The Great Trials Podcast

Mikal Watts│United States of America v. Mikal Watts

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Mikal Watts of  Watts Guerra, LLP. ( https://www.wattsguerra.com/ )

 

 

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Case Details:

 

 

Mikal Watts, the founding partner of Watts Guerra LLP in Texas, has always been known as a fierce mass torts litigator with a history of winning cases against big corporations like Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and Ford Motor Company. Then, he was charged with 95 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, identity theft and aggravated identity theft. 

 

Falsely accused of stealing Social Security numbers to file claims on behalf of 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill victims, Watts discovered he was, in fact, the victim of fraud. A Mississippi-based consultant for the mass torts case and a claims manager spent millions of dollars funding their extramarital affair, rather than making sure money went to the victims of the oil spill. 

 

Faced with a possible life sentence and the end of his legal career, Watts shares why he chose to defend himself in court, how he proved his innocence to the jury and how he defines justice now that he has experienced a trial as both a lawyer and the accused.

 

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Guest Bios:

 

In August of 2002, Mr. Watts formed Watts Law Firm, L.L.P. In 2009, Mikal Watts joined forces with Francisco Guerra IV to form Watts Guerra LLP which handles catastrophic personal injury, toxic torts, product liability, automotive defects, refinery negligence, commercial trucking negligence, medical device, pharmaceutical, and commercial litigation.

 

Mr. Watts has been admitted to practice pro hoc vice in New, York, Alabama, Florida, New York, Minnesota, Mississippi, and California. Mr. Watts has defended punitive damages obtained in federal court by oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

 

Mr. Watts’ litigation against Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and Ford Motor Company resulted in resolving the most significant product liability case in the country. The terms of the settlement in the Bailey case were unprecedented in American history for a case of this type; not only monetarily, but by virtue of what the companies agreed to do with respect to the disclosure of information relating to their own investigations into the alleged defects with their products and their corporate safety policies and practices.

 

Watts Guerra LLP is nationally recognized as one of two firms leading in the pursuit of hundreds of claims brought nationwide against Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and Ford Motor Company.

 

Mr. Watts was instrumental in bringing to light Ford’s quiet efforts to recall these defective tires in foreign countries while consumers in the United States continued to be injured or killed riding on the same tires. This litigation and settlement has been chronicled on the ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, Dateline NBC, and CNBC, and in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Associated Press, and all other major news sources in this country and around the world.

 

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Brandon McHugh & Jeananne Ayoub│GibsonBros., Inc., et al. v. Oberlin College, et al. │ $44 million verdict

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Brandon Mchugh of  Tzangas Plakas Mannos Ltd. ( https://www.lawlion.com).

 

 

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Case Details:

 

 

Tzangas Plakas Mannos Ltd. attorneys Brandon McHugh and Jeananne Ayoub explain how their team secured justice for a multi-generational Ohio bakery after it was defamed as a racist business by Oberlin College administrators and students.

 

In November 2016, a Gibson’s Bakery employee confronted three African-American Oberlin College students for attempted shoplifting, which resulted in student protests, flyers encouraging boycotts, and the termination of the college’s business with the bakery. With no evidence of racial discrimination, Oberlin College continued to harm the bakery’s reputation and failed to retract or correct the wrongful statements, leading the jury to conclude that Oberlin College acted with actual malice that warranted punitive damages.

 

Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents

 

 

Guest Bio:

 

Brandon W. McHugh is an associate attorney with our firm.  His practice includes business litigation, legal malpractice litigation, personal injury cases, and general litigation.

 

Mr. McHugh is a native of Summit County, Ohio and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Akron with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.  Mr. McHugh graduated summa cum laude from the University of Akron School of Law where he received CALI Excellence for the Future Awards for obtaining the highest grades in Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Basic and Incorporated Business Associations, Torts, and Contracts I courses.  While at Akron Law, Mr. McHugh refined his oral and written advocacy skills as a member of the Evidence Team for the Akron Law Chapter of the Moot Court Honor Society.  Mr. McHugh also served as an Associate Editor for the Akron Law Review.

 

Mr. McHugh was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 2017, where he scored in the 100th percentile on the Ohio Bar Examination, and is licensed to practice in all courts in the State of Ohio.

 

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Steve Vartazarian & Matt Whibley│Reed v. County of San Bernardino Children and Family Services│ $113.4 million verdict

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Steve Vartazarian & Matt Whibley of The Vartazarian Law Firm (https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-vartazarian-law-firm/).

