TrustCast Show

In 1968, Frederick McCurdy was working his dream job for the US Forest Service in California's Klamath National Forest—fishing for trout at breakfast and counting trees for a living. Then President Johnson conscripted him to fight in Vietnam. That draft changed everything.

Assigned to a German army hospital lab, two doctors—a pediatrician and a surgeon—wouldn't leave him alone. Night after night during on-call shifts, they insisted he should go to medical school. He kept saying no. Then medical students literally cornered him in a kitchen, plied him with beer, and convinced him medicine was his path. "I didn't choose medicine," he says. "Medicine chose me."

Now 81 years old, Dr. McCurdy gets up at 5 AM, rides his exercise bike, and is sitting in his office chair by 6:45 AM. He still sees patients four days a week at Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, where he's been fighting insurance companies for years—like the two-year battle to get Iptocopan approved for a girl with C3 glomerulopathy, or going toe-to-toe with North Side Independent School District to get services for kids with kidney disease and learning disabilities.

In 1979, he co-founded CAMP (Children's Association for Maximum Potential) when a patient named Matt with Eagle Barrett syndrome couldn't get into Lions Camp because he couldn't put on his own ankle braces. That organization now owns a 55-acre facility and serves over 1,000 children annually with year-round programs.

He's a retired Air Force Colonel, pediatric nephrologist, medical school professor, healthcare consultant, and advocate for children with special healthcare needs—the fastest-growing population in pediatric medicine. His defining moment came watching a Jerry Lewis telethon in the 1970s. A kid with cerebral palsy lit a fire inside him that's still burning at 81. "Medicine is not a shift," he tells medical students. "It's a profession, a way of life, an unforgiving mistress."

His 50th medical school reunion is this September.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

0:25 - Drafted by President Johnson in 1968

1:37 - Dream Job in Klamath National Forest

2:53 - How Military Service Led to Medicine

6:34 - Medical Students Cornered Him in a Kitchen

7:15 - "Medicine Chose Me"

7:32 - The Thread: Public Service & Teaching

10:50 - Writing a Residency Curriculum

13:31 - Becoming a Medical Expert Witness

14:14 - Co-Founding CAMP in 1979

16:26 - Advocating for Kids with Chronic Conditions

18:01 - Fighting Insurance Companies for Two Years

20:02 - Becoming Persona Non Grata with School Districts

21:40 - Children with Special Healthcare Needs: Fastest Growing Population

24:01 - Still Working at 81 Years Old

25:11 - A Typical Day: 5 AM to 6:30 PM

27:19 - Keeping Energy Up After 50 Years

28:21 - Eagle Scout, Two Eagle Scout Sons

30:00 - "This Is a Partnership"

30:57 - What Would You Change About Medicine?

32:31 - "Medicine Is Not a Shift"

33:23 - The Jerry Lewis Telethon Moment

34:13 - The Fire That's Still Burning

CONNECT WITH DR. FREDRICK McCURDY:

Hospital: Driscoll Children's Hospital, Kidney Center

Address: 3533 South Alameda Street, Corpus Christi, TX 78411

Phone: 361-694-4438 (direct) | 361-694-5000 (main hospital)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredrickmccurdymd/

Company: Training Doctor LLC (Owner)

Brian Serna started working at LifeLink in Santa Fe while putting himself through college—a six-year journey marked by his own raging substance abuse issue, an aggravated DWI arrest, and losing a close friend to suicide. Just eight months from his last bender, he began answering calls from families desperate to help loved ones with addiction. These women were different versions of his own mother, and their stories confronted him with the pain he'd caused his family.

That experience set him on a path to become one of the nation's leading addiction treatment experts, specializing in CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training)—the only evidence-based practice available to help families with a loved one struggling with addiction. Research shows CRAFT gets two-thirds of treatment-refusing individuals to actually walk through the door, yet most therapists have never heard of it.

Brian trained under Dr. Robert J. Meyers, a Vietnam veteran who created the CRAFT method at the University of New Mexico after watching his own mother struggle to help his father. Now Brian has trained behavioral health programs in over 20 states, five countries, and 16 tribal communities. He sits on Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's Council on Racial Justice, Senator Ben Ray Lujan's Mental Health Consortium, and co-authored a book chapter with Dr. Meyers himself.

