The Jury Is Out

This groundbreaking litigation about defective baby formula causing catastrophic necrotizing enterocolitis in premature newborns pits marketing against medicine.

Plaintiff attorney Jake Plattenberger used innovative trial techniques to overcome key excluded evidence in a tragic design defect case.

Everyone said they couldn't win this case. But being the most prepared people in the room helped Dave Cates and Katie St. John secure a significant verdict in a difficult venue.

Attorney Dave Cates partnered with Tim Cronin on a recent product case where the judge ordered a new trial based on defense misconduct. We'll share the details and discuss how getting too deep in the weeds can actually save your case.

Now that you've built your case to include punitive damages, we'll discuss ways to turn your case into a cause and address punitive damages at each state of the trial.

In our continuing series on punitive damages, we explore the value of post-incident conduct and discuss powerful ways to frame your case.

How do you identify potential punitive damages in your case? We'll give examples on how to get creative and broaden your focus during discovery.

We believe punitive damages exist in almost every case. In the first episode of our series, we begin by exploring 3 fundamental truths about punitive damages.

Dissecting a $535 million verdict in sexual assault case Attorneys Tim Cronin, John G. Simon and Nathan Perlmutter discuss the strategies and approach they took to a case involving a 13-year-old victim of sexual assault that led to the one of the largest plaintiff's verdicts in Illinois history.

Our continuing discussion on legal research examines the strengths and weaknesses of AI and the importance of deep and complete human analysis of all research.

That search bar is not always your most efficient research tool. Expert law librarian and attorney MJ Voss explains how to build a research log that will help you refine your search and broaden your understanding.

Simon Law Firm Trial Attorney Patrick McPhail discusses how much you should reveal about the big issues in your case and how to prepare for rehabilitation efforts from opposing counsel.

Selecting jurors that are open to really hearing the facts of your case is the foundation of a winning trial strategy. Simon Law Firm Trial Attorney Patrick McPhail shares his insights on how to better engage with the jury panel in your next voir dire.

Artificial intelligence will not replace lawyers. It will replace the lawyers that don't know how to use AI. Part Two of our roundtable discussion highlights ways AI can make your practice 30-80% more efficient and introduces us to a fascinating new area of law…artificial intelligence litigation.

Software and AI have become a significant part of today's patent litigation landscape. Our round table of expert patent attorneys explains the ongoing impact of the 2014 Alice decision and examines the fuzzy lines of “significant advances” and “inventive concept” in current patent law.

Ed Herman discusses the power of brand affection in marketing. The firm's Emmy Award winning corporate videos, “Three Layers Eating Sandwiches” “Ed Versus” “Terry's Safety Squad” and others have been watched for over 1.8 million hours. That's a lot of name recognition!

Should business decisions in your firm be driven by data or experience or both? Ed Herman explains the nuts and bolts of growing a firm and the importance of intake.

As managing partner at St. Louis based Brown and Crouppen, Ed Herman has grown the firm by shrinking in strategic ways. Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about life and business with Ed and his son Brody.

School, clerkship, family and friends all demand your time and attention in law school. How can you create a successful balance between work, life and you?

How do you become a law clerk? The Simon Law Firm clerks explain the OCI (On Campus Interview) process and how it can help you find a rewarding career path.

The Simon Law Firm's clerks discuss what to expect in your clerkship, overcoming the fear of failure and tips on being a good clerk.

Class action trends are changing, and novel privacy and antitrust claims are on the rise. Join us as Jer Nixon outlines the power and purpose of class actions and how the protect individuals from exploitation.

In recent years, court rulings have made major changes to class action law. Simon Law Firm attorney Jer Nixon joins the podcast to discuss the requirements to file a class action case and the impact of arbitration clauses and class action waivers.

When you love what you do, you are already standing on a solid work/life balance that works for you. Listen as successful attorneys at different stages of their lives and careers reflect on what has helped them find that stability.

Three generations of attorneys discuss what it's like teetering on the factors that affect work/life balance, how it changes depending on your profession, what you're working on and the stage of your career.

When you are in trial, your support staff can and should be doing more than just ordering lunch. Hear how the Simon Law Firm staff handles logistics and builds valuable rapport with courtroom staff.

Does your support staff see the big picture or are they trapped in old ruts? The Simon Law Firm support team discusses the importance of empowerment, autonomy and trust when organizing details and logistics for trial.

Big trials are keeping our TJIO team away from the mic, so the support staff hijacked the podcast to share their insights on office dynamics. Learn how to improve your own office with candid comments from our paralegals and IT team members, and find out how you can help them help you.

Nitrous oxide is primarily used to make whipped cream, so why is it being sold in smoke shops? That's what Johnny Simon wanted to know…and his winning argument will help remove this insidious poison from many communities. Hear the dramatic trial story, the personal toll on the victim's family, and the landmark verdict in part two of our story.

This tragic death case was originally approached as a workplace safety issue. But when Johnny Simon heard the story, he took another approach….contending that the defendant was impaired while under the influence of nitrous oxide, which had been sold in a local smoke shop. By going after the nitrous oxide manufacturer with this novel approach, Johnny won one of the largest verdicts in Missouri history. Tune in as Johnny discusses his winning strategy.

