Our guest, Dr. Russell Froman, Esq. is the Assistant Vice President for Accessibility and Gender Equity at The University of Florida. He is the Title IX coordinator for the university and is a leading expert on accessibility-focused regulations and regulating bodies. Dr. Froman holds both a JD and an Ed D. 

In this episode... 

Our guest, Dr. Froman states, “You have to say in front of the legislation and be aware of pending legislation.” We talked about the difficulties of, and solutions to, maintaining a current understanding of rapidly changing regulations. Additionally, he offers guidance on cross “It's not about winning, it's about just communicating."

We discussed the different styles of engaging attorneys, the importance of research and the confidence that comes with adequate preparation. Dr. Froman advises, “As long as you stay in your lane of knowledge and don't try to get outside . . . because you're intimidated, it really helps you stay grounded." 

Our guest, Dr. Timothy Fort, is the Eveleigh Chair in Business Ethics at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, where he coordinates the Undergraduate Ethics Program—the world’s largest ethics program. He is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Career Faculty Award from the Academy of Legal Studies. Dr. Fort is an accomplished researcher and author, with over fifteen published books, over twenty academic works, and dozens of research awards.
 
In this episode . . . 

We spoke about the importance of training, and the expert-attorney relationship: “I always felt that they had trained me well. They were there to protect me.” There are strategies that attorneys can employ to encourage a successful engagement, including the necessity of being honest and independent. Dr. Fort remarked on the topic, “As a potential expert witness [I] really want to hear the words from the lawyers that that [they] want your independent opinion.” Additionally, we covered ethics for experts, maintaining an agreeable composure during cross, and report writing.  

Robert Handfield is a Professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University and Executive Director and Founder of the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative. He has studied and worked in supply chains for over 30 years and has been an expert witness since 2010.

In this episode . . .

Robert discusses the uptick of supply chain cases he's been involved in since COVID, specifically around buyer-seller contracts. He has learned many things from his expert witness experience and his "sweet spot" is educating the jury, explaining things in a "simple, direct way." He shares there are a couple basic principles to stand by as an expert, "One, always tells the truth. Number two is to stick to your lane. Do not try to speculate or guess something you do not feel comfortable about. It is okay to say, 'I do not know,' which is acceptable."

In this episode… 

Dr. Seggev discusses with host, Michelle Loux, that two of the current trends he is seeing is how inexpensive marketing research has become and the other is how consumer behavior and research has advanced over the decades. He shares his thoughts on how marketing surveys can go beyond the fundamentals in litigation, which currently focus on class actions and  trademark infringement but he points out that future facts are just as important as past facts. He elaborates, "The impact of an action taken by a company today that is a fraudulent user may last over the next five, ten, or fifteen years. Would survey research determine what the impact would be?"

In this episode… 

Our guest, Ravi Iyer, is a mechanical and electrical engineer. He successfully led project teams, including fixed fee turnkey assignments. He teamed up to start a power/water utility. Clients included developers, utilities, attorneys and financing institutions.  

In this episode with host Michelle Loux, he explains that the first rule of being an expert witness is to be careful when you speak. The second rule is to explain complex things in simple language. The third rule is to answer yes or no when the opposing attorney asks you a question. The last two rules are soft science, which he calls likeability and communication. He recommends “Talking to Strangers” by Malcolm Gladwell, as a great resource for expert witnesses understanding how people communicate.

In this episode…
Our guest, Robert “Bob” Sherwood, has been a senior board member to 30 companies, was profiled in Fortune and Business Week, was the winner of the 1995 Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Ernst & Young, NASDAQ, and Inc. Magazine, presented seminars on Leadership and Technology to more than 3000 executives, and as an Expert Witness, he has testified in court on behalf of such prominent companies as Google, Yahoo!, and Facebook. Bob holds a Series 65 license which covers laws, regulations, ethics, retirement planning and portfolio management.

On this episode, Bob shares stories about the importance of preparation. Whether it is understanding the basic case details before the initial interview or how law firms prepare their experts for the cross-examination, preparation plays a large role on your success as an expert. Bob emphasizes, “You have to prepare much more than you think you should . . .”