The approach works by disrupting patterns—not through interventions, guilt, or shame, but by teaching families to identify what addiction does for their loved one and creating competing behaviors. Like the teenager smoking weed after school who started MMA training instead—developing new friends, new purpose, and reducing his use in half overnight.

Brian founded Serna Solutions in 2013, which now operates four locations across New Mexico, treating addiction, trauma, OCD, and more using evidence-based practices. His work challenges everything most people think they know about addiction treatment.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Introduction

1:01 - What is CRAFT and Why Most Therapists Don't Use It

3:15 - Why Traditional Interventions Don't Work

3:54 - Meeting Dr. Robert Myers at LifeLink Santa Fe

5:14 - The Stories That Changed Everything

6:26 - Eight Months from His Last Bender

7:41 - From Learning to Being Consumed

8:52 - The Woman with Rage: Early Client Story

10:27 - Stop Yelling, Stop Taking It Personally

11:38 - How CRAFT Works: Disrupting Addiction Patterns

14:17 - The MMA Story: Creating Competing Behaviors

17:14 - Marijuana Legalization: Net Positive or Making Things Worse?

18:31 - Working with Tribal Communities: Breaking Stereotypes

22:08 - Founding Serna Solutions in 2013

23:33 - Global Perspective: Ireland vs. Russia vs. Native Communities

25:29 - Rapid Fire: Motivational Interviewing in One Sentence

25:48 - Biggest Misconception About Addiction

26:29 - Scotland Training: The English They Spoke

26:46 - What Every Parent Should Know About Teen Substance Abuse

27:14 - Talking to Your Teen: Establish Credibility, Don't Freak Out

30:04 - The Fear of Being Too Lax

32:28 - Consequences Must Have a Way Back

33:46 - The Next Chapter: Online Learning Platform

CONNECT WITH BRIAN SERNA:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://sernasolutionsllc.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianserna/

Phone: (505) 333-0436

Main Office: 4001 Office Court Dr, Suite 201, Santa Fe, NM 87507

In this episode of the Trustcast Show, host Zane Myers talks with Paul K. Schrieffer, founding partner of P.K. Schrieffer LLP and the trial lawyer Lloyd's of London calls when massive concert cancellations or celebrity lawsuits explode. Paul shares inside details from the Michael Jackson "This Is It" tour insurance case, negotiating multi-million dollar ransom situations, deposing Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, and why his father's Nobel Prize-winning photographic memory runs in the family. He explains the reptile theory in litigation, why AI is changing insurance policy wording, and his philosophy on maintaining friendships with opposing counsel while destroying them in the courtroom.

What You'll Learn:

Michael Jackson's $17.5M insurance claim after death weeks before London residency

How he ordered the autopsy of Michael Jackson within 3 days

Settling for $2M after demand started over $100M - the "grandpa" negotiation

Judge later revealed: "I would have ruled in your favor completely"

Deposing Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's photographic memory

Ransom and kidnapping negotiations - how to bargain with captors

Serial kidnappers in the US and their psychological motivations

Nancy Guthrie case - current $1M ransom demand situation

Representing Universal Studios, NBC, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Foo Fighters

San Diego Padres stadium cancellation case

Cyber tech insurance and AI-related liability claims

Drafting AI exclusion clauses for London insurance policies

The reptile theory - how plaintiff's attorneys manipulate juries

Why he flips off opposing counsel Brian Panish in court (judge approved)

Bubble gum tactic - using emotions against opposing counsel

His father: John Robert Schrieffer, 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics

Courtroom vs arbitration - why he prefers juries

Opening offices in Orlando and Texas

"Chat under the bridge" strategy with opposing counsel

Why insurance defense lawyers aren't boring

Connect with Paul K. Schrieffer:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.pksllp.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-schrieffer-27427339/

Firm: P.K. Schrieffer LLP

Main Office: 2640 E Garvey Ave S, Suite 201, West Covina, CA 91791

Phone: 626-373-2444

California Bar #: 151358

Location: West Covina, California (Los Angeles area)

Education & Credentials:

J.D., Southwestern University School of Law (1990)

B.A., University of California at Santa Barbara

Member, American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)

AV Rated Preeminent 5.0/5 by Martindale Hubble

California Super Lawyer (2014-2020+)

