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The Great Trials Podcast offers a series of laid-back, casual conversations with leading trial lawyers, taking listeners "behind the scenes" of America’s greatest trials. Hosted by acclaimed trial lawyers Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey, each podcast episode focuses on one important trial and includes in-depth, insightful interviews with the attorneys who successfully argued the case in front of a judge and jury.
Episodes
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
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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Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
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.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
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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Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
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.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
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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Tuesday Mar 16, 2021
Tuesday Mar 16, 2021
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Taylor Rayfield of Manly Stewart Finaldi (https://www.manlystewart.com/) and Tobin Lanzetta of Greene, Broillet & Wheeler, LLP (https://www.gbw.law/).
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Episode Details:
California trial lawyers Taylor Rayfield of Manly Stewart Finaldi and Tobin Lanzetta of Greene, Broillet & Wheeler, LLP explain how they successfully represented their client Delia Flores after she was injured in a head-on collision caused by a driver whose employer was ultimately held responsible for his reckless driving. On a clear October afternoon in 2016, Delia was driving a Toyota Camry when she was hit head-on by an Audi attempting and failing to pass an 18-wheeler going 50 mph on a two-lane road. The Audi was driven by ConvergeOne, Inc. IT engineer Lewis Rocchetti, who was on his way home from work at 5:30 p.m. Because Lewis was a salaried employee who never officially clocked out and was expected to use his personal vehicle to respond to service calls, trial lawyers Taylor Rayfield and Tobin Lanzetta were able to utilize the vehicle-use exception to the Coming and Going Rule, holding Lewis's employer ConvergeOne, Inc. liable for Delia's traumatic brain injury and numerous orthopedic injuries. The defense countered that Lewis was not working or providing a benefit to ConvergeOne, Inc. at the time of the crash. In March 2019, a San Bernardino, California jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, awarding Delia $2.6 million in damages, resulting in one of the top 50 personal injury verdicts in California in 2019.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
Taylor Rayfield
Taylor Rayfield is a seasoned trial lawyer who has dedicated her practice to championing the rights of survivors, obtaining substantial trial verdicts and settlements in the process. Before joining Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, Taylor made a name for herself by obtaining incredible results on behalf of victims across a wide range of areas, including sexual assault, many times in difficult cases against considerable adversaries. Her practice is focused on representation of victims sexual abuse across a broad range of areas, including those abused by coaches, teachers, family members, mentors, and religious personnel.
Never one to back down from a confrontation, Taylor obtained a $2,600,000.00 jury verdict for a woman who was severely injured after being involved in a head-on collision, after successfully convincing the jury that the employer was responsible for the acts of its employee under an exception to the “going and coming rule”.
Taylor also demonstrated incredible tenacity and negotiation acumen by obtaining a $1,650,000.00 settlement, on the verge of trial, for a student-athlete who was sexually abused by his Torrance High School wrestling coach. This resolution secured an important benchmark for nearly 30 other sex abuse victims who had lawsuits slated for trial against the same defendants. Taylor represented the high school wrestler, who was molested by his coach—Thomas Snider—despite prior allegations that Snider had sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy on a camping trip. The Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) awarded Ms. Rayfield with the 2018 “Street Fighter of the Year Award” for her achievements in this matter—an award given to attorneys who achieve significant results in a difficult case.
Playing a pivotal role on the trial team, Taylor won a hard-fought verdict against a California ski resort on behalf of a woman paralyzed in a catastrophic ski accident. The jury awarded the plaintiff a gross verdict of $22,000,000.00 against Mountain High Ski Resort. In another heavily contested case, Taylor assisted the trial team in securing a $6,300,000.00 settlement on behalf of a 14-year-old girl who was badly burned by a defective product at a family barbeque. The lawsuit uncovered a widespread danger after reports revealed more than 23 similar burn injuries, across the country, from these unsafe products.
As lead trial counsel, Ms. Rayfield, representing a woman who slipped and fell while walking up the front stairs of her apartment, obtained a jury verdict in a personal injury trial that quadrupled the highest offer made by the defense. At trial, Taylor successfully convinced the jury that the entryway stairs were a dangerous condition due to the tile used and lack of protective measures.
Taylor also helped obtain a $1,400,000.00 jury verdict in a personal injury lawsuit against a San Diego production company for failing to maintain the safety of its studio. The case involved Hollywood actress Tippi Hedren, who suffered significant injuries after she was injured due to a faulty roof.
