In this episode... 

Our guest today on Engaging Experts is Teena Sankoorikal, whose work in technology related litigation has kept her consistently fascinated and inspired throughout her career.  

Whether it be her early work on copyright related MP3 music software cases, or newsworthy trade secret and anti-trust cases, our conversation with Teena explores some of the cases that propelled Teena into a successful career in law. 

On this episode, David Seeley interviews Teena, who is a Partner at Covington & Burlington. David and Teena explore early career opportunities, technology litigation, the perfect expert witnesses, and empowering Asian American leaders through the Don H. Liu Scholars Program.  

Teena Sankoorikal Bio... 

Teena Sankoorikal is a commercial litigator who has handled numerous high-profile, complex civil litigation, and intellectual property disputes. Teena is a member of Covington & Burlington’s Evaluation Committee, and she serves as the Ombudsman for the New York Office. Teena has advised multinational companies on a variety of matters relating to trade secrets, business torts, breach of contract, trademark infringement, and more.  

In this episode... 

Our guest Steve Chappelear was inspired by literature to start a career in law at a young age. From King Arthur and His Knights of The Round Table to To Kill a Mockingbird, Steve found a unique correlation between what excited him in these books and what excited him about the potential of working in law. 

During this episode, Steve details how his love of reading naturally evolved into a love for writing, which has become a defining attribute of his nearly forty-four year career. He also explores the importance of public interest work and how providing legal services to the indigent can be elevated through Bar Foundations and grant programs. Finally, Steve discusses how the process of finding the right expert has changed throughout his career. 

Steve Chappelear, Of Counsel at Eastman & Smith LTD., is interviewed by Dan Rubin on this episode of Engaging Experts.

Steve Chappelear Bio... 

With more than 40 years of experience handling complex litigation, Stephen E. Chappelear, of counsel, knows the value of presenting evidence and arguments in a manner that is understandable and compelling, whether that is to a jury, judge or arbitrator.  He has represented clients in many industries, such as financial, real estate, energy, manufacturing, education and government, on a range of legal issues.

In this episode... 

Matt Morr and Mudaser “Mo” Khan, commercial litigators at Ballard Spahr, reflect on expert persuasiveness (both reports and on the stand) and credibility (from body language to ensuring story consistency). They note that their favorite experts shine in two areas: first, they continually work on their writing and speaking skills, keeping at the forefront in the art of persuasion; and secondly, they work closely with the attorney team to ensure consistent themes in the stories they are telling at trial.

Mo and Matt also discuss Ballard Spahr’s commitment to pro bono work and their own interest in prisoners’ rights. This intensity has been transformative for clients like Robert Francis, whose life sentence was overturned thanks to the firm’s dedication to his case. They discuss whether trial penalty is common, and what is at the root of this controversial concept. They also go into detail on the power of organizations like the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and Ballard Spahr’s commitment to this organization, sharing advice for those moved by the work being done in this area and who want to get involved with commutation or prisoner’s rights work.

Matthew Morr

Matt Morr is a trial attorney at Ballard Spahr, representing a wide range of companies in their most important litigation matters, from prominent public organizations to start-ups in emerging industries. Matt has litigated and tried cases in front of judges and juries in federal and state court, and before arbitration panels.

Mudaser Kahn

Mudasar "Mo" Khan is a member of Ballard Spahr's Litigation Department. His practice focuses on complex corporate and commercial litigation in both state and federal courts. Mo's experience includes managing electronic discovery, drafting discovery requests and responses, arguing at hearings to resolve discovery disputes, taking depositions, preparing fact and expert witnesses to give testimony, negotiating settlements, and briefing dispositive motions.

In this episode... 

With over 35 years of experience as a litigator, Kirk Watkins has positioned himself as a nationally recognized lawyer. His experience in the industry has provided countless career lessons, and on this episode of Engaging Experts, he was generous enough to share some of his valuable insight.  

Kirk discusses the launch of his career at Troutman Sanders and how he evolved over the years. Throughout this time, Kirk has worked a number of notable cases and collaborated with a range of expert witnesses. The lessons that Kirk has picked up range from the importance of confidence, the attributes of a great expert witness, and the power of persuasive writing.  

