While no industry has escaped the disastrous trend toward shock verdicts, the Transportation industry has been especially hard hit by these excessive awards. A shock verdict is disproportionate to the injuries or evidence presented at trial, and it may be the result of a jury prejudiced against the defendant or swayed by emotionally draining evidence.

In today’s episode of Litigation Download, host Stratton Horres talks with Wilson Elser Transportation Practice co-chair Sean McDonough about his experience with a shock verdict for his trucking client years ago, and how the Reptile Theory was a dominant theme in the plaintiff counsel’s strategy. Stratton and Sean will discuss lessons learned and practical strategies defense counsel can use to prevent or minimize shock verdicts. 

Wilson Elser is at the forefront of Cyber Security & Data Privacy. Our practice attorneys keep abreast of the latest trends and their implications for our clients. Indeed, several of our attorneys are considered authorities on this dynamic area of law.

In this series of podcasts, four of our senior Cyber Security & Data Privacy Practice attorneys discuss trends and developments in areas critical to our clients and the broader business community.

The third podcast of the series features Jennifer Stegmaier, a partner in Wilson Elser’s Chicago office, who will offer her perspectives on regulatory investigations, the attendant risks and alternative resolution strategies.

Wilson Elser is at the forefront of Cyber Security & Data Privacy. Our practice attorneys keep abreast of the latest trends and their implications for our clients. Indeed, several of our attorneys are considered authorities on this dynamic area of law.

In this series of podcasts, four of our senior Cyber Security & Data Privacy Practice attorneys discuss trends and developments in areas critical to our clients and the broader business community.

In the second podcast of the series, Anjali Das, a partner in Wilson Elser’s Chicago office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Cyber Security & Data Privacy Practice, offers her perspectives on data breach class actions, how they proceed and what they cost.

Wilson Elser is at the forefront of Cyber Security & Data Privacy. Our practice attorneys keep abreast of the latest trends and their implications for our clients. Indeed, several of our attorneys are considered authorities on this dynamic area of law.

In this series of podcasts, four of our senior Cyber Security & Data Privacy Practice attorneys discuss trends and developments in areas critical to our clients and the broader business community.

In the fourth and final podcast of the series, Jana Farmer, a partner in Wilson Elser’s White Plains, New York, office, provides her perspectives on New York State data privacy laws, from exemptions to private rights of action.

Wilson Elser is at the forefront of Cyber Security & Data Privacy. Our practice attorneys keep abreast of the latest trends and their implications for our clients. Indeed, several of our attorneys are considered authorities on this dynamic area of law.

In this series of podcasts, four of our senior Cyber Security & Data Privacy Practice attorneys discuss trends and developments in areas critical to our clients and the broader business community.

In this, the first podcast of the series, Karen Bridges, Of Counsel in Wilson Elser’s Chicago office, gives her perspectives on ransomware attacks – defining the potential victims and formulating the most effective responses.

On this episode of the Litigation Download Podcast, host Stratton Horres (Senior Counsel- Dallas, TX) discusses how insurance companies can incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into their business models with David Steiger, an attorney, author and claims director at Brandywine Group of Insurance and Reinsurance Companies.

Topics include:

• What does AI mean in this context and how can a business incorporate AI into its business model?
• How do you staff an AI operation?
• What are the benefits?
• What are the risks?

In 2022, a Dallas jury awarded a plaintiff $375 million in compensatory damages, and a jury in Minnesota awarded a plaintiff $111 million in a medical malpractice case. Shock verdicts are on the rise. How can counsel best defend their clients in a jury trial when society is so polarized and corporate mistrust and bias are at an all-time high? On this episode of Litigation Download, Stratton Horres talks to Shelly Spiecker, Ph.D., a senior litigation consultant at Persuasion Strategies. Stratton and Shelly discuss the important role jury consultants and communications specialists play in high-exposure cases and what defense counsel can learn from years of juror research. Topics also include practical strategies to combat plaintiff counsel persuasion methods, such as the Reptile Theory, and how to select the best jury for your client.

In the inaugural episode of Wilson Elser’s podcast series, “Litigation Download, Interviews with Litigation and Risk Management Experts,” Stratton Horres (Senior Counsel-Dallas, TX) welcomes Stefanie Drysdale, Vice President of Prescient, a global risk management and intelligence services firm. In this episode, “Crisis Management & Social Media,” Stratton and Stefanie discuss crisis management planning and how social media can be leveraged in high-stakes litigation. Topics include, leveraging social media as a source for discovery after a catastrophic event and the value of social media listening; public relations and reputation management after a catastrophic event; and threats facing companies today.