In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by renowned trial and jury consultant Robert Hirschhorn.

They discuss a variety of topics ranging from Hirschhorn's journey into the field, insights into high-profile cases, and practical tips for selecting juries in complex trials. Robert shares stories from notable cases, including a landmark verdict in Cox vs. the State of Washington and strategies that led to a $440 million verdict in Grantham vs. Stewart Petroleum Testers.

He emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between liability and damages juries and introduces Verdict Hub, a new AI-driven tool for trial preparation.

GUEST BIO:

Robert Hirschhorn of Cathy E. Bennett & Associates, Inc., is an attorney and a nationally recognized expert in jury and trial consultation. A jury consultant since 1985, Robert has selected juries that have returned tens of billions of dollars in verdicts. Jury verdicts since 2018 include:

1. $2.065 Billion awarded by a Georgia state court jury in a RoundUp case. (2025)

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In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey welcome guest Eric Fong to discuss a significant case involving Jessica Hilton versus the Washington Department of Corrections and Child Protective Services.

CASE SUMMARY: 

**TRIGGER WARNING**

The case in focus deals with severe instances of sexual abuse, specifically involving Jessica Hilton and multiple failures of state agencies to protect her and her siblings. 

ERIC FONG BIO:

Eric has obtained the two largest general damages jury verdicts for one person in Washington state history; $91,000,000 for a premise liability matter that resulted in a TBI and $42,000,000 for the governmental neglect of a child that resulted in abuse and PTSD.  Eric began his career as a public defender, dedicating 11 years advocating for those in need — work he remains most proud of to this day. With nearly three decades of trial experience, Eric has tried over 100 cases to verdict and has received state and national trial lawyer of the year awards. In addition to his legal practice, Eric loves teaching and has been an instructor of the Gerry Spence Method for over 20 years.  Eric loves working with his wife on their cut flower farm, hiking and fishing. (READ MORE)

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In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry interviews John Rushing, a prominent trial lawyer and partner at Rushing McCarl, LLP. The discussion delves into a significant business dispute case, Virgin Scent Inc. dba ArtNaturals vs. BT Supplies West Inc., tried in federal court in Los Angeles in November 2022.

CASE SUMMARY: 

Rushing McCarl LLP secured a $17.8 million jury verdict on behalf of cosmetics manufacturer Virgin Scent, Inc. dba Artnaturals. The jury found that defendant BT Supplies Inc. had breached contracts to buy millions of hand sanitizer bottles and masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. BT Supplies was represented by Nixon Peabody LLP, an Am Law 100 firm. (READ MORE)

JOHN RUSHING BIO:

John Rushing is a premier trial attorney and oral advocate who, as the leader of Rushing McCarl’s trial team, has secured multimillion-dollar jury verdicts in several state and federal jury trials since co-founding the firm in 2020. These victories included wins in contract and partnership disputes brought for California businesses, including a unanimous $17.8 million jury verdict won for a large manufacturer. Mr. Rushing was named to Super Lawyers in 2025. (READ MORE)

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In this 200th EPISODE of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry hosts a detailed discussion with Randy Jordan, an experienced trial lawyer from HunterMaclean in coastal Georgia. The focus is on the complex case of Poppell v. Cardinal Health, McKesson Corporation, and Smith Corporation, which involved 21 plaintiffs and highlighted the opioid crisis.

CASE SUMMARY: 

In the case of Poppell, et al, vs McKesson, et al, twenty-one plaintiffs sued three wholesale medicine and medical supply distributors, including McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health, and J.M. Smith. Under Georgia’s Drug Dealer Liability Act, the plaintiffs claimed that the three companies acted as illegal drug dealers in filling orders for opioid medications placed by pharmacies and hospitals in Coastal Georgia. The plaintiffs, mostly children of the addicts, claimed extensive mental and psychological damage resulting from their parents’ addictions. (READ MORE)

RANDY JORDAN:

He is a uniquely experienced trial attorney, having tried well over one hundred

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In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey welcome two remarkable guests, trial lawyer Nick Liakas and jury consultant Jessica Brylo. They dive deep into the fascinating case of Maruf Hossain vs. the New York City Transit Authority, resulting in a $22,750,000 verdict.

CASE SUMMARY: 

The case revolves around Hossein, a caterer who suffered catastrophic injuries, including the amputation of his foot, after falling onto subway tracks due to a known defective rubbing board at the Parkchester station. Nick and Jessica share their strategies in overcoming significant defense arguments, which included claims of suicide and witness testimony from a dubious eyewitness. (Read more on the case)

Nicholas Liakas is a Senior Partner at Liakas Law, where he leads the firm’s most complex and high-profile litigation. A nationally recognized personal injury and civil rights trial attorney, he is known for securing some of the top verdicts and settlements in New York State. Over the course of his career, Nicholas has been responsible for recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for injured victims and their families. He has represented thousands of clients,

Jessica Brylo: 

Jessica Brylo is the owner and lead litigation consultant at Trial Dynamics, a consulting firm dedicated to plaintiff’s civil litigation. She specializes in case framing, jury research, focus groups, mock trials, big data studies, opening statement development, witness preparation, and jury selection. Over the past two decades, Ms. Brylo has spoken to thousands of jurors and conducted hundreds of mock trials, the results of which she uses to guide case strategy and framing on several 7-9 figure catastrophic injury cases and multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuits. (FULL BIO)

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Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1

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This week Steve and Yvonne interview Brian Beckcom of VB Attorneys (https://www.vbattorneys.com/).

