Steve Lowry sits down with Motley Rice partners Michael Pendell and Chelsea Monroe about State of New Mexico/DOJ v. Meta Platforms, Inc., which produced a $375 million jury verdict for Unfair Practices Act violations and a $567 million bench-trial public nuisance abatement award, totaling $942 million.

CASE SUMMARY:

The case, brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleged Meta designed and operated its platforms with inadequate protections that enabled predators to find, groom, and exploit vulnerable children. The complaint asserted multiple violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act, supported by claims that defendants misrepresented or omitted material facts about the risks their products posed to minors. Motley Rice served as trial counsel for the State of New Mexico. (READ MORE)

GUEST BIOS

CHELSEA L. MONROE: Chelsea Monroe represents victims of defective medical devices, medical drugs and cosmetic products, as well as families and communities harmed by toxic exposure.

Specifically, Chelsea’s casework focuses on women’s health issues. She is a

MICHAEL J. PENDELL: Michael Pendell is a trial lawyer who represents people affected by corporate wrongdoing, including whistleblowers, people harmed by tobacco, prescription medications, dangerous medical devices, and victims of international terrorism.

He also represents pension fund trustees and other institutional investors in

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motleyricelaw/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MotleyRice

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/motley-rice/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MotleyRice

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FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome and Guests

01:39 Meet Michael Pendell

03:19 Meet Chelsea Monroe

04:15 Motley Rice Tribute

05:08 Case Verdict Breakdown

06:10 What Meta Did Wrong

08:59 How Damages Were Calculated

11:56 Phase Two Public Nuisance

15:25 Injunctions and COPPA

20:07 Building the Trial Machine

23:01 Parallel California Trial

25:54 Shocking Evidence and Whistleblowers

34:14 Whistleblower Culture Shift

36:05 Section 230 Strategy

39:53 Jury Selection Reality Check

44:19 Focus Groups And Timing

46:29 Meta Defense Tactics

50:08 Mosseri Safety Slipup

53:55 Appeals And Wrap Up

In this classic episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by renowned Miami lawyer Sagi Shaked. They delve into a significant wrongful death case Shaked successfully tried in 2017, resulting in a $12,240,000 verdict.

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Case Details:

"After a 4-day trial, we obtained a $12,240,000.00 verdict on behalf of a family that lost their mother as a result of a tragic head-on automobile collision. The trial team consisted of Sagi Shaked, Joel Roth, Manny Lorenzana and Iury Carvalho. Unfortunately, Roitiki Tyler only got to see her star athlete son play one college game. Tyler was accompanied by her 11-year-old, who flew from Florida to Iowa to watch Devontre Tyler play middle linebacker in a Saturday game in November 2014. The following night, Tyler was driving home when a Ford F-150 truck hit them head-on at 65 mph. The mother of two died. Her young son survived his mother without physical injuries, but whose subsequent emotional traumatization led a jury to award them with $12.24 million." (Source) (More Coverage on Case Details)

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Guest Bio: Sagi Shaked

As an experienced Miami personal injury lawyer, Sagi Shaked actively litigates cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death on behalf of victims and their families. These cases include car accidents, product liability, medical negligence and malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, trucking accidents, industrial manufacturers, insurance disputes, premises liability, drowning accidents, airline accidents, burn-related accidents, and others.

Sagi Shaked has been practicing law since 2000 and went on to found the successful Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers in 2007, where he became one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States as named by the American Trial Lawyers Association. This highly coveted honor was bestowed upon Mr. Shaked for his exemplary legal expertise, compassion for his clients, and consistently recovering multi-millions of dollars in damages for those he represents. 

Read Full Bio

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In this episode of The Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey welcome guests Tara Sutton and Philip Seiff from Robbins Kaplan LLP. The discussion centers on the significant legal case, McDougal vs. CRC Industries, which resulted in a $7.75 million verdict (later over $10.5 million after post-judgment adjustments). 

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Case Details:

The Robins Kaplan trial team secured a groundbreaking $7.75 million verdict against CRC Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of aerosol dust remover products. This is believed to be the first known case against a dust remover manufacturer that has been tried to a plaintiff verdict.

