Podcasts about leading lawyers

Dave Moore is a partner at Laner Muchin and the firm's Employment Litigation Department Co-Chair. While Dave spends much of his time defending employers in employment litigation of all shapes and sizes, he has focused much of his 20+ years as an employer lawyer on keeping employers out of the courtroom. Dave has been recognized among Illinois Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers in 2024 and 2025. Dave was also recognized by the National Law Journal as an Elite Trailblazer in 2022 for work with employers during the COVID-19 pandemic.Mentioned on the ShowConnect with Dave Moore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-moore-5b2b58aDave's profile at the Laner Muchin firm: https://www.lanermuchin.com/attorneys-david-mooreListen to the People Business episode with Cash Nickerson: https://peoplebusinesspodcast.com/cashnickerson/_______________________Connect with O'Brien McMahon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/obrienmcmahon/Learn more about O'Brien: https://obrienmcmahon.com/________________________Timestamps(00:00) – Welcome to People Business(00:17) – Introducing Dave Moore, employment attorney(04:37) – What are the most common employment legal issues? (08:59) – What are documentation best practices?(15:22) – How do employers navigate Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations? (21:11) – How do mental health ADA accommodations work?(25:41) – What risks are associated with terminating an employee and what are best practices for termination?(30:01) – When should a workplace contact their attorney?(32:43) – Role-playing difficult conversations with clients?(34:19) – Navigating remote and hybrid work policies(38:12) – Addressing employee relocation and “secondary” jobs(43:53) – Unionization: hearing whispers or is a campaign underway?(52:14) – Are governmental changes impacting employment law? What trends are ahead?(01:00:29) – Practical advice and closing thoughts

If you have zero clue what co-pay maximizers and/or co-pay accumulators are and the financial incentives involved for PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and plan sponsors here, after you're done listening to this episode, go back and listen to the show with Joey Dizenhouse (EP423). Also, the episode called “Game Theory Gone Wild” with Dea Belazi, PharmD, MPH (EP293). Both these shows could fill in some blanks. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. Here's the micro mini of the co-pay maximizer/accumulator deal. These are vehicles that are designed by vendors who are also sometimes called maximizers or sometimes they're also PBMs. But these programs are designed to get as much money out of Pharma as possible in the form of co-pay support. So, here's how the maximizers are supposed to maximize plan sponsors getting pharma money. Say, for some drug, the pharma company has, I don't know, $12,000 max in co-pay support available to patients in total per year. Pharma does always cap the dollars that are available for patients. So, in this hypothetical, $12k a year is available. What a forthright or well-run maximizer will do is figure out, you know, if there's $12k max available, then they'll set a co-pay—so there's variable co-pays for patients—so they'll set a patient co-pay of, like, $1000 a month, which adds up to $12k over 12 months of the year. Get it? Every single month, the patient has a $0 co-pay, but the plan maximizes the dollars that the plan gets. Or, you know, maybe they'll charge $1,025 a month so the patient has some small “skin in the game,” and the plan sponsor just banked $12k. Sounds great, right? Well, sure, when it works as promised … and we'll get to this in a moment. Accumulators, on the other hand, have no such “Hey, let's make sure the patient actually gets their meds” guardrails. They hear that the Pharma is offering $12k, and the accumulator vendor and their plan sponsor clients also are like, “Cool, let's get that money as fast as possible.” So, they make the co-pay for that drug, I don't know, like hypothetically $3000. Great, now the patient runs out of that co-pay money in May. And don't forget and/or let me inform you, for both maximizers and accumulators, dollars paid by the Pharma generally don't count to the plan deductible for the patient. So now, the patient walks into the pharmacy, if in an accumulator or in a poorly run maximizer program, they walk into the pharmacy in May and are told that if they want their drug, they're gonna need to pay the $3000 co-pay that was set out of pocket every month until they reach their deductible. With some of these co-pay maximizer/accumulator plans, the plan sponsor may be a little bit out of the loop relative to what is actually going on here. The plan sponsor may think that members are doing fine—you know, they're getting their drug every month—so they may be surprised to learn about this running out of money in May issue. And what is true more often than it's not true, this $3000 or whatever—hundreds or thousands of dollars—payment due co-pay, the patient learns about it at the pharmacy counter or while trying to get chemo. It comes as a complete surprise, the fact that they owe three grand or whatever. What patient just shrugs and pays up in that moment because they happen to have their entire deductible or thousands of dollars lying around and at the ready? What a shock to find this out at the pharmacy counter or at the infusion clinic. Some of these maximizer programs are also starting to veer back into accumulator zones, like they're doing things such as saying that the member must pay their out-of-pocket max or their deductible or 30% of the cost of the drug, right, like some number before the plan will allow the patient to use the co-pay reimbursement program to begin with. So, there's other things that are emerging right now, which, again, cause the patient to have a very, very large out of pocket in order for them to get a drug which they have been prescribed and—ostensibly, at least—need. Allegedly, and sometimes for sure, dollars raked in from Pharma make it across the PBM/maximizer, vendor, middleman trench all the way over to the plan sponsor. For sure, especially for the administrative only maximizer vendors … yeah, you're gonna have the dollars actually making it to the plan sponsor. But sometimes the vendor running these programs is paid spread, right? So, the more expensive the drug and the richer the co-pay card program, the more the vendor will make because they take a percentage of savings. So, the more expensive, the more savings, therefore, the more the vendor is gonna make. In these cases where the vendor is paid a spread, can I take Perverse Incentives for $600, Alex? Right? But in sum, again, there's a lot to this conversation with Bill Sarraille, so please do listen to the whole thing. Bill offers five main pieces of advice, so I'm just gonna cover them right here up front—spoiler alert, I guess, but just to keep them all in one place. 1. Look into what is going on with a maximizer and/or accumulator program. First of all, is the plan sponsor paying spread? And also, how are these programs being marketed to members and how aggressively? Because there are a lot of plan sponsors having way more negative impact than they suspect they are. So, that's point of advice #1: Really look into actually what is happening on the grounds with some of these programs. 2. Eliminate surprise. Any plan sponsor listening, and Brian Reid also says this very crisply in an episode a month or so ago (EP456). If a plan sponsor wants to do stuff like this—like force a patient to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket—if at any point during the year they are gonna wind up with thousands of dollars in co-pay or coinsurance to get their Crohn's disease med or cancer med or whatever, be really up front about this at least. It's really important if we really want to make sure that patients are taking maintenance meds and getting the medications that they're prepared for the reality that, at a certain point during the year, they are going to have a really big bill. 3. There is legal risk here. So also, Bill's advice is check into whether accumulators and/or maximizers are unlawful under the ACA (Affordable Care Act) and/or by deceptive practices rules when maximizers or accumulators are teed up as a benefit. And it, again (reference point of advice #2), it's not explained that dollars they get from Pharma will be taken by the plan and not applied to the patient deductible. I was just reading about the crazy aggressive marketing tactics that some of these vendors are using to get members to sign up and … yeah, definitely look into deceptive practice rules. 4. If it's utilization management that we're trying to achieve here, then your utilization manager should be utilization managing. These maximizers are not meant to impact utilization management. Patients really cannot differentiate, as per study after study, it's very difficult for patients to differentiate high-value from low-value care or meds. So, pretty much the impact of having a patient with thousands or hundreds of dollars of out-of-pocket spend to get a med isn't going to be to ensure that the right people are taking the right med. Point is, use the right tool for the right job. So, if we're trying to keep patients away from low-value meds, the tool for that is utilization management. Also be aware, if the PBM says it cannot do utilization management or you'll lose your rebates and/or is pushing into a maximizer accumulator program to do this instead, that's kind of a clue that they cannot do it because they are taking money from Pharma to not have any restrictions on a drug. Read the article in the New York Times (you're welcome) about how PBMs took secret payments for the free flow of opioids, and Chris Crawford also talks about this sort of same-ish thing in an upcoming show relative to GLP-1s. But if you're trying to do utilization management, then do utilization management. 5. Use our understanding of this whole goings-on as a rationale or a way to tamp down perverse incentives. We want to wind up with patients getting charged a percentage of net prices, not a percentage of some wildly inflated list price with this whole accumulator maximizer contributing to, you know, just more wildly inflated list prices so the co-pay programs can be bigger and someone can make even more money off of the percentage of savings. And plan sponsors addicted to rebates now have another bucket of cash. Like, this is just another example of how perverse incentives pervade the system. And we should certainly be aware of that. Bill Sarraille was a healthcare attorney for many years. He retired from his law firm on the first of last year, and now he's doing the things he wanted to do before but couldn't because his billable rate was too high. Bill is teaching at the University of Maryland Law School and doing some regulatory consulting, etc. He's working with a variety of patient groups. Also mentioned in this episode are University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law; Joey Dizenhouse; Dea Belazi, PharmD, MPH; Brian Reid; Chris Crawford; Marilyn Bartlett; Scott Haas; Paul Holmes; and Tom Nash. You can learn more at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and by following Bill on LinkedIn. You can also sign up for his Substack.   Bill Sarraille is a professor of practice at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, a regulatory consultant, and a retired senior member of the Healthcare Practice group at Sidley Austin LLP. Bill is a nationally recognized expert in healthcare, life sciences, drugs, medical devices, and patient access to treatments. He is widely known for his expertise in a broad array of healthcare matters, including rare disease treatment access barriers, pharmaceutical pricing, Anti-Kickback Law compliance, the 340B program, and managed care and PBM issues. During his years practicing law, Bill was recognized repeatedly by The Best Lawyers in America in both healthcare law and administrative law. He was also consistently listed as a leader in the field of healthcare law in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Bill also serves as the general counsel of the charity the Pharmaceutical Coalition for Patient Access, as an advisor to multiple patient advocacy groups on patient access issues, a compliance advisor to a coinsurance patient assistance foundation, and as the director of a rare disease society and Kalderos, Inc., a health IT firm with a focus on effectuating pharmaceutical discounts and rebates.   09:31 What should plan sponsors be aware of right now? 14:01 What is the justification for maximizers, and why is this at odds with the purpose of insurance? 18:05 Where does the issue of “fairness” land within cost containment? 20:00 Brian Reid's LinkedIn post on insurance company access challenges. 21:30 What are the real legal issues presented by some of these co-pay maximizers and co-pay accumulator programs? 27:06 How are these programs creating perverse incentives? 29:28 EP450 with Marilyn Bartlett, CPA, CGMA, CMA, CFM. 32:16 “If you're covered by the ACA, I think this is unlawful.” 32:57 What advice does Bill have in regard to these programs? 33:49 What potential litigations does Bill see coming in the near future in regard to these co-pay maximizers and co-pay accumulator programs? 38:38 EP365 with Scott Haas. 38:45 EP397 with Paul Holmes.   You can learn more at University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and by following Bill on LinkedIn. You can also sign up for his Substack.   @HCLAWComment discusses #costcontainment on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #pharma #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Stacey Richter (INBW41), Andreas Mang (Encore! EP419), Dr Komal Bajaj, Cynthia Fisher, Stacey Richter (INBW40), Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams (Encore! EP418), Rob Andrews (Encore! EP415), Brian Reid, Dr Beau Raymond, Brendan Keeler  

This week on the podcast we interview Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo (https://hamiltonwingo.com/).   Rate and review GTP on iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review.   View/Download Trial Documents   Guest Bio: Chris Hamilton Chris Hamilton is one of the country's leading high-stakes trial lawyers. He has won record-setting verdicts and settlements in catastrophic personal injury cases, wrongful death lawsuits, and complex business disputes. Chris chooses to work on cases where he knows he can make a game-changing difference by relying on his methodical preparation and truly extraordinary trial skills. He takes great pride when lawyers and clients trust him to handle the most important cases of their careers or lives. In 2022, Chris won a historic $7.37 billion jury verdict in Dallas, Texas, which was the year's largest verdict nationwide and 4th largest personal injury award in U.S. history against a corporation. His nearly two decades of experience taking on negligence, fraud, and abuse by big businesses includes Chris' work alongside the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in a ground-breaking federal False Claims Act case. The $25 million settlement in 2021 directly against a private equity firm and a group of healthcare industry executives is the largest of its kind. Chris has been featured in Courtroom View Network's (CVN) list of the Most Impressive Trials of 2019, and his multibillion-dollar victory in 2022 topped CVN's list of the Most Impressive Plaintiffs Verdicts of 2022. The Dallas Business Journal recognized Chris for winning Texas' largest personal injury verdict in 2014, ranked as the nation's 17th largest. In addition, he was recognized by Top Verdict in 2016 for Texas' 9th largest personal injury verdict. Verdict Search noted him in 2011 for one of the state's Top 10 and Top 100 verdicts in the U.S. Chris has been repeatedly recognized for his expertise in personal injury trials by other attorneys in the annual list of The Best Lawyers in Dallas by D Magazine, The Best Lawyers in America, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, Texas Super Lawyers, and National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Attorneys, and is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) and the Leader's Forum for the American Association for Justice. Chris' cases have been featured in numerous media outlets, including Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNN, Texas Lawyer, Dallas Business Journal, Law360, The Dallas Morning News, Texas Lawbook, The Houston Chronicle, and The Austin-American Statesman, and numerous local television reports and print news stories nationwide. Chris earned the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year honor in 2017 from the American Association for Justice for representing hundreds of people unlawfully detained at DFW Airport during the travel ban. Chris, a fluent Spanish speaker, is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Texas Trial Lawyers Association. Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

It is important to have a lawyer assist with a separation agreement to safeguard your legal rights, including the right to honest financial disclosure from the other party. Most couples choose a no-fault divorce, which allows them to end their marriage without proving any wrongdoing. However, factors such as career choices, parenting differences, division of household labor, relationships with family and friends, finances, and health choices can still lead to conflict. According to a Forbes Advisor survey, the most significant conflicts for divorced couples were career choices (46%) and parenting differences (43%).   Jonathan D. Steele has had a successful legal career, starting at Nadler, Pritikin & Mirabelli LLC, and later moving to Beermann LLP. He has been recognized as a Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine, an honor given to less than 2.5% of attorneys under 40 in the state. He has also been designated as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers magazine, an accolade given to fewer than 2% of Illinois attorneys annually. This recognition underscores his expertise in family law and his exceptional professional achievement. In addition to his courtroom successes, Jonathan possesses a strong understanding of the Illinois Supreme Court rules and the Rules of Civil Procedure, as well as technical proficiency in legal practice that equips him to handle complex legal challenges. His areas of expertise include advanced trial advocacy, a deep understanding of the rules of evidence, and specialized knowledge in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, Domestic Violence Act, and the Stalking No Contact Order Act. Jonathan places a high priority on the privacy and security of his clients, integrating cutting-edge digital protection strategies to safeguard sensitive information—a critical asset in today's interconnected world. Outside the courtroom, Jonathan is committed to community service, offering pro bono legal aid through JUF Community Legal Services and contributing to medical research initiatives as a board member of the Medical Research Junior Board Foundation at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.   Transitioning from law to cybersecurity, Jonathan has spent years researching all aspects of cybersecurity and privacy. He has become well-versed in the Sophos ecosystem, setting up MDM solutions across a fleet of iOS devices, configuring next-gen enterprise-grade Sophos XG firewalls for home use, and setting up Synology NAS solutions for self-hosting calendar solutions, surveillance systems, photo storage, and video hosting. He is proficient in ZTNA and VPN setup and configuration, end-to-end encrypted solutions, privacy-respecting software and hardware solutions, and compartmentalization strategies. His expertise also extends to multifactor authentication, setup and management of self-hosted IDP solutions, custom DNS filtering and configuration, website setup, configuration, security and management, and macOS, Windows, iOS setup and configuration to enhance security and privacy. He joined me this week to tell me more.   For more information, visit: https://www.steelefamlaw.com/

This week, we're replaying a classic episode where Steve and Yvonne interview Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo LLP (https://hamiltonwingo.com/).   Rate and review GTP on iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review.   View/Download Trial Documents   Case Details: Discussing a landmark premises liability case, trial lawyer and Hamilton Wingo LLP partner Chris Hamilton explains how he held McDonald's responsible for ongoing lack of security and secured justice for the families of Texas A&M college students Denton Ward and Lauren Crisp, who died following a late-night trip to a McDonald's in College Station, Texas. In February 2012, Denton Ward and Lauren Crisp, along with Samantha Bean and another friend, went to McDonald's, where Denton Ward was violently assaulted by Marcus Jones and a mob of other attackers. Lauren Crisp and Samantha Bean carried a bleeding Denton Ward to his SUV in an attempt to get him to the hospital. The driver, Samantha Bean, ran a red light and collided with another car. Denton Ward was killed and Lauren Crisp, who was unrestrained and tending to Denton Ward's injuries, was also killed. Despite the defense's attempts to shift focus away from McDonald's ongoing lack of concern for customer safety at a restaurant location with a history of late-night violence and to blame Samantha Bean for reckless driving, a Brazos County, Texas jury assigned 97 percent of the responsibility to McDonald's and returned a verdict of $27,000,000 in damages.   Guest Bio: Chris Hamilton Chris Hamilton has established himself as one of the leading high-stakes trial lawyers in the United States. Hamilton has a recent track record of verdicts and settlements that are setting the mark in both the personal injury arena and in complex business disputes. For example, Hamilton was recently featured in Courtroom View Network's (CVN) list of Most Impressive Trials of 2019. In 2014, Hamilton was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as having the largest jury verdict in Texas for a personal injury case and the 17th largest jury verdict in the United States. In 2016, Hamilton was recognized by Top Verdict as having the ninth-largest personal injury verdict in Texas. Hamilton was recognized in 2011 by Verdict Search as having one of the top 10 verdicts in Texas and top 100 verdicts in the United States. Hamilton was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2019, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America for 2020, and is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

When Conal Doyle started his plaintiff's practice, he faced long odds and daunting obstacles.  But as one born without one of his legs who went on to become a ski racer, long odds and obstacles were nothing new to Conal.  Join Ben and Rahul for their discussion with Conal about how he bet on himself and his clients time and again, achieved monumental verdicts and changes to the legal system on his way to becoming one of California's most successful trial lawyers.     About Conal Doylehttps://conaldoylelaw.com/ Conal Doyle is an award-winning trial lawyer who has received national recognition for his courtroom victories that have had broad reaching impact on society. He is one of the few attorneys in history to argue before the United States Supreme Court and obtain multiple seven and eight figure jury verdicts.His international human rights victory in Castaneda v. United States was a catalyst for the reform of the United States immigration healthcare system, and garnered widespread acclaim from his peers, legal publications and the international media.For example, he received the 2012 California Lawyer of the Year (CLAY) Award in Human Rights, and the 2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA). He has been listed in both Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers for the past ten consecutive years, and his courtroom victories have been chronicled in newspapers around the world, including a piece on the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes.”Conal's reputation as one of the finest trial attorneys in America was further cemented with two stunning back-to-back verdicts in Kern County, California, one of California's most “conservative” jurisdictions.In December 2013, Conal obtained as lead trial counsel a $26.8 million medical malpractice jury verdict in McKnight v. Spain. This result was the largest medical malpractice verdict in County history and was recognized by The Daily Journal as a Top 10 Verdict in California for 2013. The National Law Journal recognized the verdict as a Top 100 Verdict nationally and the Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAOC) named him a Finalist for the 2014 Consumer Attorney of the Year Award. The highest pre-trial offer by the defense was $300,000.In March 2014, Conal obtained as lead trial counsel a $3.8 million jury verdict in Doe v. Jack In The Box. In this premises liability case, the highest pre-trial offer was $200,000.The foundation of this success is a passion for justice and a commitment to client service. Conal was born without his right leg, and like many of his clients, has overcome great obstacles and endured daily struggles. These experiences provide him a unique insight into his clients' challenges and help him guide his clients through difficult times.Conal's personal experience has led him to focus on the representation of amputees in both first party bad faith and personal injury claims.  The Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) honored Conal as the 2020 Street Fighter of the Year for his work on behalf of amputees in Trujillo v. United Healthcare, a national ERISA health insurance class action.  The case required the nation's largest health insurer to change its claims practices and reprocess claims related to the denial of prosthetic devices to amputees.  Conal is also prosecuting two other class actions for wrongful denial of prosthetics-against Anthem and Blue Shield of California, among numerous individual bad faith claims for wrongful denial of prosthetics.Conal is well known as an advocate for amputees in injury and bad faith insurance claims. His article, “Glimpsing the Future for an Amputee,” is used as a guide for litigating limb loss cases by attorneys across the country.Conal has never backed down from a challenge or started a fight that he couldn't finish. When he isn't challenging corporate giants in the courtroom, Conal enjoys skiing the Rockies, a remnant from his past as an alpine ski racer. Honors & Awards2020 Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAOC) Street Fighter of the Year Award2014 Finalist-Consumer Attorney of the Year-Consumer Attorneys Association of California (CAOC)The National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts, 2013The Daily Journal Top 10 Verdicts, 20132012 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award2011 Trial Lawyer of the Year-Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA)2011 Attorney of the Year-The RecorderThe Best Lawyers in America, 2012 – PresentFinalist-2011 CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year2011 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in AmericaThe National Trial Lawyers Association Top 100, 2008 – PresentThe Daily Journal – Top 20 Under 40 in California, 2010Super Lawyers-Southern California Superlawyer, 2012 – PresentThe Daily Journal – Top 10 Verdicts, 2010Martindale Hubbell – AV Rating, 2007 – PresentSan Francisco Trial Lawyers Association – 2011 Civil Justice AwardThe National Law Journal-Appellate Lawyer of the Week, 20102011 Public Justice Achievement Award-Public Justice Foundation Public ServiceConal devotes a significant portion of his practice to public interest work and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Public Justice Foundation, a non-profit public interest law firm. Mr. Doyle frequently acts as “lead cooperating counsel” on cases with Public Justice, where he donates a portion of his fees as a pro bono contribution to the organization. Prior Work HistoryConal comes from a “big firm” background, where he served as a trial attorney for six years at one of Florida's largest and most respected law firms. Conal won his first federal jury trial in a civil rights excessive force case at age twenty-seven. By age thirty-one, he was lead trial counsel of an eleven-hundred-member law enforcement agency, where he litigated civil rights, torts, class actions, and employment cases.Conal participated in a dozen jury trials as a defense attorney, winning eleven of them. His jury trial experience includes cases involving medical malpractice, breach of contract, insurance coverage, premises liability, negligent security, 42 U.S.C. 1983 civil rights violations, excessive force, false arrest, automobile negligence, traumatic brain injury, wrongful death, and employment law. PersonalMr. Doyle is a right leg amputee. He is an avid alpine skier and has competed in Giant Slalom and Slalom alpine races against the best disabled athletes in the world, including the U.S. Ski Team, Canadian Ski Team, and Australian Ski Team. He is a former member of the Board of Directors (1998-2002) of Self-Reliance, Inc. and is active in community efforts to improve the lifestyles of Americans with disabilities. He regularly draws on his unique life experiences in representing clients who have sustained significant injuries or have suffered discrimination due to their disabilities. Public SpeakingMr. Doyle is a frequent lecturer and author on the topics of civil trial practice, civil rights, and personal injury litigation at law schools, Continuing Legal Education seminars, and the FBI NAA National Convention, where he has been recognized as an expert in civil rights litigation. He has also been quoted and featured frequently in national newspapers, radio, and television regarding constitutional law issues and civil rights. Bar AdmissionsCalifornia, 2003Florida, 1997New York, 2006District of Columbia, 2006U.S. Supreme CourtU.S. Court of Appeals 11th CircuitU.S. Court of Appeals 9th CircuitU.S. District Court Central District of CaliforniaU.S. District Court Middle District of FloridaU.S. District Court Eastern District of CaliforniaU.S. District Court Southern District of CaliforniaU.S. District Court Northern District of California EducationFlorida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, FloridaJuris Doctor cum laude – May 1997Book Awards: Trial Practice, Litigation SeminarFlorida House of Representatives-Legislative Internship/ScholarshipFlorida Bar Scholarship-Top 10 Law Students in State 1996Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, FloridaFirst Year of Law School – 1994Class Rank: 1/159West's Outstanding Scholar Award-#1 ranked first year law studentBook Award-TortsBook Award-Civil ProcedureBook Award-Criminal LawEckerd College, St. Petersburg, FloridaB.A. – 1993