 

 

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Case Details:

 

 

Four-time Southern California Super Lawyer honoree Steve Vartazarian and Matt Whibley of the Vartazarian Law Firm share their strategy for holding San Bernadino County liable for its failure to follow mandatory regulations in a case of extreme child abuse against 5-year-old Noah Reed. Despite multiple reports to Children and Family Services and a visit to the home, county social workers did not implement a case plan or follow-up on Noah’s welfare. Months later, Noah lay comatose in the hospital. Today, he is confined to a wheelchair with devastating injuries, including permanent brain damage. The jury awarded $13.4 million in economic losses and $100 million in non-economic losses, which is believed to be California’s largest pain and suffering award in a case without punitive damages.

 

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Guest Bios:

 

Steven Vartazarian Biography

Steve graduated cum laude from Oklahoma City University and cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He is a member of the American Board of Trial Attorneys (ABOTA), and he serves on the Board of the Consumer Attorney's Association of Los Angeles (CAALA), the Los Angeles Trial Lawyer’s Charities (LATLC), Brain Society of California, and is a member of the Cowboy Lawyers Association and the Armenian Bar Association.

After starting out as an associate in a Los Angeles based personal injury firm, Steve opened his own firm, the Vartazarian Law Firm, in 2010. The Varazarian Law Firm prides itself on obtaining significant non-economic damages awards on cases where the economic damages are relatively low.

Awards and notes:
- two verdicts in the TopVerdict list of top 100 verdicts of 2018
- two verdicts in the TopVerdict list of top 100 verdicts of 2017
- CVN’s top 10 most impressive verdict of 2017
- winner of the DK Global Golden Advocate award in 2015
- member of the National Association of Distinguished Counsel

 

Matthew Whibley Biography

Matt attended the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, then went on to tour the world with a platinum-selling and Grammy-nominated Canadian punk rock band. He then attended Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, quickly obtaining numerous academic awards and scholarships eventually graduating number 1 in the school. He attended Trial Lawyers College in 2017.

Matt joined the law firm as an associate after graduating from law school in 2014. Matt handles the majority of the pre-trial litigation, depositions, and discovery for Steve’s trials as well as co-counsels the trial and handles the economic-damage witnesses.

 

 

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Betty Nguyen Davis & Bethany Schneider │Laguerre v. Cajun Contractors, Inc.│$5 Million Verdict

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Betty Nguyen Davis (http://www.bettydavislaw.com) & Bethany Schneider (https://schneiderlawpc.com/).

 

 

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Case Details:

 

 

The National Trial Lawyers 40 Under 40 honoree Bethany Schneider of Schneider Law, P.C. and three-time Georgia Super Lawyers honoree Betty Davis of The Davis Injury Firm LLC discuss a recent personal injury case involving a metro Atlanta hotel, a general contractor, a subcontractor, and a Haitian cab driver. Struck by an 8-foot metal pipe falling from the construction site four floors above, cab driver Max Laguerre sustained a traumatic brain injury, due to a lack of safety precautions taken by Cajun Contractors, Inc. In June, a DeKalb County, Georgia jury returned a $5 million verdict, which was added to a $1 million pre-trial settlement with the hotel and over $500,000 in punitive damages.

 

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Guest Bios:

 

 

Betty Nguyen Davis

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Bethany Schneider

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

 

Barry Eichen │Fuccilli v. New Jersey Transit, Central Railroad of New Jersey│$19.2 Million Verdict

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Barry Eichen of Eichen, Crutchlow, Zaslow ( https://www.njadvocates.com ).

 

 

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Case Details:

 

 

 

A member of the prestigious Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Barry Eichen of Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow, LLP shares how he secured justice for New Jersey railroad worker Roger Fuccilli, who died of a lung disease caused by occupational exposure to toxic fumes. After 5 weeks of trial, a New Jersey Superior Court jury returned what is believed to be one of the largest Federal Employers Liability Act verdicts in the country for pulmonary fibrosis. Fuccilli’s widow, Catherine, was awarded $19.2 million, including $4.1 million in pre-death pain and suffering and $15.1 million for his wrongful death.

 

 

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Guest Bio:

 

NJ medical malpractice lawyer, Barry R. Eichen, grew up in the middle-class neighborhood of South Edison.  His father was a manager at an auto parts store and his mother worked part-time while raising five children.  After graduating from Edison High School, Mr. Eichen worked at night while attending college to help pay for his education.  After graduating from law school, Mr. Eichen opened his own law practice in 1987.  Mr. Eichen is one of New Jersey’s most seasoned and well-respected trial lawyers.  In 2012-2013 alone, Mr. Eichen tried eight cases resulting in verdicts totaling more than ten million dollars. Mr. Eichen recently represented the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2010, wherein he obtained a $51 Million verdict against Johnson & Johnson for overcharging Medicaid recipients. This verdict led to a recovery of hundreds of millions of dollars for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 

 

In a recent trial against the City Of Newark, Mr. Eichen was able to obtain a verdict in the amount of three million dollars.  The case involved the failure of the City of Newark to repair a pothole that was approximately three feet wide and four feet long. The jury had determined that this was a dangerous condition that the city knew or should have known existed for approximately one year, although there were complaints that the city had neglected to repair said dangerous conditions for a period of one year. While this matter was reversed due to a procedural technicality, Mr. Eichen looks forward to a retrial.

