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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 Feb 25, 2020
Tuesday Feb 25, 2020
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Larry Greenberg of Greenberg Lawyers (https://greenberglawyers.com/) & Cary Hansel of Hansel Law, P.C. (http://www.hansellaw.com/)
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Case Details:
Greenberg Lawyers’ Larry Greenberg and Hansel Law, PC founder Cary Hansel explain how they secured justice for Nicole Wallace’s son, Daquan, who was severely beaten while in police custody. Arrested as a healthy 20-year-old man by Baltimore City police, Daquan was taken into pre-trial detention and beaten regularly by other detainees. Daquan’s mother, Nicole, spoke with officers in hopes they would address the situation and protect her son, who was in jail because she could not afford bail. Despite Nicole’s regular calls, officers violating detention center security and transfer policies, moving Daquan and leaving him alone in a cell, where he was beaten into a coma by other detainees. He now suffers from a traumatic brain injury and cannot walk or stand. A Baltimore City jury returned a verdict of $25 million in damages.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
Larry Greenberg
Lawrence “Larry” S. Greenberg earned his undergraduate degree from Boston University and his law degree from the University of Baltimore. After graduating from law school, Larry joined the Greenberg Law Offices, where his practice focuses on representing individuals who were injured from the negligence of others. Larry practices in Maryland state and federal courts, in the areas of general litigation; serious injury claims; medical, legal and other professional malpractice; slip and fall; defective products litigation; victims of truck, tractor-trailer, motorcycle and automobile negligence; and those victims injured by the police or other state agency employees. Larry also represents individuals accused of serious crimes and traffic offenses.
When not in court, Larry is an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, where he teaches Trial Advocacy. Larry was a Captain and Legal Officer JAG of the Maryland Defense Force, where he provided legal support for the Maryland Army National Guard and the Maryland Air National Guard.
He is past president of the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ). He has served on multiple committees and sections in MAJ, including legislative, auto-negligence, membership, marketing, awards, nominating, mentoring, new lawyers, trial reporter, scholarship, technology, sponsorship committee, and the Criminal Law Section. He was active in the MAJ Foundation. Larry worked tirelessly with the MAJ Public Outreach Committee, where he assisted in planning charity events in conjunction with Safe Kids of Maryland. Together, they donated bike helmets and smoke detectors to underprivileged children and families throughout the state. Larry also worked with MAJ to create the first Social Work Program between the University of Maryland Medical System and MAJ, which donated money to underprivileged families to assist them during times of need when their loved ones were in the hospital.
Larry received training and the certification from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) for DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing. This is the same training that all Police Officers in Maryland take before they can properly investigate if a driver in Maryland is drinking and driving.
Larry is also a member of the Baltimore City and Baltimore County Bar Associations, Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys Association, and the American Association for Justice. He has lectured on many topics in Maryland on civil and criminal law issues. Larry has also testified in Annapolis on multiple occasions before the House and the Senate for issues concerning the rights and safety of Maryland residents.
Larry has received multiple awards in the legal community, including the Leadership In Law and Influential Marylander. He is honored to be included in the SuperLawyers, National Trial Lawyers, Americas’s Top 100 LLC and AVVO awards every year.
Cary J. Hansel
Firm founder, Cary Hansel, has been voted Trial Lawyer of the Year twice by the Maryland Association for Justice. Cary has extensive trial and appellate experience representing clients in civil rights, constitutional law and government liability cases. His broad practice also encompasses medical malpractice, business and contract disputes, employment law, public regulation, insurance litigation, products liability, and administrative law.
Cary obtained, and successfully defended on appeal, a verdict the Washington Post called “the largest made by a jury in a civil case involving abuse by Prince George's County police.” The groundbreaking case established that citizens can hold municipalities liable for engaging in a “pattern and practice” of violating constitutional rights under the Maryland constitution. This sea change in the law allows victims of government misconduct to introduce evidence of past wrongdoing in each new case, thus sharply raising the penalty for civil rights violators in Maryland.
After representing over 100 vulnerable female residents of Baltimore Public Housing who were forced to trade sex for necessities like heat and electricity for themselves and their children, Cary obtained a multi-million dollar settlement the Baltimore Sun reported was “the largest in a sexual harassment case under the Fair Housing Act” in the United States. Yvonne Wenger, Tenants to Share up to $8 Million in Settlement of Sex-for-Repairs Lawsuit, Baltimore Sun, Jan. 8, 2016. Cary’s work also led to the terminations of the perpetrators and the head of the Housing Authority, the hiring of 50 new maintenance employees, the clearing of the repair backlog, better housing and improved policies to protect residents in the future.