On this episode, Dan Rubin interviews Kirk, who is Of Counsel at Davis, Zipperman, Kirschenbaum and Lotito, a certified mediator, and a board member of the Atlanta International Arbitration Society.  

Kirk Watkins

As an experienced trial lawyer in intellectual property, complex business disputes, and arbitration, Kirk’s strategic approach stresses careful planning and flexibility to achieve the client’s objective without waste. Over his 35 years as a litigator, Kirk has regularly been listed as a best lawyer and super lawyer, both in Georgia and nationally. Kirk is also a certified mediator, having served as past president of the Atlanta International Arbitration Society, where he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.  

Jonathan Schwartz is a partner at Goldberg Segalla and chair of the firm’s Cyber Risk Coverage Practice. Jonathan was the former chair of the 2019 Insurance Roundtable and currently serves as the vice-chair of the Insurance Law Committee at the Defense Research Institute. In addition, He is a top-rated lawyer by Super Lawyers, he has the highest peer rating standard by Martindale Hubbell, AV preeminent, and he has been recognized as a best lawyer in America consecutively from 2018 to 2021.

In this episode...

The path to a career in law is a challenging yet rewarding one. Our guest on this episode of Engaging Experts is Jonathan Schwartz, who looks back most fondly on defining moments in his career and sheds light on how he has achieved success.
 
Jonathan reflects on the importance of influential mentors in his life, and the advice that they shared. Now, Jonathan is able to offer advice and mentorship through the form of thought leadership, which is a primary focus of his. Whether it's publishing his writing, or hosting Goldberg Segalla's Timely Notice podcast, Jonathan is looking to offer insight and help professionals in the industry.  
 
On this episode, David Seeley interviews Jonathan, who is a partner at Goldberg Segalla, the vice-chair of the Insurance Law Committee at the Defense Research Institute and has the highest peer rating standard by Martindale Hubbell. 

Martin Cunniff is a partner in the Washington D.C. firm of Fields, PLLC. For over 30 years, Martin has led high-stakes litigation cases for both large national firms and high-powered litigation boutiques. Martin has extensive experience in teaching trial advocacy, including training hundreds of litigators, instructing expert witnesses at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, being on the faculty at AICPA training programs for accounting and financial experts, and leading teams that won numerous national awards for training excellence. 

In this episode...

A career as a litigator can afford you countless transformative professional experiences, from unique cases that shift sports culture to being the inspiration for a character in a John Grisham novel. Our guest today, Martin Cunniff, has had an eclectic career as an attorney so far and brings many fascinating stories to the table. 

Martin has led high-stakes litigation cases for over 30 years and has been involved with a myriad of interesting legal matters. From an anti-trust case that helped force the College Football playoff system to several class actions for homeless citizens in D.C. All these experiences paint an inspiring picture of what a litigator’s career can be.  

Martin Cunniff, a Partner of Fields PLLC, is interviewed by Dan Rubin on this episode of Engaging Experts. Martin discusses his acclaimed career in Antitrust law, some of his standout cases, and his approach to pro-bono work.  

With over 30 years of experience, John Trimble has earned his reputation as one of Indiana’s most sought-after mediators. He is a Partner at Lewis Wagner, LLP, where he practices complex and catastrophic litigation. His areas of concentration include insurance coverage disputes, bad faith defense, lawyer and insurance agent malpractice, and more. John is the past president of the Association of Attorney Mediators and has served on the Board of Directors of DRI and chaired its national Judicial Task Force. He has also been included in The Best Lawyers in America® and Indiana Super Lawyers® lists a number of times.

In this episode…

While some litigation receives little to no attention, allowing the proceedings to play out quietly, other cases catch the eye of the news or the public. When this happens, it is up to the defense lawyer to ensure a fair trial. Because of this, lawyers need the right toolbox to address pretrial publicity before it gets out of hand. 

John Trimble has more than 30 years of experience handling complex and catastrophic cases. As he says, some of the best tools for navigating pretrial publicity are PR consultants and jury consultants. With the help of these experts, defense lawyers can effectively manage how a case is being perceived by the public and strategize the best ways to take it to trial. 