In part two, we share our mentor's most impactful lessons and talk about the benefits of building long lasting relationships through mentorship. No matter if you are the mentor or the mentee, taking time to share experience and expertise elevates our profession.

Mentorship improves competence and confidence. John brings his daughter Attorney Mary Simonto the mic to discuss the power of mentorship for personal and professional growth.

We continue our discussion on jury nullification with examples we've encountered in recent cases and offer tips on how you can address possible nullification issues through argument, motions in limine or jury instructions. Our best advice is to keep your eyes open through every step of the case and be prepared to take up the issue with the court.

Can a jury render a verdict that is outside the law? And if so, can you encourage them to do so? We'll discuss the history of jury nullification, how some attorneys try to suggest that jurors can or should ignore evidence, and ways you can use voir dire to try to identify jurors who may consider nullification.

Management expert Angela Louis discusses the unique challenges facing plaintiff's firms and suggests key traits every successful office administrator should have. She also offers tips on how to continuously support the firm's “brand” of excellent work by putting long and short-term processes in place.

Are you spending more time running your firm than handling your cases? That's the tipping point when you should hand off those responsibilities to a qualified legal office manager. Angela Louis, the Simon Law Firm's award-winning Director of Administration, lends insight into this critical multi-tasking role.

We are seeing more deadlocked juries in which jurors refuse to discuss the facts of the case. Today's discussion addresses not only the legal implications of a refusal to engage in productive discourse and compromise, but the implications to our government's function if verdicts cannot be reached in the courtroom. What can we do?

Our final episode with Ferne Wolf of Silverstein Wolf covers your ethical obligations during document discovery, how to respond to a document dump and when to ask for documents in native form.

In Part Two of our discussion with Employment Law Attorney Ferne Wolf, we take an in-depth look at rule 30B6, issues regarding designating corporate witnesses and how to handle refusals to disclose insurance coverage.

Have you noticed more attorneys objecting to written discovery? Why? In this three-part discussion, Employment Law Attorney Ferne Wolf examines how the rules of professional conduct overlap with the civil rules regarding written discovery, and offers rules you can use to keep the process moving.

Are you satisfied when your firm is “good enough”? Professional development coach Elise Holtzman challenges you to strategically examine your workplace and your personality to improve your business, create more successful communication and develop the leadership skills you and your firm need to succeed.

Would you like to generate more business? Elise Holtzman is founder of The Lawyer's Edge, a leadership development firm that helps attorneys become more proactive about business development and career acceleration.

Koon v. Walden is still making an impact on opioid prescribing in America, but insurance companies and legislatures are putting higher hurdles in place to limit damages and restrict the patient's ability to have their day in court. In this update, Johnny Simon and Tim Cronin discuss the impact of the case on prescribing behavior, nationwide medical training, and potential opioid litigation.

In Episode Five of Results Don't Lie, defense experts take the stand. But a few things aren't adding up, and Tim and Johnny discover missing records that could derail the entire defense. Hear the stunning multi-million dollar verdict, the definitive appeal decision, and the positive impact this case made upon the American medical system.

What would you be thinking if you were on the jury when attorneys tried to blame an upstanding physician for his patient's opioid addiction? Johnny Simon and Tim Cronin knew they had to find an open-minded jury to consider their side of the story, and jury selection could make or break their case. Tune in for a discussion of their voir dire strategy and opening arguments in this landmark trial.

There are always two sides to the story, and in Koon v Walden, the other side came on strong. In this episode of Results Don't Lie, Johnny Simon and Tim Cronin challenge defense experts during deposition with the “dirt” they uncovered in their research. You'll also learn how specialized focus groups helped test and refine the plaintiff's case before trial.

How do you build a case against a hospital system and a doctor who you claim turned his patient into an opioid addict? The plaintiff's stories about how this growing opioid addiction shattered their lives are shocking, but are they powerful enough to overcome the doctor's defense?

When you get hurt, you go to a doctor. But what do you do when your doctor's prescriptions turn you into an opioid addict? Johnny Simon and Tim Cronin tried one of the first legal battles in America to hold physicians accountable for over-prescribing opioids. And they won. Johnny and Tim chronicled their trial story in a six-part podcast called Results Don't Lie and we're sharing it with you to explore the winning legal strategy behind trying opioid addiction cases from a med mal perspective.

Expert witnesses can make or break your case. Not only do they need to understand the facts of the case and the subject matter, but they must also clearly communicate their position to the jury. But you can't always count on credentials alone. In this encore presentation, Trial attorney Erica Slater of The Simon Law Firm joins John and Erich to discuss expert evaluation strategies that can help avoid surprises in the depo, trial, and invoice.

After 72 hours, most people remember about 10% of the information they hear, but 20% of what they see. And when we hear and see the same information, we retain 65%. John and Tim discuss the importance of using visuals in court with Simon Law Firm attorney Erica Slater and share some of the powerful demonstratives they have used to help win cases.

Marketing is more than billboards and blogs. Your own genuine interest in the people you interact with every day can be your most effective marketing tool. John and Erich discuss simple, low-cost ways to turn clients and colleagues into marketing opportunities for you and your firm.