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Tuesday Feb 18, 2020
Tuesday Feb 18, 2020
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Brian Snyder and David Wenner of Snyder and Wenner, P.C. ( https://snyderwenner.com/ )
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Case Details:
Snyder & Wenner, P.C. partners Brian Snyder and David Wenner, experts in understanding jury bias, share how they secured Arizona’s highest medical malpractice verdict in decades on behalf of Esmeralda Tripp. A disabled woman with atrial fibrillation, Esmeralda entered the state university’s teaching hospital with abnormal bloodwork. She was treated by a recent medical school graduate, who ordered an off-label use of the high-risk blood clotting drug Profilnine. As a result of the drug, Esmeralda suffered a heart attack and sustained permanent brain damage from a lack of oxygen to the brain, requiring round-the-clock care. A Tucson, Arizona jury returned a verdict of $15 million in damages.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
Bryan Snyder
Named one of the Rising Stars in the plaintiff medical malpractice and personal injury arena, Brian has been featured in interviews on ABC15, CBS Local, KTAR, and AZTV, and has had an op-ed on medical malpractice and tort reform published in the Arizona Republic.
Brian was born and raised in Arizona, and joined Snyder & Wenner in 2008, after compiling a distinguished record of achievement at Brandeis University and at Chapman University School of Law. While at Chapman University, Brian received numerous awards, including two CALI Awards for Excellence and first place in the National Arbitration Competition. He was also the President of the legal fraternity Phi Delta Phi, which focused on community outreach programs and was an editor on the Nexus Law Journal. In college, Brian was also president of the Brandeis University chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu for two years.
Since joining Snyder & Wenner, Brian has continued to receive accolades. In 2013, he was named a “Top 40 Under 40” attorney by the National Trial Lawyers Association, while in 2014 and 2015 he was named a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine and a “Top Attorney in Arizona” by Phoenix Magazine. Brian has also spoken at and moderated several Continued Legal Education (CLE) seminars for attorneys throughout the state regarding jury selection. In 2015, Brian accepted a position on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Association for Justice, and one year later was awarded the prestigious position as the Arizona delegate to the national organization, American Association For Justice.
Brian is a Partner with Snyder & Wenner and focuses his practice on medical malpractice cases (including birth injuries, surgical errors, radiology errors, and misdiagnoses) and inadequate/negligent security cases that result in death or catastrophic injury. His work in these areas has led to the largest verdict ever in Arizona against the VA, and the largest verdict of any kind in Arizona in 2017, against Banner Health. Brian has also received significant awards in trucking accident cases.
When he is not diligently working to represent the rights of his clients, Brian volunteers his time to be the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is involved with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.A.D.). He enjoys spending quality time with his wife and daughter. Brian is also an avid golfer and basketball player and tries to stay active as much as possible.
David Wenner
David Wenner, M.S.W., J.D. is nationally recognized as an authority on juror bias and decision-making. As a partner in the Phoenix law firm of Snyder & Wenner, P.C., Mr. Wenner has spent the last two decades prosecuting wrongful death and catastrophic injury accident cases, speaking to lawyers across the country on juror bias and decision-making, and creating a successful juror bias model.
Show Sponsors:
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Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
Tuesday Feb 11, 2020
Tuesday Feb 04, 2020
Tuesday Feb 04, 2020
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Erin Hargis and Ted Rosenberg of Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP (https://www.lilawyer.com/)
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Case Details:
Rosenberg & Gluck, LLP trial lawyers Erin Hargis and Ted Rosenberg explain how they held New York’s Nassau County responsible for not addressing the limited sight distance of a dangerous curved road that resulted in a life-altering crash. At the intersection of Erwin Place and Oceanside Road, 17-year-old driver Nicollette Iacone pulled to a stop and crept forward to peer beyond obstructing hedges on the Grassi, Kotter and Piccoli property line and an inoperable control cabinet before making a left turn. Sal Passanisi, Jr., who was speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol, collided with Nicollette, resulting in life-altering traumatic brain injuries. The jury returned a verdict assigning 14% negligence to Sal and 86% negligence to Nassau County. Ultimately, all parties settled for a total of $25,425,000.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
Erin Hargis
Erin M. Hargis received her Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College. Thereafter, she received her law degree from Brooklyn Law School. During Law School, Ms. Hargis was a member of the school’s Moot Court Honor Society, Trial Advocacy Division, and Vice President of the school’s chapter of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
After completing school, Ms. Hargis joined the Kings County District Attorney’s office as an Assistant District Attorney where she prosecuted both felony and misdemeanor cases and successfully tried numerous cases on behalf of the residents of Brooklyn. In 2008, Ms. Hargis joined a prominent Manhattan firm where she handled numerous complex medical malpractice cases.