On this week’s episode of Engaging Experts, Dan Rubin sits down with John Trimble, Partner at Lewis Wagner, LLP, to discuss how to effectively address pretrial publicity. Together, they talk about the impacts of pretrial publicity on a case, how injunctive relief plays out in practice, and John’s tips for effectively utilizing jury and PR consultants. This is an informative interview you don’t want to miss.

William H. Shawn, also known as Bill, is an internationally known lawyer with nearly 40 years of experience in his field. He is the Co-Managing Partner for ShawnCoulson, an international law firm with offices in Washington D.C., Brussels, and London. Bill earned his JD from The George Washington University Law School, where he now works as an adjunct professor of legal ethics and professional responsibility. Outside of his practice, he enjoys learning the guitar, racing his Aston Martin, and serving on a variety of boards and committees.

In this episode…

International law presents a unique challenge to lawyers, where every country and jurisdiction is vastly different. Because of this, the use of expert witnesses is vital for understanding and effectively navigating a tricky case. So, how can you find and use the right experts for your practice?

When international lawyer Bill Shawn tackles a case, he looks for two different types of expert witnesses: testifying experts and consulting experts. As he says, some experts are specialists in clarifying complex systems and ideas, while others excel at communicating with juries and judges. Because of this, Bill takes time to find the right experts for each unique case.

William H. Shawn, the Co-Managing Partner of ShawnCoulson, is interviewed by Dan Rubin on this episode of Engaging Experts. Bill discusses his acclaimed career in international law, the mentors who have helped him along the way, and how he utilizes expert witnesses in his practice. Plus, he discusses his many business ventures and personal interests. Stay tuned for more.

James Blick is the Co-founder of Erso Capital, a litigation finance firm that provides capital to companies and law firms. He is also the Head of US Operations at TheJudge, a litigation insurance and funding company. James is an expert in litigation financing and has over 15 years of experience in the industry. In both of his current roles, he seeks to help those with strong cases achieve their financial needs.

In this episode…

Commercial litigation can be a war of attrition with heavy legal expenses building over time. Some strong cases are never pursued because the company or firm lacks the resources to see it through. While litigation insurance can be helpful for recuperating losses, many cases still need funding to go to trial. 

To fill this need, James Blick and his team at Erso Capital provide capital to the cases that need it most. By offering single case funding, portfolio finance, law firm funding, and award monetization, Erso Capital is helping a number of companies take their pressing disputes to trial. 

This week on Engaging Experts, John Corcoran interviews James Blick, the Co-founder of Erso Capital and Head of US Operations at TheJudge, about his insights into litigation financing. Together, they discuss how funding helps companies fight their cases, James’ process for evaluating claims, and his team’s approach to budgeting and overrun. This is a valuable episode you don’t want to miss.

Ashish Arun is a legal tech entrepreneur based in South Delhi, India. He is the Principal Owner of Expert Witness Profiler and the Founder of Exlitem Research Consulting, both of which provide research to legal professionals. Ashish specializes in developing legal research databases and creating intuitive web applications that make use of the best technologies available today. He is currently working on developing the largest expert witness database in the world.

In this episode…

Expert witnesses can be hard to find, but they can be even harder to research. From double-checking your own witnesses to seeking information on the opposition, knowing the background of an expert witness is crucial for a case. That’s where Expert Witness Profiler comes in: to help attorneys access all the information they need for their next case.

With years of experience in the expert witness field under his belt, Ashish Arun specializes in the intersection of law and technology. As the Principal Owner of Expert Witness Profiler, Ashish provides detailed expert witness reports to attorneys so they can be more prepared in court. So, what kind of information do these reports provide, and why should you order one for your next case?

Dan Rubin moderates this week’s episode of Engaging Experts to discuss the ins and outs of expert witness research. Ashish breaks down how the team at Expert Witness Profiler conducts its research, his advice on when to order an expert witness profile report, and the importance of screening your experts before going to court. They also talk about Ashish’s recent hobby: brewing kombucha. Stay tuned.