Tobin Lanzetta
Tobin Lanzetta has devoted his career to fighting for public safety. His $100+ million in case victories have demanded accountability from corporate and governmental wrongdoers. Tobin was named a 2016 California Consumer Attorney of the Year along with his colleagues Bruce Broillet, Scott Carr and Molly McKibben for their Erin Andrews v. Marriott $55 million trial result.
Tobin’s trial areas include catastrophic injury, wrongful death, brain injury, product liability, heavy machinery/trucking, train incidents, and government liability. Recently, a Ventura County Superior Court jury awarded nearly $3.5 million to Tobin’s clients after a catastrophic forklift injury where the defendants took no responsibility.
In one of the defining cases of his career, Tobin played an instrumental role in the high-profile Santa Monica Farmers Market cases. After an elderly man mowed down victims at the weekly farmers’ market, the City of Santa Monica and other defendants paid $21 million to settle the lawsuits. Importantly, these cases led to the installation of protective barriers which ensures that the weekly farmers’ market will be a safer environment for every person who visits.
Tobin is a partner and has been named a “Super Lawyer” 2014-2018. He was also honored as a Super Lawyer “Rising Star” in 2005 and 2007-2013.
Tobin graduated from Santa Clara University, after originally attending Swarthmore College. He received his law degree from the University of San Diego.
Before Tobin attended law school he played baseball for the Montreal Expos and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations.
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Tuesday Mar 09, 2021
Tuesday Mar 09, 2021
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview James "Bo" Bolus, Jr. of Bolus Law (https://www.boluslaw.com/) and personal injury lawyer Nick Mudd of Mudd Legal Group (https://www.muddlegalgroup.com/).
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Episode Details:
Kentucky Trial Court Review's 2020 Plaintiff Trial Lawyer of the Year James "Bo" Bolus, Jr. of Bolus Law and personal injury lawyer Nick Mudd of Mudd Legal Group explain how they successfully represented Carolyn Boerste, a woman who endured a life-altering below-the-knee leg amputation due to complications caused by a sponge left inside her following surgery. In 2011, Carolyn underwent vascular bypass surgery at Louisville's University Medical Center, but the nursing staff's failure to do a sponge count resulted in one 18x18 inch sponge being left inside Carolyn's abdomen. The sponge was not found until five years later, after Carolyn went to Louisville Emergency Medical Associates complaining of gastrointestinal problems. The sponge was removed at the Franciscan Health Care Center -- a lower-income, short-staffed medical center, where Carolyn had to use her heels to move herself around on the hospital bed to prevent bedsores. This movement resulted in infected heel blisters and a partial amputation of Carolyn's left leg in 2017. Trial lawyers Bo Bolus, Jr. and Nick Mudd faced an uphill battle trying this case in Jefferson County, Kentucky -- a county that had not seen a plaintiff medical malpractice verdict in five years -- and in a state that had not held a surgeon responsible in a retained sponge case since 1997. At trial, the defense attempted to blame Carolyn's already declining health and lifestyle choices for her amputation, but Bo and Nick countered with a bank of skilled medical expert witnesses. In December 2019, the jury returned a verdict in Carolyn's favor, awarding her $9,500,000 for medical expenses, pain and suffering as well as $1,000,000 in punitive damages against University Medical Center, which was found 60% liable for Carolyn's injuries.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
James "Bo" Bolus, Jr.
Many consider Nicholas C. Rowley, founder of Attorney s for Justice and Partner at Carpenter, Zuckerman, & Rowley, to be the most accomplished trial lawyer of his generation having won more than $1.5 Billion in verdicts and settlements for injury victims and families across the country.
Winner of the 2018 Attorney of the Year and five time finalist, he is one of the youngest trial lawyers in history to be presented with the award. He has extensive courtroom experience representing victims of serious injuries and medical malpractice, especially those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and chronic pain.
Nick has been recognized by dozens of publications for his record-breaking verdicts and work for injury victims and their families. In 2018, Nick was named to The National Law Journal’s Elite Attorney s for having a top 50 verdict in the nation. He was also named “Los Angeles Top Litigators in 2018” by the Los Angeles Business Journal. In 2015, Nick was listed in TopVerdict.com’s Top 100 Largest US Verdicts in the nation. In 2012, Nick was a finalist for the “Consumer Attorney of the Year” award, given by Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). Nick was recognized by the Los Angeles Daily Journal for winning a “Top Verdict of 2010” for his $31.6 million jury verdict for the victim of a traumatic brain injury. In 2009, the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego awarded Nick its “Outstanding Attorney ” award. In 2013, Nick was honored with the organization’s top award – “Outstanding Attorney of the Year''.