Admitted to Bar of Supreme Court of the United States

Notable Cases:

Michael Jackson "This Is It" tour insurance (Lloyd's of London)

Taylor Swift, Madonna, Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon tour cancellations

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West depositions

NBC Universal, Universal Studios Hollywood

San Diego Padres Baseball Club

Airbnb, Postmates litigation

Multiple ransom/kidnapping negotiations

Family:

Father: John Robert Schrieffer (1931-2019), 1972 Nobel Prize in Physics for BCS theory of superconductivity

Charity Work:

Shoes That Fit, Serenity Infant Care Homes

Chapters:

00:02 - Introduction & Michael Jackson Case

01:10 - First 48 Hours After MJ's Death

02:37 - The Insurance Claim Strategy

06:08 - Autopsy and Exclusions

09:19 - Negotiating with "Grandpa"

11:39 - Judge's Revelation - Would Have Won

14:14 - Training Young Lawyers to Control Emotions

16:26 - The Bubble Gum Tactic

18:39 - Maintaining Friendships with Opposing Counsel

19:07 - Ransom Cases and Negotiations

20:33 - Nancy Guthrie $1M Ransom Situation

23:38 - How Ransom Negotiations Work

25:51 - Serial Kidnappers in the US

27:00 - Insurance vs Plaintiff Work Balance

28:11 - Cyber Tech and AI Insurance Claims

30:20 - AI Liability and Policy Drafting

32:19 - The Reptile Theory Explained

36:10 - Courtroom vs Arbitration Preference

37:01 - Kim Kardashian Deposition

43:48 - London vs LA for Trials

44:46 - Shoes That Fit Charity

45:35 - San Diego Padres Case

46:14 - Kanye West and Photographic Memory

48:20 - Expanding to Florida and Texas

49:07 - Finding and Training Associates

51:27 - Best Way to Contact

#PaulSchrieffer #MichaelJackson #LloydsOfLondon #InsuranceDefense #TrialLawyer #WestCovina #EntertainmentLaw #CyberInsurance #AILitigation #RansomNegotiation #KimKardashian #KanyeWest #TrustcastShow #ZaneMyers #NobelPrize #CaliforniaLawyer

and CEO of Dr. Contact Lens — a tech platform helping eye doctors keep more of their contact lens business and compete with online retailers.

Dr. Rhue shares how she built an Inc. 5000 company after losing $100,000 to failed developers, how her platform helps practices improve capture rates from 65% to over 90%, and why every professional is in sales whether they realize it or not.

They also discuss practice growth, entrepreneurship, women in tech, conference strategy, and building a business that can run without you.

Connect with Dr. Brianna Rhue:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannarhue

Company: https://drcontactlens.com

Instagram: @drcontactlens

Chapters: 00:03 - Introduction & The $200K Problem 03:00 - How Dr. Contact Lens Works 06:13 - The Industry Capture Rate Problem 09:09 - Checkout Easier Than Amazon 11:28 - Meeting Business Partner Jen Tabiza 13:46 - Building the App - First Attempts 15:01 - Why She Didn't Give Up 15:48 - Doug the Developer Patient 18:06 - Success Stories & Inc 5000 20:47 - $6,000 in Two Hours Story 23:06 - Competition & Copycats 25:45 - Running Two Businesses 28:14 - The Cow That Was a Sheep 30:11 - Everyone Is in Sales 31:55 - Vendor Booth Strategy

#DrBriannaRhue #DrContactLens #OptometryBusiness #EyeDoctor #ContactLenses #Inc5000 #FortLauderdale #WomenInTech #StartupStory #MedicalTechnology #PracticeGrowth #OnlineRetailers #TechPlatform #BicoastalBusiness #JenTabiza #OptometristEntrepreneur #TrustcastShow #ZaneMyers #SmallBusiness #SalesMindset

and CEO of Dr. Contact Lens — a tech platform helping eye doctors keep more of their contact lens business and compete with online retailers.

Dr. Rhue shares how she built an Inc. 5000 company after losing $100,000 to failed developers, how her platform helps practices improve capture rates from 65% to over 90%, and why every professional is in sales whether they realize it or not.

They also discuss practice growth, entrepreneurship, women in tech, conference strategy, and building a business that can run without you.