With 37 verdicts of more than a million dollars, few lawyers in America can match the track record of success of New York trial lawyer Judy Livingston.  What's more, many of Judy's verdicts came at a time when few women were trial lawyers.  Join Ben and Rahul for their in-depth interview with Judy in which they explore the sources of the courage and fortitude that fueled her success.  Judy shares accounts of her early trial practice, where she literally had to create a new mold as a woman in the courtroom.  Judy discusses her approach to trying complex medical malpractice cases and connecting with a jury.  She talks about juggling life and the demands of raising a family with a husband who, like her, is a renowned trial lawyer.  If you are a trial lawyer or aspire to be, there is no way you can listen to this episode without feeling inspired.  About Judy LivingstonTop Personal Injury Attorneys | Kramer Dillof Livingston & Moore (kdlm.com) Judith A. Livingston has long been one of the most successful plaintiff's attorneys in the United States. Reserved, methodical and precise, Ms. Livingston has been called “A Legal Legend” by Law Dragon and named one of “The 50 most influential women lawyers in America” by New York magazine. She has been a partner at the law firm of Kramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore since 1989. Ms. Livingston has won 37 trials with verdicts in excess of $1 million and has negotiated hundreds of settlements that have resulted in payments to her clients of almost a half-billion dollars. She specializes in medical malpractice and personal injury cases. Ms. Livingston is the current President of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group limited to 100 of the best plaintiff lawyers in the United States who possess exceptional qualifications, are experienced and skillful in the handling of courtroom litigation, and who are respected among their peers. She was the first female, and youngest member invited to be a part of this prestigious organization. Judith A. Livingston has the distinction of being named in Best Lawyers magazine for 2011 and 2013 as the New York Medical Malpractice “Lawyer of the Year.” She was cited by the National Law Journal as one of “40 lawyers who have made their mark in the area of health care law,” and she has been listed yearly by New York magazine and Super Lawyers magazine as one of the best lawyers in New York. New York magazine also cited her as one of “the 50 most influential women lawyers in America.” And in every listing, since Lawdragon began recognizing the top 500 lawyers in the United States, Ms. Livingston has been selected as one of the country's top lawyers. In 2022, Judith was inducted into the Maurice A. Deane School of Law Hall of Fame at Hofstra University. Hofstra Law established the Hall of Fame “to honor alumni whose exemplary careers and extraordinary service to the betterment of society have significantly impacted the Hofstra Law community and beyond.” She received the Presidential Medal from Hofstra University and the Fordham Founder's Award in 2014. The former is awarded to “distinguished persons in recognition of outstanding career achievement and professional leadership.” The latter “recognizes individuals whose personal and professional lives reflect the highest aspirations of the University's defining traditions, as an institution dedicated to wisdom and learning in the service of others." A fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, Judith Livingston has participated nationally in lectures and seminars on subjects ranging from trial strategy to women in the courtroom. Ms. Livingston sits on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. She is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers; the International Society of Barristers; the Bar Association of the City of New York; the American Association of Justice, and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. From 2006 through 2009, Ms. Livingston was co-president of the Judges and Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert (JALBCA.) She continues on the JALBCA Board of Directors, helping to educate women in the fight against breast cancer. Judith A. Livingston graduated from The State University of New York, Stony Brook, with high honors; and from Hofstra University School of Law in 1979, where she received a J.D. degree and an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 1998. In 2014, Ms. Livingston gave the Commencement address at Hofstra University School of Law, the second time she was given that honor. Bar AdmissionsNew York, 1979 EducationJuris Doctor (J.D.), Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York, 1979Honorary Doctor of Laws, Hofstra University School of Law, Hempstead, New York, 1998Honorary Degree, Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York, 2015Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude, Honors: With High Honors(B.A.), State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, 1976 Honors, Awards and Special RecognitionsMaurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University: Inducted into the Hall of Fame, 2022Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Women in Law, Champions of Justice, 2019Citizen's Union: “Gotham Great” Honoree, October, 2017, Gotham Great: “Honoring outstanding leaders who enhance the vitality of New York City.”Feerick Center For Social Justice: “Spirit Of Hope Award”, October, 2016, “Honoring individuals who have dedicated themselves to service and justice.”Hofstra Law School: “Outstanding Women In The Law” Award, April, 2016Hofstra University: Alumnus of The Year, September, 2015Fordham University: “Fordham Founder's Award”, May, 2014, “The highest honor conferred by the University, in recognition of individuals whose personal and professional lives reflect the highest aspirations of the University's defining traditions, as an institution dedicated to wisdom and learning in the service of others.”Hofstra University: “Presidential Medal”, May, 2014, “The highest honor conferred by the University, awarded to distinguished persons in recognition of outstanding career achievement and professional leadership.”Brooklyn A Legal Services Corporation: “Champion Of Justice Award”, November, 2010United Cerebral Palsy – “Women Who Care” Award, May, 2009Best Lawyers®: “Lawyer of The Year”, 2011 and 2013Listed in Best Lawyers in America©, 1993 – presentHofstra University, “Allan Tod Gittleson Society – Inaugural Member”, June, 2013National Law Journal: “Profiles In Power: The 50 Most Influential Women Lawyers”LawDragon Magazine, Named one of the “Top 500 Lawyers In The United States” annually since the inception of the listing (from 2007 through 2017)LawDragon 500, “The Hall of Fame”, November 2015, “To commemorate the 50 lawyers who have made the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America each year it has been published.”Super Lawyers®, Named to the Top 10 New York – Metro Lawyers 2020-presentSuper Lawyers®, Named one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in New York annuallySuper Lawyers®, Named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in New York on an annual basisJudges And Lawyers Breast Cancer Alert – “JALBCA” Leadership Achievement Award, May, 2008NYSTLA, “Civil Justice Honor 2006 Award”, June, 2006United Jewish Appeal – Trial Lawyer's Division “Outstanding Leadership And Contributions On Behalf of The Legal Community And All Humanity” Award, April, 1996Hofstra Law School – Dean's Award For Distinguished Alumnus, November, 1995 Professional Associations and MembershipsInner Circle of Advocates, President, 2022Inner Circle of Advocates, Vice President, 2020 – 2022International Academy of Trial Lawyers, FellowNew York State Trial Lawyers Association, Board of DirectorsAmerican College of Trial Lawyers, MemberInternational Society of Barristers, MemberBar Association of the City of New York, MemberAmerican Association of Justice, Member Pro Bono ActivitiesJudges and Lawyers Breast Cancer (JALBCA), Board Member and Past PresidentNew York State Continuing Legal Education BoardGovernor's Second Judicial Department Screening CommissionAmerican College of Trial Lawyers, New York Downstate Committee Location: New York, New YorkServing all five Boroughs of New York City, Long Island and Westchester County 

In the battle against climate change, litigation has emerged as a potent tool, compelling governments and corporations to confront their environmental responsibilities head-on. "Why Climate Change Litigation Matters?" explores the rising trend of legal actions being taken to address the urgent crisis of our warming planet. Our HostAjay ShamdasaniAjay is a veteran writer, editor and researcher based in Hong Kong. He holds an AB in history and government from Ripon College, JD and MIPCT degrees from the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce Law School, and an LLM in financial regulation from the Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law.His 15-year long career as a financial and legal journalist began as deputy editor of A Plus magazine – the journal of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. From there, he assumed the helm of Macau Business magazine as its editor-in-chief, and later, joined Asialaw magazine as its deputy editor.More recently, he spent close to seven years as a senior correspondent with Thomson Reuters' subscription-based trade-wire service Regulatory Intelligence/Compliance Complete (previously called Complinet) in Hong Kong. While there, he covered regulatory developments in that city, as well as Singapore, India and South Korea.Our GuestJohn B. QuinnJohn B. Quinn has been named by Bloomberg the “most famous practicing lawyer in the world” at large law firms and described by American Lawyer as a “master strategist.” He was identified as a “Legal Legend” in the 10th Anniversary edition of the Lawdragon: The 500 Leading Lawyers in America.  Some of the victories in Mr. Quinn's storied career include: winning $176 million as lead trial counsel for Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and his companies in an arbitration against Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. and its CEO Dr. Henry Ji; obtaining a $295 million jury verdict for two former Bertelsmann AG executives against Bertelsmann AG; defending Samsung Electronics Company in Apple Inc.'s “holy war” against the Android smartphone operating system where, after a trial held in Apple's backyard, the jury awarded less than 5.5% of the amount Apple sought and decided that Apple itself infringed one of Samsung's counterclaim patents; and obtaining a $2.1 billion settlement for two dozen hedge fund plaintiffs—including Elliott, Davidson-Kempner, Appalloosa, and Angelo Gordon—as holders of Yosemite and Enron Credit-Linked (ECLN) Notes in the Yosemite v. Citibank action in the Enron MDL.

Chris Nyberg's law practice focuses on transactional and commercial matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and complex commercial transactions for start-up and mid-market companies in technology, food, beverage and agribusiness, healthcare and other regulated industries. He has broad experience with a range of private equity, venture capital and other institutional investments as well as complex acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, minority investments, and cross-border transactions. In addition to transactional work, Chris's experience includes advising clients on all aspects of their corporate and commercial arrangements, including reorganizations and other corporate restructurings, as well as assisting with their corporate governance. Chris also regularly advises applicants, licensees, retailers, brands, service providers, First Nations communities and businesses and members of adjacent industries on all manner of cannabis-related mandates. He was seconded to one of North America's leading licensed producers and has taught cannabis law and regulation at two major Canadian universities.Chris co-authored a recent article: Saving Cannabis Inventory From Going Up in Smoke - Tantalus caseA recent decision established that Canada Revenue Agency (“CRA”) should not withhold the renewal of an excise licence issued under the Excise Act, 2001 (“Excise Act”) where an excise licence is necessary for the debtor to deal with their assets within an insolvency proceeding.Chris is* Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada, Cannabis Law (2022)* Recognized in Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business, Cannabis Law (2020 – 2022)* Recognized in The Legal 500 Canada, Cannabis Law (2020 – 2022)Thank you to Jeremy Benning, our co-producer and sound editor.And thank you to Albert Wong, who created and performed our beautiful music.For more insightful conversations related to cannabis law, listen to our other episodes at https://podcast.cannabislawonearth.com/ If you're looking for a good text book on Canada's federal cannabis law and regulations with helpful related case law, read Canada's Cannabis Act.And if you need a cannabis lawyer, ask Russell for more information at https://cannabislaw.ca

When trial lawyer Jamal Alsaffar of Austin Texas heard about the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, he had the eerie feeling of history repeating itself.  Many of the facts were strikingly similar to what had occurred in the Sutherland Springs church mass shooting case in Texas that Jamal tried to a Federal judge, resulting in a $230 million judgment for the families.  In the process, Jamal also forced the U.S. Government to disclose documents and information that demonstrated a long-standing pattern of failing to report dangerous, violent, and mentally unstable members of the armed forces to the FBI databank, thereby permitting tens of thousands of deranged or dangerous individuals to purchase and continue to possess firearms.  As a result of Jamal's case, he not only secured compensation for his clients, but he forced the Air Force to enact policy changes that resulted in tens of thousands of dangerous individuals being reported.  Join Ben and Rahul for their in-depth discussion with Jamal, including his journey to becoming a trial lawyer that started with him becoming a standout in high school and college mock trial competitions to becoming one of the leading lawyers in the United States in bringing claims against the Federal Government and representing victims of mass shootings. About Jamal AlsaffarMr. Alsaffar was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and is a nationally experienced trial attorney. Mr. Alsaffar has spent his entire career as a trial lawyer representing individuals and families. He has successfully represented clients in state, federal, and appellate courts across the country in complex personal injury and medical malpractice cases. In addition to a Texas statewide practice, Mr. Alsaffar has a national Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) practice representing veterans and military families around the country including Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington D.C., New York, New Hampshire, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. In 2013, Mr. Alsaffar was selected as one of the 20 “Leading Lawyers” under the age of forty in the state of Texas by Texas Lawyer magazine. His legal peers have voted him as a “Super Lawyer” from 2014-2022 and prior to that as a Texas “Rising Star” from 2006-2014. Mr. Alsaffar has also served as the National Chair of the Federal Torts and Military Advocacy Section for the American Association of Justice, the nation's premier trial lawyer organization. Mr. Alsaffar served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the University of Texas School of Law, and also served as a volunteer coach for the University of Texas undergraduate trial advocacy team for over ten years. Mr. Alsaffar is a proud father of three children and is a volunteer select soccer coach for the Lake Travis Youth Association and serves on the board of LTYA. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONSMr. Alsaffar is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the American Association for Justice, Texas Trial Lawyers' Association, Federal Bar Association, the Capital Area Trial Lawyers' Association, and the Austin Bar Association. He has served as Co-Chair of the Birth Trauma/Medical Negligence Litigation Group of the American Association for Justice, and has twice served as the Chair of the Federal Tort Liability and Military Advocacy section of the American Association for Justice. He is on the Federal Torts Executive Committee for the American Association for Justice. Mr. Alsaffar is also a fellow of the Texas State Bar Foundation. BAR ADMISSIONSUnited States Supreme CourtSupreme Court of TexasUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States District Court, Western District of TexasUnited States District Court, Eastern District of TexasUnited States District Court, Southern District of TexasUnited States District Court, Northern District of TexasUnited States District Court, Middle District of TennesseeUnited States District Court, Southern District of IllinoisUnited States District Court, Northern District of FloridaPRACTICE AREASFederal Tort ClaimsMedical MalpracticePersonal InjuryCivil Trials and Appeals EDUCATIONUniversity of Texas at Austin, B.A., 1996Baylor University Law School, J.D., 2000 NOTABLE CASE RESULTSJoe Holcombe, et al.; Plaintiffs -vs- United States of America, Defendant, $230,000,000.00 Trial Judgment for failure to report mass shooter to FBI database. This is most commonly known as the Sutherland Springs Mass Shooting case.Farley v. United States, $21,568,710.62 Trial Judgment against Manchester, New Hampshire Veteran Affairs Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire, for failure to properly treat a stroke resulting in permanent paralysis. $15,884,511.98 received by clients after fees and expenses.Brown v. United States, $13,690,648 Trial Judgment against United States Navy, Naval Branch Health Clinic, Millington, TN, for failure to prescribe prenatal vitamins containing folic acid, resulting in a baby developing spina bifida and lifelong disabilities. $9,183,752 received by clients after fees and expenses.Elliott v. United States, $8,000,000 Settlement against United States Army, Darnall Army Community Hospital, Texas, for negligent labor and delivery care resulting in hypoxic permanent brain injury to a child. $5,850,783.79 received by clients after fees and expenses.Roberts v. United States, $7,860,000 Settlement against United States Army, Bassett Army Community Hospital, Fairbanks, Alaska, for negligent labor and delivery care resulting in permanent hypoxic brain injury to a child. $5,688,631.37 received by clients after fees and expenses.Timmons v. United States, $6,500,000 Settlement against United States Air Force, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, for negligent labor and delivery care resulting in a permanent brain injury to a child. $4,607,211.28 received by clients after fees and expenses.Humble v. United States, $5,800,000 Settlement against United States Army for negligent care during labor and delivery and a delay in performing a C-section at Darnall Army Community Hospital, resulting in a permanent brain injury to a child. $4,106,711.68 received by clients after fees and expenses.Lee v. United States, $5,117,473.50 Trial Judgment against United States Air Force, Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, for failure to treat a child's infection resulting in a double kidney transplant. $3,475,648.35 received by clients after fees and expenses.Holweger v. United States, $2,300,000 Settlement against United States Navy for negligent care during labor and delivery and failing to timely perform a C-section at Portsmouth Naval Medical Center in Virginia. $1,623,930 received by clients after fees and expenses.Cloer v. United States, $2,150,000 Settlement against United States Army, Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, Tennessee, for failing to diagnose and treat colon cancer resulting in death. $1,492,813 received by clients after fees and expenses.Hogans v. United States, $1,650,000 Trial Judgment against United States Army, Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Washington and Winn Army Community Hospital in Georgia, for failing to diagnose a tumor leading to stroke and brain injury. $1,067,624 received by clients after fees and expenses. HONORS AND AWARDSSuper Lawyers, (2014 - 2023)Super Lawyers, Rising Stars (2007 - 2014)

Join Ben and Rahul for their discussion with legendary trial lawyer Brian Panish, founding partner of Los-Angeles-based trial firm, Panish Shea Boyle and Ravipudi (PSBR).  Brian discusses how the values he learned growing up and playing competitive sports through college shaped his work ethic and approach to the competition of trial practice.  Brian shares keys to success at trial and in building a world-class trial law firm.  Brian is the G.O.A.T. You don't want to miss this episode! About Brian PanishOne of the country's leading trial attorneys, Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Brian Panish has obtained some of the most significant jury verdicts in United States history on behalf of plaintiffs. His courtroom victories include a $4.9 billion record verdict in the landmark products liability case Anderson v. General Motors, over 100 verdicts and settlements in excess of $10 million, six verdicts in excess of $50 million, and more than 500 verdicts and settlements over one million dollars in personal injury, car accident, wrongful death and business litigation cases. Mr. Panish consistently serves in a leading role in the largest personal injury cases in California and the country. He currently serves as Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Woolsey Fire litigation,  Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel in the Southern California Fire Cases litigation arising from the 2017 Thomas Fire and subsequent debris flows in Montecito, California, and serves on the Plaintiffs Executive Committee for the 2017 North Bay Fires in Northern California. Mr. Panish also serves as Lead Trial Counsel in the Southern California Gas Leak Cases where he led a team of lawyers in obtaining a $1.8 billion settlement from Southern California Gas Company and Sempra Energy. He previously served in leadership roles in the Asiana Airlines Crash Litigation, the Olympus Superbug CRE Litigation and DePuy ASR Hip Implant Litigation, among others. Most recently, Mr. Panish has been retained to represent the husband and son of Halyna Hutchins, a cinematographer who was fatally shot and killed by Alec Baldwin on the movie set of ‘Rust' in October 2021. Since 2011, Mr. Panish has obtained more than $500 million in verdicts including, among others, a $23,720,996 bench trial award for a Southern California man and his wife after the man suffered a lower leg amputation as a result of being struck by a 28-foot utility truck while riding his motorcycle, a $21,503,420.48 verdict for a man who suffered catastrophic injuries after a vehicle illegally exiting the 405 Freeway HOV lane struck his motorcycle, a landmark $53,745,374 verdict for two Southern California brothers who were severely injured following a head-on collision with CRST big rig, a $41,864,102 jury verdict and subsequent $46,000,000 settlement for a United States Air Force Captain who suffered catastrophic injuries after being struck from behind while on his motorcycle and then dragged the length of a football field and a half by a Southern California Gas Company truck, a $36.5 million jury verdict against Schneider National for a big-rig crash that left a woman with severe spinal cord injuries, a $34.5 million verdict for a man who suffered a below the knee amputation after being hit by a tractor trailer, a $21,503,420.48 jury verdict for a Southern California man who suffered catastrophic injuries after a vehicle illegally exiting the 405 Freeway HOV lane struck his motorcycle and sent him careening across three lanes of traffic and into a passing flatbed trailer, a $17.4 million verdict for a Ph.D. student who suffered brain and jaw injuries during a rear end chain collision accident, a $17 million jury verdict against the Los Angeles MTA in the wrongful death of a visually impaired passenger, a $17.845 million award in a wrongful death case involving four family members killed when a Marine jet crashed into their home, a $20 million jury verdict for a woman who suffered a brain injury in a hit-and-run accident involving a J.B. Hunt tractor trailer, a $17 million jury verdict for a 84-year old man hit by a bus resulting in a leg amputation, a $15.3 million jury verdict for a woman and her daughter after the woman was severely injured on a negligently driven Alameda Contra-Costa Transit District bus, a $10.45 million jury verdict for the family of a security guard killed on the CBS studio lot and a $8.3 million jury verdict in the first DePuy ASR Hip Implant case to go to trial. Because of his expertise in personal injury, wrongful death, mass tort and product liability cases, Mr. Panish has been appointed to serve on the Plaintiffs' Steering and Executive committees in numerous high profile mass torts and major disaster cases, including litigation involving train crashes (co-lead counsel in the the Chatsworth Metrolink disaster, the Glendale Metrolink crash, and the Placentia Metrolink collision), airplane disasters (Alaska Airlines Flight 261 and Singapore Airlines Flight 006 crashes), pharmaceuticals (Vioxx and diet drugs), and defective product cases (Welding Rods, DePuy ASR Hip Implant Litigation, and Toyota Unintended Acceleration cases.)  He is currently handling numerous cases involving the Asiana Flight 261 plane crash as well as serving as Plaintiffs Co-lead Trial Counsel, representing over 7,000 clients in the Porter Ranch Gas Leak litigation. Mr. Panish has been recognized by numerous publications and organizations as being among the top trial lawyers in the country. Some of the honors he has received include the following:2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America2023 Leading Commercial Litigators – Daily Journal2022 Finalist for CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year2022 West Trailblazer – The American Lawyer2022 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2022 LA 500 – Los Angeles Business Journal2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America2022 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2022 Top 100 Lawyers – Los Angeles Business Journal2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers2022 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in the area of Personal Injury2022 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar – Law3602021 Leaders of Influence: Litigators & Trial Attorneys – Los Angeles Business Journal2021 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2021 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2021 LA 500 – Los Angeles Business Journal2021 Lawdragon Leading Lawyers in America2020 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2021 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Mass Tort Litigation / Class Action – Plaintiffs – Los Angeles2020 Lawdragon Leading Lawyers in America2020 Plaintiffs Lawyer Trailblazer – National Law Journal2020 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers2019 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2019 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2019 Plaintiffs Lawyer Trailblazer – National Law Journal2019 Titan of the Plaintiffs Bar – Law3602019 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in the area of Personal Injury2019 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs – Los Angeles2018 Finalist for CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year2018 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2018 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2018 Daniel O'Connell Award – by Irish American Bar Association-Los Angeles2018 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Aviation Law – Los Angeles2017 Top 100 Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2017 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2017 Civil Advocate Award – by the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel (ASCDC)2017 Finalist (2) for CAOC Consumer Attorney of the Year2016 Outstanding Litigator – by Southwestern Law School2016 Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2016 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation – Los Angeles2015 National Law Journal's Elite Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame2015 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Product Liability Litigation – Los Angeles2015 Top 25 Plaintiff Lawyers in California – Daily Journal2015 Robert E. Cartwright Sr. Award (given by the Consumer Attorneys of California in recognition of excellence in trial advocacy and dedication to teaching trial advocacy to fellow lawyers and to the public.)2014 Consumer Attorney of the Year – by the Consumer Attorneys of California2013 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in the area of Personal InjuryThe National Law Journal's 100 Most Influential Lawyers In AmericaDaily Journal's Top 100 Most Influential Attorneys in California2012 Top 20 Lawyers in California by The Recorder2010 Trial Lawyer of the Year by the California Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)2010 Champions of Justice award from Loyola Law School2010 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Product Liability Litigation – Los Angeles2009 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Personal Injury Litigation – Los Angeles1999 Trial Lawyer of the Year – by Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA)Top 500 Attorneys and Litigators in the United States by LawdragonTop 10 Southern California Super Lawyers® (various years, including from 2009-2017)Listed in Best Lawyers® since 2001Listed in Southern California Super Lawyers® since 2004 In addition to his numerous honors, Mr. Panish currently serves as immediate past president of the prestigious Inner Circle of Advocates, comprised of 100 of the nation's top plaintiffs' lawyers.  He is also a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers (including serving on the State Selection Committee), the International Society of Barristers, the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and was the 2011 President of the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA.  He is a member of the American Bar Association (formerly a Litigation Section Board Member), the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (formerly on the Board of Governors), and the Consumer Attorneys of California (formerly on the Board of Governors).  He also serves on the Best Lawyers® Board of Advisors. Mr. Panish received his law degree, with honors, from Southwestern Law School, and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Southwestern in 2011. He received his B.S. from California State University Fresno, where he was named Scholar Athlete, was the recipient of the Athletic Directors Award and was named an outstanding alumnus at the school's Centennial Celebration in 2010. Mr. Panish is licensed to practice in California, Nevada, and Texas. Submit our online contact form to request legal assistance with your claim. Verdicts and Settlements:The following is a list of just some of the landmark cases that Brian Panish has been involved in:$4.9 Billion – Anderson v. General Motors Corp.$3.3 Billion – LA County v. Tobacco Industry$58 Million – Griggs v. Caterpillar, et al.$55.4 Million – Lampe v. Continental General Tire$53.745 Million – Lennig v. CRST$46 Million – Lo v. Southern California Gas Company$39.5 Million – Freeman v. Board of the Trustees of the California State University$36.5 Million – Sheth v. Schneider National$34.5 Million – Casillas v. Landstar Ranger, Inc.$32.5 Million – Johnson/Allen/Cascio v. City of Beverly Hills$32 Million __ J.G. v. Tulare County Child Welfare Services$27 Million – Dominguez v. San Francisco$25.5 Million – Sherman v. Courrege$23.7 Million– Rojas v.Hajoca Corporation$23.5 Million – Lee v. Pupil Transportation Cooperative$22 Million – Pogosyan v. SCRTD$21 Million – Nelsen v. Hillyard, Inc., et al.$17.845 Million – Yoon v. United States$17. 4 Million – Sheaffer v. NuCO2$17 Million – Cuthberton v. LACMTA$15.75 Million – Doe v. Alaska Airlines$15.3 Million – Francisco v. AC Transit$15 Million – Tilton v. Southern California Gas & Electric$15 Million – Wu v. Singapore Airlines$14.5 Million — Montanez v. Sunrise Farms, LLC$11 Million – Witham v. Avjet$10.45 – Villamariona v. CBS$10 Million – Doe v. Alaska Airlines$9.5 Million – Ledesma v. Patel$9.3 Million – Cedillo v. The Efim Sobol Trust$8.3 Million – Kransky v. DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc.$8 Million – Rastello v. City of Torrance$7.5 Million – Rennie v. FedEx Brian Panish in the News: The following is a list of some of the articles in which Brian Panish is featured:What is the value of a poor man's life?Brian Panish addresses The Senate Judiciary CommitteeBrian Panish of Panish | Shea | Boyle | Ravipudi LLP Top Vote Getter Among Southern California's Personal Injury Super LawyersFormer Fresno State footballer (Panish) gives generously to Dan Brown Legacy Fund – MedWatch Today, 9/2/10Brian Panish and the Toyota Recall – Press Release, 6/7/10Judge Agrees to Expand Plaintiffs Committees in Toyota MDL – The National Law Journal, 5/17/10Brian Panish Receives #3 Ranking in 2010 List of Top 10 Southern California Super Lawyers – Press Release, 2/2/10Personal Injury Litigators of 2010 – The National Law Journal, 2010 View PDF of ArticleBrian Panish and Kevin Boyle Talk About Their Numerous Wins in Air Disaster Cases – The National Law Journal, 2010 View PDF of ArticleThe Los Angeles Area's Best Lawyers 2006 Survey Results – West – Los Angeles Times Magazine, 11/12/06The Top 100: California's Leading Lawyers – The Daily Journal, 9/21/06Profiles in Power: The 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America – The National Law Journal, 6/19/06View PDF of ArticleLawyering Up Pellicano's Victims – Deadline Hollywood Daily, 3/9/06Does Brian Panish Ever Lose? – Super Lawyers Magazine, 2006The Plaintiffs' Hot List – The National Law Journal, 10/10/05View PDF of ArticleOne of America's Top Trial Lawyers Opens New Law Firm – Press Contact, 4/18/05Top 10 LA County Super Lawyers – Southern California Super Lawyers, 2/05A Report On The Lawsuit Industry In California 2005 – Trial Lawyers Inc., 2005Jury Trials in The US – Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong, 10/11/04The Top 100 – The Daily Journal, 10/27/03Brian Panish Interview – California Civil Jury Instructions, 2003The Top 100…Reasons Why It's Good That Lawyers Have Power – The Daily Journal, 9/30/02The Top 100 – The Daily Journal, 10/29/01WINNING – Successful Strategies from 10 of the Nation's Leading Litigators – The National Law Journal, 2001The Top 100: California Law Business Ranks the State's Most Influential Attorneys for 2000 – The Daily Journal, 10/30/00The Top 100: California Law Business Ranks the State's Most Influential Attorneys for 1999 – The Daily Journal, 9/13/99To Panish, Client's Most Important – Verdicts & Settlements, 2/16/96Brian Panish named TLPJ's Trial Lawyer of the Year – TLPJ Foundation Letter, 8/6/90ATLA Meeting This Week in San Diego – California Law Business, 7/23/90LA's Top Attorneys & Law Firms – Angeleno MagazinePanish Leaves Greene Broillet For Own Firm – The Daily JournalPanish Among 500 Leading Lawyers – LawdragonPanish Among 500 Leading Litigators – Lawdragon