Some of Nick’s other recent successes include a record setting $131,000,375 verdict for the victim of a car accident after the driver was over served at a bar, a record setting $74,525,000 verdict for a victim of medical malpractice, $40,000,000 for two parents whose 33 year old son was negligently killed due to corporate negligence, a $38,600,000 verdict for a young man who fell from a hotel balcony while intoxicated, a $17,000,000 win for a woman who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a fall from a hotel window, $16,500,000 for a young girl who was a birth injury victim, a $13,860,000 win for a mild traumatic brain injury caused by an automobile crash, $10,250,000 for a man who suffered a below knee amputation, $10,000,000 for an Iowa family in a wrongful death lawsuit, and $10,000,000 for a child with a mild traumatic brain injury.
Nick Mudd
Nick Mudd is best known for his record setting hot streak when he won 5 murder trials in 4 months. No lawyer in Kentucky has even come close to touching this streak in the last 20 years. But he didn't stop there. He started expanding his practice to handle personal injury and medical malpractice cases and in December 2019 won a record setting medical malpractice verdict of $10.5 MILLION in damages after a doctor left a surgical sponge in a patient during a routine heart surgery. Now Nick Mudd brings that experience, expertise, and diligence to your case.
Nick Mudd has handled someone of the nation’s most prominent and high-profile cases. His cases have been featured in news media outlets around the world, including ABC World News, U.S. News and World Report, USA Today, and the Washington Times. He has been featured as a guest commentator on numerous criminal, civil, and social issues with several news media outlets. He even made his Hollywood debut on an episode of "Fear Thy Neighbor."
His goal is simple: to be “The Best.” Each time. Every time. For every single client, no matter what issues they are facing. Call him now for help with your case.
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Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
Tuesday Mar 02, 2021
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Nick Rowley and Steve Halteman of Carpenter, Zuckerman, & Rowley, (https://czrlaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Award-winning trial lawyer Nick Rowley -- a U.S. Air Force and Army veteran and one of the youngest trial lawyers to be named Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles' Trial Lawyer of the Year -- explains how he represented grieving mother Carmen Jordan after her 33-year-old son Orlando Jordan was stabbed and killed in a Riverside, California TGI Fridays restaurant by an intoxicated minor and his friend. Steve Halteman, jury consultant and Nick’s co-author of the book, Trial By Human, assisted with the case and joins Steve and Yvonne to discuss this trial. In January 2009, Orlando was enjoying a date with his girlfriend when her son Michael Castillo, 20, and his friend Louis Martinez, 27, arrived at the restaurant. Already intoxicated, Michael and Louis ordered 12 servings of alcohol in the span of 30 minutes without being asked for identification. Michael proceeded to get into a heated argument with Orlando and stabbed him. Orlando later succumbed to his injuries. Despite TGI Fridays restaurant operator Briad Group's attempts to deny any responsibility, the family’s allegations were supported by the head bartender, who testified that Briad Group made a deliberate decision to not card minors in order to increase profits on Fridays and Saturdays. A Riverside County, California jury awarded Orlando's parents $40 million in damages and assigned 55% of the blame to Briad Group. Michael and Louis were both convicted in separate criminal trials and sentenced to serve time in state prison.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Nicholas C. Rowley
Many consider Nicholas C. Rowley, founder of Attorney s for Justice and Partner at Carpenter, Zuckerman, & Rowley, to be the most accomplished trial lawyer of his generation having won more than $1.5 Billion in verdicts and settlements for injury victims and families across the country.
Winner of the 2018 Attorney of the Year and five time finalist, he is one of the youngest trial lawyers in history to be presented with the award. He has extensive courtroom experience representing victims of serious injuries and medical malpractice, especially those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and chronic pain.
Nick has been recognized by dozens of publications for his record-breaking verdicts and work for injury victims and their families. In 2018, Nick was named to The National Law Journal’s Elite Attorney s for having a top 50 verdict in the nation. He was also named “Los Angeles Top Litigators in 2018” by the Los Angeles Business Journal. In 2015, Nick was listed in TopVerdict.com’s Top 100 Largest US Verdicts in the nation. In 2012, Nick was a finalist for the “Consumer Attorney of the Year” award, given by Consumer Attorney s of California (CAOC). Nick was recognized by the Los Angeles Daily Journal for winning a “Top Verdict of 2010” for his $31.6 million jury verdict for the victim of a traumatic brain injury. In 2009, the Consumer Attorney s of San Diego awarded Nick its “Outstanding Attorney ” award. In 2013, Nick was honored with the organization’s top award – “Outstanding Attorney of the Year”.