Being a successful expert witness is not just about preparation. It’s also about growing with your role and learning to adapt. Early on, Bob did all the expert witness work himself, but realized later that having an effective team in place will benefit him and those attorneys that hire him. For him, having a great editor saved money and time.

Additional insights are shared in this episode, including how to organize case files, the expert’s role on the stand, and not taking cross-examination personally. He expands on this last point, “Experts should realize that no matter how challenging the question is, no matter how personal the questioning gets . . . the lawyer is doing their job.” The benefit of understanding this is that the same lawyer that cross-examined you “may come back and hire you two or three years later because they know you understand that.”

In this episode…
Our guest,  Jim O'Reilly, is a Professor at the Public Health Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati. Jim O’Reilly is the last survivor of the group that negotiated the 1975-76 medical device amendments. He was the chair of a 8,000-member American Bar Association's section of Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice. His first book in 1976 was rejected four times by four publishers, but went on to become a bestseller on FDA regulatory law. He went on to write 56 books and awaits the committee's decision by Thomson Reuters West on his 57th book. 

On this episode, Michelle Loux interviews Jim about his journey as an expert witness in public health. A career highlight was occurred on March 20th, 2000, when his phone rang and the person on the other end said, "Professor, this is John Doe from the Washington Post. What do you think of the United States Supreme Court calling you the expert on FDA law?"  That recognition from the Supreme Court launched his career in new ways as an expert witness. From his years of experience as an arbitrator to being an advisor in a special project for the Deputy Secretary General of the European Union and meeting with 23 other countries to discuss regulatory law, to currently teaching public health, he has an appreciation of what it means to be a successful expert witness. He shares that being an expert witness is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so be attentive to the limitations  . . . try to be as middle of the road as you can, you want to have good foundational support."

Steve Haas  is the Principal at Tailored Solutions, and a dynamic executive with broad retail experience in planning, buying, merchandising, and operations and has a consistent track record of delivering results across diverse product categories within multiple national retailers.

In this episode…
Our guest,  Steve Haas, is an expert witness with industry expertise spanning large and small retailers in both established and startup mode. His experience, both nationally and internationally, sets the stage for a vibrant conversation about work as a retail industry expert witness.

On this episode, Michelle Loux interviews Steve, discussing  everything from preparing for expert witness interviews with attorneys, to writing expert reports, and body language in the courtroom. Steve also details his passion for the work, and how he hones his role working with legal teams striving for success. 

Laura DiBella  is the Deputy Secretary of Commerce at Enterprise Florida, whose focus is on public and private partnerships in Florida ports, economic development, and international trade. Laura was Florida's first female Secretary of State, and is a proud Floridian championing economic development in the state.

In this episode…
Our guest,  Laura DiBella, is an expert witness with a background in ports, maritime supply chain, and economic development. Her experience as an expert witness is founded in a range of industry experience that includes Nassau County Executive Director of the Economic Development Board,  Executive Director of Florida Harbor Pilots Association, and beyond. 

On this episode, Michelle Loux interviews Laura, discussing  everything from the path to becoming an expert witness to unique experiences that she had during her career. Laura also provides insight on balance and organization as an expert and how her work has increased her confidence. Litigators and experts will walk away from this conversation with some fascinating insight on the professional journey of a renowned expert witness. 

Dr. Eric Cole is an expert, industry leader and author in the world of Cybersecurity with 30 years’ experience.  He began his career with the CIA as a professional hacker when network and computer security was in its formative years. Dr. Cole eventually left the intelligence community to join the SANS Institute where he developed coursework that is now the foundations of the SANS Information Security Training and Security Certification.

In this episode…
Our guest,  Dr. Eric Cole, is a cybersecurity expert witness with over 30 years' experience. He started out as a CIA professional hacker, was part of the Commission on Cyber Security for President Obama and consults with Fortune 500 companies.  You might know him from his own podcast, Life of a CISO: Become a World Class Chief Information Security Officer.  

On this episode, Michelle Loux interviews Dr. Cole, discussing his career path in cyber security and what he wishes he knew back in the early days as an expert witness. His perspective on trial prep and assembling expert reports illuminates several tips that only come with deep experience. Litigators and experts alike will walk away from this discussion with a better understanding of how a successful cyber security expert works towards his law firm client's success and navigates challenges in the profession.