 

 

In April of 2007, Barry Eichen obtained a verdict against Ford Motor Company for a defective throttle body which resulted in a brachial plexus injury to the right arm of the plaintiff. After a 4 week trial, the jury awarded plaintiff $10,626,479.89. In August of 2005, Mr. Eichen obtained a $19.2 million verdict on behalf of a railroad worker who was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis as a result of various railroads’ failure to provide adequate respiratory protection. This was one of the largest FELA verdicts in the Country for pulmonary fibrosis. New Jersey medical mistakes lawyer, Barry R. Eichen, was part of the team that successfully litigated the class action claim against LYMErix a vaccine developed to prevent Lyme disease.

 

 

Mr. Eichen has also sat as a member of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for Phen-Fen and Rezulin Drug Litigation. Currently, Mr. Eichen is a member of the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee for the Vytorin/Zetia Drug Litigation as well as the Schering-Plough Intron A Drug Litigation. He also recently settled a Consumer Fraud Class Action against an automobile dealership for overcharging customers documentary fees. He has served as a prosecutor for various townships and has tried over 100 complex cases. His areas of practice include products liability, Federal Employee Liability Act cases (FELA), medical malpractice, employment discrimination, consumer fraud class actions, and other litigation matters. Mr. Eichen has also served on the Board of Governors for ATLA-NJ and has taught seminars at the request of ATLA.

 

 

Mr. Eichen was featured in a televised forum “A Jersey Matters Town Hall: The Heroin Crisis,” This one-of-a-kind statewide town hall took place at Monmouth University on March 16th, 2017. WJLP-TV (Me-TV) in association with the Asbury Park Press sponsored the program to discuss the real problem of heroin and opiate addictions and deaths in New Jersey. Click here to watch the program. View segments from the Town Hall forum here.

 

 

Barry R. Eichen is currently representing the firm in numerous class action litigation, including Vytorin/Zetia, Intron/Temodar, Countrywide, Baxter and Wellpoint consumer class action cases, as well as, many of the firm’s complex medical malpractice cases.

 

 

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Bonus Episode: Zoe Littlepage | Visuals at Trial

Zoe Littlepage of Littlepage, Booth, Leckman ( http://www.littlepagebooth.com/ ) joins us to discuss the value of using visuals and demonstratives at trial.

 

 

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Zoe Littlepage | Rowatt, Forrester and Scofield v. Wyeth | $134.1 Million Verdict

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Zoe Littlepage of Littlepage, Booth, Leckman (http://www.littlepagebooth.com/).

 

 

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Case Details:

 

Three Nevada women who developed breast cancer as a result of their use of Wyeth’s hormone replacement drugs, Prempro and Premarin. The jury found that Prempro and Premarin helped cause their cancers and that Wyeth misled the public about the drugs’ health risks. The court ultimately awarded $22.8 million in compensatory damages and $35 million in punitive damages.

 

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Guest Bio:

 

Zoe Littlepage

Zoe Littlepage’s practice focuses on complex cases including mass torts, defective medical product or drug cases as well as human rights issues. She typically spends months each year in trial, all across the country. Ms. Littlepage’s jury awards made the list of the Top 10 Largest Verdicts in the country for 2007, 2009 and 2010.

In 2011, Zoe Littlepage was inducted into The Inner Circle of Advocates. Founded in 1972, The Inner Circle of Advocates is an invitation only group of 100 of the best trial lawyers in America who are selected for their character, experience, and success in the courtroom. The Inner Circle of Advocates was described by The Washington Post as, "A select group of 100 of the nation's most celebrated trial lawyers" and is recognized as one of the most exclusive groups of attorneys in the nation. Inner Circle members often work collectively to share experience, skills, and knowledge in pursuit of justice.

 

American Lawyer magazine as well as Fortune magazine named Ms. Littlepage as one of America’s “Premiere Lawyers.” She has also been nominated as a “Super Lawyer” as well as “Top Lawyer” in the country multiple years running. In 2008, she received the Clarence Darrow award for Best Mass Tort Lawyer. Texas Lawyer praises Ms. Littlepage’s tenacity stating “all bets should be on Littlepage.” Chambers USA, a legal publisher, recognizes Zoe Littlepage as a leading lawyer in nationwide product liability litigation and notes that “Zoe Littlepage of Littlepage Booth does ‘a bang-up job for plaintiffs.’” According to lawyers interviewed by Chambers USA, “[w]hen you see her, you know you have a fight on your hands.”