The litigation stemmed from a tragic vehicle crash in 2019 where the client’s wife was killed after her car was struck by a driver who was impaired from huffing CRC Duster. Inhaling this product can cause dramatic impairment effects from the chemical used as a propellant.  The case focused on the well-known abuse of aerosol dust remover products, such as CRC Duster, and CRC Industries’ responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of their products' misuse. (Source)

Guest Bio:

Tara Sutton

Tara Sutton, chair of Robins Kaplan’s National Mass Tort Group, has built a distinguished career in mass tort litigation and is renowned for her dedicated, unyielding commitment to justice. Her career has been marked by steadfast advocacy, and an unrelenting pursuit for accountability over corporate misconduct. Tara stands out as the embodiment of legal excellence representing individuals, governments, and Tribal Nations harmed by defective products or corporate negligence. Her legal acumen and tenacity is evident as she navigates the complex landscape of mass torts — including cases involving defective products, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, and faulty medical devices.

Read Full Bio

Philip Sieff

Trial lawyer Phil Sieff battles for justice when wrongdoers cause serious injury or death. Intense and relentless, he helps clients find the courage they need to face those who have hurt them. He has significant experience representing families coping with the wrongful death of a loved one, particularly a child, having handled hundreds of wrongful death cases. He has particular experience in complex and high-profile cases, including: the I-35W Bridge Collapse (lead co-counsel of I-35W Consortium, a group of 17 law firms that provided legal services to over 100 collapse victims); the Red Lake High School Shooting; and the Holidazzle Parade Disaster.

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

This week, on a classic episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey spoke with renowned trial lawyer Joe Fried from Fried Goldberg LLC about his landmark case, Bradfield vs. Amazon Logistics, which resulted in a $16.2 million verdict.

The case involved an 8-year-old boy, Gabe Bradfield, who suffered severe injuries after being struck and dragged by an Amazon delivery van. (More details on the case here)

Joe Fried

Joe Fried is one of the original truck accident lawyers in the country and is widely recognized as a top attorney in the field. His passion for what he does shines through, and his reputation and record-setting results speak for themselves. Joe has litigated cases in more than 43 states, which gives him an unmatched perspective, and his leadership in the field of truck accident law and trucking safety is second to none.

Joe is known as one of the principal founders of truck accident law as a unique field. He has changed the way truck crash cases are handled, helping Fried Goldberg LLC earn a national reputation. Joe is credited with developing many of the best practices used by lawyers nationally in truck accident investigation and truck accident litigation.

(Read full bio)

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

On the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowery and Yvonne Godfrey welcome California trial lawyer Ed Dudensing of the Dudensing Law Firm to discuss a Sacramento County verdict (March 2026) in an elder abuse/wrongful death case for 100-year-old Mildred Hernandez, brought by her daughter Teresa Ludlow and three sisters

CASE DETAILS:

Mildred, a dementia patient at Greenhaven Estates Assisted Living Facility, allegedly suffered worsening wandering that was not documented or reported, and an alarm system was not working; she exited near her room, fell downstairs, and died of hypothermia after temperatures dropped to 38 degrees. The jury awarded $10.2M compensatory damages (including pre-death pain and suffering) and $100M punitive damages, allocated $92M to Colony Capital and $8M to Formation Capital. Dudensing explains long-term care corporatization, REIT/RIDEA structures, discovery strategies to trace control through layered LLCs, and proving notice, understaffing, and neglect. (READ MORE)

GUEST BIO:

As the founder and lead counsel at Dudensing Law, Edward P. Dudensing specializes in representing plaintiffs in elder abuse cases, with a particular focus on neglect and abuse that takes place in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, acute hospitals, home health agencies, and hospice agencies. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most successful and knowledgeable elder abuse attorneys.

Based in California, Mr. Dudensing serves clients across the state, including Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, Central California, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

His ability to navigate the intricacies of elder law and his relentless pursuit of justice have solidified his standing as a leader in the field. During his 23+ year career dedicated to compassionately representing victims of elder abuse and their families, Mr. Dudensing has successfully brought cases against some of California’s largest assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and healthcare conglomerates, securing well over $250+ million in recoveries on behalf of his clients. (READ MORE)