Some of Nick’s other recent successes include a record setting $131,000,375 verdict for the victim of a car accident after the driver was over served at a bar, a record setting $74,525,000 verdict for a victim of medical malpractice, $40,000,000 for two parents whose 33 year old son was negligently killed due to corporate negligence, a $38,600,000 verdict for a young man who fell from a hotel balcony while intoxicated, a $17,000,000 win for a woman who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury caused by a fall from a hotel window, $16,500,000 for a young girl who was a birth injury victim, a $13,860,000 win for a mild traumatic brain injury caused by an automobile crash, $10,250,000 for a man who suffered a below knee amputation, $10,000,000 for an Iowa family in a wrongful death lawsuit, and $10,000,000 for a child with a mild traumatic brain injury.
Steven Halteman
Steven Halteman lives in Los Angeles with his significant other and her two lovely children. He is also a trial strategist and jury consultant for a number of attorneys including Nick Rowley. In his career, Mr. Halteman has consulted on cases resulting in verdicts of more than $600 million in total. His trial philosophy demands that lawyers relentlessly narrow their case to its heart, eliminating ancillary issues that distract jurors from the truth. Mr. Halteman often analogizes his trial strategy to furniture building, his hobby. The strongest and most elegant chair or table has no unnecessary parts or flourishes. Likewise, he believes that every component of a trial must have an important purpose, or it must be shed. Mr. Halteman credits his unclouded perspective of what jurors and judges really want with having lived overseas for most of his adult life, his travels through over 100 countries, and having himself served as a court commissioner in Maryland. In his spare time, he has completed six marathons, a couple of ultramarathons, and hiked both the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail and 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail. But his greatest accomplishment is having a 15-year-old daughter who still speaks to him with a measure of fondness.
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Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Chrysta Castañeda of The Castañeda Firm (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.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
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.
The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens
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Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jonathan Marko, the Detroit Bar Association's Civil Rights Chair and founder of Marko Law (https://markolaw.com/).
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Episode Details:
Jonathan Marko, the Detroit Bar Association's Civil Rights Chair and founder of Marko Law, shares how he secured justice for Lisa and Cedric Griffey, a husband and wife who suffered racial discrimination in the workplace. A probation officer for the Michigan Department of Corrections who worked in an all-white office, Lisa was called "mammy" and "the black one," and she was the victim of numerous racially derogatory remarks. Lisa's multiple attempts to file discriminatory harassment complaints through the proper channels were sabotaged, and no action was taken. After Lisa filed suit, Cedric's boss received a copy of Lisa's lawsuit and retaliated against Cedric, alleging that the 2017 Corrections Professional Excellence Award winner did not properly administer discipline. Cedric was forced to resign as deputy warden, ending his 29-year career with the Michigan Department of Corrections. In September 2019, a jury returned the largest employment discrimination verdict in Genesee County, Michigan history, awarding the Griffeys over $11.67 million in economic and non-economic damages.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Jonathan Marko
Jonathan Marko knew that he wanted to be a lawyer for as long as he can remember. As a little boy, he was always being told by his teachers and authority figures to use his inside voice because he was too loud; to not argue with opinions that he didn’t agree with; and to always follow the rules, even if they didn’t make any sense. These traits that got Jon in so much trouble when he was younger, are what make him a great attorney today.
Jonathan grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended Aquinas College, a small Catholic liberal arts school for his undergraduate studies, where he obtained a bachelor’s in history. After undergrad, Jon set his sights on Washington, D.C. He attended American University for law school, where he was active in the trial advocacy program and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class. While in Washington, D.C., Jonathan had the honor to clerk for well-respected Maryland Circuit Court Judge Michael Mason, where he cultivated his passion for trial advocacy and honed his trial skills. Jonathan also had the opportunity to work on Capitol Hill. There he lobbied for clients, especially the interests of Michiganders.
After graduating law school, Jonathan was invited to work under the Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Marilyn Kelley. At the Supreme Court, Michigan’s highest appellate court, Jonathan worked exclusively on appeals. Although the cloistered environment of the Michigan Supreme Court did not involve the trial advocacy that Jonathan desired, it was there that he was able to pursue intellectual legal issues and help shape and form the law of the state of Michigan. Jon’s appellate experience gives him a unique background in his practice today.
After working for the Michigan Supreme Court, Jonathan worked under renowned trial attorneys Geoffrey Fieger and Ven Johnson. It was here, that Jon was finally able to practice his life-long dream of being an attorney in the trenches of the courtroom.