Chicago trial attorney Brian LaCien is a founding partner with Todd A. Smith of Smith LaCien LLP. Together they have a lengthy track record of achieving exceptional results for clients, with more than $2.5 billion in verdicts and settlements, and over 100 cases with results of at least $1 million.  Smith LaCien was ranked in the October-November 2022 issue of Chicago Lawyer as the number-one firm in mass tort/litigation for a $42 million settlement and was listed in the magazine as among the top 10 personal injury firms for the total amount of recoveries. Compiled by the Jury Verdict Reporter, the results were from its reporting cycle between August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2022.   Brian began his career as an assistant legal counsel to the Illinois House of Representatives. He joined Power Rogers & Smith and practiced personal injury law for many years before leaving to start Smith LaCien LLP in March 2020.  Brian received a J.D., magna cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.  For a free consultation, call Smith LaCien at (312) 586-8717 or send an email to: info@smithlacien.com. Smith LaCien LLP is located at 70 W. Madison, Suite 2250, Chicago, IL 60602.  Illinois State Bar Association, Chair, Tort Law Section  American Association for Justice (AAJ), Chair, Aviation Section  Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Managers,Appointed to represent Illinois on the Board of Governors of the AAJ  Chicago Bar Association  Illinois Super Lawyers since 2011, Previously a “Rising Star”  Illinois Leading Lawyers since 2014, “Top Ten Emerging Lawyer”  Best Lawyers of America  Lawdragon Publishing “Top 500 Leading Lawyers in America,”2022  Law 360 National Conference, Damages and Marijuana in personal injury lawsuits, 2022    Guest lecturer, Practical skills training and fundamental litigation techniques for new lawyers program, Greenhorn Legal LLC, 2013 to 2015  Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/brian-lacien-1572a38 Smith Lacien, LLP: smithlacien.com Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://emotiontrac.com/calendly/

Chicago trial attorney Brian LaCien is a founding partner with Todd A. Smith of Smith LaCien LLP. Together they have a lengthy track record of achieving exceptional results for clients, with more than $2.5 billion in verdicts and settlements, and over 100 cases with results of at least $1 million.  Smith LaCien was ranked in the October-November 2022 issue of Chicago Lawyer as the number-one firm in mass tort/litigation for a $42 million settlement and was listed in the magazine as among the top 10 personal injury firms for the total amount of recoveries. Compiled by the Jury Verdict Reporter, the results were from its reporting cycle between August 1, 2021 – July 31, 2022.   Brian began his career as an assistant legal counsel to the Illinois House of Representatives. He joined Power Rogers & Smith and practiced personal injury law for many years before leaving to start Smith LaCien LLP in March 2020.  Brian received a J.D., magna cum laude, from DePaul University College of Law, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.  For a free consultation, call Smith LaCien at (312) 586-8717 or send an email to: info@smithlacien.com. Smith LaCien LLP is located at 70 W. Madison, Suite 2250, Chicago, IL 60602.  Illinois State Bar Association, Chair, Tort Law Section  American Association for Justice (AAJ), Chair, Aviation Section  Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Managers,Appointed to represent Illinois on the Board of Governors of the AAJ  Chicago Bar Association  Illinois Super Lawyers since 2011, Previously a “Rising Star”  Illinois Leading Lawyers since 2014, “Top Ten Emerging Lawyer”  Best Lawyers of America  Lawdragon Publishing “Top 500 Leading Lawyers in America,”2022  Law 360 National Conference, Damages and Marijuana in personal injury lawsuits, 2022    Guest lecturer, Practical skills training and fundamental litigation techniques for new lawyers program, Greenhorn Legal LLC, 2013 to 2015  Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/brian-lacien-1572a38 Smith Lacien, LLP: smithlacien.com Learn more about EmotionTrac and our AI-driven Emotional Intelligence Platform: https://emotiontrac.com/calendly/

Lawyers across the UK have signed a declaration saying they will refuse to prosecute ‘peaceful' climate protesters or act for companies pursuing fossil fuel projects. Over one hundred barristers have vowed to “withhold services in respect of supporting new fossil fuel projects and action against climate protesters exercising their right of peaceful protest”.

Episode Summary Anyone familiar with the popular television series, Yellowstone, will recognize the peculiar challenges of trying plaintiffs' cases in Montana.  Yet, Montana trial lawyer, Zander Blewett, has been doing it successfully his entire career.  Join Ben (www.gideonasen.com) for his in-depth discussion with Zander, describing the unique circumstances that brought him to the practice of plaintiff law, his many landmark cases and verdicts, and his approach to success as a trial lawyer, family man and leader in the community. About Zander Blewett Founding PartnerThe University of Montana Law School has been renamed the "Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana." Alexander (Zander) Blewett III has earned an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell™, the highest recognition possible in the legal industry, for his professionalism and ethics. Prac​tice AreasPersonal InjuryTrucking & Auto AccidentsBrain InjuryWrongful DeathProduct LiabilityInsurance Bad FaithWorkplace InjuriesRailroad LawClass ActionsBicycle AccidentsMotorcycle Accidents AdmittedMontana, 1971U.S. District Court, District of MontanaU.S. Court of Appeals, 6th and 9th CircuitsU.S. Supreme Court EducationUniversity of Montana, J.D., 1971Montana State University, B.S., 1967 Associations and membershipsThe Inner Circle of Advocates (Only Montana Member in National Organization limited to top 100 trial lawyers in the United States)State Bar of Montana; Montana Trial Lawyers AssociationThe Association of Trial Lawyers of America (Member, President's Club)American College of Trial LawyersAmerican Board of Trial Advocates (Advocate)International Society of Barristers Notable Cases$27 million settlement in a brain injury case (Vangsnes vs. North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Inc. et. al.)$21.3 million verdict in a Great Falls malicious prosecution case (Seltzer v. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher)$7 million verdict in a Billings railroad crossing accident (Dorn v. BNSF)$5 million verdict against the US government after a fire destroyed a ranch (Hughes v. USA)$3.9 million verdict in a Missoula brain injury claim (Ginn v. Smurfit Stone Container)$3.2 million verdict in a Great Falls auto accident (Bumgarner v. Farmers Union Mutual Insurance) Biographical detailsMontana Trial Lawyers Association, Montana Trial Lawyer of the Year, 1993 – 1994 and 2006 – 2007Only Montana lawyer named in Lawdragon Hall of Fame (national publication).Only Montana lawyer named in Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2018 & 2019Only Montana lawyer named in Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2019 – 2021Only Montana personal injury lawyer named to the Top 100 Mountain States Super Lawyers® for 2012Listed in Top 100 Mountain States Super Lawyers® in 2007 – 2012, 2014 – 2016, 2019 – 2021Selected, Best Lawyers in America since 2005.Delegate, 9th Circuit Judicial Conference, 1990 – 1993Montana State Coordinator, National Board of Trial AdvocacyFellow, International Academy of Trial Lawyers (Montana State Chair)Certified, Civil Trial Advocacy Specialist, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1983

Charles is a multi-award-winning lawyer and the CEO of Calgary's Osuji & Smith law firm. He was chosen as one of Calgary's Top 40 Under 40 and one of the top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada.   From law school in Nigeria to law firm CEO in Calgary, Charles' rise to the top has been swift—only seven short years—earning him a LEXPERT Rising Star recognition for Canada's Leading Lawyers Under 40.  With over 45 local and national recognitions and awards in the last few years, he is now leading one of the fastest growing mid-sized law firms in Calgary. At an age when most lawyers are busy learning their craft, Charles is doing that plus ensuring he is providing mentoring and leadership for his staff of associate lawyers, legal assistants, and articling students.   Graduating at the top of his class with his Bachelor of Laws (LLB, magna cum laude) from Imo State University started it all. In 2010, he was called to the Nigerian Bar after graduating with honours with a Barrister-at-Law (BL). In 2014, he had the privilege of articling at Osuji & Smith (then Smith Law Office) and was admitted to the Alberta Bar. Only two years later, he became a Partner in the firm, and in 2017, he became the sole owner of Osuji & Smith.   Charles' fast journey to success is proof of his dedication to helping clients achieve a resolution to their matters through quick, cost-effective, and thoughtful negotiation, mediation, and litigation. Responsive communication, practical legal advice, and thoroughness are priorities in his practice, which includes employment law, family law, real estate, litigation, business law, personal injury, wills and estates, and foreclosures.    “Charles is extremely clear with his advice. Every time he takes on a case, he gives a part of himself and his heart. He is honest and works very hard to add value to his clients' lives. His client reviews speak for themselves” GIVING BACK Being a lawyer in Calgary after starting his law career in Nigeria has allowed Charles the privilege of combining his passion for law with his enthusiasm for mentorship and leadership within Calgary's newcomer population.   Outside of his practice, Charles spends his time mentoring other young professionals, running a free legal clinic that primarily serves Calgary's newcomer population, and volunteering with his church. He also enjoys being with family and friends, playing piano, playing and watching soccer and other sports, and reading. HONOURS & AWARDS 2022 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (Best Lawyers) 2020 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada (Canadian Lawyer) LEXPERT Rising Stars, Leading Lawyers under 40 2022 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Lawyer to Watch 2021 Avenue Calgary Top 40 Under 40 Canada's 2021 Top 40 Under 40   SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST HERE: APPLE PODCASTS GOOGLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY LIBSYN YOUTUBE   OKIKI RESOURCES: Need Video Content or Personal Brand Photos? Book Here Join the Okiki Video Content Bootcamp Today! https://www.okikiconsulting.com/okiki-video-bootcamp   ABOUT FIYIN: Fiyin Obayan is the founder of Okiki Consulting, where she helps business owners communicate their personal brand or company brand stories through video content, in order to communicate to their target audience. Contact Fiyin: Website: www.okikiconsulting.com Email: info@okikiconsulting.com Phone: (306)716-0324 Instagram: @Okikiconsulting and @Okikiconsultingmedia Facebook: @Okikiconsulting LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiyinfoluwaobayan/ Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/okiki

Joshua Hawks-Ladds is co-chair of the Labor and Employment Law Department for Pullman & Comley, one of the largest law firms in Connecticut. On a day-to-day basis, he can be found consulting on and litigating business, labor, and employment matters – and navigating construction, civil rights, and municipal issues.He has been featured in The Best Lawyers in America in the area of litigation - labor and employment and labor law-management since 2011, and was listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers to Businesses in Labor and Employment. He serves as outside general counsel to numerous countries with national and international foot prints. My concentration is in business matters, contract drafting, labor and employment consulting, noncompetition and trade secrets, construction disputes, municipal law.Admitted in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Court.Rebel HR is a podcast for HR professionals and leaders of people who are ready to make some disruption in the world of work.We'll be discussing topics that are disruptive to the world of work and talk about new and different ways to approach solving those problems.Follow Rebel HR Podcast at:www.rebelhumanresources.comhttps://twitter.com/rebelhrguyhttps://www.facebook.com/rebelhrpodcastwww.kyleroed.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-roed/ All Business. No Boundaries.Welcome to All Business. No Boundaries, a collection of supply chain stories by DHL...Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showRebel HR is a podcast for HR professionals and leaders of people who are ready to make some disruption in the world of work. Please connect to continue the conversation! https://twitter.com/rebelhrguyhttps://www.facebook.com/rebelhrpodcasthttp://www.kyleroed.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-roed/

Meet the Board Chair and Vice Chair for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.Jennifer Eplett Reilly serves as the Board Chair of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and previously, the founding chair of New Schools for Baton Rouge. She has been engaged in civic leadership as co-founder of City Year Inc., founding executive director and president of Echoing Green Foundation, and leader of numerous innovative public-private partnerships in Louisiana. She also served as a strategic advisor to Mitchell Landrieu in his first term as lieutenant governor.Jeff Koonce serves as the Board Vice Chair of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation and is a Partner of Bernhard Capital Partners. He serves as a member of the Investment Committee and is involved in all areas of the Firm's investment activities. Before joining Bernhard Capital Partners, he was a partner at Phelps Dunbar, LLP where he focused on federal and state taxation, business formations and business transactions. Jeff has been recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and Louisiana Super Lawyers and was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in tax law by The Best Lawyers in America.For more information about the work at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, don't forget to visit braf.org.

In this episode of ‘Law, disrupted,' John is joined by Luke Nikas, partner in Quinn Emanuel's New York office. Luke is widely recognized as one of the top lawyers in the US and has been selected as a Law360 MVP, is Band 1 rated in Chambers, and has been named among Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America. He is also co-chair of the firm's Art Litigation and Disputes Practice and probably has the world's most prominent and successful art litigation practice. Together, they discuss the intersection between art, the law, and art disputes more generally.The conversation begins with John asking Luke whether there is such a thing as “art law” – Luke notes that there is such a thing—there are specific, narrow statutes that touch on art but for the most part, art law is a composite of several other areas of law that might apply to any dispute. Most art law cases concern legal principles, such as contracts, intellectual property, fiduciary duty and the like, which happen to arise in the context of a dispute involving art. Together, they discuss the Knoedler Art Gallery case that was litigated from about 2011-2018 – a lawsuit that involved what Luke describes as “one of the most prominent art galleries in the world” before it closed. Luke represented the President of the gallery, and a film was made about the episode. They emphasize the legal and factual issues that surround authenticity disputes.They move on to discuss copyright and fair use matters, including the importance of a copyright case involving Andy Warhol's work, presently pending before the United States Supreme Court. These types of cases raise important issues about what material we're trying to protect and why, and how we can develop judicially manageable standards to resolve fair use disputes when the decision-makers are not visual art experts. For example, when evaluating two artworks in a copyright infringement case, what weight do we place on the meaning, message, and visual appearances of the works at issue?John and Luke also examine the relationship between collectors, dealers, gallerists and art advisors. These relationships can create obligations and expectations between parties that translate into fiduciary and other legal duties that the gallery or advisor wasn't anticipating.  Luke discusses how to protect against these situations so that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the scope of the relationship. 

Patrick A. Salvi II serves as Managing Partner at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, specializing in personal injury, medical malpractice and mass tort litigation. Since joining the firm in 2007, Salvi has secured dozens of multi-million dollar settlements for clients, a number of which in record-holding amounts.  Best Lawyers named Patrick as 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice in Chicago and received annual recognition on Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America list since 2017. Law Bulletin Media also honored Salvi's work in 2019, recognizing him as a Leading Lawyer–an honor given to less than 5% of all licensed lawyers in Illinois. The American Association for Justice (AAJ) presented Patrick with the 2015 F. Scott Baldwin award, an award only given to the “most outstanding young trial lawyer” in America.  Salvi currently serves as the 2022-2023 President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association while also sitting on the AAJ PAC Board of Trustees. Outside of the courtroom Patrick serves as a judge at ABA, AAJ, and Moot Court trial competitions. Salvi also serves as a board member of a local non-profit, Legal Aid Chicago, which provides pro-bono legal services to citizens under the poverty line.  Media release on $363 million dollar Sterigenics win - https://www.salvilaw.com/press-release/sterigenics-verdict/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5980-14A  More coverage on Sterigenics case settlement: NBC - https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/jury-returns-363m-verdict-against-sterigenics-in-trial-over-toxic-gas-emissions/2943682/  Chicago Tribune- https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/environment/ct-sterigenics-verdict-20220919-hlu7zoytabcdhe2nvuze7spmny-story.html  CBS News - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sterigenics-lawsuit-susan-kamuda-cancer-363-million/  Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/jury-awards-illinois-woman-363m-in-suit-over-plants-gas/2022/09/20/c693a752-3915-11ed-b8af-0a04e5dc3db6_story.html  Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. Website - https://www.salvilaw.com/  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SalviLaw  Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/salvi-schostok-&-pritchard/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/SalviLaw More on Patrick Salvi II - https://www.salvilaw.com/attorneys/patrick-salvi-ii/ Remember to subscribe and follow us on social media… LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mass-tort-news Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/masstortnewsorg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masstortnews.org

The Philippines has one of the fastest-growing fintech sectors in the world. Fintech is driving rapid innovation and growth in the Philippines and has fueled the country's ambitions in creating a digital economy. This podcast will explore the impact of fintech on the Philippine economy, highlighting the benefits it has brought to consumers and businesses alike. It will also discuss some of the challenges facing fintech in the Philippines, and consider how these might be overcome in order to ensure continued growth and innovation in this important sector.About our guestsJohn Paul V. De LeonJohn Paul V. De Leon is a partner of SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw). Mr. de Leon is a member of the firm's Special Projects and Banking, Finance and Securities departments. He has a wide-ranging M&A and investments practice but specializes in real estate development and land, retail (including online retail), and media. In the banking and finance sector, Mr. de Leon regularly advises banks and financial institutions in connection with cross-border foreign currency loans, bonds and debt securities transactions. Mr. De Leon advised foreign investors in their acquisition of a significant stake in a Philippine rural bank. He was also part of the team that handled the sale of 100% of the equity in a Philippine commercial bank.Mr. de Leon is also one of the firm's lawyers in the forefront of its fintech practice. He has been part of M&A teams that have handled key transactions in this area including the investment of a significant PRC-based online/IT entity into the fintech companies of one of the Philippines' major telecommunications companies.  He regularly advises companies engaged in money remittance, payment services, and e-money issuances, on various issues including Central Bank regulation, credit information and AMLA laws.  He and the firm's fintech group also advise on blockchain technology-related services and cryptocurrency.Mr. de Leon is a “Next Generation Partner” for Real Estate and Construction in Legal 500's 2021 and 2022 rankings. Link to corporate profile: https://syciplaw.com/lawyers/partners/JPVDeLeonRose Marie M. King-Dominguez Rose Marie is a partner of SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw). She is a TMT specialist and helps lead the firm's TMT group. She handles M&A, investments and regulatory work.She acted for Comcast in its recent acquisition of Masergy, as well as for NomuPay in the purchase of Wirecard's Philippine entity. In the 2022 auction of tower assets by the Philippines' leading telecommunications operator, she was part of a team advising one of the bidders. She also acted for an international e-commerce and service group in an acquisition project targeting a leading provider of telemedicine. In last year's offer by Globe Telecoms of an interest in its data center business, she assisted one of the bidders conducting due diligence and structuring review that required consultations with the telecoms regulator. She also assisted a data analytics and AI company in an acquisition of a Singapore-based e-commerce distribution business with a local presence. In 2020, she acted for a US-based private investment firm in its investment in a manufacturer of products for the electronic industry, with a branch in the Philippines. Her M&A experience covers a range of industries from fintech (e.g., the investment by Ant Financial in Globe Telecom's fintech business [GCash] and the investment by KKR and Tencent in PLDT/Smart's fintech enterprise [Paymaya] to tobacco [JTI's acquisition of Mighty] to healthcare [GIC's investment in the Metro Pacific hospital group] including telehealth and pharma, to cement [structuring work for Lafarge Holcim]).She advises some of the most prominent global entities in technology and media on various matters, including market entry and regulatory matters, and has helped some of them establish a local presence. Among these clients are a US technology conglomerate that operates a number of popular platforms, another US technology company that focuses on, among others, search engine technology and cloud solutions, an international e-commerce company well known for its retail platform, and a US multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate.  She is one of the principal data privacy experts of the firm and is a regular speaker and contributor on the topics of data privacy and cybersecurity (e.g., see article contributed to Data Protection Leader on “The challenges under the new data privacy regime”). She and her team run compliance seminars and training for data privacy for clients. Some of Ms. King-Dominguez' most recent awards and citations include:Band 2 in Corporate/M&A, Chambers Global 2022Band 2 in Corporate/M&A, Chambers Asia Pacific 2022Spotlight ranking, TMT, Chambers Asia Pacific 2022Cited as one of the Leading Lawyers in the Philippines, Chambers Asia Pacific Leading Lawyers and Law Firms 2022Leading Individual in TMT, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2013 to 2022)Recommended Lawyer in Corporate and M&A, and TMT, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021-2022Highly-regarded Lawyer, IFLR1000 (2015 to 2021)Distinguished Practitioner in Technology and Telecommunications, asialaw Profiles 2021-2023One of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Philippines, Asia Business Law Journal 2021-2022Global Leader, Recommended Lawyer in Fintech, Who's Who Legal 2021-2022National Leader, Recommended Lawyer in Data, Southeast Asia, Who's Who Legal 2021-2022Link to corporate profile: https://syciplaw.com/lawyers/partners/RMMKingDominguez