Connect with Dr. Brianna Rhue:

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannarhue

Company: https://drcontactlens.com

Instagram: @drcontactlens

Chapters: 00:03 - Introduction & The $200K Problem 03:00 - How Dr. Contact Lens Works 06:13 - The Industry Capture Rate Problem 09:09 - Checkout Easier Than Amazon 11:28 - Meeting Business Partner Jen Tabiza 13:46 - Building the App - First Attempts 15:01 - Why She Didn't Give Up 15:48 - Doug the Developer Patient 18:06 - Success Stories & Inc 5000 20:47 - $6,000 in Two Hours Story 23:06 - Competition & Copycats 25:45 - Running Two Businesses 28:14 - The Cow That Was a Sheep 30:11 - Everyone Is in Sales 31:55 - Vendor Booth Strategy

#DrBriannaRhue #DrContactLens #OptometryBusiness #EyeDoctor #ContactLenses #Inc5000 #FortLauderdale #WomenInTech #StartupStory #MedicalTechnology #PracticeGrowth #OnlineRetailers #TechPlatform #BicoastalBusiness #JenTabiza #OptometristEntrepreneur #TrustcastShow #ZaneMyers #SmallBusiness #SalesMindset

In this episode of the Trustcast Show, host Zane Myers talks with Candace Thompson, Founder & CEO of YeahYouToo - a Cleveland nonprofit connector covering 13 sectors of need. Candace shares her journey from working with forensic mental health patients declared incompetent to stand trial, through personal trauma (sexual abuse, domestic violence, addiction), to founding an organization that connects people to resources. She discusses medication experiments on patients, raising her siblings after her father's suicide, and breaking generational trauma through her Virtual Parent Rejuvenation Program.

What You'll Learn:

Working with forensic mental health patients incompetent to stand trial

Witnessing medication experiments on clients about to be released

The broken mental health system

Working with developmental disabilities

Why YeahYouToo was created - connecting scattered nonprofit resources

13 sectors: domestic violence, ageism, addiction, mental health, veterans, more

Candace's personal trauma: sexual abuse, domestic abuse, addiction, self-harm

Father's suicide in 2010, mother's alcohol addiction

Raising sister Hannah (17 years younger) - she graduates nursing school next year

Virtual Parent Rejuvenation Program - free, Saturdays 1-2pm EST

The PAUSE method for parents

"Female Felons with a Future" job fair - May 2026

Why "Yeah You Too" - inclusive help for everyone

Breaking generational trauma

Connect with YeahYouToo:

Website: https://yeahyoutoo.org

Founder: Candace Thompson, CDCA I, CHW, MHFA, QMHS

Parent Rejuvenation: Saturdays 1-2pm EST (FREE)

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Chapters:

00:48 - Incompetent to Stand Trial Work

03:07 - Medication Experiments

05:37 - Developmental Disabilities

06:52 - Founding YeahYouToo

12:17 - Personal Trauma Story

15:45 - Parent Rejuvenation Program

20:33 - The Pause Method

26:08 - Why "Yeah You Too"

#YeahYouToo #CandaceThompson #ClevelandNonprofit #TraumaSurvivor #TrustcastShow

In this powerful episode of the Trustcast Show, host Zane Myers sits down with Gary Miles, who spent 46 years as a trial lawyer and managing partner before realising the same perfectionism that made him successful was quietly destroying his life.

Gary ranked first in high school, college, and law school, clerked in federal court, and built Huesman, Jones and Miles, a firm he ran for three decades. But behind the success was crushing anxiety, sleepless Sunday nights, and 12 to 13 years as an active alcoholic before entering recovery.

Today, Gary lives in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and created The Free Lawyer Framework to help elite lawyers earning 300K plus break free from the External Authority Trap, measuring their worth by wins, compliments, and client approval instead of internal authority. He hosts The Free Lawyer Podcast with 400 plus episodes, authored Breaking Free, and coaches high achieving attorneys working 70 hour weeks while dreading Monday mornings.