Jonathan is the principal attorney at Marko Law, located in Detroit Michigan. The firm has a diverse practice helping clients, including injured persons, businesses, civil rights issues, employment litigation, and injuries caused by defective products, and other litigation related matters. If your case is outside of our practice area, we are able to connect you with an extremely capable attorney specializing in the area that you need.
Jonathan has been recognized by local and national news outlets for his work in the legal field. He has been on the front page of the Detroit News, he has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, and has been in the New York Times several times. He has been awarded the honor of being named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers magazine for the past eight years, and has been named one of the top ten personal injury attorneys in the state of Michigan by the National Academy of Personal Injury Lawyers based out of Washington, D.C.
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Tuesday Feb 09, 2021
Tuesday Feb 09, 2021
This week, 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.
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Guest Bios:
Katrina M. Taraska
Born Staten Island, New York, 1968; Admitted to bar, 1995, Illinois. Education: University of Illinois, Bradley University (B.S., 1991), Widener University School of Law, Wilmington, DE (J.D., 1995).
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, 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, workers 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 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.
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.
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 has continued his practice as a civil trial lawyer with a concentration in 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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Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
Tuesday Feb 02, 2021
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Adam Slater of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman (https://www.mazieslater.com/).
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Episode Details:
New Jersey trial lawyer Adam Slater of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman shares how he successfully represented Mary McGinnis, a 70-year-old woman who underwent numerous surgeries after C.R. Bard's defective transvaginal mesh products eroded within her body, causing chronic inflammation, severe pain, and debilitating physical injuries. In March 2009, Mary's doctor implanted the Avaulta Solo and Align TO mesh products to treat her pelvic prolapse. Due to recurrent mesh erosion, Mary later endured multiple mesh removal surgeries and a complex vaginal wall reconstruction. Today, she still suffers from severe pain and is unable to sit comfortably or be intimate with her husband. Despite the defense's attempts to blame Mary's pain on pre-existing medical issues or her surgeon's techniques, a Bergen County, New Jersey jury found that the Avaulta Solo and Align TO were defective in its design, and that Bard failed to warn of the defects, and awarded $33 million in compensatory damages to Mary and her husband, Thomas. In a separate punitive damages phase, Attorney Adam Slater obtained a punitive damages award of an additional $35 million against Bard..
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Guest Bio:
Adam Slater
Adam Slater is certified as a civil trial attorney by the Supreme Court of New Jersey, and a partner in the law firm of Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, LLC in Roseland, New Jersey. Mr. Slater specializes in the handling of complex civil litigation including product liability, malpractice, catastrophic injury cases, class actions, and mass litigations. He has obtained many jury verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million, with a number in the nine figures. He also has argued appeals in the New Jersey Supreme Court, New Jersey Appellate Division, and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, in his own cases and as Amicus, with numerous published decisions.
Mr. Slater also has been appointed as lead counsel in numerous mass torts and class actions, including for example the coordinated litigation of more than 10,000 pelvic mesh cases against Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon, and C.R. Bard in New Jersey State Court, the In Re Benicar Federal MDL in the District of New Jersey which resulted in a global settlement for $358 million, the In Re Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Federal MDL in the District of New Jersey, the New Jersey State Court consolidation of the Allergan breast implant litigation, and a member of the Executive Committee for the Federal MDL of the Allergan breast implant litigation, Federal class actions against Volkswagen and Audi for breach of warranty (settlement with $84 million value), and a Federal class action against Sanofi-Aventis, on behalf of a class of pharmaceutical sales representatives.
Mr. Slater filed the first pelvic mesh case in the country against Ethicon, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson in early 2008, and he was lead trial counsel for the first trial in the United States against Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson, held in the New Jersey Superior Court. The trial resulted in a verdict for the plaintiffs, with compensatory damages of $3.35 million, and punitive damages of $7.76 million, and the Judgment was affirmed by the New Jersey Appellate Division, with certification denied by the New Jersey Supreme Court. Mr. Slater has been trial counsel in numerous other pelvic mesh cases against Ethicon and Johnson & Johnson around the country, including in Philadelphia in December, 2015 ($12.5 million verdict including punitive damages of $7 million), New Jersey in December, 2017 ($15 million verdict including punitive damages of $10 million) the MDL Court in West Virginia (settled during trial), and Missouri State Court (settled during trial). He also obtained the largest pelvic mesh verdict ever obtained against C.R. Bard, in March 2018, in the amount of $68 million, including punitive damages of $35 million. Of note, Mr. Slater testified in 2015 to the Scottish Parliament, at the invitation of a Parliamentary subcommittee, with regard to the dangers of pelvic mesh, aiding the successful effort to have pelvic mesh banned in Scotland.
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