Cryptocurrency is becoming more prevalent around the world. While this asset is still in its infancy, there are a number of countries that have already begun to implement regulations surrounding it. The Philippines is one such country, with a number of new rules and regulations for cryptocurrency exchanges. This podcast will explore the new regulations and how they may affect the cryptocurrency industry in the Philippines.GuestsJohn Paul V. De LeonJohn Paul V. De Leon is a partner of SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw). Mr. de Leon is a member of the firm's Special Projects and Banking, Finance and Securities departments. He has a wide-ranging M&A and investments practice but specializes in real estate development and land, retail (including online retail), and media. In the banking and finance sector, Mr. de Leon regularly advises banks and financial institutions in connection with cross-border foreign currency loans, bonds and debt securities transactions. Mr. De Leon advised foreign investors in their acquisition of a significant stake in a Philippine rural bank. He was also part of the team that handled the sale of 100% of the equity in a Philippine commercial bank.Mr. de Leon is also one of the firm's lawyers in the forefront of its fintech practice. He has been part of M&A teams that have handled key transactions in this area including the investment of a significant PRC-based online/IT entity into the fintech companies of one of the Philippines' major telecommunications companies.  He regularly advises companies engaged in money remittance, payment services, and e-money issuances, on various issues including Central Bank regulation, credit information and AMLA laws.  He and the firm's fintech group also advise on blockchain technology-related services and cryptocurrency.Mr. de Leon is a “Next Generation Partner” for Real Estate and Construction in Legal 500's 2021 and 2022 rankings. Link to corporate profile: https://syciplaw.com/lawyers/partners/JPVDeLeonRose Marie M. King-Dominguez Rose Marie is a partner of SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan (SyCipLaw). She is a TMT specialist and helps lead the firm's TMT group. She handles M&A, investments and regulatory work.She acted for Comcast in its recent acquisition of Masergy, as well as for NomuPay in the purchase of Wirecard's Philippine entity. In the 2022 auction of tower assets by the Philippines' leading telecommunications operator, she was part of a team advising one of the bidders. She also acted for an international e-commerce and service group in an acquisition project targeting a leading provider of telemedicine. In last year's offer by Globe Telecoms of an interest in its data center business, she assisted one of the bidders conducting due diligence and structuring review that required consultations with the telecoms regulator. She also assisted a data analytics and AI company in an acquisition of a Singapore-based e-commerce distribution business with a local presence. In 2020, she acted for a US-based private investment firm in its investment in a manufacturer of products for the electronic industry, with a branch in the Philippines. Her M&A experience covers a range of industries from fintech (e.g., the investment by Ant Financial in Globe Telecom's fintech business [GCash] and the investment by KKR and Tencent in PLDT/Smart's fintech enterprise [Paymaya] to tobacco [JTI's acquisition of Mighty] to healthcare [GIC's investment in the Metro Pacific hospital group] including telehealth and pharma, to cement [structuring work for Lafarge Holcim]).She advises some of the most prominent global entities in technology and media on various matters, including market entry and regulatory matters, and has helped some of them establish a local presence. Among these clients are a US technology conglomerate that operates a number of popular platforms, another US technology company that focuses on, among others, search engine technology and cloud solutions, an international e-commerce company well known for its retail platform, and a US multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate.  She is one of the principal data privacy experts of the firm and is a regular speaker and contributor on the topics of data privacy and cybersecurity (e.g., see article contributed to Data Protection Leader on “The challenges under the new data privacy regime”). She and her team run compliance seminars and training for data privacy for clients. Some of Ms. King-Dominguez' most recent awards and citations include:Band 2 in Corporate/M&A, Chambers Global 2022Band 2 in Corporate/M&A, Chambers Asia Pacific 2022Spotlight ranking, TMT, Chambers Asia Pacific 2022Cited as one of the Leading Lawyers in the Philippines, Chambers Asia Pacific Leading Lawyers and Law Firms 2022Leading Individual in TMT, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific (2013 to 2022)Recommended Lawyer in Corporate and M&A, and TMT, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021-2022Highly-regarded Lawyer, IFLR1000 (2015 to 2021)Distinguished Practitioner in Technology and Telecommunications, asialaw Profiles 2021-2023One of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Philippines, Asia Business Law Journal 2021-2022Global Leader, Recommended Lawyer in Fintech, Who's Who Legal 2021-2022National Leader, Recommended Lawyer in Data, Southeast Asia, Who's Who Legal 2021-2022Link to corporate profile: https://syciplaw.com/lawyers/partners/RMMKingDominguez

In this episode of The Idealists. (formerly Grit & Grace), host and entrepreneur Melissa Kiguwa interviews Sonya Erickson who is a lawyer, partner, and member of the board of directors at Cooley Law Firm. The recognition for Sonya's work is vast. She has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America Venture Capital Law category since 2004 and is listed as a leading attorney in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2013. In this episode Sonya shares why she believes more women at the table means better resources for women as a whole. . . . . . In the episode: - Sonya begins the episode by describing how her Midwestern values informed a fear of talking about money. - She then describes how she began investing (including in Yahoo) and mapping her own financial destiny outside of her cultural values. - Sonya shares where she sees women dropping out of their careers before reaping financial upsides and how she is trying to mitigate this. - At the end of the episode, Sonya shares her audacious vision for the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theidealists/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theidealists/support

Attorney Dan Johns of the Cozen O'Connor law firm in Philadelphia joins Tim to talk about why, all of a sudden, employees at some well-known companies organizing to unionize their workforces. Dan has been consistently named to the Best Lawyers in America list for employment law, labor and employment litigation. Are unions in America making a comeback? Let's find out. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/shapingopinion/Union_Organizing_Final_auphonic.mp3 Amid some union victories at some major American brands, successful organizing efforts to unionize employees in places like Buffalo and Staten Island have given the organized labor movement hope that new generations may embrace collective bargaining as the “new” way to go to work. But are these victories anomalies, or are they a trend that promises to continue? But perhaps even more importantly, the interest in unionization now? Why now? Links Dan Johns Bio, Cozen O'Connor Website National Labor Relations Board, NLRB Website National Labor Relations Act, NLRB Website US Unions See Unusually Promising Moment Amid Wave of Victories, The Guardian About this Episode's Guest Dan Johns Daniel V. Johns litigates employment-related matters in courtrooms throughout the country, including numerous Courts of Appeals. Throughout his 25-year career, Daniel has represented and advised employers and their management in an array of labor and employment issues, including discrimination, harassment, and other civil rights litigation; interest and grievance arbitrations; at-will litigation; restrictive covenant/trade secret claims; benefits litigation; independent contractor classification issues; collective bargaining; union avoidance; and unfair labor practice litigation before the National Labor Relations Board and various state agencies. Recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, labor and employment law, 2012-2020; and The Best Lawyers in America, employment law, labor and employment litigation, 2012-2021, Daniel has served as lead trial counsel in litigation matters around the country, including claims brought under: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), as well as various other federal, state, and local employment laws. Daniel earned his J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. at the University of Notre Dame.

We need attorneys like Ken Levinson to make sure insurance companies do what they are supposed to do. Ken represents victims of the negligence of others.  Join Dave Lorenzo as he interviews trial lawyer, Ken Levinson.00:00 Who Keeps Insurance Companies Honest? 01:51 How did Ken become an Injury Lawyer?03:56 How the Personal Injury Case Process Works06:12 How can you protect your interests in the event of an accident?08:06 Is it advisable to seek medical attention quickly following an accident if you have a legal case?09:40 What does Ken Firm focus on?11:34 What leads Truck Cases to Ken's firm?12:30 What distinguishes a Truck Case from other types of cases?16:43 Ken's advice on growing his firm throughout the years18:10 What do people want to know about Personal Injury or Truck Accidents?20:57 How does Ken help Lawyers with the presentation strategy in Juries?22:05 What is the procedure for forming a Federal Jury?24:43 The importance of likability in building a connection with the person you're arguing with.Ken LevinsonFounding PartnerLevenson & Stefani(312) 376.3812Ken@levinsonstefani.comhttps://levinsonstefani.comAbout Ken Levinson:Kenneth H. Levinson is the founding partner of Levinson and Stefani Injury Lawyers, a Chicago firm concentrating in representing families in wrongful death and serious injury matters arising out of truck and auto crashes. Ken co-authored the current edition of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases, published by AAJ Press/Thomson-Reuters, as well as numerous legal articles Ken was named by Illinois Super Lawyers as one of the top attorneys in Illinois for 2010–2022 and made the list of the Super Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers in Illinois in 2012, 2016, 2019,2020, 2021, and 2022. Ken was also recognized by Leading Lawyers in 2017-2022. He is currently the Chair-Elect for the American Association for Justice (AAJ)Interstate Trucking Litigation Group, the Co-Chair of AAJ's Jury Bias Litigation Group, and the past Chair of AAJ's Motor Vehicle Collision, Highway Section. Ken currently serves on the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association Board of Managers. He is also an invited speaker and faculty member at various trial lawyer programs throughout the country

Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers Marc Waha and Nicolas Cassauba joined us in this episode to discuss dealing with substantive issues during M&A transactions. We looked at what makes a transaction fall, the typical issues that may come up and lead to greater scrutiny and how much influence politics plays in this. To finds out more about M&A and competition law in Asia, please visit https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/services/24ba38a6/antitrust-and-competitionMarc is a partner and heads the Norton Rose Fulbright Asia Antitrust and Competition Team. Based in our Hong Kong and Tokyo, Marc advises international companies on antitrust regimes in East Asia, and Asian companies on global competition compliance issues, multi-jurisdictional merger filings and international cartel investigations, particularly in Europe and Asia. For more than 20 years he has represented clients active in a wide variety of industrial and services sectors, with a focus on advising Asian companies on global antitrust and competition law matters. Over the years, Marc has been ranked as a leading lawyer, and the Competition Team as a top tier competition practice, in several guides including Chambers & Partners (where Marc featured in the Global Guide for his "high reputation for his merger control clearance work" as well as in the Asia-Pacific Guide, where he has been ranked #1 for competition law in China for several years), Euromoney's Guide to leading lawyers, the Guide to the World's Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers, PLC's Which Lawyer?, Asialaw's Leading Lawyers, and The International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers & Economists.Nicolas Cassauba, Senior Associate (Asia Antitrust and Competition) Nicolas is a senior associate in the antitrust and competition practice. Based in Hong Kong, his practice covers a broad range of competition law matters, including M&A transactions, regulatory investigations and legal compliance. Nicolas advises on antitrust regimes in Asia, global competition compliance issues, multijurisdictional merger filings, international cartel investigations, and other antitrust matters. He has extensive experience in relation to merger control and has guided parties to complex transactions through merger approval procedures in Asia as well as before the European Commission and other competition authorities around the globe. Nicolas frequently advises on abusive behaviour and cartel investigations in a multijurisdictional context. He has also assisted companies in the context of dawn raids conducted by the European Commission and other national competition authorities. In Hong Kong, Nicolas has assisted companies in relation to a wide range of compliance issues and investigations, based on his international experience. He also gained significant experience in setting up and deploying compliance programs and trainings for diverse industry groups. Nicolas is experienced across a number of industry sectors, including air transport, telecommunications, energy, construction, hospitality, insurance, shipping, fast moving consumer goods, life sciences and chemicals.

Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers Marc Waha and Nicolas Cassauba joined us in this episode to discuss the process and challenges when seeking clearnace from competition authorities on M&A deals. We took a walk through a typical clearance process, discussed the logistical and practical aspects of preparing the materials and nuances across Asia, talked about how best to interact with the competition authorities and looked into how much control do parties have over the timetable and the process.To finds out more about M&A and competition law in Asia, please visit https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/services/24ba38a6/antitrust-and-competitionMarc is a partner and heads the Norton Rose Fulbright Asia Antitrust and Competition Team. Based in our Hong Kong and Tokyo, Marc advises international companies on antitrust regimes in East Asia, and Asian companies on global competition compliance issues, multi-jurisdictional merger filings and international cartel investigations, particularly in Europe and Asia. For more than 20 years he has represented clients active in a wide variety of industrial and services sectors, with a focus on advising Asian companies on global antitrust and competition law matters. Over the years, Marc has been ranked as a leading lawyer, and the Competition Team as a top tier competition practice, in several guides including Chambers & Partners (where Marc featured in the Global Guide for his "high reputation for his merger control clearance work" as well as in the Asia-Pacific Guide, where he has been ranked #1 for competition law in China for several years), Euromoney's Guide to leading lawyers, the Guide to the World's Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers, PLC's Which Lawyer?, Asialaw's Leading Lawyers, and The International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers & Economists.Nicolas Cassauba, Senior Associate (Asia Antitrust and Competition) Nicolas is a senior associate in the antitrust and competition practice. Based in Hong Kong, his practice covers a broad range of competition law matters, including M&A transactions, regulatory investigations and legal compliance. Nicolas advises on antitrust regimes in Asia, global competition compliance issues, multijurisdictional merger filings, international cartel investigations, and other antitrust matters. He has extensive experience in relation to merger control and has guided parties to complex transactions through merger approval procedures in Asia as well as before the European Commission and other competition authorities around the globe. Nicolas frequently advises on abusive behaviour and cartel investigations in a multijurisdictional context. He has also assisted companies in the context of dawn raids conducted by the European Commission and other national competition authorities. In Hong Kong, Nicolas has assisted companies in relation to a wide range of compliance issues and investigations, based on his international experience. He also gained significant experience in setting up and deploying compliance programs and trainings for diverse industry groups. Nicolas is experienced across a number of industry sectors, including air transport, telecommunications, energy, construction, hospitality, insurance, shipping, fast moving consumer goods, life sciences and chemicals.

Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers Marc Waha and Nicolas Cassauba joined us in this episode to discuss the transactional planning process in M&A deals. We discussed why competition lawyers are often involved early on, at the time term sheets are discussed, competition merger clearance and the impact will be on the transaction timetable, merger control requirements in the transaction documentation, conditions precedent unique to Asia jurisdictions and market practice on whether to retain separate counsel or to have one external counsel acting for both parties.To finds out more about M&A and competition law in Asia, please visit https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/services/24ba38a6/antitrust-and-competitionMarc is a partner and heads the Norton Rose Fulbright Asia Antitrust and Competition Team. Based in our Hong Kong and Tokyo, Marc advises international companies on antitrust regimes in East Asia, and Asian companies on global competition compliance issues, multi-jurisdictional merger filings and international cartel investigations, particularly in Europe and Asia. For more than 20 years he has represented clients active in a wide variety of industrial and services sectors, with a focus on advising Asian companies on global antitrust and competition law matters. Over the years, Marc has been ranked as a leading lawyer, and the Competition Team as a top tier competition practice, in several guides including Chambers & Partners (where Marc featured in the Global Guide for his "high reputation for his merger control clearance work" as well as in the Asia-Pacific Guide, where he has been ranked #1 for competition law in China for several years), Euromoney's Guide to leading lawyers, the Guide to the World's Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers, PLC's Which Lawyer?, Asialaw's Leading Lawyers, and The International Who's Who of Competition Lawyers & Economists.Nicolas Cassauba, Senior Associate (Asia Antitrust and Competition) Nicolas is a senior associate in the antitrust and competition practice. Based in Hong Kong, his practice covers a broad range of competition law matters, including M&A transactions, regulatory investigations and legal compliance. Nicolas advises on antitrust regimes in Asia, global competition compliance issues, multijurisdictional merger filings, international cartel investigations, and other antitrust matters. He has extensive experience in relation to merger control and has guided parties to complex transactions through merger approval procedures in Asia as well as before the European Commission and other competition authorities around the globe. Nicolas frequently advises on abusive behaviour and cartel investigations in a multijurisdictional context. He has also assisted companies in the context of dawn raids conducted by the European Commission and other national competition authorities. In Hong Kong, Nicolas has assisted companies in relation to a wide range of compliance issues and investigations, based on his international experience. He also gained significant experience in setting up and deploying compliance programs and trainings for diverse industry groups. Nicolas is experienced across a number of industry sectors, including air transport, telecommunications, energy, construction, hospitality, insurance, shipping, fast moving consumer goods, life sciences and chemicals.

Today on the podcast, Robin and Lester interview Ray Persons, Senior Litigation Partner at King and Spalding and President of the International Society of Barristers.   Ray Persons: W. Ray Persons is a senior litigation partner at King & Spalding, an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 900 lawyers in 23 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.  Ray has a national practice focused on product liability, mass tort, class action and complex litigation.  Ray has represented more than 50 of the Fortune 500 as counsel or national coordinating counsel for clients in the pharmaceutical, automotive, chemical and energy industries; he has served as lead counsel in 92 jury trials, 90 percent of which went to verdict.  He has served as lead counsel in over 25 Engle progeny tobacco jury trials.  He serves as national counsel in In re UST Litigation for one of the world's largest petroleum companies in claims brought by dozens of states alleging fraudulent overpayment of claims for reimbursement of costs associated with cleanup of underground storage tanks.  He served as national coordinating counsel and lead trial counsel for Union Carbide Corporation in the successful defense against claims of an alleged industry-wide conspiracy to subject workers to cancer-causing chemicals.  He represented one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies in a 442-plaintiff case involving claims of exposure to arsenic and chromium stemming from the 60- year operation of a manufacturing facility in New Jersey.  Ray successfully defended against claims brought by 1,200 homeowners and residents who lived in the vicinity of a fertilizer plant; the chemicals of concern were arsenic, lead, mercury and sulfur dioxide.  Ray is regarded as one of the best trial lawyers in the country, as evidenced by his election as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers and the Litigation Counsel of America.  He holds the rank of Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates.  He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in four categories:  Commercial Litigation, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Mass Torts, and Product Liability; Chambers USA:  America's Leading Lawyers for Business; Lawdragon 500; The Legal 500; Georgia Trend magazine's “Legal Elite,” and Atlanta Magazine's Georgia Super Lawyers (Top 10 for eight consecutive years).  He is a member of the Defense Research Institute, Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, International Association of Defense Counsel, and American Health Lawyers Association.  Ray received his undergraduate degree in 1975 from Armstrong State College and his law degree in 1978 from The Ohio State University.  He was awarded the Armstrong State University Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2000, the Moritz College of Law 2005 Distinguished Alumnus Award, The Ohio State University 2006 Distinguished Service Award, and The Ohio State University 2012 John B. Gerlach, Sr., Development Volunteer Award. Read Full Bio   Links: King and Spaulding International Society of Barristers http://www.akintate.com/ https://www.gatriallawyers.net/ See You In Court Website To learn more about the Georgia Civil Justice Foundation, visit fairplay.org

- Lenders are now looking harder at troubled loans as we exit the pandemic- How to approach your lender and stakeholders when in financial trouble- What is a forbearance agreement- How to negotiateDavid Cohen is the national leader of Gowling WLG's Financial Institutions & Services Group in Canada, and a senior practitioner in the firm's Toronto office. He practises in the areas of corporate and commercial financing and restructuring and insolvency law, in both a domestic and cross-border context. David also coordinates the firm's national Distressed M&A practice.David has transactional experience in the following sectors:* Automotive* Agriculture* Aquaculture* Aviation* Bottling* Construction* Financial services* Food and beverage* Health care* Hospitality* Housing* Media* Mining, Oil and Gas and Natural Resources* Plastics* Recreational products* Retail* Shipping and logistics* TelecomFor the past seven years, David has been consistently recognized as a leader in the area of Restructuring/Insolvency - Canada in Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business and Chambers Canada. He has also been listed by Lexpert as a leading lawyer in mining (2017/18/19) and debt financing and banking. David's recent matters have included the restructuring of a large agricultural product manufacturer and producer, the liquidation and/or restructuring of a number of large domestic Canadian retail chains, and restructurings of mining businesses and oil and gas producers.David is both the past global chair (2017) and past global president (2016) of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), and served as a member of its Executive Board of Directors and Board of Trustees (2009-2018). He co-chaired the highly successful TMA Annual Convention held in Toronto in October 2014. He has also served as TMA Global's corporate secretary, as a member of its executive operating committee, and as its VP of membership. His other past roles include serving as a member of the Futures Task Force, the Sponsorship Task Force and the Nominations Committee.Prior to joining TMA's International Board, he served for six years as a director of the TMA (Toronto Chapter) Board in a number of executive positions, including vice president, secretary and co-chair of the Programs Committee.David was the chair of the Canadian Bar Association's National Bankruptcy and Insolvency Section Executive for a two-year term ending in September 2004. Before that, he was the Ontario representative of the section from 1998-2002.David is a member of the CCH Corporate Law Advisory Board and was a visiting instructor in Bankruptcy Law at Osgoode Hall Law School for five years, up to 2001. david.cohen@gowlingwlg.comhttps://thescottsinclair.com/https://www.sinclairrange.com/Follow on Twitter @MScott_SinclairFollow on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-sinclair-7b09681b/

Eric Gang is the Managing Attorney and Founder of Gang & Associates, a law firm that serves veterans and their families across the country. With over 20 years of experience in law, Eric has litigated more than 1,000 appeals at the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, winning some of the largest VA awards on record.  Eric is also the Co-author of two books and has been published in The Federal Lawyer. He lectures for the State Bar Association and is a Faculty Member at Lawline.com, where he teaches continuing legal education in the area of veteran disability law. His most recent accolades include National Law Journal's 2021 Litigation Trailblazer Award and Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America in 2022. In this episode… Many people return from war suffering PTSD, homelessness, and other physical and mental health issues. To make matters worse, veterans are often forced to fight the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits. How are law firms working to help veterans receive the compensation they deserve?  Numerous veterans come to Eric Gang and his team with the most difficult cases — many of which have been on appeal for decades. One veteran had been turned away from various firms because they argued his case wasn't viable. The veteran suffered from schizophrenia and wasn't able to work after being discharged from the military at a young age. The Department of Veterans Affairs refused benefits, stating that his schizophrenia was a pre-service condition. Against all odds, Eric took on the challenge and ended up winning the case.   In this episode of The Guts and Glory Show, Chad Franzen sits down with Eric Gang, Managing Attorney and Founder of Gang & Associates, to talk about how Eric is working to create a more equitable future for veterans. Eric explains why he is so passionate about serving veterans, exposes the flaws in the Veterans Affairs system, and shares remarkable stories from his practice.