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast Open

00:14 Small World Plane Story

02:26 Meet Trial Lawyer Ed

05:31 Case Overview and Verdict

06:54 How Mildred Died

10:13 Big Finance in Elder Care

14:34 Unmasking the Corporate Web

22:24 REIT RIDEA Defense Explained

25:31 Understaffing and Notice Evidence

28:04 Multiple Theories for the Jury

31:30 Missing Documentation Exposed

35:10 Finding Former Employees

35:57 Hunting Witness Statements

36:56 Damages For Centenarian

41:06 Humanizing The Plaintiff

45:24 Trial Strategy And Humility

50:30 Punitive Damages Breakdown

55:58 Jury Debrief And Verdict Form

57:43 Focus Groups And Alternatives

58:44 Corporate Veil Theater

01:03:31 Closing Lessons And Wrap Up

Hosts Steve Lowery and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyers Taylor Powell and Whitney Harrison about DHD Jessamine LLC v. Florence County, a Fair Housing Act case over a proposed 60-unit LIHTC affordable housing community in an unzoned “donut hole” parcel in Florence County.

CASE SUMMARY: After county officials initially supported the development, neighborhood opposition and a country club meeting preceded withdrawal of support, shifting objections (traffic, drainage, sidewalks), a special meeting to fast-track a development moratorium that was enforced before becoming law, and later rezoning to R-1 to bar multifamily housing. Plaintiffs pursued disparate treatment and disparate impact claims; the court granted summary judgment on the prima facie disparate impact prong. A jury trial featured streamlined exhibits, visual timelines, and expert testimony on disparate impact. On Nov. 5, 2025, the jury awarded $8.219M compensatory and $4M punitive damages; the case later settled for $10M. 

GUEST BIOS

Taylor Powell: 

Originally from Charlotte, N.C., Taylor Powell brings more than a decade of legal experience to the Lesemann & Associates team. After graduating from The Citadel in 2006 with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Minor in U.S. History, Taylor attended Charleston School of Law and graduated in 2011. After law school, Taylor spent two years serving as the law clerk to South Carolina Circuit Judge Larry B. Hyman, Jr. in Conway, S.C.

During his eight years at Lesemann & Associates, Taylor has helped his clients achieve successful results in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases involving tractor trailer accidents, motor vehicle accidents, accidental shootings, drunk driving accidents, dram shop litigation against bars and restaurants, products liability cases against vehicle manufacturers and car dealerships, and cases involving negligent private security. Taylor has also secured significant settlements and verdicts for clients who suffered injuries resulting from improperly paved roads, dangerous homemade zip lines, dog bites, fireworks accidents, and more. Taylor has been directly responsible for securing and collecting more than $20 million in settlements on behalf of his clients. (READ MORE)

Whitney Harrison:

Whitney delights in nuance, complexity, and unsettled law.  Having clerked in both of South Carolina’s appellate courts, Whitney’s seasoned instincts inform her appellate strategy from the start of every case.  As a key member of our trial teams, she anticipates and addresses legal issues at each stage of litigation while preserving the record for an appeal.  By treating every case as one that will involve a trial and an appeal, Whitney provides comprehensive courtroom advocacy.

Whitney has tried multiple cases to verdict, as well as handled landmark cases involving civil, criminal, family, utility, and administrative law.  Firms across the state associate her to assist with complex motions, trials, and appeals.  Whitney has handled over fifty appeals—with issues ranging from constitutional challenges to corporate governance to novel law—before the Supreme Court of South Carolina and the South Carolina Court of Appeals.

In January 2020, Whitney became the first woman to receive the South Carolina Bar’s Trial and Appellate Advocacy Award.  The award—not given annually—“recognizes a member of the Bar who has demonstrated substantial dedication to the furtherance of the art and techniques of trial and appellate advocacy in South Carolina, outstanding and exemplary skill and conduct in the practice of advocacy, and has devoted substantial time and effort to the education and training of lawyers.” (READ MORE)

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast Cold Open

00:29 Meet The Hosts

01:13 Introducing The Guests

01:54 Taylor Powell Bio

03:04 UCLA Office And Softball

04:41 Whitney Harrison Bio

06:11 Prizewinning Pound Cake

07:11 Case Setup And Timeline

09:41 Fair Housing Case Overview

14:10 Verdict And Damages

15:08 Crafting The Opening

18:08 Explaining FHA Theories

21:06 Sponsor Break

21:51 Donut Hole Moratorium

26:56 Ordinance Readings And Enforcement

27:48 Trial Team And Appellate Strategy

29:30 Summary Judgment Strategy

31:39 Expert Testimony Impact

34:05 Humanizing The Development

35:50 Punitive Damages Surprise

39:32 Rare Jury Trial Stakes

45:02 Witness Order And Exhibits

49:40 Trial Tech And Impeachment

52:19 Klan Comment Sidebar

58:58 Closing Argument Masterclass

01:01:07 Wrap Up And Next Steps

Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyer Rena Leizerman of the Law Firm for Truck Safety about Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, a trucking case in which her team won a unanimous 9–0 U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing negligent selection claims against freight brokers like C.H. Robinson to proceed under the FAAAA safety exception.