What You’ll Learn

• Why Gary became a top student after being bullied as an overweight kid with thick glasses

• How caddying at Baltimore Country Club helped launch his legal career

• Following his older brother Gene Miles into law

• The moment in mid career when he realised he could not sleep at night

• Sunday nights filled with dread and how that became normal

• How perfectionism turns into obsession, fixating on outcomes over process

• Why law school’s competitive curve trains external validation

• The External Authority Trap, judging yourself by awards, compliments, and wins

• Winning 12 straight cases but living in fear of losing the next one

• The trap door feeling, if I lose, I fall through

• Why compliments are fleeting and anxiety becomes constant

• The internal shift that changed everything, was I prepared, did I do a good job, was I ready

• How he became a better trial lawyer when he stopped obsessing over winning and losing

• What happens in his 6 month coaching program for elite attorneys

• The assessment that reveals the real hurdles most lawyers cannot name

• How lawyers go from 70 hour weeks to 45 to 50 hours without results dropping

• The productivity system, planning the evening before and blocking two uninterrupted morning hours

• Starting the day with the one project you have been avoiding the longest

• The delegation problem, I can do it faster than training someone

• How becoming indispensable steals vacations, family time, and freedom

• The most common lies, I must be available 24 7 and if I lose this case, I am a loser

• 12 to 13 years as an active alcoholic and what recovery changed

• Irrational fear beyond trial anxiety and how it showed up in daily life

• His father getting sober three years before him and the change Gary witnessed

• Moving to Pinehurst, feeling both freedom and identity loss

• Coaching litigators to handle nasty attorneys by staying factual, not emotional

• Depositions with yelling attorneys, the louder he gets, the softer I make my voice

• Why most stress is self created, worrying about what you cannot control

• Why the most overrated advice is just work harder

• The book he recommends to every attorney, Everyday Legacy by Cody Schuen

• The question beneath everything, how do you want your kids to remember you

Connect with Gary Miles

• Website: https://www.garymiles.net

• Email: [email protected]

• LinkedIn: Gary Miles, The Free Lawyer

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:56 The Moment He Realised Perfectionism Was Destroying Him

02:01 Do Most Lawyers Experience This

02:42 Bullied Overweight Kid to Number 1 Student

04:15 When Did You Lose the Baby Fat

05:12 Caddying for a Lawyer at Baltimore Country Club

06:15 The Free Lawyer Framework External Authority Trap

07:45 Winning 12 Straight Cases But Living in Fear

09:08 What Happens in Session One of Coaching

10:36 From 70 Hour Weeks to 45 to 50 Without Results Dropping

12:51 Delegation The Perfectionism Problem

14:29 Most Common Lie Elite Attorneys Tell Themselves

15:36 Alcoholism and the Transformation

17:16 Did People Notice the Change

18:13 Moving to Pinehurst Freedom or Losing Identity

20:27 Transferring Joy to Practising Attorneys

22:49 Using Emotion Against Opposing Counsel

24:18 Rapid Fire First Thing Every Morning

24:34 Favourite Golf Course in Pinehurst

24:48 Most Overrated Advice Given to Lawyers

25:00 Book Every Attorney Should Read

25:42 Last Thing You and Son Buddy Disagreed About

27:12 Ellie and Dezi Who’s the Troublemaker

27:56 400 Plus Episodes of The Free Lawyer Podcast

29:11 Which Guest Changed Your Thinking

30:41 How to Contact Gary

31:12 Going Inactive from Practice

32:09 Goals for Consulting Practice

34:28 Efficiency vs Deeper Psychological Work

35:05 Growing the Practice

#LawyerCoaching #TrialLawyer #FreeLawyer #AttorneyBurnout #Perfectionism #LawyerWellness #LegalCareer #TrustcastShow

In this episode of the Trustcast Show, host Zane Myers sits down with Adam Wasserman, Managing Partner of Education Justice Law Group and co founder of ExamSoft, the bar exam software used in almost every state.

Adam’s story is remarkable. After being told he would never ride a bicycle, play a musical instrument, or graduate high school due to brain injury, ADHD, and dyslexia, he spent childhood labeled lazy and not capable. Today, he is a special education attorney who personally attends IEP meetings, has represented over 1,000 families across 150 California school districts, and helped build technology that supports millions of students.