Leslee CohenThis week Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Leslee Cohen. The two talk about the journey of building AllRise Legal Counsel, a sophisticated, small firm meeting the workforce where they are today and building a company accordingly. In this episode, we discuss: How Leslee's career was shaped and nurtured by her family starting at an early age The journey of building AllRise Legal Counsel, and the challenges and risks along the way Networking in the business' shift of brand and ownership Understanding how to market your niche and make yourself a sought out resource Leslee's vision to give women who need flexible work arrangements the ability to do very high level work, and continue to be challenged and relevant in the field within their time constraints Why ‘The Mom Project' has been a helpful resource How AllRise builds camaraderie in her team of mostly remote women The obstacles and development in building the skill sets of a business owner How Leslee balances herself, while being a mother, wife, business leader, and owner What boundaries help her to be present where she is Why and how Leslee is a great asset to her clients  AT WORK Leslee concentrates her transactional practice in securities law, corporate finance and general corporate law. She counsels a variety of entities, from small entrepreneurs and start-up companies to large established businesses, across many industries from real estate to technology in connection with private placements of both equity and debt securities, including venture capital, private equity and “friends and family” investments. She also handles general corporate matters including commercial contract drafting and review, stockholder and limited liability company agreements and structuring, business restructurings, employment and consulting agreements, and equity incentive plans and agreements, on behalf of a diverse group of clients.  Leslee also structures, negotiates and documents significant business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, tender offers, joint ventures and other business combinations and financial transactions.   IN THE PROFESSION Co-Chair, Advisory Board, Coalition of Women's Initiatives in Law FirmsThe Coalition is dedicated to enhancing the recruitment, retention and promotion of women lawyers.  Member, Board of Directors, and Chair, Venture Pitch Committee, Small Business Advocacy Council The SBAC is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization formed to advocate on behalf of small businesses on a federal, state and local government level.  The Venture Pitch Committee is a program through the SBAC that provides members with both access to capital and valuable business educational programs. Member, Board of Directors, Demon Angels The Demon Angels is an angel investment fund formed to raise capital and offer support primarily to women and minority entrepreneurs. Mentor, WorkboxWorkbox is a coworking accelerator providing resources to startups and growth stage businesses. Mentor, The HatcheryThe Hatchery is a non-profit food and beverage incubator. Mentor, REACH Commercial Accelerator  REACH is a venture accelerator program for real estate technology companies.   HONORS AND AWARDS  Advocate of the Year, 2019, Small Business Advocacy Council  Best Chicago Lawyers for Start-Ups, 2015-2022, Red Rocket blog Illinois Super Lawyers, 2010-2022, Top 100 Lawyers in the State of Illinois and Top 50 Women Lawyers in the State of Illinois, securities and corporate finance Best Lawyers in America, 2013-2022, corporate law Leading Lawyers, 2007-2022, corporation finance, mergers & acquisitions, securities, venture finance Women of Influence Award, 2017, Best Lawyers', Business Edition Outstanding Service to Entrepreneurs Award, 2016, Daily Herald Business Ledger Women Making an Impact Award, 2013, Chicago Law Bulletin Publishing Company 40 Illinois Lawyers Under 40 to Watch, 2006, Chicago Law Bulletin Publishing Company  EDUCATION New York University School of Law J.D. University of Michigan B.A., with highest distinction Website: https://www.allriselawyers.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslee-cohen-48820a6/

In this episode of Smart Energy Voices, host John Failla is joined by Mona Dajani, Global Co-Head of Energy, Infrastructure, Mobility, Renewables & Water at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. Mona is a prolific dealmaker in the renewable energy space and is a highly regarded, well-recognized attorney. You'll find her extensive experience and unique perspective enlightening. Listen to learn more. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Mona's journey to renewable energy [03:57] Mona's most challenging deal [13:25] Major trends in renewable energy deals [17:24] What's happening in storage? [32:17] Important factors to accelerate the market [37:40] What drives Mona's passion? [44:20] Mona's work at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Pillsbury's energy and infrastructure group covers clean energy, hydrogen, ESG, sustainable finance, and anything to do with clean tech. Mona is dual qualified and represents companies in North America as well as Europe. Many of the deals she works on are incredibly challenging and most come with unique difficulties. One of Mona's most challenging deals was during COVID because it involved companies from three continents that couldn't meet in person, but Mona is an expert at making a deal work and negotiated it successfully. She is unique because she not only counsels clients on legal aspects of business but also on the commercial and economic aspects. The future of clean energy The need for clean energy is accelerating, driven by COVID and the Biden administration, as well as an increase in decarbonization goals from many utilities and businesses. Renewable energy has been focused heavily on solar and wind, but other technologies, including advanced battery storage, offshore wind, and hydrogen are moving toward commercialization. Mona has seen a lot of deal activity across the value chain, with many different stakeholders consolidating positions. Major oil and gas companies and governments are also setting ambitious climate goals, and there's more federal support here in the U.S. and globally. Some countries have mandates or stimulus and tax incentives to capture more renewable energy deals, especially in the power, oil, and gas utility industries.  The potential of hydrogen Hydrogen has been around for over 100 years. Many industry stakeholders are currently considering hydrogen production and storage projects, in addition to wind and solar, as part of their decarbonization strategy. The reason it's taking off now, at least from a domestic standpoint, is because of the push for decarbonization, particularly net-zero goals. Mona has been working on hydrogen in Europe for a while, but in the past year has recently been working in the United States with blending hydrogen and natural gas to support utilities, pipelines, and oil and gas majors' decarbonization efforts. While clean hydrogen is expensive now, it can be equated to what solar was 15 or 20 years ago. When a country promotes hydrogen strategies with incentives, there will be a proliferation of deals. Mona is currently working on deals that combine renewables and hydrogen, as combining many different contributing elements creates a hydrogen hub, which is a favorite pathway for how clean hydrogen usage will develop. Resources & People Mentioned Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Nikola and TC Energy Sign Joint Development Agreement Connect with Mona Dajani On Linkedin Mona Dajani, qualified as a lawyer in the U.S., as a registered foreign lawyer in England and a licensed professional engineer, serves as a lead lawyer in complex mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and project development transactions involving energy and infrastructure facilities in the United States and around the world. She is the global co-leader of the firm's Energy and Infrastructure Projects Team and also leads the Renewable Energy practice, which covers clean energy, clean energy technology, hydrogen, and sustainable finance.  Mona focuses her global practice on project finance, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, sustainable finance, portfolio acquisitions, tax equity, construction and/or restructuring for government and private clients involving energy and infrastructure projects. In her over 20 years of practice, she has led numerous financing and acquisition/disposition and project development transactions involving solar, wind, hydrogen, hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass, waste to energy, and Net Zero disruptive technology, such as connectivity, autonomous driving, and e-mobility, as well as gasification, transmission lines, and oil and gas pipelines. She has substantial experience with respect to syndicated loan and debt capital markets transactions, sustainable finance, ESG, syndicated commercial bank debt, commercial paper programs, and arranging capital for new and established energy and infrastructure companies. She has represented a wide variety of commercial and public institutions, sponsors, utilities, financial institutions, underwriters, energy and clean technology companies, private equity funds, investment banks, and multilateral agencies in transactions throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.  Very recently, Mona led a team of Pillsbury lawyers representing Archaea Energy LLC, an emerging leader in the development and advancement of renewable natural gas (RNG), in a business combination agreement valued at £1.15 billion with Aria Energy LLC led by Rice Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC focused on the energy transition sector. The business combination creates the leading U.S. RNG platform. The combined company, Archaea Energy, is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions through landfill gas conversion, CO2 sequestration, and green hydrogen.  Mona is on several boards, including the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE); ABANA - the preeminent U.S. organization for finance professionals and institutions with interest in the Middle East and North Africa; The Energy Lawyers Network; The Institute for Energy Law - International Section; American Bar Association - Energy and Resources; and American Bar Association - Vice Chair, Project Finance of the Energy Infrastructure and Siting Committee.  Mona has been recognized as a leading lawyer by A Word about Wind Legal Power List (twice), Financier Worldwide Power Players: Project Finance & Infrastructure 2021 - Distinguished Advisers, winner of Law 360 MVP 2021 award Project Finance 2021, Financier Worldwide POWER PLAYERS: Project Finance & Infrastructure 2021 - Distinguished Advisers, Chambers Global, Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, IFLR1000, “Who's Who” and other rankings by other organizations and publications. She has been named to the “Lawdragon 500: Leading Lawyers in America” and has also been listed in Superlawyers magazine. Ms. Dajani was identified for her work in renewable energy as one of “The Decade's Most Influential Lawyers” by The National Law Journal. She has been named one of the “Five Most Influential People in Energy” by Euromoney/Institutional Investor. Mona is listed as “a leader in renewables” by ‘The Lawyer Hot 100 Lawyers'. Connect With Smart Energy Decisions https://smartenergydecisions.com Follow them on Facebook Follow them on Twitter Follow them on LinkedIn Subscribe to Smart Energy Voices If you're interested in participating in the next Smart Energy Decision Event, visit smartenergydecisions.com or email our Event Operations Director, Lisa Carroll at lisa@smartenergydecisions.com Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

On this episode, Paul Michalski offers an explanation for why many marketplace Christians miss out on fully participating in God's mission in the business world.  Paul Michalski is the founder of Integrous LLC, a law firm providing integrity advice and legal counsel to clients serious about faith/work integration. He publishes a weekly blog on faith/work integration at integriosity.com.  Paul graduated from Harvard College, magna cum laude, in 1983 and Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, in 1986. He became a partner with Cravath, Swaine & Moore and for over 22 years practiced corporate law in New York and London.  Among other honors, Paul was recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in 2006 and 2007; Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers in 2008 and 2009; and New York Super Lawyers in 2007 and 2008.    https://integriosity.com/   Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com   

On this episode, Paul Michalski offers an explanation for why many marketplace Christians miss out on fully participating in God's mission in the business world.  Paul Michalski is the founder of Integrous LLC, a law firm providing integrity advice and legal counsel to clients serious about faith/work integration. He publishes a weekly blog on faith/work integration at integriosity.com.  Paul graduated from Harvard College, magna cum laude, in 1983 and Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, in 1986. He became a partner with Cravath, Swaine & Moore and for over 22 years practiced corporate law in New York and London.  Among other honors, Paul was recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in 2006 and 2007; Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers in 2008 and 2009; and New York Super Lawyers in 2007 and 2008.    https://integriosity.com/   Christianity in Business is the show that helps Christian business leaders to integrate biblical values into business. | Entrepreneurship | Marketing | Nonprofit | Church | Author | Startups | Marketplace | Ministry | Business as Mission | Faith and Work | Faith | Success | Leadership | www.ChristianityInBusiness.com   

Our guest for this week's episode, Margery Newman is an income member at Bryce Downey & Lenkov. Her practice encompasses construction mediation, arbitration and litigation in both the private and public sectors, and related business litigation. Her clients include owners, general contractors, subcontractors, specialty trade contractors and disadvantaged business enterprises. Margery counsels clients on drafting and negotiating construction contracts—including dangerous subcontractor clauses—mechanics' lien claims and foreclosure actions, construction defects, MBE, WBE and DBE certification and compliance. She has been recognized by Chambers USA, Super Lawyers and Leading Lawyers for her work in construction law. In today's episode, we sit down and go over some of the dangerous subcontractor clauses, however, as we talked about in our previous episode, they are favorable if you're the prime and they are only dangerous if you're the sub. We also got into some interesting topics because she had done seminars and presentations on post-Covid 19 construction contract clauses, implicit bias and its impact on diversity, construction industry, returning to work issues following covid and much much more. 

Gail is the head of the employment law practice at Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd. Gail works a range of employment disputes related to race, gender, and other forms of workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Before Loftus & Eisenberg, Ltd, Gail worked for Sowell & Friedman, Ltd., at Dentons, and as a Staff Law Clerk to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She has also taught appellate advocacy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Gail has received several honors and accolades. Leading Lawyers named her as an Emerging Lawyer in Employment Law, and the Illinois Super Lawyer's Magazine has named Gail as an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star in Employment Litigation every year since 2017. She was also recognized as a Rising Star in Class Action Litigation. And Gail was named to the 2015 Chicago Jewish 36 under 36 List by the Jewish United Fund. In addition to legal accomplishments, Gail was elected as New Trier Township Trustee in 2017 on a four year term. She also currently sits on the Administrative and Government Affairs Committees of the Jewish United Fund, co-chairs the Legislative Committee of the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, serves on the Quality Jobs Council for Women Employed, on her school district's Community Review Community, on her synagogue's board, and as a Girl Scout Brownie Leader, and on the Triage Cancer Legal Advisory Council. And she serves on the March of Dimes' North Suburban Leadership Council and Illinois Government Affairs Committee. She received her M.A./B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her J.D. from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Learn More: https://www.loftusandeisenberg.com/

Christina ("Chrissie") Martell is an experienced family law attorney. She has experience litigating matters of parenting time, maintenance, child support, contested adoptions, contested guardianships, and more. Prior to joining her current firm as Associate Attorney, Chrissie operated the law practice she founded called The Law Office of Christina Martell. Chrissie has served the Chicago Law Institute as Managing Director as well as multiple volunteer legal services. This year, Chrissie was recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and an Emerging Lawyer in Family Law, by Leading Lawyers. An Indiana native, Chrissie earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Indiana University, Bloomington, and her JD in Child and Family Law from DePaul University College of Law. Waymarker, meet my longtime friend and a leader I have always admired, Chrissie Martell! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waymarker/support

Jonathan Havens joins us on this episode of MarketPlay, and we're so happy to have him!Jonathan Havens is the co-chair of both the Cannabis Law Practice and the Food, Beverage & Agribusiness Practice at Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP.  He counsels state cannabis license applicants and awardees, ancillary service and product providers, investors, management companies, and various other entities that are affected by federal and state cannabis laws.  In addition to his cannabis law practice, Jonathan maintains an active food and beverage practice, particularly with regard to cannabidiol (CBD) products, in which he counsels manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers of conventional foods, dietary supplements, and beverages on product development, claim substantiation, labeling, promotion, registration, reporting, and recall issues to ensure compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and state and local requirements.Since 2019, Jonathan has been listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for his nationwide cannabis law practice.  In 2018, he was named to the National Law Journal's inaugural Cannabis Law Trailblazers list.  He is regularly interviewed by mainstream and trade press outlets, alike, and has been quoted by or authored pieces for CNBC, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, WIRED, MarketWatch, Engadget, Law360, High Times Magazine, Cannabis Business Times, Hemp Industry Daily, Marijuana Business Daily, and HEMP Magazine.   Jonathan currently serves on Law360's Cannabis Editorial Advisory Board and the Food and Drug Law Institute's Cannabis-Derived Products Committee.Before entering private practice, Jonathan served as a regulatory counsel with FDA, where he focused on compliance and enforcement related to promotion, advertising, and labeling.  Prior to law school, Jonathan served as a legislative aide in both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=44196766)

Ken Levinson is a Founding Partner of Levinson and Stefani, a Chicago-based firm focusing on personal injury law. Ken has spent over 20 years helping represent disenfranchised clients against corporate giants, and he serves as an advocate for accident survivors and child safety. Ken is also the Vice-Chair of the American Association for Justice Trucking Group and the co-author of the latest edition of Litigating Major Automobile Injury and Death Cases. Ken has been recognized as one of the top attorneys in Illinois by Leading Lawyers and Super Lawyers magazines. He was also named one of the “40 Lawyers Under 40 to Watch in Illinois” by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company. Ken is one of only 100 trial lawyers from Illinois selected for The American Trial Lawyers Association, a competitive, invitation-based membership program. In this episode: Is your firm thinking about narrowing its area of expertise? Do you want to know how to better market your firm to its target audience? If so, tune in to this episode of Spill the Ink to get all of the details! As an attorney who has found his niche, Ken Levinson can confirm the benefits that come from specializing within your area of practice. According to Ken, you'll be able to market yourself directly to your target audience, allowing you to gain better-suited clients and a reputation for being the best in your area of practice. If you're still on the fence about your niche or uneasy about marketing yourself, Ken has some advice that you won't want to miss. In this episode of Spill the Ink, Michelle Calcote King sits down with Ken Levinson, Founding Partner of Levinson and Stefani, to talk about the value of finding your niche and the best way to market your business. Ken discusses why having an area of expertise can help your practice thrive, the way that he uses social media and how to market your company — even if you're not a marketing specialist. Plus, Ken shares his expert tips for adapting to the changing industry of law. Stay tuned! 

Charles Baker is Co-Chair of O'Melveny's Sports Industry Group. Chuck's corporate practice encompasses mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital transactions, with a core focus in the sports, media and consumer sectors. Chuck has represented buyers and sellers of sports franchises in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, MLS, and many of the European football leagues. Most recently, Chuck represented David Tepper, founder and president of global hedge fund Appaloosa Management, in his acquisition of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Chuck has been featured by dozens of national publications and other media outlets as a thought leader in the fields of sports and entertainment law, and is also a frequent public speaker on those topics. Most recently, The American Lawyer named Chuck to its prestigious 2019 “Dealmakers of the Year” list. He was also profiled in Variety's 2018 and 2017 “Dealmakers Elite New York,” a feature spotlighting the most important players in the fields of law, finance, representation, and executive leadership. Chuck has been recognized nationally for sports law in the last six editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, which has described him as a “very strong practitioner” who is “well connected, incredibly bright and just able to get the deal closed” with “tremendous experience and know-how in the sports space.” He was also recognized by Law360 in 2015 and 2016 for his stellar M&A and sports law work, and by the Global M&A Network for his work on the sale of the Atlanta Hawks NBA team, naming it the “2015 USA Deal of the Year” at its prestigious M&A Atlas Awards. In 2016, he was featured in Sports Business Journal's “Power Players: Sports Lawyers & Outside Counsel” 2016 list. Chuck, who holds a JD from Cornell University, is a Distinguished Lecturer at NYU's Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media, and Business. He is also a member of the University of Miami School of Law's Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law board. Chuck also served as a staff associate for former Senator Bill Bradley. He is active at the board level with the March of Dimes and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and previously with USA Triathlon.

"If we are going to achieve freedom we’ve got to engage in action programs to make that freedom possible. Let nobody fool you about this. Freedom is never voluntarily given to the oppressed by the oppressor." - Martin Luther King, Jr.Jim Robenalt is an author, historian, and attorney. He's a partner in Thompson Hine's Business Litigation practice group and has been named as one of America's Leading Lawyers in the Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers. Jim has consistently been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® and has been selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers® through a process that includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Jim has partnered with John Dean, Nixon's White House Counsel, to create a national continuing education program entitled "The Watergate CLE."Select Publications by Jim RobenaltWebsite/Podcast: Ballots and BulletsBook: Ballots and Bullets: Black Power Politics and Urban Guerrilla Warfare in 1968 ClevelandBook: January 1973: Watergate, Roe v. Wade, Vietnam, and the Month That Changed America Forever - with John DeanThe Harding Affair: Love and Espionage during the Great War - with John DeanArticle: What Joe Biden and Franklin Roosevelt Have in CommonArticle: How HUD Nominee Marcia Fudge Can Undo the Damage Nixon Did CLE Program: The Legacy of Watergate: Ethics of Representing an Entity Under the Current Model Rules Resources Mentioned In This EpisodeSpeech: Malcolm X: Ballot or BulletSpeech: Martin Luther King, Jr.: April 26, 1967 in Cleveland, OhioSpeech: Robert Kennedy: April 4, 1968Film: One Night in Miami Harvard Business Review Case: African American Inequality in the United States.Report: Carl B. Stokes: A 50-Year Legacy in PolicyA Quote to Ponder"Every system is perfectly designed to achieve the results that it gets.” – David Beckwith M.D.Did You Enjoy Phronesis? Subscribe and Leave a Review!Connect with Scott AllenTwitterLinkedInWebsite

Watch this Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6_a7t5K_wQw * Get the Data Leadership Book – https://dataleadershipbook.com * Data Leadership Lessons on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/DataLeadershipLessons* Save 20% on your first order at the DATAVERSITY Training Center with promo code “AlgminDL” – https://training.dataversity.net/?utm_source=algmindl_res * Guest and Sponsorship Inquiries – podcast@algmin.com William A. Tanenbaum is a data, technology and IP lawyer, and a partner in the 100-year old New York law firm of Moses & Singer. Who's Who Legal says Bill is a “go-to expert” on “the management of and protection of data across a variety of sectors.” It named him as “one of the leading names” in AI and data and with Global Data Review recognized him as one of the international “Thought Leaders in Data 2020.” Chambers: America's Leading Lawyers for Business says Bill has “notable expertise in cybersecurity, data law and IP,” has a “solid national reputation,” and “brings extremely high integrity, a deep intellect, fearlessness and a practical, real-world mindset to every problem.” Bill is a member of the DAMA Speakers Bureau and the Past President of the International Technology Law Association. He is a graduate of Brown University (Phi Beta Kappa), Cornell Law School, and the Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving. For more information:– Bio: https://www.mosessinger.com/attorneys/william-a-tanenbaum– LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/williamtanenbaum/– Law Firm Website: https://www.mosessinger.com

This week, your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Chris Hamilton of Hamilton Wingo LLP (https://hamiltonwingo.com/)   Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here To Rate and Review   Episode Details: Discussing a landmark premises liability case, trial lawyer and Hamilton Wingo LLP partner Chris Hamilton explains how he held McDonald's responsible for ongoing lack of security and secured justice for the families of Texas A&M college students Denton Ward and Lauren Crisp, who died following a late-night trip to a McDonald's in College Station, Texas. In February 2012, Denton Ward and Lauren Crisp, along with Samantha Bean and another friend, went to McDonald's, where Denton Ward was violently assaulted by Marcus Jones and a mob of other attackers. Lauren Crisp and Samantha Bean carried a bleeding Denton Ward to his SUV in an attempt to get him to the hospital. The driver, Samantha Bean, ran a red light and collided with another car. Denton Ward was killed and Lauren Crisp, who was unrestrained and tending to Denton Ward's injuries, was also killed. Despite the defense's attempts to shift focus away from McDonald's ongoing lack of concern for customer safety at a restaurant location with a history of late-night violence and to blame Samantha Bean for reckless driving, a Brazos County, Texas jury assigned 97 percent of the responsibility to McDonald's and returned a verdict of $27,000,000 in damages.   Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents   Guest Bios: Chris Hamilton Chris Hamilton has established himself as one of the leading high-stakes trial lawyers in the United States. Hamilton has a recent track record of verdicts and settlements that are setting the mark in both the personal injury arena and in complex business disputes. For example, Hamilton was recently featured in Courtroom View Network's (CVN) list of Most Impressive Trials of 2019. In 2014, Hamilton was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as having the largest jury verdict in Texas for a personal injury case and the 17th largest jury verdict in the United States. In 2016, Hamilton was recognized by Top Verdict as having the ninth-largest personal injury verdict in Texas. Hamilton was recognized in 2011 by Verdict Search as having one of the top 10 verdicts in Texas and top 100 verdicts in the United States. Hamilton was selected as one of the Best Lawyers in America for 2019, the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America for 2020, and is a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LTSatlanta.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris, Lowry, and Manton - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Links/Resources: Vapor intrusion:  https://www.environmental-law.net/environmental-law/vapor-intrusion/ Vapor Intrusion Archive Page (digital images of news articles thru 2008 discussing sites VI problems): https://www.environmental-law.net/environmental-law/vapor-intrusion/vapor-intrusion-digital-project/ Radon Page: https://www.environmental-law.net/environmental-law/indoor-air/radon/ Dry Cleaner Page:  https://www.environmental-law.net/key-practice-areas/environmental-due-diligence/dry-cleaners-and-commercial-real-estate/ List of contaminated NY Dry Cleaner Sites: https://www.environmental-law.net/key-practice-areas/ny-superfund-program/ny-contaminated-dry-cleaner-database/ Bible and the Environment: https://www.environmental-law.net/resources/the-bible-and-the-environment/ EPA Cleanups in my Community-Interactive Map for all federal remedial sites): https://ofmpub.epa.gov/apex/cimc/f?p=cimc:map::::71 EPA Superfund Sites Where You Live: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live EPA Lead Paint Page: https://www.epa.gov/lead EPA Drinking Water Page: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water Lawrence P. Schnapf is an environmental attorney based in New York City and New Jersey with over 30 years of national environmental transactional experience and is the principal of Schnapf LLC. https://www.environmental-law.net With this background and his geology training, Larry is uniquely qualified to handle the legal and technical issues commonly encountered with environmental issues. Larry primarily concentrates on environmental risks associated with corporate, real estate and brownfield transactions; commercial financing including asset-based lending, syndicated loans, mezzanine loans and distressed debt; bankruptcy, workouts and corporate restructuring. He has extensive experience with brownfield redevelopment and financing, including representing affordable housing developers and assisting local development corporations or not-for-profit organizations with their brownfield planning programs. Larry also counsels clients on environmental, represents clients in federal and state environmental litigation, enforcement actions, administrative proceedings and private cost recovery actions. He has also served as liaison counsel for PRP steering committees. He has also written numerous articles on environmental law, is the general editor/contributing author of “Environmental Issues in Business Transactions” published by the Business Law Section of the ABA and is also the author of “Managing Environmental Liability in Transactions and Brownfield Redevelopment” published by JurisLaw Publishing. He is also contributing author for several chapters of “Brownfield Practice and Law: The Cleanup and Redevelopment of Contaminated Properties” published by Matthew Bender and the Matthew Bender “Environmental Law Practice Guide”. Larry is the Chair of the Environmental Law Section of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), co-chair of the NYSBA brownfield task force and served as the co-chair of  the NYSBA Hazardous Site Remediation Committee from 1995 until January 2015 he became an officer of the NYSBA Environmental Law Section.  Larry is also on the advisory board  of the New York City Brownfield Partnership and served as the chair of the Brownfield Field Task Force of the Environmental Business Association of New York (EBA/NYS) from 2002 until EBA/NYS became inactive in 2009. He is a past Chair of the ABA Section of Business Law Committee on Environmental, Energy and Natural Resources Law. He is also a member of the board of BNA's Environmental Due Diligence Guide and a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Larry has also served on a number of ASTM Task Groups, including Chair of the legal subcommittee for the ASTM E1527  task force for the 2013 revisions to ASTM E1527 phase 1 standard and was Co-Chair of the legal sub-committee for the ASTM Vapor Intrusion Task Group. Larry is an adjunct professor of environmental law at New York Law School and a faculty member of the NYLS Center for Real Estate Studies where he teaches “Environmental Issues in Business Transactions”, “Environmental Law and Policy” and a mini-course on brownfields. He is also on the faculty of the Center for Christian Studies at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church where he teaches “The Bible and the Environment.” He is listed in the New York Super Lawyers-Metro Edition (2010-2015; the Super Lawyers Business Edition (2011-15); The International Who's Who of Environmental Lawyers (2008-2015) as well as appearing in Chambers USA Client Guide of America's Leading Lawyers for Business. Larry has received the AV® Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest possible Peer Review Rating

