When Deena Buchanan walked down the hallway at the New Mexico State Court after representing the defense, grieving families from the other side would glare daggers at her. “It made me wish that I could be on the plaintiff's side.”

Today, she is. She made the switch six years ago after 20 years of defending corporations. In sharing her journey with host Dan Ambrose, Deena discusses how far she’s come, highlighted by two recent wrongful death cases where she secured a total settlement of “multiple eight figures.” At TLU Beach (June 4-7), Deena will teach a workshop on "How to Prep for Your First Voir Dire," sharing insight about the skill that transformed her practice. 

Train and Connect with the Titans

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Episode Snapshot

• Deena's journey began with a prestigious civil defense career before transitioning to in-house counsel at Toll Brothers.
• After 20 years of defense work, Deena grew frustrated with representing companies rather than helping injured victims, leading her to switch to plaintiffs’ work six years ago.
• In a recent wrongful death case, after New Mexico's Department of Transportation refused to make settlement offers through multiple mediations, they finally settled between voir dire and opening statements.
• Deena credits TLU training with giving her the skills to conduct effective voir dire, focusing on connecting with jurors rather than just asking questions.
• To overcome the fear of starting her own firm, Deena spent three months skiing over challenging terrain, using that experience to build confidence for her legal career leap.
• Her proudest professional achievement came in December. She resolved two difficult cases with multiple eight-figure settlements, confirming she had made the right career change.
• Deena actively networks in the plaintiff attorney community through Trial Lawyers University and the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, including the women's "Mother Truckers" group.

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