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1. Why would a firm hire you rather than using someone in house?
Larger and more complicated cases take time, sometimes years to go to trial and law firms need to use existing in-house people in their areas of expertise. Most firms do not have one person with as broad a range of skills and trial experience as I offer. Top corporations and trial attorneys are now realizing how critically
important it is to have a single point person who is able to focus exclusively on project management and consulting. It is now apparent that parceling out different areas of responsibility piece meal pales by comparison and it is not the most effective use of in-house talent. Hiring an experienced trial specialist is more of a business approach to managing today’s larger cases. Forward thinkers
greatly appreciate the value! I will move the trial to another level of efficiency, preparation and presentation. The lead trial attorney emerges as more of a leader and the team members are better utilized.
2. Do your clients pay for your expenses?
Either the law firm absorbs the cost of my expenses (because they are marking up my time) or the corporation hires me directly, my time is not marked up and my expenses are passed through to the corporation. My expenses turn out to be surprisingly low. I am very careful to keep expenses at a minimum by booking airfare in advance and arranging for longer term accommodations. Having a trial specialist
reduces so many costs naturally, that my expenses end up being miniscule.
3. Isn’t it expensive for a firm or company to hire your services?
If I am hired by a law firm, my time is almost always marked up. Since I am not an employee of the firm, they do not pay for any benefits (vacation, over-time, insurance, 401K, retirement or payroll taxes, etc.). When the trial is over, I go away! They only pay for my services while they need them. I charge the same rate to
my clients whether they are a law firm or a corporation.
4. Have you ever heard of anyone else who does what you do?
I am not aware of anyone else who provides the same service. This is the good news / bad news scenario: I do not have any competition, but unless someone knows about me they will not know they need me. As unique as it is to the legal industry, it is interesting to see how quickly people realize the benefit of having someone in
this role. The demand is growing rapidly.
5. How do you get your jobs?
I get all of my business from referrals. There is no substitute for a satisfied client.
6. How did you get started as a trial specialist?
For ten years I worked for top trial attorneys at major law firms in Washington, DC. When I moved to Dallas, Texas, I continued working with people I had worked for in the past. My business has grown through excellent working relationships and word of mouth.
7. What has been your largest case?
My largest case was a multi-billon dollar trade secret case. There were 605 depositions taken and three million pages produced. There were 12,000 trial exhibits, 168 hearings and 80 timekeepers.
8. What kinds of legal cases have you worked?
Trade secret cases are probably my favorite. I also enjoy working on environmental, product liability, insurance, toxic torts and commercial cases.
9. Is there a lot of special security involved in trade secret cases?
Yes, a trade secret trial requires a variety of special security. I am accustomed to working within a framework that involves biometric access devices for doors and computers, secure servers, monitoring devices, sweeping secure areas, non-duplicating paper and encryption software.
10. You commute to work on trials from Dallas, Texas?
I commute to trials all over the United States. Since my home is centrally located in Dallas, Texas, commuting is easier.
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