What You’ll Learn

• The moment at age 22 when Zig Ziglar’s voice changed everything

• Growing up being told you are a Chevy Chevette instead of having potential

• The school psychologist who destroyed his faith in public education

• The silver haired former nun who said you will be my success story

• What meta consciousness is and how it helped him break through ADHD and dyslexia

• The metronome method 3.5 hours a day for 6 months that transformed his life

• How music and consistent rhythm taught him to stop thinking and start listening

• Developing ExamSoft after his typewriter broke during the bar exam

• Taking the LSAT from bottom 10 to 15th percentile to top 15th percentile

• The twin brother who became a doctor while others called Adam a failure

• Why he personally attends IEP meetings instead of delegating

• What an IEP is vs a 504 plan and why you should never accept a 504 as a consolation prize

• How special education law creates federal obligations for school districts

• Fee shifting statutes, when districts pay your attorney fees if you win

• Running a social justice law firm with sliding scale fees

• Compensatory education, getting funding for years of services the district did not provide

• What happens when a child reads at 2nd grade level in 11th grade

• Why Adam believes disabilities can become superpowers

• Studying philosophy in Jerusalem and awakening his spiritual antenna

• Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning and finding your why

• Chris Voss and connecting with people who will not listen

• Why Adam believes we all have a purpose bigger than consuming and acquiring

The Big Idea

• Winning in life is not about labels, it is about purpose

• When you connect to why you are here, usually through service to others, everything changes

• Adam’s disabilities became his superpower because they gave him empathy, drive, and insight to help families navigate a broken system

Connect with Adam Wasserman

Education Justice Law Group

• Website: https://www.educationjusticelaw.com

• Address: 26565 W Agoura Rd, Ste 200, Calabasas, CA 91302

Phone Numbers

• San Fernando Valley, LA and Ventura Counties: (818) 570 8024

• East and West Side of Los Angeles: (323) 677 5587

• Northern California and Central Coast: (831) 240 4415

• Statewide Toll Free and San Diego County: (833) 340 9164

Online

• LinkedIn: Adam Wasserman (educationjusticelawgroup)

• Avvo Profile: Adam Wasserman, Clients’ Choice Award 2022

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:03 Zig Ziglar You Can Be Anything You Want to Be

01:34 Meta Consciousness The First Ray of Sunlight

02:59 Born to Win What Does That Mean for People Like Us

03:52 I’ve Become Unstoppable

05:00 Growing Up with Brain Injury Teachers Who Gave Up

06:22 The School Psychologist Who Called Him a Chevy Chevette

08:11 The Silver Haired Nun You Will Be My Success Story

08:52 The Alter Ego Voice Block It Out and Keep Going

09:38 What Is Meta Consciousness Can Anyone Harness It

11:23 The Metronome 3.5 Hours a Day for 6 Months

14:11 How Discipline Emerged from ADD

16:16 Creating ExamSoft The Software That Changed Everything

17:33 The Bar Exam Typewriter Breaking His Mission Born

18:28 Were Your Parents Around to See This Transformation

19:08 Labels That Still Sting I’m 16 Still Getting Over Middle School

20:08 Your Disability Helped You Understand How to Help Everyone

22:07 People Who Said Adam You’re Gonna Be Great

22:33 The Twin Brother Called Dr Wasserman Since Age 8

23:16 What Is an IEP Meeting And Why You Can Bring a Lawyer

26:12 IEP vs Gen Ed The Suburban with 95,000 Miles

28:00 The Financial Side How Families with No Money Get Help

29:16 Fee Shifting Statute Districts Pay If You Win

29:39 You Saved My Child’s Life What That Feels Like

31:32 School Districts and Limited Resources

33:41 Rapid Fire IEP vs 504 Plan Which Do Parents Confuse More

36:36 Why You Should Never Take a 504 as a Consolation Prize

38:17 Favorite Thing Learned Studying Philosophy in Jerusalem

40:33 Chris Voss Connecting with People Who Won’t Listen

41:30 Closing

#SpecialEducation #ADHD #Dyslexia #LearningDisabilities #EducationLaw #IEP #TrustcastShow

In this episode of the Trustcast Show, host Zane Myers sits down with S. Reed Morgan, a trial lawyer with 48 years of experience taking on corporations like Exxon Mobil and winning.

Reed is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, a graduate and former staff member of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College, and the founder of Victory Alliance Partners Consulting, where he teaches trial lawyers his Persuade & Prevail Method for winning cases by understanding jury psychology.