Henry is an internationally recognized communications expert, author, speaker, and conference leader. A former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner, this highly experienced practitioner has been named one of the District of Columbia's “Super Lawyers,” among The Best Lawyers in America in Communications Law and named by Lawdragon as one of “500 Leading Lawyers in America.” He has also been singled out as a “Leading Lawyer” by Chambers USA and named among the top 12 Telecom experts in the U.S. by Legal Media Group's Best of the Best. EXPERIENCE Partner, Wiley Rein LLP Member, Federal Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy, U.S. Department of State Chairman and Member, Federal Advisory Committee on Diversity in the Digital Age, Federal Communications Commission Co-Head, Agency Review Team, Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team Member, Advanced Television Field Test Technical Oversight Committee, Federal Communications Commission Member, Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service, Federal Communications Commission Federal Communications Commission -> Member, Federal-State Joint Board on Separations -> Commissioner -> Chairman, Advisory Committee on Alternative Financing for Minority Opportunities in Telecommunication -> Supervisory Commissioner, Telecommunications Industry Advisory Group to Revise Uniform System of Acc

Mark Raffman concentrates his practice on complex product liability and consumer products litigation and advice (including silica, building products, and wired technologies in the consumer products, real estate, and other industries). He advises on regulatory compliance audits and legislation, as well as transactions posing product liability and other risks associated with the merging of wired technology and the physical world and the Covid-19 pandemic. He has 30 years of experience defending complex litigation matters in state and federal courts nationwide, is a member of the Defense Research Institute, and has lectured and published on a broad range of topics including autonomous vehicles and smart cities.Mr. Raffman has been recognized as a Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group, based on interviews with general counsel at large and Fortune 100 companies. He has also been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and The Legal 500 U.S.Ben Hittman is an associate in the firm's Business Law Department and a member of its Real Estate Industry group. Mr. Hittman represents real estate investment funds, REITs, institutional investors, developers and other owners and operators of real estate in complex transactions involving commercial, industrial, office, hospitality and multifamily assets, including acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, development agreements, and financings. Prior to joining Goodwin in 2016, Mr. Hittman was an associate with Paul Hastings LLP in New York.Mr. Hittman is also a member of Goodwin's PropTech Initiative, which is focused on supporting the intersection of Real Estate and Technology through thoughtful collaboration across the two practice areas. As a key contributor to the group and Steering Committee, Mr. Hittman participates in key industry events and stays up to date on relevant market trends impacting the PropTech sector to effectively support clients involved in this space.

Can a lawyer who is trained to rely on evidence still believe in the God of the Bible? Is faith more about feelings than facts? That’s what we’re exploring today on Bleeding Daylight.Reverend Doctor Ross Clifford AM is a former lawyer, a theologian, political commentator, pastor, radio personality, and so much more. He has authored or co-authored over a dozen books. In June, 2010, he was made a member of the Order of Australia.  Leading Lawyers' Case for the Resurrection: https://www.amazon.com.au/Leading-Lawyers-Case-Resurrection-Clifford/dp/1945500638Ross Clifford on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Clifford  (Transcript is a guide only and may not be 100% correct.)Emily Olsen: Wherever there shadows there are people ready to kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight. This is bleeding daylight with your host Rodney Olsen.Rodney Olsen: Can a lawyer who is trained to rely on evidence still believe in the God of the Bible? Is faith more about feelings than facts? That’s what we’re exploring today on Bleeding Daylight.Rodney Olsen: My guest today seems to have had enough careers for several lifetimes. He's a former lawyer, a theologian, political commentator, pastor radio personality, and so much more. He has authored or co-authored over a dozen books. In June, 2010 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia and it's a real honour to welcome Reverend Doctor Ross Clifford AM to Bleeding Daylight. Ross. Thanks for your time.Ross Clifford:  Good to be with you, Rodney.Rodney Olsen: Do you get worn out just thinking of all the roads that your life has actually traveled down?Ross Clifford: I don't actually I mean, I find it fascinating, but I think that's going to be the new normal. If I could use that term again that seems to be out there today.I mean, so many people are exploring, you know, different aspects of life and changing vacation and God taking them into other directions. So for me, Rodney has just really been open to where you think you meant to be and where God's taking youRodney Olsen: And a lot of those different careers, so to speak have been simultaneously haven't they?Ross Clifford: Oh, they were and still are, I'm still doing radio and I'm still principal of a theological college and, and writing. And, uh, you know, I just think that's, you know, who I am, that that's what God's called me to do. And I'm pretty comfortable with it.Rodney Olsen: Let's go back to those very early days and your training and work as a lawyer. What drew you to that vocation?Ross Clifford:  It was by chance, in some sense, I was looking for something to do and I left school and school had been pretty rocky and I found myself, uh, in the public service, the Attorney General's Department and discovered if I was going to move forward anywhere as a young, 19 year old, I had to study law. So that's basically how it happened, Rodney. And, uh, through that, I fell in love with law and had a real sense that this was somewhere where I could make a difference. Uh, and so I decided to do community law, really work with people and, and, and, and, you know, not the top end kind of law, which I found so distanced.So I worked at King's cross in Sydney for a while. And then in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek.Rodney Olsen: It must've been some interesting cases that you're working on with the sort of places you were working.Ross Clifford: Oh, absolutely. And a Tennant Creek, for example, in, in the Northern Territory, it was an honor to stand with, uh, indigenous people and a stand for them before the courts.But I must say though, you know, the sense of angst that we hear today was not there. You know, you could work with police and work with magistrates and courts, and I don't know, it just seemed to be a more decent society, if I can say that.Rodney Olsen: So does it concern you that the issues that existed back then don't just still exist, but are being amplified at the moment ?Ross Clifford: They are being amplified and I just don't know why, uh, you know, one would have thought that we would have moved on.We were confronting them. 30, 40 years ago and you would've thought we've moved on, but rather it seems even more hostile, more hatred, more underlying ideologies playing out. And I think we're at a real stage in human history where we have to decide what are our values? Where are we heading? Uh, you know, we won't be taken over by people who have, uh, whatever agendas I have, but we'll work together on this in order to ensure that Australia is the place we wanted to be operating on Christian values, all people are equal. All people have human worth and we can do that together. Rodney.Rodney Olsen: So that wishing that people would move on. That's not a case of, Hey, let's just forget the past. As some people would suggest, of working together to, to overcome that and move on.Ross Clifford: Oh, absolutely. And having sat with indigenous people and represented before courts and done Aboriginal lists in places like Tennant Creek and being a regular lawyer under settlements, like , Warrabri, you know, it's about sitting and listening and hearing and understanding.And, and finding structures that work with that. And we certainly had those structures days, years ago, nothing was perfect, but I'm sure we can do it again. And it's, it's honoring who we are, the past, we've all been through and finding solutions together on that basic Christian principle of human worth and human dignity for all people.But let's be sure, Rodney, we don't let the agenda written take over this. We do it together as decent human beings.Rodney Olsen:  It's interesting that in everything you're talking about, you're bringing this Christian aspect into it and where God is leading you. And that is as a trained lawyer who. Is dealing with the facts who is dealing with the evidence in front of you and yet, so often we hear this dilemma between people of faith and people who are looking at the science and the real evidence. Is there a conflict there at all?Ross Clifford: Ah look, I'm one who knows what it is to doubt, Rodney. And my story is as a lawyer and exploring my Christian faith and being happy and having a real sense that God wanted me in ministry.I came back from Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, and I came back to train for Christian ministry and within six months, I really had such a strong sense of doubt that I was leaving. The, uh, the, uh, the early studies for being a Christian minister and heading back to the Northern territory to practice law and to be involved in, in politics.And it was over the resurrection of Jesus. I still had a God out there, but I wasn't sure that this guy was God. And I wasn't sure what this guy did rise from the dead. And so I was in the, in the middle of that personal angst. So, for me, the resurrection of Jesus and belief in the Christian faith is not just, Oh, that's something that I'd like it to be.I mean, that's hard earned. I mean, God took me through a real cycle of seeing that I could have confidence to place my faith in the person of Jesus Christ.Rodney Olsen: We're talking about an event that happened over 2000 years ago. How do you look at evidence? How do you deal with that conflict that in your own mind and come to a place where you can say, I can believe this?Ross Clifford:  Well, that's a really good question. Uh, and I guess why my training as a a lawyer really helped me there. Uh, but you know, it's not rocket science and the stuff I've written, hopefully, you know, the average Australian can see, it's just common sense. I had to go back Rodney and ask, well, how good are these documents that tell the story of Jesus?And that's just a miracle. Let me tell you. They're better than anything else we have from antiquity. And that's not just me speaking. That's scholars speaking. Yeah. We have 5,000 early Greek copies of the gospels and there's absolutely no doubt, Rodney, that as you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John you're reading, as it was written.And it goes to one of the most, uh, established and important techs for the resurrection of Jesus is one Corinthians 15 chapter 15. And I don't know how a scholar alive, who does not believe that was written by the apostle Paul. It's a very early writing. And it tells us clearly what he believed, what he believed he saw and what the early church practiced and what they're prepared to lose their lives for.Mate, its just gold mine kind of evidence, if you know what I mean. These documents are good stuff.Rodney Olsen: In one sense, we've got to say, we can look for the evidence that we want to see. Like for instance, I drive a blue Ford Escape. I really didn't know much about Ford Escapes until I bought one. Then every second car on the road seem to be that, cause that's what I was looking for. How do you overcome the bias of just going to seek for what you're after anyway?Ross Clifford: Ah, good question again. And I think skepticism is not inappropriate.  God's asking us to believe in something that is life changing, and calls you and me to put our life into this movement and this cause, you know, being skeptical is not inappropriate, but Rodney, because of skeptical old Roscoe here, imagine what God gave us. You know, if you read one Corinthians 15, you read the gospels, you find, Rodney, the ones who give the best evidence, the ones who saw Jesus die, the ones who saw him buried and the ones who him rise again, are the women. I mean, it's not that the men are not in there somewhere, but the women give you that unbroken chain, uh, in that day, women weren't allowed to give evidence in a court of law.The Jewish historian Lapide says the fact that it's women at the forefront is a sign that this is not an invention. This is not made up in order to get you convicted to these guy's bias. You you'd have Peter and Paul or whatever, being the primary witnesses. It's the women, it's a ring of truth. And then you've got people who were skeptical, who didn't believe in him at all.People like the apostle Paul people, like his half brother James, they were skeptics. They were total skeptics. What turned them around? The resurrection of Jesus. You've got 500 witnesses, Paul says who were out there most are still alive. In our terms, Rodney, it's basically saying, look, here's the app. It's got the list of everybody.You need to know who's around Jerusalem at the time. Uh, you know, check them out. They even throw in stuff like Joseph of Arimathea. They give you the name of the guy who was involved in the burial of Jesus. And they say he's from the Jewish council, the sanhedrin. It's giving you data. You don't do that if you're creating lies,.You can check it out. No, one's come back and say, Oh, Joseph didn't exist. No one came back and said he didn't bury him. I mean, it's just extraordinary. You just sit there and go, Oh my gosh, God wrote this for me.Rodney Olsen: There's a reliance there on the Christian scriptures, but how do we know that they're for real?How do we know that they haven't been reinvented over the years? Is there any evidence coming from outside that, that Christian scripture, that Bible that we know today?Ross Clifford: Oh yeah. I can tell you the whole Jesus story without going to the Bible. I can tell you that he's locked death crucifixion and believed resurrection believed resurrection without going to the scriptures.I mean, from the Jewish Talmud, from historians, like Josephus, uh, from, uh, stories like Tacitus, the Roman historian, you know, that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilot. That's, that's how they understood as historians. And it was believed, says, Josephus. By his disciples that he rose from the dead. So mate, you can get that all out there.Look, Christian philosophers by the name of Moreland had Habermas and they dedate this at Oxford University and whatever, and you and I don't need to do this, but they say there's a number of agreed facts by even the skeptical historians that we could all put out, you know, we could all say, yeah, this happened, the agreed facts are simply things like Jesus existed.Jesus died upon the cross. The disciples believed the disciples believe he rose again. The disciples gave their lives for that belief. And you've got the incredible transformation historically of people like James, his half brother, who was a skeptic, who became a leader of the church and the apostle Paul, who was the major antagonist against the church.He believed Jesus died, but didn't believe in any of this resurrection stuff. He encountered the resurrected Christ and he became a believer. So they say you take those five facts together. You don't need to open your Bible to get those five facts from history. That enough is to say there's a case to answer here.Rodney Olsen: And yet there are still people who are writing books, looking back at history and saying the facts don't stack up. So are they not looking at the evidence? Are we looking at different evidence? How do we account for that?Ross Clifford: Oh, well, you're looking at times, uh, at people who have not looked at the evidence. I remember a debate that took place, uh, in Sydney with a mentor of mine called John Mark Montgomery.Who's a well known lawyer historian. He's got three doctorates. He communicates well with the public and he was the biding, a guy called Plummer from Melbourne who was a lawyer, and it was over these particular matters and someone from the audience asked Montgomery how he could be so sure Jesus existed, died and rose from the grave and the gospels are reliable.And Montgomery took him through the whole thing, 5,000 copies. That means that whether you're Christian or not. 5,000 copies from early dates, different places. You can check the gospels, check the reliability, and you can come as a scholar with a conviction that as you read, these gospels is as they were written.There's no debate about that. With respect to what Paul writes in one Corinthians 15, then you've got to ask, okay, as I read it is, as it was written, but are these truthful witnesses, are they seeking to tell the truth and this basic tests look how they're honest. Look how they share everything. Look at how they believe this.Look, how they died for it. You guys, for all of this. And then Plumber. Who's a lovely guy. a leading lawyer, uh, represent the Skeptics Association. Then someone said to him, well, Mr. Plummer, why don't you believe the gospels are reliable and they told the truth about Jesus and his answer, I kid you not Rodney, his answer was, well anything that Robert Schuller follows must be doubtful.Rodney Olsen: And right there, we have a biasRoss Clifford: Right there. He lost the debate.Rodney Olsen: Does this come back to that thing I was mentioning earlier in that sometimes we're looking for what we want to find?Ross Clifford: Oh, absolutely. I couldn't agree more. And look, I did say healthy skepticism. I'm not saying I can prove that Jesus died and rose again historically a hundred percent.I mean, I can't tell you a hundred percent that Robert Menzies lived and died. I mean, history is always probable. We need to remember that history is always probable, but there's more evidence for Jesus' death and resurrection than there is for Julius Caeser. So, you know, come on. Um, so we know we need to remember that we do have bias.Uh, not dismissing any of that. Uh, I remember Barbara Thieirng, who's a leading Australian skeptic and a really nice woman. I did some study with her, but Barbara said to me, Ross, you just believe this stuff because you have this great need to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. And I said, well, thanks Barbara for pointing that out.And you obviously don't believe this stuff because you have a great need, not to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. And she said, Oh, Ross, come on. Absolute rubbish. This is not just emotion. I don't believe because the facts. Oh, well guess what Barbara? The same thing happens for me. Why do you assume I want the Jesus story to be true?I was very happy being a lawyer, Barbara. I would really love to be in politics. I liked money. I had a happy life. I wasn't running around, saying I need a Jesus story, Barbara, and she got it. We were friends. I'm standing here, not because I don't think any of that other part is relevant. I'm standing here. because mate, I actually believe it happened.Rodney Olsen: And going back to your court days, we hear about this idea of beyond a reasonable doubt. So is that how you convinced yourself? You thought the evidence stacks up and it stacks up beyond a reasonable doubt?Ross Clifford: Yeah, basically. Uh, and of course, you know, that's kind of working, you know, at sort of a God factor.And there are people here that are listening, who may not be Christians and that's fine. Take an honest, look at the evidence for the resurrection, you know, pray. The doubters prayer. Lord, help me, show me if I'm meant to be leaving here or not, but let's look at it. Make and take that sort of strong look at, and I'll be very confident, you'll come to a conclusion that there is a case to answer. But Rodney it gets deeper than that. In my life, when that's happening, you've got the work of the Holy spirit that then brings the conviction that what is mounting up here is more than probable. It is actually true. That's the work of God in your life, but it's not just the truth of the resurrection historical fact.That's nice. That's out there. When you start thinking about it, you all of a sudden discover, that this resurrection thing is mind boggling, Rodney, absolutely mind boggling. Cause we all are looking for worldviews to follow. You have foundations for our life. And the resurrection says if Jesus has resurrected, as Paul says, you and I will be resurrected.It says that God is concerned for you and I, as whole people will be changed and transform yes but our life in the future, Rodney, is as resurrected people before God. And if God's going to raise you and I up to be with him forever, that means he's concerned for you and I now. And that's why it's transformed me.That's why there's Christian hospitals, that's why we're in the forefront of edge of education. That's why Christians have been the forefront of compassion. Resurrection says God's concerned for the whole of me. It's one of the most profound understandings of the world that you can have. And there's atheists out there now all over the place saying, Oh, we mustn't have the fact of the resurrection, but we want the theology, the worldview of the resurrection.I've got news for you. You can't split the package. You can't take, Oh, I want a resurrection but without actually believing in one. Um, and the resurrection has this incredible foundation, Rodney, that, uh, it is true, but more than that, it is life changing. It changes the whole way you see the world. There's a common argument.Rodney Olsen: I hear where people talk about this idea of a moral code or of having morals and they can be quite indignant to say, how dare you say that it is only through religion, only through a faith in a God that, I don't believe in, that I can have a moral stance. I have morals beyond that. What is your answer to that?Ross Clifford: Look, I believe there's truth in most understandings of the world, but it doesn't mean they're necessarily true and I'm sure there's decent people have fair dinkum morals that might be based on Christianity and the like, but in the end, Rodney, what's the test? What's the ultimate test? What puts your moral code against somebody else's moral code?What puts your understanding against another person's understanding? Both of you might be decent, but have very different moral codes. Well, what puts the difference here is if there's a person who died and rose again, and he says, that's the moral code. You have a test, you have a foundation, you have a certainty to the moral code that you are following is just not coming from the pack, it's just not coming from a bunch of good people creating something. As the philosopher. Rousseau said years ago, to have a moral code that you can actually base your life on must come from the gods. Guess what? There is one that does come from God. The resurrection affirms it. .Rodney Olsen: I spoke earlier about the fact that you have authored or co-authored over a dozen books. Let's go back to that first one. You put together something by the title of Leading Lawyers look at the Resurrection. Tell me about that early book.Ross Clifford: Yeah, look, it was actually written for Russia. That's interesting thing. Uh, I was over there with a mission group in Russia after the Gorbachev stuff was all unfolding.And, uh, they said, look, Russians, like to think about things. Can we have a book? We haven't had one that actually points the case for the resurrection. And someone said, Oh, you've done a thesis on stuff like that. And I said, Oh, yeah I could make it very popular, and I did, but the way God works an Australian publisher, John Waterhouse, found out about it, uh, from Strand and then Albatross originally Albatross.And he said, Ross, could you put that into English for us? You know, it was in English, but can we have an English edition and it was, and Rodney  it was my privilege really to launch that book in a real way at the Gorbachev Foundation, with the director of the Gorbachev Foundation, uh, who indicated she'd handed it out to a thousand judges and lawyers at a recent conference.She said the reason why is we are a people of kind of faith, religious faith. We've lost it through communism. We're trying to come back to that. Your book has the faith component, but more than that, she said, you  know, the KGB told us how to decide cases. Whether we were the judge, the prosecutor, defence lawyer.We'd all get a phone call the night before telling us you better, you know, do whatever. We're not used to arguing or presenting a case and not does only your book open us up to the question of faith again, but it shows us how to logically and legally and in a popular way, get our case together. And so that's, that's how it happened, but, uh, you got to remember it's life transforming a number of those lawyers actually brought me out of the darkness.I read this stuff and I looked at the gospels again and I was born again. So, uh, this was very precious to me.Rodney Olsen: So these lawyers have looked at the evidence they've said, yeah, it does stack up how many lawyers were there and are they all believers?Ross Clifford: Yeah, they're all believers. Many of them weren't believers until they started doing, uh, you know, exploring as I've indicated.Oh, there's just a pile of them, uh, including senior lawyers in Australia. Like, Sir Leslie Herron, I mean, The world's most famous lawyer, the world's. most successful lawyer was a guy called Sir Lionel Luckhoo, who was knighted twice by the queen, Rodney. Now I see that Perry Mason's making a comeback, can't wait, all of you who remember the old Perry Mason legal series.Well, Perry Mason got to about 70 murder acquittals, which he won. Then they thought he had to lose one that so no one would believe it. Sir Lionel Luckhoo got 240 murder aquittals, 240 in a row. Um, and he was 63 he had everything, the world's best advocate, you know, knighted twice by the queen, and then he says I had absolutely nothing. And he took a look at Jesus. And Sir Lionel Luckhoo stood up after looking at the evidence and reading the gospels, et cetera, totally convinced that this Jesus had died, buried and rose again. And he committed the rest of his life to sharing the message of Jesus.And it was my privilege. And he came out from the West Indies and launched this book with Clarrie Briese. And so Clarrie Briese was the Chief Magistrate of New South Wales, who's also in the book.Rodney Olsen: There seems to be two sides of this. There is the evidence that as you say, does seem to stack up, it does seem to take us beyond a reasonable doubt, but at the same time, you're speaking about something different. You're speaking about something that goes beyond just reading a set of beliefs and saying, yep. It seems to stack up. I will follow that belief. Tell me more about that.Ross Clifford: Yeah. Look, Rodney. Most Aussies approach things like this two ways.Is it true? Does it work? And many of us start with, does it work? And if we think that it works, then we'll ask , is it true? Others of us ask, is it true? And then we'll say, well, so what.  Well, we've been talking about is it true? Yeah. Does it work? Does it change my life if we hinted at this? Yes. Because the resurrection of Jesus points to resurrection as a state of eternity, you know, transform change.Let's not get literal, but the whole sense is, the whole of Rodney goes  to be with God forever. When you get that kind of context, Rodney, the resurrection brings you incredible message of hope. Hope. I mean, in one of my books, I talk about George Gittoes, who's the war photographer, you know, one of the world's best.And he's in Rwanda at the, you know, at the end of all that incredible civil violence and, uh, ethnic cleansing and he's with a particular tribe with the United Nations and Australian medical team taking photos and whatever. They've been told to leave, because another tribe is coming in to clean out that tribe that they're with.So they get in their cars and whatever you already to leave, can't do anything. And I've got the picture. He took a picture and this guy stands up in the crowd, that's just about to be massacred with machetes, a guy stands up, opens his New Testament and starts reading out the, the hope they have in the Lord, Jesus Christ and Gittoes, and I paraphrase basically said, now I know what religion, Christianity is all about. I mean with all our technology, with all our care, we had to leave and hopefully come back and be able to patch some people up. He stood up in the crowd and offered them, hope, offered them hope. I mean, how powerful is that?I mean, we go through coronavirus. We go through all sorts of situations in our world, and we're reminded today that for many people around our globe, crisis is normal. This is their every day existence. You know, the Corona virus is just one more step in a crisis as normal. And we can say to them, we care for you, we love you. We're going to support you. We're going to support compassion. We're going to support you because simply we understand God cares for everyone, the whole person. Resurrection tells us that cares for all people. And as we care for you and minister to you and seek to share our assets and resources at the same time, we want to hear you, we want you to hear the message. That even in this God, in death, there's only resurrection. There's no other worldview that offers this. Mate, whatever trial, whatever situation. The resurrection of Jesus says God cares. God loves God's understanding. God's been there. He's been on a cross, whatever we faced legally or morally or spiritually or sense of abandonment, he's been through all of that. He's been through false trials. Uh, you know, he's been disowned by friends. Uh, he's physically suffered, been through all of that, and he's the one who's risen. And says, I'm there with you. I'm there with you, Rodney. I mean, it's just profound. It's just, it's just incredibly profound.Rodney Olsen: You're talking about that sense of hope, even in very difficult circumstances. And you touched on that story there from Rwanda of someone standing up with hope for the future because of their faith in Jesus., and yet there's still a massacre. I've been to Rwanda. I've been through the Memorial and, and read the, the heart wrenching stories.And many people would turn around and say, Well, if this God does care for us, if this God does care for the whole person, as you say, why does he not step in at moments like this and hold back the hand of the person who brings the massacre?Ross Clifford: Every understanding of the world, whether you're Christian or Buddhist or atheist really struggles with this issue.It's not just the Christian faith that struggles with it. And I heard a former Prime Minister of Australia, who's an atheist. His the answer to that was, and this guy, achieved so much, he became Prime Minister of Australia. He said, well, I'm just half a grain of sand on the beach. In other words, who cares?Who gives a stuff? It doesn't matter. There's no, God, there's no purpose, and I'm just a half a grain of sand on the beach. And who cares about half a grain of sand on the beach? I mean, I can give a more philosophical answer about, you know, God created a world, which is, which is fair to create where we, as a people had a choice of loving him or not loving him.And we decided to go our own way and there's consequences for all of that. And in those consequences, you know, sin and darkness fill-in, and I can do that mate with time and do that very reasonably, I believe better explanation than any other worldview. But for our purposes today, let me just remind people that in that darkness and that situation, why does God not?Well, you know, they're very difficult questions, but I can say this in answer the God who goes the God who goes through this with us fully understands because he's been there every kind of predicament we could imagine, his son, Jesus went through all of that. So he clearly identifies with us as Hebrews four says, we can cry out to him in honesty, but more than that in the resurrection of Jesus, he says, well, whatever they throw at you in me, there's only resurrection, whatever life throws at you, there's only hope whatever happens is only the empowerment of the Holy Spirit upon you and in your life and grab hold of that truth.Nothing gets close to it. I'm not a half a grain of sand on the beach. The story of the resurrection says I'm valuable. The most significant person in the universe loves me so much, he would die upon a cross for me. Mate when I know that nothing can touch me. Absolutely nothing.Rodney Olsen: I find it interesting that there's not a complete or a, uh, an immediately satisfying answer for that question of why does God allow suffering?There are many attempts that we've heard over the years to come to that. And yet you're saying that, the evidence still stacks up to say that this is for real. So does that mean we don't have to have absolutely everything straight in our mind before we can believe and put our trust in this hope?Ross Clifford: I agree fully. Let me just repeat though. I can give a philosophical answer to the question and if you're interested in people like plan together. Done that. And most secular philosophers have agreed that, that, that it's, it's possible to be an all powerful, all loving God and still create a world where there's freedom and freedom of choice, because you believe that your created beings, your highest created beings, human beings.If you really love them, you're going to give them the choice of whether they love you back. And in that world, there will be evil, and suffering because people choose to go their own way, and Plantinga's philosophically done that question to the satisfaction of the Academy, but I'm trying to work here with myself and everybody else out there, Rodney, and I'm simply saying, you know, we don't have answers to everything. It doesn't mean we shouldn't ask the questions, but when you get an answer that brings you an understanding of the world that is so powerful. So embracive. So empowering and based on a central fact in history, that is just overwhelming, then, you know, I'm moving on.I'm moving on. Some things I'm just going to leave to eternity. You know, Rodney, a few years ago on that program, Q and A, they had a guy on Peter Hitchins. Peter Hitchins is the brother of Christopher Hitchens, who was one of the best known atheists of our time. Now Peter himself had been an atheist, but then he was converted to Christianity.And this Q and A was during the festival of dangerous ideas, and Peter was the only Christian on the panel,  and some of you would not be surprised to hear that, and Tony Jones said, well, okay, let's finish. Let's talk about what we think is the world's most dangerous idea. And he turned to Peter and said, what's the world's most dangerous idea and I paraphrase, but basically said the world's most dangerous idea is that 2000 years, a guy called Jesus lived. died buried, and rose again, because if that's true, it changes and transforms everything. It's the  world's most, dangerous idea, mate. Nothing is the same. If this is true, nothing is the same again.Rodney Olsen:  I find it interesting that that is so transformative, as you're saying. But what does it mean for the here and now for those people who say, yep, I believe in the resurrection, does it stay as a belief or does it dramatically alter the way we live our lives?Ross Clifford: Oh it dramatically alters. Mate if this is true. You've got the risen, God walking with you. Um, if this is true, uh, you celebrate no matter what, that's, why Paul could celebrate in shipwreck and, in hardship, and even facing death because he knew the one who had defeated death was there with him and poured out his Spirit upon him.If it's true, it means that we care for those who are disadvantaged and poor and vulnerable because there's human, dignity and human worth. The basic. Oh, you know, the basic human rights documents like the 1948 declaration of human rights. It's the foundation for the United Nations. That's based on the 10 Commandments. Numerous human rights documents are based on this premise of love God and love your neighbor as yourself.It transforms you  mate,  you've got to care. You've got to be involved. You know, God loves and cares for you. You know, there's a moral code, like a sermon on the Mount that you can live by and put your life to. So it's discipleship changing, right? It's it's, it's the, world's most dangerous idea.Rodney Olsen: I hear ofpeople who say, I've looked at the evidence. I don't believe it and I don't want to believe it and they'll just walk away. But there are other people I hear these voices who say, I can't believe that, but I really wish I could. What would you say to those people?Ross Clifford: Look to the first, I support you've got to live by your own conscience, and if you really believe that's the case.Then, you know, that's what, that's the step that you take, but there are eternal ramifications for that. Many people just turn their back on this thing because they don't want to be controlled by anybody else, but themselves. I mean, they don't want a God out there who tells them how to live life and tells them what the values are and not might actually tell them that they've got to go overseas and make a difference, you know?Um, that's that first group, the second group I understand. And I'd simply say suck it and see. Taste it. Actually ask, what would the resurrection, what would it make a difference in my life? How would it transform my values? How would it transform how I see other people. And uh, if I can see that really making a difference to how I live my world, then step out and say, God, I'm really not so sure about this, but, you know, give me the strength, give me the conviction.Uh, give me people that I can speak to that allow me to cement this. So take a step, take a step towards Jesus. And you'll find that after one step two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps. You'll wake up one morning and think, Oh my gosh. I'm in.Rodney Olsen: It's interesting that there are those camps that you're talking about, but there are also those in the camp that say, I've seen what Christians are like.They're a group of people that are against this against that, and they seem to be very hateful.Ross Clifford: Oh, and I understand that. I mean, the McCrindle research shows that the number one objection, that people who are open to faith have to the Christian faith is Christians themselves. The basic problem that the community or they seeking a faith have is not God.The number one problem they have is us and  I understand that. And that's a real call for us to get our lives together, but just remember Rodney, that we have charities, Tim Costello, you know, who was the CEO of World Vision a again, I quote, but I think he said something like 90% of charities and NGOs in Australia began from a Christian involvement and movement.So we need to bear that in mind. Mother Teresa. I mean, you can just go global, all sorts of people. Catherine Hamlin who's just passed away in Ethiopia. Who must be the Australian of the last 10 years who spent 50 years there, uh, creating fistula hospitals, so women could give birth, have, uh, awkward results and not be outcasts in tribes, but actually come back and live with their kids and their husband in the major community.She's committed her life to that, man. We can repeat that, time and time again. And just remember how we started this. Plummer said why don't I believe in the gospels, he said anyone who believes, anything Robert Schuller believes in, I can't believe. And that's no answer. You know, it's a concern that you find people that you don't think you're authentic, but you know, I'm offering you Jesus.I'm not offering you me. I'm not offering you Rodney Olsen. I'm offering you Jesus. Look at him. Transform and change world's most dangerous. I didn't, no one is perfect, but my gosh, mate, it is it's mind boggling stuff.Rodney Olsen: So if anyone has heard something today and they think. I need to investigate this further. Where would you send them?Ross Clifford: Oh, well, you know,without being rude, Leading Lawyers Look at the Resurrection, is a book that I've written that people might find helpful. There's some books out there that guys like John Dickson have written. Some of you might've heard, uh, that, uh, that name, I mean, you find some of those helpful, um, it's really not hard to find a book like that, that gives you that kind of background and impetus, but also don't forget to just read your gospels.Maybe you've never read one before. Read John's gospel look up in your index in a Bible and you get Bibles anywhere. Look up in your index, or you can even Google it. You can Google John's gospel for nothing. Uh, look for the NIV translation. Just read it through, ask God to go with you on the journey and then read one Corinthians 15, uh, chapter 15 of the book of one Corinthians written by Paul.No doubt about that. Early read what he says about what happened and transformed and who saw that and just go to those texts with an open heart.Rodney Olsen: There's plenty for people to think about and to investigate further. I love your passion for what you're doing. I love your passion for that resurrection message that you carry. Ross. I want to say thank you for spending some time with us today.Ross Clifford: Good to be with you, mate. God bless you, Rodney. God bless everyone.Emily Olsen: Thank you for listening to bleeding daylight. Please help us to shine more light into the darkness by sharing this episode with others. For further details and more episodes, please visit BleedingDaylight.net