CASE DETAILS:

The case stems from an Illinois crash where broker-hired carrier Caribe Transport, with a conditional FMCSA safety rating, struck Shawn Montgomery’s parked tractor-trailer, causing severe permanent injuries including a leg amputation. Leizerman explains the circuit split that led to Supreme Court review, the Court’s focus on interstate vs. intrastate issues, and a deliberate amicus strategy emphasizing safety, truck drivers, and 30 states rather than plaintiff groups. She notes ongoing regulatory and legislative broker pushback and that the case is headed toward trial. (READ MORE)

GUEST BIO:

Rena Leizerman concentrates her practice in trial and appellate litigation involving serious personal injury and wrongful death related to commercial motor vehicle collisions. She has successfully opposed Petitions for Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court, litigated numerous issues of first impression in courts across the country, and obtained the first punitive damage verdict against a freight broker for negligent selection. She also drafts and submits amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys and consults with other advocacy organizations regarding amicus curiae submissions. (READ MORE)

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TRUCKACCIDENTS.COM

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyers Bill Horton and D’Arcy L.R. Rapp about their Dallas trial of Davis v. NCAA, arising from SMU lineman JT Davis’s repeated head impacts from 1955–1959, his later dementia, and a postmortem Boston University diagnosis of stage four CTE after his 2016 death.

CASE SUMMARY:

They discuss securing a $140 million verdict ($30M compensatory, $110M punitive), the NCAA’s historical knowledge of concussion risks through decades of medical literature and internal documents (including a 1933 medical handbook), and how the team simplified complex science and governance evidence using timelines, boards, and themes like control, competitive disadvantage, and “recommendations vs rules.” They address defenses including Alzheimer’s, vascular factors, APOE4 genetic predisposition (framed as eggshell plaintiff), statute-of-limitations discovery issues, and trial strategy, cross-examinations, and damages presentation. (READ MORE)

GUEST BIOS

BILL HORTON: Bill Horton has spent his career fighting for people who the system often overlooks—delivering results that stand among the largest in his field, including a $140 million verdict against the NCAA.

Since earning his law degree in 2001, Bill has helped clients across Arkansas and the country secure justice against corporations, insurers, and powerful institutions. His work spans catastrophic injury, wrongful death, trucking litigation, class actions, and complex cases where the stakes are highest.

Raised in Van Buren, Arkansas, Bill’s path into law was shaped early.

D’Arcy L.R. Rapp: D’Arcy L.R. Rapp is an attorney at Shrader & Associates, LLP. She focuses her practice on mesothelioma, neurodegenerative disease, and toxic exposure. She has more than a decade of experience in fighting for people who have been injured by the negligence of corporations. She is an experienced trial lawyer with an extensive history in mesothelioma cases and has been involved at every stage of litigation, trying cases in more than eleven states. With well over fifty-million-dollars recovered on the behalf of her clients, she is dedicated to fighting for justice

While a majority of D’Arcy’s litigation experience is related to mesothelioma, she has handled cases across a variety of practice areas. Her expert opinion has been sought after by multiple publications. She was published in the Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law on her work, as well as in Gender Race & Just on the subject of non-biological, non-adoptive parents in Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and Utah. (READ MORE)

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FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:41 Case Overview and Verdict

