Civil Action with Brian & Shant

Join Anastasia Mazzella and Shant Karnikian as they discuss how attorneys can best utilize expert witnesses in their cases. They are joined by a highly respected expert witness in the field of neuropsychology, Dr. Dominique Kinney.

In this episode, Dr. Kinney gives attorneys 6 tips on how to make the attorney-expert relationship more productive, including the importance of choosing the right expert early in the litigation and providing them with ample time to review records, why attorneys need to listen more and talk less when they meet with experts, the best way to prepare experts for depositions, and more. She also discusses why an expert witness is not meant to be a “team player” but rather an impartial authority who can be trusted to tell the truth.

If you want a copy of Dr. Kinney’s Tips for Maximizing the Attorney-Expert Relationship, please reach out to Anastasia at [email protected].

To contact Dr. Kinney about her services:

888-888-5902

Email: [email protected]

Website: California Independent Medical Evaluation Services | AES (arrowheadeval.com)

For other questions reach out to: 

Brian Kabateck: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

For more information about Kabateck LLP, visit www.kbklawyers.com 

Brian and Shant discuss three hot topics in the law starting with the concern that the ability to appear in court virtually in many circumstances could be on the chopping block. COVID made remote appearances a normal occurrence and have made work done by lawyers and the courts much more efficient. But the statute that allows for remote appearances was set to end July 1 and that would be disastrous for an already strained court system. 

Can Chat GPT write briefs for you? Technically yes, Chat GPT will write anything you ask it to, but there's more to be aware of. 

Lastly the conversation shifts to a bill signed by Gov. DeSantis that caused sweeping tort reform in the state of Florida and the implications that bill could have on a national stage if DeSantis wins the Republican nomination. Tort reform has long been a target of Republicans and DeSantis showed that he is willing to dismantle many laws that protect people's rights to recoup damages when they are hurt or wronged.

Brian Kabatek: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

In this episode Shant and Marina Pacheco connect with Alexandra Steele Cooper about what it’s like to go out on your own and start a new firm. Alexandra spent several years at a large firm as a trial lawyer before starting her own firm, Steele Cooper Law where she focuses on personal injury and employment law. She has recovered tens of millions of dollars for her clients. 

Hear how she prepared to open her own firm, the upsides of being your own boss, as well as, the drawbacks and how she uses a network of talented lawyers and support (including her husband) to help her when she has questions about her cases. She explains how she re-imagined herself with her own firm and what the process was like.  

Visit Steele Cooper law

Check out the helpful site Alexandra mentioned Lawyerist

Marina Pacheco: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

For more information about the firm, Kabateck LLP, visit www.kbklawyers.com 

This episode, Anastasia Mazzella, partner at Kabateck LLP, sits down with Leadership Coach (and friend) Dr. Sohee Jun to talk about imposter syndrome. Imposter Syndrome is a pervasive feeling in many professions but is noticeably acute in the law and particularly affects women and people of color. 

Women make up a small percentage of leadership roles in law firms and are paid less than men and against this backdrop Sohee and Anastasia talk about what Imposter Syndrome is and how to combat it as you progress in your career. Sohee breaks down some key ways to identify the feeling and how to overcome it. 

Visite Dr. Sohee Jun’s website

Anastasia Mazzella: [email protected]

For more information about the firm, Kabateck LLP, visit www.kbklawyers.com

Brian and Shant discuss the crisis created by the lack certified court reporters in California. The shortage means that many cases don’t get a court reporter or that lawyers and clients are spending thousands of dollars to hire a private court reporter. 

Why has this happened? Two reasons: First, the passage rate for the court reporter certification exam is painfully low, around 20%. Second, the union which represents the court reporters continues to block any effort to use electronic recording or transcriptions as an alternative. They claim the technology isn’t good enough, which is false. The result is impending crisis where many people don't have access to justice.

Next Brian and Shant talk about Disney’s lawsuit against Ron DeSantis. DeSantis recently revoked Disney’s rights of governance over their property area called Reedy Creek. Some people say it's a trumped up lawsuit that won’t go anywhere, but Brian and Shant say that the “takings clause” in the 5th Amendment is very strong and that DeSantis’s blatant public comments about retaliating against Disney for disagreeing on his stance on LGBTQ+ rights makes the lawsuit meritorious and could spell trouble for DeSantis.   

Brian Kabatek: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

For more information about the firm, Kabateck LLP, visit www.kbklawyers.com 

Brian and Shant speak with attorney Gary Partamian, who focuses on cases of childhood sex abuse. They discuss the changes to CCP 340.1 and how to possibly file a case on behalf of a client who is over 40 years old and suffered sexual abuse as a child. Learn about the importance of working with prospective clients in these cases to confirm that they qualify under the strict requirements of CCP 340.1 to bring a case despite their age--including issues that could be fatal to their potential case.  

You'll also hear, more generally, how to work with a client in cases of abuse and trauma and how important empathy, patience, and understanding is when helping clients through these types of cases. 

Brian Kabatek: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

For more information about the firm, Kabateck LLP, visit www.kbklawyers.com

Today our intake attorney Annie Martin-McDonough brought a fascinating topic to our attention with the “tort of seduction.” In the 1700’s this was a tort that allowed for the father of a daughter to sue a man, who had seduced and impregnated the woman, for loss of services.  

Later in the Victorian era the tort evolved to allow a woman to sue for emotional damages due to a loss of virtue if a man tricked her into a sexual relationship. 

Annie, Shant and Brian discuss how the tort differed from sexual assault and the history of the tort being abolished in many states starting in 1935 due to some reasons that were pro-women’s rights and other reasons that could be seen as sexist towards women. 

The tort still exists in many states today, though it is very rarely brought to court. Annie gives her argument and examples for the positive uses the tort could have today. 

Brian Kabatek: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

Join the conversation this episode with Anastasia Mazzella and Marina Pacheco, partners at Kabateck LLP, about their experiences and thoughts on gender bias in the legal field. They'll identify specific situations they've encountered and share observations on how improvements can be made to minimize the issues going forward.

While 47% of lawyers at the associate level were women, that number drops to 22% at the partner level. Anastasia and Marina discuss with Shant Karnikian, opportunities to keep more women practicing law including more equitable pay, more supportive environments that focus on a better work-life balance, and addressing biases people may not even be aware they have. 

This is a must share episode that goes beyond the topics traditionally discussed on the show.   

Anastasia Mazzella: [email protected]

Marina Pacheco: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

Brian and Shant speak with partner Stephanie Charlin on figuring out the policy limits of a party responsible for an injury. 

Currently, the law dictates that insurance companies are not required to release policy information until a case is filed and the information is requested during discovery. This is often a waste of time for plaintiff lawyers, the courts, and the victims, particularly if the policy has minimal coverage. 

They also discuss how to make sure you check to see if a defendant has additional policy coverage, aside from their primary insurance. 

If you have any questions about insurance or how it may impact your catastrophic injury cases, please reach out to us: 

Brian Kabatek: [email protected]

Shant Karnikian: [email protected]

For more information about Kabateck LLP, visit www.kbklawyers.com

Can you pop the lid on a UM/UIM policy? Join hosts Brian Kabateck and Shant Karnikian as they invite attorney Barrett Alexander of Kabateck LLP to talk about the difference between a third-party bad faith claim and a UM/UIM bad faith claim.  What legal remedy and rights does the injured party have in each context?  Hear specific case examples about how this is done and what the future may hold when it comes to bad faith negotiations with the insuring entities.