What do you do when you are trying to get divorced and the world is shut down? What about if you are already divorced and you need to adhere to a divorce decree or parenting arrangement. Join us for an amazing discussion with Divorce Legal Pro Kathryn McMahon Vivanco from Katz & Stefani for a discussion on the changing face of divorce in the world of COVID-19.Also joining the discussion are Amy Schillinger from Balance Stress ManagementAbout KathrynKathryn McMahon Vivanco advocates for her clients and helps to eliminate any uncertainties throughout the divorce process. Kathryn focuses on the specific needs of each individual client, and she has been successful in gaining favorable outcomes for her clients when resolving complex financial and child-related disputes.Kathryn is a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois (“CLII”) and a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (“IACP”). Kathryn represents clients in family law matters in the collaborative law process, a team based approach to dispute resolution and an alternative to litigation. Kathryn also completed the 40 hour mediation training and certification and is a trained mediator.Kathryn is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. She is also a founding member of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators (AACFL). She is proficient in French and is currently studying Spanish.Kathryn is a member of the Lookingglass Theatre Associates Board and is the former Vice President of the Madhatter’s Club and former Co-Chair and Vice President of Membership. Kathryn is also a member of the events committee of the Lilac Tree (a nonprofit organization located in Evanston, Illinois, offering programs, events, support groups, and information sessions to individuals going through the divorce process).While in law school, Kathryn received a certificate in tax law and focused her studies on family law, taxation, and trust and estate planning. She was a member of the Loyola University Chicago School of Law mediation team and was an associate editor of the Loyola University Chicago International Law Review. Kathryn received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in appellate advocacy.Before law school, Kathryn worked for a family law attorney in Wisconsin, and while in law school, she continued her training in matrimonial and family law as a law clerk for Katz & Stefani and another prominent family law firm in Chicago. Kathryn also gained litigation experience in Illinois state court as a judicial extern for the Honorable Donald J. O’Brien, Jr. (retired), Circuit Court of Cook County, Law Division, and in federal immigration court as a legal intern at the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Chief Counsel.Kathryn joined Katz & Stefani in 2012. She was recognized as an Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers for the past 7 consecutive years (2014-2020); the designation is limited to less than 2.5% of lawyers who are fewer than 40 years of age or who have been practicing for 10 years or less in the State of Illinois. She was also named an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers in 2017-2019 and was named in the 10 Best Attorneys – Illinois by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys in 2017.Also let us know if there are questions on divorce, separation and starting over that you want our need answered at info@splitready.com.Are you considering divorce? Get split ready at www.splitready.com Getting Split Ready is produced by Ernie Scatton and EAS Productions.For information on launching your own podcast, contact EAS Productions at 708.989.3985 or erniescatton@gmail.com

What do you do when you are trying to get divorced and the world is shut down? What about if you are already divorced and you need to adhere to a divorce decree or parenting arrangement. Join us for an amazing discussion with Divorce Legal Pro Kathryn McMahon Vivanco from Katz & Stefani for a discussion on the changing face of divorce in the world of COVID-19.Also joining the discussion are Amy Schillinger from Balance Stress ManagementAbout KathrynKathryn McMahon Vivanco advocates for her clients and helps to eliminate any uncertainties throughout the divorce process. Kathryn focuses on the specific needs of each individual client, and she has been successful in gaining favorable outcomes for her clients when resolving complex financial and child-related disputes.Kathryn is a Fellow of the Collaborative Law Institute of Illinois (“CLII”) and a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (“IACP”). Kathryn represents clients in family law matters in the collaborative law process, a team based approach to dispute resolution and an alternative to litigation. Kathryn also completed the 40 hour mediation training and certification and is a trained mediator.Kathryn is a member of the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association. She is also a founding member of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators (AACFL). She is proficient in French and is currently studying Spanish.Kathryn is a member of the Lookingglass Theatre Associates Board and is the former Vice President of the Madhatter’s Club and former Co-Chair and Vice President of Membership. Kathryn is also a member of the events committee of the Lilac Tree (a nonprofit organization located in Evanston, Illinois, offering programs, events, support groups, and information sessions to individuals going through the divorce process).While in law school, Kathryn received a certificate in tax law and focused her studies on family law, taxation, and trust and estate planning. She was a member of the Loyola University Chicago School of Law mediation team and was an associate editor of the Loyola University Chicago International Law Review. Kathryn received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in appellate advocacy.Before law school, Kathryn worked for a family law attorney in Wisconsin, and while in law school, she continued her training in matrimonial and family law as a law clerk for Katz & Stefani and another prominent family law firm in Chicago. Kathryn also gained litigation experience in Illinois state court as a judicial extern for the Honorable Donald J. O’Brien, Jr. (retired), Circuit Court of Cook County, Law Division, and in federal immigration court as a legal intern at the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of the Chief Counsel.Kathryn joined Katz & Stefani in 2012. She was recognized as an Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers for the past 7 consecutive years (2014-2020); the designation is limited to less than 2.5% of lawyers who are fewer than 40 years of age or who have been practicing for 10 years or less in the State of Illinois. She was also named an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers in 2017-2019 and was named in the 10 Best Attorneys – Illinois by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys in 2017.Also let us know if there are questions on divorce, separation and starting over that you want our need answered at info@splitready.com.Are you considering divorce? Get split ready at www.splitready.com Getting Split Ready is produced by Ernie Scatton and EAS Productions.For information on launching your own podcast, contact EAS Productions at 708.989.3985 or erniescatton@gmail.com

Described “one of the leading lawyers of his generation”, Lord Dyson was Master of the Rolls (President of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and Head of Civil Justice) for four years until he... In this podcast Sean Cottrell, CEO and founder of LawInSport, interviews leading sports lawyers, business executives, academics and athletes about the latest issues and legal developments in the world of sport.

I am working on a collaborative endeavor right now where the BAA (business associate agreement) signing has literally taken a year. The whole project will likely take 2 weeks. I know I’m likely not going to shock anyone listening, but the legal side of any sale or install or collaboration or proposed interoperability can be a serious impediment when every venture takes literally months or even years. That’s kind of the opposite of a fluid marketplace or fluid collaborative environment and one of the reasons why organizations can’t innovate, even incrementally, if that innovation involves any outside partners or alliances. This whole legal jumble can also be a big reason why organizations might stick with substandard vendors, even vendors who are clearly overcharging them in some cases—just because the hassle factor and expense of switching to a better option is real. So, what’s some practical advice to minimize the amount of time spent in BAA or contracting purgatory so that we can move forward with improving patient care and outcomes and being disciplined and efficient in the process in doing so? In this health care podcast, I speak with Bill Tanenbaum from Polsinelli. Bill is Polsinelli’s practice co-chair of health care technology and innovation. You can learn more by contacting Bill on LinkedIn and by visiting polsinelli.com. William A. Tanenbaum works closely with clients to provide actionable, industry-informed solutions for their business needs. Recognized as one of the Who’s Who Legal “Thought Leaders Global Elite,” Bill is also ranked in top tiers by Chambers: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Legal500, and Best Lawyers in technology, outsourcing, intellectual property (IP), and data law and as one of the Top 30 IT lawyers in the US (Who’s Who Legal). Chambers says Bill “brings extremely high integrity, a deep intellect, fearlessness and a practical, real-world mindset to every problem.” Chambers identifies Bill as a “prominent figure in technology and outsourcing” with a “solid national reputation” and “notable expertise in cybersecurity, data law and IP.” Bill is a past president of the International Technology Law Association. He is a member of Polsinelli’s 40-attorney Technology Transactions and Data Privacy Group, and the practice co-chair of the Health Care Technology and Innovation Group, the nation’s second-largest practice, according to the American Health Lawyers Association. 02:27 Collaboration and collaborative intellectual property (IP). 02:53 The typical mistake when collaborating. 03:29 What can go wrong when you jointly own IP. 05:33 “The basic way to do it is to figure out the business result that you want.” 05:44 The tools you need to collaborate the right way. 07:46 “How do you get a patent on this?” 08:16 How equity can throw a wrench into collaboration and acquisition. 10:41 The types of intellectual property regimes. 11:01 The overlapping parts of IP in collaboration. 11:36 Is there really joint ownership? 14:36 What needs to be in place legally in order to share and collaborate on data. 14:59 “Data ownership doesn’t fit very well within any legal regime.” 16:26 “Data as a service.” 16:34 The business associate aspect of a hospital bed. 17:18 “Who owns all this data now?” 17:55 Barriers to the right things getting done. 18:21 Ensuring that your outgoing data doesn’t violate HIPAA. 19:51 “Sometimes this is just a mismatch of expectations.” 20:41 How collaboration within data and IP works. 22:14 Patients vs hospitals—who owns patient data? 25:38 What TEFCA is and is trying to do. 26:30 “How do we actually make this work?” 26:59 TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement) and FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources). 27:34 The HIE (Health Information Exchange) objection to TEFCA. 28:04 Expense vs proprietary rights. You can learn more by contacting Bill on LinkedIn and by visiting polsinelli.com. Collaboration and #collaborative #intellectualproperty. @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth What’s the common mistake made when collaborating? @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth What’s the problem with jointly owning #intellectualproperty? @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth “The basic way to do it is to figure out the business result that you want.” @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth What tools do you need to collaborate the right way? @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth “How do you get a patent on this?” @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth What are the types of #intellectualproperty regimes? @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth What are the overlapping parts of #intellectualproperty within collaboration? @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth Is there really #jointownership when #collaborating? @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth “Data ownership doesn’t fit very well within any legal regime.” @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth “Sometimes this is just a mismatch of expectations.” @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth Patients vs hospitals—who owns patient data? @WmTanenbaum of @Polsinelli discusses in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #healthtech #healthdata #healthIP #IP #data #collaboration #digitalhealth

Steven J. Harper: retired litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP; regular contributor Dan Rather's News & Guts; creator of The Trump-Russia Timeline at BillMoyers.com and now at Dan Rather's News & Guts and JustSecurity.org; author of four books including The Lawyer Bubble - A Profession in Crisis (Basic Books, 2013, 2016), and Crossing Hoffa: A Teamster's Story (Borealis, 2007); adjunct professor of trial advocacy and legal ethics at Northwestern University Law School. Steve's op-eds have appeared in The New York Times and numerous other publications. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and included in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America. Prior to joining Kirkland & Ellis LLP, he graduated from Harvard Law School (magna cum laude) and Northwestern University (combined B.A/M.A. degrees with distinction in economics; Phi Beta Kappa) https://thelawyerbubble.com; follow on Twitter @StevenJHarper1

Who is Jimmy Nguyen?Jimmy Nguyen is one of the world’s leading Bitcoin advocates. He is a renowned and sought-after public orator, who speaks about Bitcoin and blockchain technology at major events across the world. He is also a frequent commentator for online, televised and print media.Jimmy is a global advocate for Bitcoin SV (BSV). BSV is the rebirth of the original Bitcoin, designed to fulfill the Satoshi Vision (of Bitcoin’s mysterious founder Satoshi Nakamoto). Emerging from the contentious November 15, 2018 hard fork of the Bitcoin Cash (BCH) network, BSV now stands as its own chain and coin – ready to be the world’s new money and global public blockchain for enterprises. Jimmy has served as CEO of nChain Group, the worldwide leader in research and development of blockchain technologies, and currently chairs its Strategic Advisory Board. Jimmy is Founding President of the Bitcoin Association, the first-ever organization dedicated to advance the business of Bitcoin. The association backs Bitcoin SV, and brings together developers, merchants, exchanges, miners and other Bitcoin network participants. Jimmy heads the industry group as it provides global support for Bitcoin SV, as the key to long-term financial success for all participants in the inter-related Bitcoin ecosystem.With 21 years of experience as an intellectual property and digital technology lawyer, Jimmy is well-suited to support enterprise-level adoption of Bitcoin technology. Over the course of his private practice career, Jimmy was a partner at three major U.S. law firms – most recently Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. He represented multinational corporations and emerging companies in a wide range of sectors – including technology, entertainment, media, sports, financial services, consumer products, retail, and automotive. His legal clients included Amazon.com, Fandango, Hyundai Capital America, Kia Motors America, Live Nation Entertainment, Major League Baseball Properties, Microsoft, the Motion Picture Association of America, Sony Pictures Entertainment, TripAdvisor, Uber Technologies and more. Jimmy has also been a Certified Information Privacy Professional/U.S. Jimmy was born in Saigon, South Vietnam – the youngest child of a prominent judge. In April 1975, when Jimmy was 2 years old, his family fled the country the night before the fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces, and re-settled into Southern California. Since then, Jimmy has a history of excelling early - graduating college at age 19 and law school at age 22. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies, magna cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Southern California Law School.In 2008, Lawdragon named Jimmy (at only age 36) one of the “500 Leading Lawyers in America” and described him as a “dynamo talent.” He has been recognized by the Century City Bar Association as “Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year” (2011), and by the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel with its Industry Leader Award (2017). A leader in the IP community, Jimmy was formerly Chair of the State Bar of California’s Intellectual Property Law section, and co-chaired the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s IP, Internet and New Media section. Jimmy is also a strong diversity and LGBT rights advocate. He co-chaired the California Minority Counsel Program and was inducted into its “Diversity Leader Hall of Fame” (2015). Diversity MBA Magazine named him a “Top 100 Under 50 Diverse Executive Leader” (2015). Jimmy formerly served on the Board of Equality California, the state’s leading LGBT rights organization, during the period of marriage equality battles. In 2012, the Huffington Post listed Jimmy as one of the “Most Influential LGBT Asian Icons.” In 2010, the Advocate magazine named him to its “Forty under 40” list of leading LGBT persons in America.Check Jimmy out on the following platforms!Twitter: https://twitter.com/JimmyWinMediaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimmy.d.nguyen

Leading Lawyers on Tailoring the Due Diligence Process to Fit the Client’s Goals. So what is Due Diligence?