Ms. Hargis joined Rosenberg & Gluck in 2011 as an associate, rising to partner in 2015. She uses her experience to effectively represent victims of negligence and malpractice. Ms. Hargis handles all aspects of personal injury cases from inception through trial.
Ms. Hargis was admitted to practice law in the state of New Jersey in 2004, the State of New York in 2005, and the District of Columbia in 2016. She is also admitted to practice in Federal Court in both the Eastern and Southern Districts.
Ted Rosenberg
Ted M. Rosenberg is a Suffolk County native. He graduated from Boston University with honors, and then received his Juris Doctor from St.John’s University School of Law in 1982. Mr. Rosenberg worked as an associate at a law firm until he formed his own firm in 1984. In 1996, he joined forces with Michael Gluck to establish the firm of Rosenberg & Gluck, L.L.P. Ted is a member of the American Association for Justice, New York State Trial Lawyers Association, a past Director of the Suffolk County Bar Association, an officer of the Suffolk Academy of Law, as well as a graduate of the Advanced Trial Program of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy.
Ted is also a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an honor available only to attorneys who have recovered multi-million dollar awards for their clients. He is a regular lecturer to groups such as the Suffolk County Bar and Judiciary, and the New York State Trial Lawyer’s Assn. Ted is the past Chair of the Suffolk County Bar’s “Plaintiff’s Insurance Negligence and Compensation Committee” and the recipient of the New York State Bar Association’s Certificate of Honor.
Show Sponsors:
Legal Technology Services - LTSatlanta.com
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Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
Tuesday Jan 28, 2020
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview William Applegate and Liam Duffy of Yarborough Applegate (https://www.yarboroughapplegate.com/ ).
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Case Details:
Yarborough Applegate attorneys William Applegate and Liam Duffy share how they secured the largest jury verdict in Colleton County, South Carolina history for the wrongful death of landscaper Jose Larios. While trimming palm trees on Edisto Island, South Carolina, Jose screamed in pain and fell from a 25-foot ladder. Further investigation revealed hidden power lines that shocked Jose, causing him to fall and suffer fatal injuries. In this wrongful death case where the defense disputed the cause of Jose’s injuries, the jury returned a verdict of $21 million in damages and assigned 90 percent of the responsibility to Dominion Energy South Carolina and 10 percent to Jose.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bios:
William Applegate
William is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law. As a law student, he received the Public Interest Law Society Grant to work in Washington, D.C., served as vice-president of the Pro Bono Board, and was a student member of the John Belton O'Neal Inn of Court. Following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable James R. Barber, III, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of South Carolina, before starting a private practice with Motley Rice, one of the largest plaintiff's firms in the country.
William has represented individuals and companies as plaintiffs throughout South Carolina and the U.S. and has achieved significant recoveries on their behalf. He has experience in a variety of different legal areas and has litigated cases covering a broad spectrum, ranging from Federal Employer's Liability Act relating to occupational disease and catastrophic injuries; Jones Act personal injury; Oil Pollution Act cases relating to oil spills from container ships and oil refineries; products liability relating to unsafe products and unsafe drugs; toxic spills from railroad companies; consumer fraud class actions; commercial litigation, as well as securities fraud, derivative, deal, and misrepresentation cases under the Securities and Exchange Act.
Liam Duffy
Liam is a Washington, D.C. native who has called Charleston home for more than a decade. He is a proud product of the College of Charleston and is a summa cum laude graduate of the Charleston School of Law.
While in law school, Liam earned several CALI awards (highest grade) and finished in the top five of his graduating class. He was champion of the school’s moot court competition and Symposium Editor of the Charleston Law Review, where he brought together the nation’s top legal and medical minds for a CLE program titled “Under Further Review: A Legal Look at the World of Sports.” He also served as an extern for The Honorable C. Weston Houck, U.S. District Judge for the District of South Carolina and was selected as a student member of the James L. Petigru Inn of Court.
Prior to joining Yarborough Applegate, Liam practiced with one of Charleston’s premier litigation firms, where he represented both plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving unfair trade practices, partnership, and LLC disputes, construction litigation, truck tire failure, products liability, e-Discovery, will contests, breach of contract, catastrophic personal injury, copyright infringement, and a litany of other high-stakes litigation. He has substantial first and second-chair trial experience in multi-million dollar cases and has handled all facets of complex litigation in state and federal courts.
At Yarborough Applegate, Liam draws on his varied experience to advocate for the victims (and families of victims) of catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, and other serious personal or business losses.
Liam is active in the South Carolina Bar Young Lawyers Division, where he has been recognized for his leadership as Representative for the 9th Judicial Circuit. He was also previously appointed to serve as Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Law Practice Management Committee. Liam is a member of the South Carolina Bar House of Delegates and Vice President of the Charleston Lawyers Club. Through these activities, he is actively involved with Special Olympics South Carolina, Make-A-Wish® South Carolina, and other community organizations.