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Case Details:

The crew of the Maersk Alabama was attacked and taken hostage by Somali pirates. The events were depicted in a Hollywood blockbuster called “Captain Phillips” starring Tom Hanks. Brian and his firm countered a massive Hollywood publicity campaign that portrayed Captain Phillips as a hero and the crew as lazy layabouts, when in fact the exact opposite was true. The case resulted in a confidential settlement for each crew member. It also changed the way the shipping industry provides security to the men and women who travel in dangerous, pirate-infested waters

Guest Bio:

Brian Beckcom

Brian Beckcom is one of the leading lawyers of his generation. Brian's peers have voted him a Texas Super Lawyer 14 years in a row, and every single year he has been eligible. Brian is also a Board Certified Expert in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a recognition shared by less than 2% of lawyers.

Brian has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients, and he and his law firm have obtained record-setting settlements and verdicts in a wide variety of significant legal cases.

Brian is also a Computer Scientist & Philosopher. He created and hosts the popular podcast "Lesson from Leaders with Brian Beckcom."

Brian is a military "brat," a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a single-digit golfer, a former college basketball player at Texas A&M, a four-year member of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, and an accomplished freshwater and saltwater fly fisherman.

Brian is an honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. He is the author of 6 books and hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics.

Brian has successfully prosecuted many high profile cases. The national and international media has covered Brian's work on these complex cases.

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In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry sits down with Margaret Battersby Black and Seth Cardeli from Levin & Perconti about their successful $20 million verdict in a birth trauma case.

CASE SUMMARY: The case involved Anthony Harris, who was born with severe brain damage due to alleged medical errors during labor. Margaret and Seth discussed the complexities of birth trauma cases, emphasizing the importance of vigilance in monitoring fetal heart rates and recognizing signs of distress. They highlighted the multiple errors made by the medical team, including delayed C-section and misinterpretation of fetal heart monitor readings. The case was tried over three weeks in Cook County, Illinois, resulting in a significant verdict for the family. (Full details on the case)

Margaret Battersby Black BIO: 

Margaret Battersby Black is an award-winning attorney who has played a key role in a number of nursing home and medical malpractice cases at Levin & Perconti. Her commitment to her practice has achieved noteworthy results for clients in all types of personal injury, nursing home and malpractice matters. Margaret is also committed to the advancement of women in the legal profession and serves as a mentor to law students and younger lawyers. In 2023 she was bestowed the “Carole K. Bellows Women of Influence” award which honors those who are advocates for action addressing women’s issues and promote involvement by women in the legal community at all levels. (READ FULL BIO)

Seth Cardeli BIO:

With more than a decade of experience, Seth L. Cardeli is a skilled trial attorney representing families across the country who have suffered as a result of medical negligence and malpractice, including children who have been injured during labor and delivery. Seth is well-versed in the many complex legal and medical issues surrounding birth injury claims. He regularly conducts educational seminars for other attorneys on important aspects of litigation, such as taking depositions and dealing with obstacles to the discovery process. Seth recently gave a lecture on Basic Fetal Heart Rate Patterns, Nomenclature, and Etiology, in which he taught lawyers how to interpret electronic fetal heart rate tracings used to gain valuable information about babies during labor. (READ FULL BIO)

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In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey talk to renowned trial lawyer Joe Fried from Fried Goldberg LLC about the 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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In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, host Steve Lowry interviews Nathan Werksman of Merson Law and Sam Martin of Patrick Malone & Associates to dissect their recent $2.3 million medical malpractice verdict in the case Weil v. Dr. Alhindawi.

(More details on the case)

Guest Bio:

Nathan Werksman

As a trial attorney at Merson Law PLLC, Nathan Werksman fights for the injured and wronged in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death litigation and is a leader in the New York legal community. His work on behalf of injured New Yorkers has been featured on Good Morning America and Eyewitness News ABC 7 New York and in The New York Times, The New York Post, and Rolling Stone Magazine.

Nathan is very involved in the New York legal community and in making New York a more just place for the injured. He is the Deputy Treasurer of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, is the Chair of the Products Liability Committee at the New York City Bar Association and is on the Executive Committee of the UJA’s Young Lawyers Division. He was also selected to serve on the 2024 Supreme Court Independent Judicial Screening Panel, which plays a critical role in selecting the Supreme Court judges in Manhattan.

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Sam Martin

Sam Martin joins the team at Patrick Malone & Associates having already represented plaintiffs in a variety of cases including individual injuries, discrimination lawsuits, consumer class actions and mass torts. Sam grew up in West Warwick, Rhode Island. He earned a B.A. in Political Science at Yale

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In this episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey sit down with Jim Tuxbury from Hinckley, Allen and Snyder to discuss the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation case of Carlos Domenech vs. Terraform Power and Terraform Global.

Case Details:

Hinckley Allen secured a historic victory with a $34.5 million recovery in favor of its client, Carlos Domenech Zornoza (Mr. Domenech), marking the culmination of a nine-year legal battle. This is the largest documented recovery for a Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation claim since the statute was enacted in 2005 following the Enron scandal. (More details on the case)

Guest Bio:

Jim Tuxbury

Jim is a partner and trial lawyer in our litigation practice, focusing primarily on complex commercial business disputes and securities litigation, as well as product liability, white-collar defense, and government investigations. As a trial lawyer, Jim has litigated and tried cases in state and federal court in Massachusetts and throughout the country. Recently, Jim prevailed in the trial of a Sarbanes Oxley Whistleblower case on behalf of the former CEO of Terraform Power Inc. and Terraform Global, Inc. and obtained a $34.5 million recovery for his client after the Court found the defendants were liable for unlawfully terminating their former CEO in retaliation for his whistleblowing activities.

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