What You’ll Learn

• Why verdicts are not decided by facts, but by how jurors understand the case

• The moment Reed realized trial advocacy requires training, not just talent

• How Trial Lawyers College changed everything for him after attending in 1998

• The psychology of persuasion and how to reach jurors at a deep emotional level

• Why lawyers must be truth tellers above all else

• How to blend storytelling with duty, breach, causation, and damages

• The 8 million dollar Exxon Mobil verdict involving benzene exposure and bladder cancer

• How company controlled medicine can fail workers when employers influence diagnosis

• Handling vicarious trauma when clients are dying or die during trial

• Fighting meritless defenses designed to deny rightful compensation

• When judges fight you harder than the defense and how to stay steady

• Why you must anchor jurors early in voir dire and opening statements

• The biggest mistake lawyers make in openings, avoiding the point

• Why most lawyers misunderstand juries and why categorising jurors backfires

• How focus groups with 150 to 175 people can shape strategy with useful data

• Reed’s jury selection philosophy, seek fair, even handed people, not ringers

Gerry Spence’s Legacy

• Reed reflects on Gerry Spence’s impact and the Trial Lawyers College approach to truth, humanity, and persuasion

• Gerry Spence passed away August 13, 2025

Connect with S. Reed Morgan

• Victory Alliance Partners Consulting: https://www.vapartnersconsulting.com

• Email: [email protected]

• LinkedIn: Reed Morgan (Victory Alliance Partners Consulting)

• Location: Comfort, Texas

Previous Firm, Of Counsel

• S. Reed Morgan, P.C. of counsel to Carlson Law Firm

• 413 8th Street, PO Box 38, Comfort, TX 78013

• Phone: (830) 995 2464

• Toll free: 1 888 808 6077

Qualifications

• Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1993)

• Licensed: Texas (1977), Louisiana (1976)

• Graduate and Former Staff Member: Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College

• Member: Texas Trial Lawyers Association, American Association of Justice, Western Trial Lawyers Association, Maritime Law Association of the United States

Practice Areas

• Personal Injury Trial Law

• Maritime Law (Jones Act, seaman injuries)

• Toxic Tort (benzene exposure, cancer cases)

• Railroad Workers (FELA)

• Oil and Gas Accidents

• Defective Products

• Medical Malpractice

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:57 Why Verdicts Aren’t Decided by Facts

03:48 The Parallels Between Trial Law and Copywriting

06:01 Interweaving Law with Storytelling

07:12 8 Million Exxon Mobil Verdict Bladder Cancer Case

10:21 Vicarious Trauma When Clients Die During Trial

11:57 Going Up Against Exxon’s Legal Team Repeatedly

12:31 It’s About Righting Wrongs Not Bragging

13:29 Overcoming Meritless Defenses

15:43 Connection Lost Resume

00:17 Unreasonable Defenses as Smoke Screens

01:43 When Judges Fight You Harder Than the Defense

02:42 Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College How He Got There

04:06 From Student to Staff Member

04:49 Rapid Fire Biggest Verdict You Can Talk About

05:31 Longest Trial 6 Week Houston Case Against 15 Oil Companies

06:24 Best Cross Examination Fifth Amendment Invoked

07:54 What Lawyers Get Wrong About Juries

08:48 Anchoring Jurors Early

09:52 Biggest Mistake in Opening Statements

10:53 Victory Alliance Partners The Passion Now

12:12 Focus Groups and Trial Consulting

14:11 Adding Different Perspectives to Case Strategy

15:51 Why Even Top Lawyers Misread Juries

18:16 What Most Lawyers Skip in Focus Groups

19:16 Jury Selection’s Huge Role

20:37 Final Message to Law Firms Unsure About Their Cases

21:35 How Long Will You Keep Doing This

#TrialLawyer #JuryPsychology #VictoryAlliance #PersonalInjury #ToxicTort #TrustcastShow

In this episode of the Trustcast Show, host Zane Myers sits down with C. Dunham Biles, founding partner of Biles Wilson, a boutique litigation firm in Texas that consistently outperforms teams 10 times their size.