Show Sponsors:
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Tuesday Jan 21, 2020
Tuesday Jan 21, 2020
Tuesday Jan 14, 2020
Tuesday Jan 14, 2020
Episode 048: Michelle Shughart│State of Texas v. Christopher Duntsch│Convicted - Life Imprisonment - Part 2
This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Michelle Shughart, Dallas District Attorney.
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Case Details:
In the riveting conclusion of a two-part series, Dallas District Attorney Michelle Shughart explains how she criminally prosecuted Dr. Christopher Duntsch, also known as “Dr. Death,” and secured the nation’s first life imprisonment of a physician for actions towards a patient. Dr. Duntsch was convicted of knowingly maiming an elderly woman by surgically implanting spinal fusion hardware into muscle, not bone. Jurors heard how Dr. Duntsch resigned from his practicing hospital and was able to continue treating patients, despite causing life-altering injuries to dozens of patients. This landmark case and Dr. Duntsch’s disturbing actions were the focus of the popular Dr. Death Podcast, hosted by top medical journalist Laura Beil.
Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents
Guest Bio:
Michelle Shughart
Michelle Shughart has been an Assistant District Attorney for Dallas County for over 14 years. She is currently chief of a felony court and has previously been assigned to the Child Abuse, Specialized Crime, Arson, Mental Health, and State Jail divisions. She completed her Juris Doctorate from S.M.U. in May 2005, having passed the BAR examination prior to graduation. While working fulltime at the District Attorney’s Office, Michelle completed her Masters of Arts in Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management from the S.M.U. Simmons School of Education and Human Development.
Outside her work at the D.A.’s Office, Michelle teaches at Southern Methodist University in the Master of Liberal Arts program. Her classes include Negotiation, Psychology of Conflict, Multicultural Communication, and the Human Experience. She also teaches for the Dallas County Community College District, on the topics of Texas Family Code and Divorce Mediation.
Show Sponsors:
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Tuesday Jan 07, 2020
Tuesday Jan 07, 2020
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Tuesday Dec 31, 2019
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Brooklyn Gang Unit prosecutor turned personal injury attorney Scott Occhiogrosso of Block O’Toole & Murphy discusses how he secured the largest non-medical malpractice jury verdict in New York history. In April 2016, 23-year-old bicyclist Robert Liciaga was struck by a falling railroad tie after New York City Transit Authority workers failed to follow procedure and practice safety measures while executing an elevated track replacement above Broadway. Liciaga is now paralyzed from the waist down.
After graduating from law school, Mr. Occhiogrosso - - like several of his colleagues at the firm - - began his training as a trial lawyer in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. He handled thousands of serious cases and spent his days navigating the gritty, cavernous courtrooms in downtown Brooklyn. He had occasion to work side-by-side with now firm partners Stephen J. Murphy and S. Joseph Donahue and made a distinct impression on them while he honed his skills as a prosecutor. Mr. Occhiogrosso was recognized for his tenacity and skills, resulting in a promotion to the prestigious Brooklyn Gang Unit. While with the Gang Unit, Mr. Occhiogrosso focused on prosecuting criminals that were involved in violent crimes and gang-related activities. He handled cases involving drug, robbery, burglary, assault, attempted murder and murder charges and did so with tremendous success. It was at the District Attorney's Office where Mr. Occhiogrosso developed a reputation for being an ethical but formidable adversary. Most importantly, his experiences solidified his desire as a lawyer to impact people in a positive way. He left the District Attorney's Office in 2005 determined to advance his skills and experience as a trial attorney, beginning as a defense attorney in the civil arena for the Port Authority. Mr. Occhiogrosso fought on behalf of police officers and other Port Authority employees, successfully defending hundreds of multi-million dollar cases through trial and settlement. He continued to gain valuable courtroom experience while learning the nuances of civil practice. In 2010, he left the Port Authority and joined a well respected, boutique plaintiff personal injury practice, continuing his career as a New York City trial attorney. In his brief but invaluable tenure with that firm, among other successes, he obtained a jury verdict of $5.5 Million in a fiercely contested medical malpractice case against a seasoned adversary in Manhattan.
In 2013, Scott joined Jeffrey A. Block, Daniel P. O'Toole, Stephen J. Murphy, and S. Joseph Donohue in being selected by his peers as a New York Super Lawyer, signifying that he is among the top 5% of attorneys in the field of plaintiff's personal injury law.
Mr. Occhiogrosso is fluent in both Spanish and English. He lectures about worker safety and legal rights to Spanish-speaking laborers in New York.