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Jeff Harris and Rebecca Franklin Harris | Jones v. CSX | $11.2 million verdict

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Jeff Harris of Harris, Lowry, and Manton (www.hlmlawfirm.com) and Rebecca Franklin Harris of Franklin Law (franklinlawllc.com).

 

 

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Case Details:

 

Two-time Georgia Super Lawyers Top 100 honoree Jeff Harris of Harris Lowry Manton LLP and award-winning trial lawyer Rebecca Franklin Harris discuss the landmark wrongful death case that occurred on the set of the Gregg Allman biopic “Midnight Rider.” Unbeknownst to camera assistant Sarah Jones and the rest of the crew, they were filming on active railroad tracks owned by CSX Transportation. Sarah was struck and killed by a train and quickly became the face of Hollywood’s film safety movement. Thanks to a strong case presented by Jeff Harris and Rebecca Franklin Harris, a Chatham County, Georgia jury returned an $11.2 million verdict.

Visit - https://www.safetyforsarah.com/

 

Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents

 

 

Guest Bios:

 

Rebecca Franklin Harris:

As founder of Franklin Law, LLC, Rebecca Franklin Harris works with clients both locally in Savannah and across the country in cases involving consumer rights and product safety. In addition to dangerous consumer products, her practice includes cases arising out of trucking accidents, medical malpractice, aviation disasters and premises liability incidents.

Rebecca has been repeatedly recognized for her legal achievements, being inducted into the “Verdicts Hall of Fame” and named as part of “Georgia’s Top 40 Under 40” by Georgia’s leading legal publication, The Fulton County Daily Report. She was a recipient of the “Courageous Pursuit of Justice Award” given by The Georgia Trial Lawyers Association and has consistently been recognized as part of the “Rising Stars” selection in the annual Georgia Super Lawyers publication. She has also been selected Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association.

 

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Jeff Harris:

 

One of the nation’s top trial attorneys, Jeff Harris is an award-winning litigator who handles high-profile, complex cases across a wide variety of practice areas. He excels at securing justice for clients who have been seriously injured or killed, holding responsible parties accountable for their actions as well as their negligence.

 

Over the course of his career, Jeff has secured hundreds of millions in jury verdicts and settlements for his clients and has helped make a variety of products, vehicles and industries safer for everyone. His cases have been featured in The New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, 20/20, CBS Evening News and many other national media outlets.

 

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Brian Chase | Romine v. Johnson Controls, Inc. | $24.7 million verdict

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Brian Chase of Bisnar Chase, Personal Injury Attorneys ( https://www.bestattorney.com/ )

 

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Case Details:

Former president of the Consumer Attorneys of California Brian Chase of Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys shares how he secured justice for Jaklin Romine after the driver’s seat in her vehicle collapsed during a rear-end collision, rendering her a paraplegic. Chase demonstrated that Jaklin’s seat, designed by Johnson Controls, Inc., was defective in this groundbreaking case, which resulted in a $24.7 million verdict, including past and future economic and non-economic losses.

 

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Guest Bio:

 

Brian Chase is managing partner and senior trial attorney that heads up the litigation department of the firm. Brian was named 2019 Lawyer of the Year, 2019 Million Dollar Advocate, 2018 Best Law Firm, 2017 High Stakes Litigator, Top Lawyer of Distinction in 2016 as well as a 2016 SuperLawyer recipient and one of America's Best Lawyers 2016. He was the 2015 President of the Consumer Attorneys of California and is a Past President of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. He is a member of ABOTA. In 2014 he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year in products liability by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.

In 2012, Chase was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys of California and a Trial Lawyer of the Year Nominee by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. In 2004 he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year for products liability by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.

He is listed as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association since 2007. He's also been listed as the Nation's Top One Percent by the National Association of distinguished Counsel. He's earned the title of Southern California SuperLawyer since 2007 and a Top 50 Orange County SuperLawyer for the past four years.

 

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Bonus Episode: Mike Haggard | National Crime Victim Bar Association

The National Crime Victim Bar Association is an affiliate and program of the National Center for Victims of Crime. It was founded in April 1999, creating the nation's first professional association of attorneys and expert witnesses dedicated to helping victims seek justice through the civil system.  The National Crime Victim Bar Association continues the pioneering work of Frank Carrington and is a testament to the National Center for Victims of Crime's long-standing commitment to civil justice for victims. Crime victims deserve compensation for the harms they have suffered, and third parties are increasingly held accountable through the civil justice system.

 

National Crime Victim Bar Association Website: https://victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/national-crime-victim-bar-association

 

Learn more about Mike Haggard and the Haggard Law Firm: http://www.haggardlawfirm.com/

 

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