From a 7 year immigration fight that reached the US Supreme Court, to defending Salt N Pepa in a trademark battle with DJ Spinderella, to protecting infrared camera trade secrets for defense contractors, Dunham proves you do not need 50 lawyers to win big cases.

You need strategy, relentless work ethic, and total devotion to clients.

What You’ll Learn

• How a 3rd grade letter to President Reagan set Dunham on a path to law at age 8

• Why he planned to become a lawyer in 4th grade and got married at 31 as planned

• The 7 year Farmers Branch immigration ordinance fight from district court to the Fifth Circuit to the US Supreme Court

• What it is like arguing before 15 Fifth Circuit judges in a U shaped room

• How the case helped lead to a Voting Rights Act victory creating Farmers Branch’s first Latino majority council district

• The moment Dunham knew it was time to leave Big Law and start his own firm

• How Big Law conflicts cost him a billionaire client and changed everything

• Writing a partnership agreement over a bottle of wine the same night with Jeremy Wilson

• Competing against 40 to 50 attorney teams with just 2 to 3 lawyers

• Why writing is the most underrated skill for trial lawyers because 99 percent of cases settle before trial

• The best mentor advice he ever got quit working for one person and observe multiple styles to find your own

• How a boutique firm stays profitable without becoming bureaucratic

• Why they will never grow beyond 20 lawyers

• Managing demanding clients while your mother is in the hospital

• Being a regular legal analyst on Fox News Radio and Houston morning news

• Breaking down Trump trials, the Daniel Perry verdict, and the Hunter Biden pardon in 3 minute TV segments

• Hosting Best of the Best podcast with partner Jeremy Wilson

• Joining the board of Greenway Technologies, a publicly traded energy tech company

• How board service changes the way you advise litigation clients

• Why lawyers are trained to be risk averse and why that can be a problem

• The cost of excellence missing events but being fully present when you are there

• Why success only lasts for a moment you have to prove yourself every day

The Core Philosophy

• Clients come first, always

• That means taking calls from the hospital when your mother is sick

• It means leaving funerals early

• It means working around the clock when a client calls 48 hours before a judgment hearing with no response filed

• It means making a multimillion dollar problem disappear through preparation and speed

The Human Cost

• Dunham shares the real trade offs behind high performance lawyering

• With kids now 30 and 29, one serving in the Navy on Whidbey Island, Washington, he admits balance was not perfect

• But when he was present, he was fully present

• It is an honest look at what excellence demands and what it can cost

Connect with C. Dunham Biles

• Website: https://www.bileswilson.com

• Main Phone: (214) 662 8456

• Dunham Direct: (972) 345 2626

• Fax: (214) 594 8844

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:46 3rd Grade Letter to Reagan Deciding to Become a Lawyer at Age 8

03:21 Learning Business at Boutique Firms vs Big Law Bureaucracy

05:26 How to Grow Without Becoming What You Left

06:19 Staying in Your Lane Litigation Only

08:18 Switching From High Tech Patents to Hip Hop Trademark Battles

10:27 The 7 Year Farmers Branch Immigration Fight

13:36 Arguing Before 15 Fifth Circuit Judges in a U Shaped Room

15:53 Voting Rights Act Victory First Latino Majority Council District

17:17 Leaving National Firm After Losing Billionaire Client to Conflicts

19:39 Writing Partnership Agreement Over Wine the Same Night

19:43 Where Clients and Winning Come First

22:13 Rapid Fire Courtroom vs Arbitration

22:26 Most Underrated Skill Writing 99 Percent of Cases Settle

23:18 Favorite Thing About Rockwall The Lake View

24:35 Professional Reader and Professional Writer

25:03 How Media Analyst Work Started

26:40 Breaking Down Trump, Daniel Perry, Hunter Biden in 3 Minutes

27:36 Starting Best of the Best Podcast with Jeremy Wilson

29:51 Joining Greenway Technologies Board After Saving Them From Multimillion Dollar Problem

31:07 How Board Service Changes Client Advice Beyond Risk Aversion

33:19 Why Board Composition Matters for Business Owners

35:34 25 Years of Partnership Do You Fight Like Brothers

37:19 Texas Super Lawyer 5 Plus Years What Are You Still Proving

38:32 The Cost of Excellence Balancing Family and Career

40:31 The Honest Truth Missing Events But Being Fully Present

41:19 Closing

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