetfighter of the Year Award, Sarah has held multiple leadership positions in CAOC, including her current position on the Board of Directors. In September 2019, Sarah was appointed Chair of the Resource Board of the National Association of Women Judges.

Episode Summary John and Alicia Campbell join Ben and Rahul for a follow up discussion on the value of Big Data in preparing cases for trial. John is joined by his business partner, fellow attorney and wife, Alicia Campbell. John and Alicia discuss their forthcoming book, co-authored with Attorney Sean Claggett, in which they present both the science and practical uses of big data to help trial lawyers make better decisions and achieve better trial results. In this episode, John and Alicia discuss some of the lessons learned from years of jury research and big data studies; how the data is best used to maximize value at trial; and some of the common mistakes trial lawyers make in case presentation and jury selection that can impact the win rate and verdict value in the case. About John and Alicia Campbell John and Alicia Campbell, Campbell Law John Campbell, JD is a trial and appellate lawyer turned law professor turned jury researcher. John trained as a trial lawyer under John Simon, a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, and then went on to become a successful consumer attorney. John’s verdicts and settlements exceed $350 million. John has also handled appeals in the Eighth, Second, Tenth, and Fourth Circuit, as well as the United States Supreme Court and a variety of state courts. Most recently, John served as lead counsel in a series of class actions against municipalities, including Ferguson, Missouri, who engaged in policing for profit. The cases led to the eradication of many predatory fees targeted at minorities and the working poor. John remains a member of Campbell Law LLC. For eight years John served as a professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. While there, he founded the Civil Justice Research Initiative, dedicated to better understanding jury behavior through rigorous empirical research. He continues to run CJRI at the University of Denver and teaches as an adjunct professor. John’s academic work led to demand for him to study individual cases for plaintiff attorneys. He ultimately founded Empirical Jury. In only a few years, Empirical Jury has emerged as a cutting-edge firm that uses big data and scientific approaches to equip attorneys to obtain the best result possible for clients. Empirical Jury has been involved in verdicts in excess of $550 million and is routinely called on to analyze some of the most complex consequential cases in the country. During the Covid-19 era, Empirical Jury is also leading the way on understanding the Covid Effect through careful data gathering and analysis. To date, Empirical Jury has surveyed over 1,200 jurors on topics relating to Covid-19, virtual trials, and jury duty. Alicia Campbell Alicia started Campbell Law, LLC, in 2009. Prior to that, she worked for a legal services law firm representing people in Social Security and consumer claims. Alicia decided to create her own firm so that she could handle the cases she wanted and give her clients a personal and positive experience. Since opening Campbell Law, Alicia has tried a mortgage fraud case to verdict in 2010, and she has argued before the Court of Appeals in 2011 and 2013 about mortgage issues. In 2015, she settled a mortgage fraud case in Missouri for $1.5 million dollars. And in 2016, Alicia settled a mortgage fraud and wrongful foreclosure case in Missouri for $4 million dollars. Alicia has also appeared in front of the Missouri State Supreme Court in 2012 and 2013 arguing on behalf of homeowners, in an attempt to change the unlawful detainer statute in Missouri. She has argued before the 8th Circuit, and she has also argued before the Missouri Court of Appeals in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2018, Alicia was lead counsel in certifying a class action against the City of Ferguson for its use of illegal and excessive fees in municipal court to generate profit. Alicia takes on mortgage companies and banks, as well as other types of financial fraud. She has pursued...