03:34 Meet Bill and D'Arcy

05:39 JT Davis Story and Diagnosis

08:26 Building the CTE Case

13:19 Simplifying for the Jury

17:51 Trial Team Dynamics

21:38 NCAA Knowledge Timeline

28:25 Who Controls the NCAA

33:45 Statute of Limitations Fight

39:55 BU CTE Brain Donation

41:51 Defense Alternate Causes

42:22 APOE4 Eggshell Strategy

45:54 Recommendations Versus Rules

46:40 Cross Exam Admissions

50:59 In Court Out Of Court

53:26 Unpaid CTE Expert

56:25 Medical Historian Timeline

58:32 Sticker Timeline Method

01:01:15 Damages Storytelling

01:05:56 Punitive Damages Pitch

01:08:54 Jury Feedback Credibility

01:11:11 Simplify Complex Trials

01:12:54 Closing Thanks Credits

GTP host Steve Lowery is leading the conservation today with special guest Maxey Scherr, the founder of Scherr Law Firm in El Paso, Texas. They explore the complexities of an extraordinary case, Mendoza vs. Titan Transportation, where Maxey secured a verdict of over $16 million for her client, Ruben Ivan Mendoza.

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Case Details:

The case revolved around a severe truck crash in Dallas County, Texas, where Ruben Mendoza, the driver of a pickup truck leased by Titan Transportation, was rear-ended by a truck owned by DSX Transportation. Despite the defense's attempts to frame Mendoza as an independent contractor, Maxey successfully proved that he was an employee in the course and scope of his employment, showcasing Titan's negligence in his lack of training and safety protocols. Scherr Law Firm secures an $11,005,000 settlement with three of four defendants named in a lawsuit and obtains a $16,857,276 verdict against the fourth remaining defendant in 

Guest Bio:

Maxey Scherr

Maxey Scherr founded Scherr Law Firm in 2022. She has litigated over 40 jury trials resulting in multi-figure verdicts across the board. Her areas of expertise include trucking accidents, wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injuries, and catastrophic injuries.

Ms. Scherr is a member of various boards and organizations and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Women's Caucus and Board of Regents member with the ATAA, is on the Texas State Bar Committee on the Administration of the Rules of Evidence, is a member of the American Association for Justice and sits on the Women's Rights Commission for the City of El Paso.

Through the years, Ms. Scherr's efforts have garnered many accolades. Most notably, Ms. Scherr is a "Super Lawyer," a "Top Ten Attorney," receives numerous "Litigator Awards" and has various National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts.

Ms. Scherr is licensed in Texas, New Mexico and Illinois and graduated from Texas Tech School of Law. She received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Boston with magna cum laude honors and undertook postgraduate work in Neuroscience at Harvard University.

Read Full Bio

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

GTP hosts Steve Lowery and Yvonne Godfrey delve into the riveting case of Donald Clark vs. the State of Iowa with guest Mel Orchard from the Spence Law Firm. They explore the wrongful conviction of Donald Clark, a school counselor accused of sexual assault in 2009, and the subsequent legal malpractice case against his public defender for inadequate representation. The discussion highlights the significant emotional and physical toll on Clark during his six and a half years in prison, the courtroom strategies employed, and the eventual $12 million verdict for emotional distress.

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Case Details:

The case revolves around a legal malpractice action against a state public defender, who represented a client convicted of sexual abuse. The client, Donald Lyle Clark, was convicted and sentenced to prison. The conviction was affirmed on appeal. However, in postconviction proceedings, the court determined that Clark's defense counsel had provided ineffective assistance and ordered a new trial. The state declined to prosecute, and Clark filed a civil action for legal malpractice against the state as the lawyer’s employer. The district court granted partial summary judgment, holding that the finding of ineffective assistance in the postconviction proceedings established counsel’s negligence as a matter of law. The jury found the lawyer negligent and awarded Clark $12 million in emotional distress damages.

Guest Bio:

Mel Orchard

Mel Orchard is a trial lawyer, trying cases in the courtrooms across America, for the past 27 years. Mel has litigated and/or tried hundreds of cases in his career and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlement and verdicts for his clients. During his trial career, Mel has been a part of record-breaking civil jury verdicts in various jurisdictions (Wyoming, Arizona, and Iowa). He has also devoted significant time to pro bono work through Lawyers and Advocates for Wyoming, and many local and national charities.

In addition to preparing for trial or being in trial, Mel was a senior faculty member and board member at the Trial Lawyer's College in Wyoming and was recently selected to join the Board.

Mel also lectures and presents to various legal organizations throughout the country including Bar Associations, Leadership Organizations and has taught Judicial Ethics to various groups of judges. He was Chairman for the Wyoming Commission for Judicial Conduct and Ethics where he served as a member for six years after appointment.

Read Full Bio

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2