The worst nightmare of many retirement plan fiduciaries is to find themselves the target of a class action ERISA or 401(k) lawsuit.  My guests today, are intimately familiar with that feeling and more importantly, lived to tell about it.  Returning to the podcast I have Jamie Fleckner, ERISA Litigation Chair at Goodwin and Diane Gallagher, the Chair of the American Century Corporate Retirement Plan Committee. During this fascinating conversation you will hear how the 401(k) class action against American Century got started, what the plaintiffs were alleging, what it was like to be personally named in a multi-million dollar lawsuit, defending fiduciary decisions at trial and much more.  This episode is probably one of the more timely, informational and even emotional ones to date, enjoy!   Guest Bios Diane Gallagher is the Chair of the American Century Investments Corporate Retirement Plan Committee.  She is responsible for developing content and value-add programs for clients and is also a spokesperson on retirement investing.  Diane originally joined American Century Investments in 1995 and developed communication programs for clients of J.P. Morgan/American Century Retirement Plan Services. Prior to returning to American Century in 2012, Diane was vice president, Retirement Insights for J.P. Morgan Asset Management. Previously, she led product marketing for J.P. Morgan Retirement Plan Services and directed the participant communications and education department. Prior to 1995, Diane served as media relations manager for the Mutual Fund Education Alliance (MFEA). She also worked in Corporate Communications and Marketing for Sinai Health Care System in Detroit, Michigan.  Diane earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit. She is accredited by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and has earned many awards for her communication programs. She is a Board member of the Hands & Hearts Auxiliary for Children for Children’s Mercy Hospital and is a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Centurions Leadership Program, class of 2019.  She is Past-President of the Board of Directors of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City and currently serves on its Advisory Board. In 2007, Diane was named one of Kansas City’s “40 Under 40” leaders by Ingram’s magazine. A frequent conference speaker, she holds Series 7, 63 and 24 licenses. Jamie Fleckner is a partner in Goodwin’s Financial Industry practice and Chair of its ERISA Litigation practice. Mr. Fleckner represents clients in a wide array of complex commercial litigation, with a focus on financial services and products, including investment management. He regularly litigates class and derivative actions under ERISA, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and related federal and state laws. His practice also focuses on regulatory investigations and governmental proceedings, and has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Labor, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and state authorities. Mr. Fleckner’s success in litigating cutting edge legal issues has been profiled in The American Lawyer’s Big Suits and Litigator of the Week features. According to Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business where Mr. Fleckner has been selected for inclusion since 2014, Mr. Fleckner is “at the top of his game,” and is “a rare thought leader” on ERISA litigation. Since 2015, he has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the list of Who’s Who Legal: Pensions and Benefits. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over one hundred prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

The Empire Club of Canada Presents: Michael Katchen, CEO, Wealthsimple In Conversation With Amber Kanwar On Getting the Recipe Right: Making Canada the Best Place in the World for the Financial Companies Of The Future Michael Katchen is the CEO and co-founder of Wealthsimple, a leading financial technology company operating in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Wealthsimple launched in September 2014 and quickly established itself as a leader in Canada, and in under three years, it has grown to manage $3 billion for more than 100,000 clients. Prior to founding Wealthsimple, he led product and marketing at 1000memories, a Y Combinator startup that was acquired by Ancestry.com in 2012. Michael started his career at McKinsey & Company where he advised clients in finance and technology. Michael has been called an Industry Mover by the Financial Post, a Change Agent by Canadian Business magazine, and one of Toronto's 50 most influential people by Toronto Life. He won Entrepreneur of the Year at the Canadian Startup Awards in 2017, is a winner of a EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 by Caldwell Partners International, and is a member of the Canadian Business Council. Amber Kanwar is an expert when it comes to financial markets and disruptive technologies. As the successful host of Business News Network's flagship morning show, Business Day AM, and co-host of CTV's The Disruptors, she has interviewed everyone from CEOs of major companies, to start-up technology entrepreneurs, fund managers, politicians, and thought leaders. Amber is a relentless digger, always looking for ways to break down complex topics and ideas and making them accessible to anyone who is interested. Amber has a Master of Journalism degree from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Management & Organizational Studies degree from University of Western Ontario. With Introductory Remarks from: MPP Doug Downey Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance Doug Downey was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte in 2018 and subsequently named the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Victor Fedeli. Doug was raised in Bond Head, and has spent much of his life working and living throughout Simcoe County. He obtained his Hons. B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University; M.A. specializing in Judicial Administration from Brock University; a Law Degree from Dalhousie University at Halifax; and a Master of Laws in Municipal and Development Law through Osgoode Hall Law School. He has served as a Professor for Laurentian University at Georgian College, taught for the Real Estate Bar Admission Course, and occasionally lectured when asked. He is a founding partner at Downey, Tornosky, Lassaline & Timpano Law Professional Corporation and has earned professional recognition including the Lawyer of the Year award from the Simcoe County Law Association, the Business Leader of the Year by the Orillia Business Association, and as one of Canada's Leading Lawyers by Lexpert magazine. He has extensive experience in politics... Moderator: Amber Kanwar, BNN Speaker: Michael Katchen, CEO, Wealthsimple *The content presented is free of charge but please note that the Empire Club of Canada retains copyright. Neither the speeches themselves nor any part of their content may be used for any purpose other than personal interest or research without the explicit permission of the Empire Club of Canada.* *Views and Opinions Expressed Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the speakers or panelists are those of the speakers or panelists and do not necessarily reflect or represent the official views and opinions, policy or position held by The Empire Club of Canada.*

CliffCentral.com — Long time senior partner and CEO of Fluxmans (and Chairman of Supergroup), Phillip Vallet was cited in Chambers Global (The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business - Client’s Guide) as "one of the leading commercial lawyers in South Africa”. He’s that and a whole lot more. Leading an important team of lawyers and creating a culture unlike that of any other firm, Phil gently nudges his brilliant team in the right direction and is respected by all. His colourful career and experience is peppered with stories of the good and great, and funny anecdotes about the practice of law that would make even hardened practitioners knowingly smile. Fluxmans Attorneys

Long time senior partner and CEO of Fluxmans (and Chairman of Supergroup), Phillip Vallet was cited in Chambers Global (The World's Leading Lawyers for Business - Client's Guide) as "one of the leading commercial lawyers in South Africa”. He's that and a whole lot more. Leading an important team of lawyers and creating a culture unlike that of any other firm, Phil gently nudges his brilliant team in the right direction and is respected by all. His colourful career and experience is peppered with stories of the good and great, and funny anecdotes about the practice of law that would make even hardened practitioners knowingly smile. Fluxmans Attorneys

The inspiration for this episode came from a request for proposal I received recently from a company in my day job as a workplace retirement plan consultant  After giving it a quick read through, my initial reaction was wow, this company is in a fiduciary defensive shell.  Their entire focus was on managing and limiting their fiduciary liability.  I guess if you consider the lawsuits and fiduciary messaging I can understand their positioning.  So, that got me thinking, should workplace retirement plan fiduciaries be thinking defensively or offensively when making plan decisions?    To bring some perspective to the conversation I was excited to have Jaime Fleckner, a Partner and Chair of the ERISA Litigation Practice at Goodwin Proctor join me.  He has a pretty impressive background and experience defending retirement plan fiduciaries which you can check out at 401kfridays.com/fleckner.  I won’t steal Jaime’s thunder but I will tell you that if you’re looking for some fresh thoughts on the current retirement plan fiduciary state of affairs he does not disappoint.    If you enjoy Jaime’s insights as much as I did, please tell a friend, share on social media or leave a review or comment on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.  Enjoy! Guest Bio Jamie Fleckner is a partner in Goodwin’s Financial Industry Practice and Chair of its ERISA Litigation Practice. Mr. Fleckner represents clients in a wide array of complex commercial litigation, with a focus on financial services and products, including investment management. He regularly litigates class and derivative actions under ERISA, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and related federal and state laws. His practice also focuses on regulatory investigations and governmental proceedings, and has represented clients before the U.S. Department of Labor, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and state authorities. Mr. Fleckner's success in litigating cutting edge legal issues has been profiled in The American Lawyer, Big Suits. Accordingto Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business where Mr. Fleckner has been selected for inclusion since 2014, Mr. Fleckner is “at the top of his game,” and is “a rare thought leader” on ERISA litigation. Since 2015, he has been recognized as a leading lawyer in the list of Who’s Who Legal: Pensions and Benefits. 401(k) Fridays Podcast Overview Struggling with a fiduciary issue, looking for strategies to improve employee retirement outcomes or curious about the impact of current events on your retirement plan? We've had conversations with retirement industry leaders to address these and other relevant topics! You can easily explore over one hundred prior on-demand audio interviews here. Don't forget to subscribe as we release a new episode each Friday!  

Managing Partner of Frankfurt Kurnit since 2010, Jeffrey A. Greenbaum is one of the country’s leading advertising lawyers. He is a partner in the firm’s Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Group and has extensive experience representing advertisers, advertising agencies, production companies, and media companies on advertising, marketing, branded entertainment, and intellectual property matters. Best Lawyers named him “Advertising Lawyer of the Year” in the New York metro area for 2015. Mr. Greenbaum is also recognized as a leading advertising lawyer in Best Lawyers, Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Legal 500, and New York Super Lawyers. Mr. Greenbaum is also the Chairman of the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance. He has previously served as chair of the Committee on Consumer Affairs of the New York City Bar. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors of the Brand Activation Association.  

Moving forward while still taking the time to pause, relax, and look back. Interview with Mike McCurley, Family Lawyer Click the play button, wait a few seconds and start listening to this Podcast. My guest today is Dallas Texas Family Lawyer Mike McCurley, whom I have invited to speak with me today not only because of the fact that he has an outstanding family law career and has greatly contributed to the practice of family law, but also because Mike and his family lawyer wife, Mary Johanna McCurley, have really taken the time to design their lives in relation to their practice to help them achieve more balance and harmony. I know both Mike and Mary Johanna personally and think highly of them, and I wanted Mike to share some of his insights on what he has done to help them achieve this balance.  But before we get started, let me begin with a bit of background about Mike McCurley. He is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.  He has garnered recognition from professional organizations in the community, and was recognized in 2002 as Texas' top family lawyer in Texas Lawyernewspaper, which is published every five years, and he ranked among the top five again in 2007.  In 2001 he earned the prestigious Sam Emison Award for outstanding contribution to the practice of family law from the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists. He has earned recognition on every Texas Super Lawyers list since they began in 2003, including recognition among the Top 100 Lawyers in Texas and Top 100 Lawyers in Dallas-Fort Worth.  He was also recognized by Worth magazine for high net worth people as one of the Top 100 Lawyers, not just among family lawyers but all top lawyers in the US. He has earned multiple honors by D Magazine as one of the top divorce lawyers in Dallas, and as one of Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America.  Additionally, he has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers in Texas, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in American Law, and in the Forbes, Town & Country, and Voguemagazines.  Mike’s executive-style leadership at the firm has also been the focus of a profile in D CEO Magazine. In 2010 and 2011 Mike was invited to participate in Renaissance Weekends.  Bringing together preeminent authorities and noted innovators in their fields of expertise from around the country, these invitation-only retreats are dedicated to personal and national renewal.  Mike is a sought-after source for reporters looking for expert analysis on family law matters, and he serves as a frequent resource for some of the nation’s leading print, broadcast and electronic media outlets, including the Associated Press, Dallas Morning News, Houston Chronicle, USA Today, New York Daily News, andChicago Tribune, as well as on programs such as Good Morning Texas. As a lecturer, Mike has also spoken on family law matters across the United States and internationally, and has authored a number of papers and publications on every aspect of family law and trial techniques.  You can find a good number of articles Mike and his partners and associates have written on for lawyer magazines.  He was one of the 30 people who was and still is contributing to the family law magazine.  You can learn more about Mike and his firm, McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing, on their website, www.momnd.com I feel like we’re halfway done with this interview, Mike because we've taken up all our time listing the recognitions you’ve earned, and which I know you’ve deserved.  Let’s just start back in the beginning and tell people how you got interested in the practice of family law, how it all started. Well, actually, I got all my teaching from when I got divorced myself in 1973.  It was at a time earlier on, when I was still a business lawyer.  Going through the divorce myself I was not very impressed with what I saw available to help me deal with divorce and adjust with the situation.  When my divorce was over, I converted my practice from focusing on business law to divorce law. So when you started out was your goal just to make things better than what they were?  Did you plan to grow a firm at that time or did you have other plans? At that time I was already with a family law firm and I wasn't thinking to grow another firm at that point in time.  I was just thinking that this is an area that needs people that are more precise and skilled in what they do.  So I thought about devoting my career to this particular area of law and when I saw that the more I got into it the more I liked it.  Of course, I did it at a certain level because being a business lawyer was a necessity.  Frankly, to do business  you need to have business. That’s the main reason.  It’s a natural thing for transition; it was just the catalyst from personal experience. Did you have a mentor in your early days when you were starting out in family law? No, not really.  I did have many mentors thereafter, but I mostly had myself as my own mentor.  When I first started in family law the reason I did it was because I had chosen to work in it. So you initially started with your personal opinion of how it should be practiced rather than emulating someone else who was doing a good job in that field. That is correct.  At that point in time divorce law was kind of a necessity that other firms had; it was not a priority. Were there any major influences in your life in terms of people who pointed you in the right direction? Yes, I would have to say that there's a couple of people that certainly made a real big difference in my skills, particularly in the area of family practice and divorce law.  One is a gentleman named Lion McGuire, who is still practicing today though only part time.  Another is a man by the name of Bill Coon, who is retired now and no longer practicing.  Those are the two people that have had the biggest influence in my life as a trial lawyer and a divorce lawyer. What was it about them that influenced you; was it their style?  Was it their personalities or was it the strategic way they looked at cases?  How did they influence you? I would have to say as a complete answer, all of the above.  What you listed is an important combination of traits for any one individual, and both of them had all of the above. Now I know that when you are on a case you tend to develop things from a business point of view, and while I haven’t been a client of yours I suspect that you have a good handle on the emotional situations that people are in when they go through divorce as well.  What sort of work have you done to properly understand the emotional, psychological aspects of divorce? Well, you have to strike a path of proper balance.  Of course you have to maintain professional distance to a certain degree, but at the same time if you pull back too far you then lose empathy for your client.  You must maintain a balance at all times.  I’ve done a number of things to try to improve my own abilities, one of which is to be in an on-going study of CLE law and coaching as well as psychology and psychiatry to better help me understand how the brain works.  A lot of what we are talking about with this emotional aspect is fear-driven.  So unless you understand the concept of what fear does in an in-depth way you will not be able to understand how to help these people in this process.  I can understand, having been through divorce myself, how fear would be a large factor in people’s lives when facing divorce. Do you also see that in the opposing counsel?  That some of their motivations and some of their reactions and the way they operate is due to fear? Of course.  The law practice, and not just in family law, is a fear-driven profession.  They used terms like "deadlock."  You know that they don’t call those “sick lines.” It’s a fear-driven concept in lots of ways, and you have to be cognizant of that.  The best thing in the world as far as I am concerned is to be a good family lawyer and to be proficient in what you do by not operating out of fear.  Be a firm rock; be more strategic in your thinking.  It’s sort of like martial arts. So you are in a firm with how many partners? 6 partners. Could you give me a history of your firm, how it has grown over the years and what the benefits of growth are?  Perhaps mentioning what some of the downsides of having a larger firm are, if there are any. Well it is a decision that you make consciously.  So if I thought of any significant downsides I would probably downsize.  My goal was to actually set about building and maintaining the most proficient, efficient divorce firm that I could that produces results and values and supports the client in every spectrum of need.   So that when someone comes here I feel good about them consuming the product that we deliver.  That was my goal and I believe that we have achieved it. I know that you work more with businesspeople and executives and other high net worth people, but do you offer a range?  Can your firm deal with middle income people as well as upper middleman or upper income? Oh sure.  Our firm, (I was about to joke about the second floor level, we have two levels and two floors here in our firm) has lots of young lawyers, and they don’t all start at the top.  So yes, we can deal with any needs, but we deal mostly with the needs of upper middle class and above; those are the people we want.  We offer different hourly rates, of course.  There are different expertise levels, but always with someone watching over those with less experience and mentoring them if they need it. It’s that sort of process.  You can't have a firm that size and made out of nothing but high net worth lawyers.  That’s the way it once was and that’s just doesn’t work anymore.  You have to take the youngsters and build them up and give them the experience and impress them as they work themselves up.  And the good ones rise to the top and the ones that aren't superb move out, and that's what I have done over the past 41 years. You must be good at it, because the firm has grown to the point where it is now and has always been highly respected. Thank you. So do you have any recommendations if somebody were starting a firm now?  What do you think they should be doing, especially if they want to grow a firm?  Are there any strategies you think would help in that area? Well, I can give a general answer to that question because part of it is general and part of it is personalized to each individual.  I guess you have to start with a goal.  That can be something as simple as asking how large you want your firm to be, and how long it will take you to get there.  I would also encourage these people to concentrate on where they want to be.  In making a firm, specifically, never hire people you’re not willing to be partners with. Because they could eventually end up right alongside you. Well, that's true.  And another thing is that it’s just another good weeding out process.  If they do not meet any of your qualifications intellectually and character-wise then you wouldn't care to let them be your partner.  That should result in you not hiring them in the first place. Of course we hire from the top of the class which is typical for all firms.  We look at a variety of things: their ranking in the class, how they did  in new court competitions (because we do a lot of litigation here), what is their undergraduate work and how well they are doing with that.  We pay attention to how well-rounded an individual they are, whether they have extracurricular activities or any particular interests. What have they done to pay back to their community? All of those things make a person proficient and efficient, and reflect on their good character.  Those are what I’m looking for. Do you feel in terms of your own goals that are you achieving them?  You’ve said that you tend to reflect on them every 5 years, because they change during that time. Yes. What about your partners.  Do you have a partners’ meeting with your all 6 of them?  Do you sit down and say what the goals of the firm are for the future? Yes, we do that monthly and we have a year-end meeting that is a time where those concepts are shared with all the partners.  So the end of the year meetings are important, but there are monthly ones above that. Have those put you on course as far as the direction you’re headed? Sure.  We don't wait till the year's end for the assessment. Let’s just go back and talk about balance in terms of your work and your personal life.  You and Mary Johanna have been in practice together and so the two of you must have looked at your own personal goals and  thought about if you were working too much, and how much time you needed to spend away. I know you both love to travel.  Was there any particular decision made that caused you to look at your work-life-balance?  Since I've known you these past 15 years your course your life is taking seems to be in balance.  But that's looking from the outside.  Was there ever any point in time where you realized that you needed your life to strike that balance, or have you always just thought that way? No, I guess I could say my life was probably out of balance until about 20 years ago.  I am by nature sort of a self-driven individual, and so is Mary Johanna.  I was raised in and was a product of the Depression and a father who believed in hard work and lots of it.  That’s the main reason I am a hard worker. So you have to be cognizant of my upbringing.  Left to my own devices I work way, way too much.  And so we to take time off and we use travel for that.  We have a home that we go to; it’s a good sort of short-term resting place.  We sit down each quarter and plan out where we are going to be and where we are going to travel and what we are going to do and then strike a balance because if you don’t calendar the balance, it won’t happen. If you are a hard charging, hardworking person, it is the best thing to be working and that is what I want to do.  If I don't calendar it, it doesn't happen.  Because that’s what I do. You said something about left to your own devices, so was there any point that you had a wake-up call, because most of the time we’re not exactly conscious of the fact the way we are running our life- it’s just running. Right. I know that you’ve gone to different retreats and resorts and those sorts of things that help with being rested.  Did they have any impact in terms of helping you recognize that you need to take control of your life? Sure. About 25 years ago I went to a place, the well-known Canyon Ranch in Tucson, North Arizona, and they have a weeklong intensive workshop with something they called the Laughing Center, or something like that, and my laugh was going really good.  My laugh was really fast and I laughed and I enjoyed it.  Going through that workshop I laughed with a grandmother and a man who was about a hundred, and at the rate I’m going I probably won’t make it that long. And after being with those folks, I felt that I needed to start looking into what they were talking about when it came to the way I laughed. I go back there every year now, at least once a  year, and this is something that I think keeps me on track. According to them what you need to do is pick one thing to change about how you’re living your life each time you come in, and of course I wasn’t satisfied with that.  I started doing two or three things at a time, and I’ve been doing the same thing ever since.  I’ve even started sharing that concept when I visit other countries, teaching it to people of different cultures, religions, whatever.  All of it is the idea that you’ll live a more balanced, serene, successful kind of life. So I calendar good amount of time for it every year. But you have to stand tough right?  Otherwise, as you've said, the way you are wired is to work, work, work. And my wife is a jealous mistress.  She’ll get you if you are not there. I know that you have made a significant contribution in the practice of the family law and maybe you could just talk for a moment about that, since you are also the president of the Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and you've worked with that organization for many years.   Is there anything that stands out for you in terms of contribution or changes that you helped make to the practice? Well, I was the President of the Matrimonial in 1999, and what came out of that of course was that I started a committee that deals with affected children, the effects of divorce with children.  I also created a committee that continues today to do that it’s been very rewarding to help others in that way. I think that it will outlast me, which is good because we’re protecting children affected by divorce and there’s so much more still that we can do for that.  I am very pleased with how I set that goal and how it has continued on with that committee. The other thing is the idea of helping other people cope with divorce successfully. We have a laugh workshop we give periodically to groups (including the one at Canyon Ranch) about how to go through divorce and get out of it successfully.  Divorce is one thing that can tax people.  Even the most sophisticated consumer, I don't care how much their net worth is, can be caught off-balance by divorce, and kept off-balance.  So that's the contribution that I really enjoy and I am going to keep doing that for the rest of my life, professionally and perhaps even after my career is over. In terms of other careers do you have any particular goals you've set that are important to you and that you want to achieve?  I don’t know if you ever thought of retiring, but do you see an end to your legal career at some point and maybe starting another career where you work with people more personally, either coaching or running the sorts of courses you mentioned? Well, what I have done in the past is that I’ve become more selective about how I spend my time and am going to continue to do that.  I’ve been particularly good about knowing when not to comment, because it takes a lot of time to do speech.  I still enjoy it though, I’m just more selective now, both about that and what cases I decide to take. I have become selective in everything that I do and am not yet in the process of my retirement.  I can't think of retirement because it’s a step toward death.  My grandfather lived until a hundred and five and I am not ready to start facing that, but I think in my mind the wiser thing is that I continue this state of transition rather than retirement. I’m not sure where I would go.  My life is on track now as far as I’m concerned, and how I would want to move past that depends on where my law practice would go.  The prospect of change in this area really excites me, where we might be headed next.  All I want to do is to stay on the cutting edge all of the time, and I hope that this continues and from where I sit today I foresee it moving on into the future. Have you noticed much change in the practice of family law in the past 5 years? Yes. In what ways have you seen it change, and where have you seen the most change? Oh, 5 years is a short number of years, but I can answer it if you enlarge it to 10- Okay, let’s say 10 years. If we include the past decades that provides more definable parameters, and we have a lot of things that have changed.  We have lawyers that are more educated and have better skills that what others had in the past. I think the quality of lawyers available for a person to hire to or to build a law firm with has improved.  There are better resources for students now and these kids are getting brighter and are really, really willing to work, which was a problem for a while.  The divorce practice, I think, is getting better and better through SLEs from states to states and national organizations.  African-American and matrimonial lawyers, the education of matrimonial law for our lawyers, organizations dedicated to furthering family law, all of these are in a better state than they used to be. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Mike McCurley is a well-recognized Texas Super Lawyer with years of experience in family law and more accolades than can be easily listed. He is one of the six partners with the firm McCurley Orsinger McCurley Nelson & Downing, and you can visit their website at www.momnd.com.

In the third of eight segments in the 4th Annual Franchise Legal Series the focus is on Private Equity in Franchising. Amy Cheng, co-founder of Cheng Cohen LLC joins host, Paul Segreto to provide her insight and perspective about private equity and its role in franchising today. About Our Guest Amy Cheng is the co-founder of Cheng Cohen LLC in Chicago, Illinois. Amy concentrates her practice in domestic and international commercial transactions, general corporate, and franchise, licensing and distribution law. She represents franchisors on the structuring and operation of their franchise programs through all phases of development.  She also represents non-U.S. based franchisors expanding into the U.S. market.  Amy has extensive experience in structuring and drafting agreements for complex franchise, licensing and distribution relationships and in regulatory compliance. Her experience includes advising clients in connection with complex issues arising from the ownership of multiple brands, non-traditional opportunities, system restructuring and brand acquisition.  Amy also advises clients on the structuring of non-franchised distribution systems. Amy is a current member of the International Franchise Association Women's Franchise Committee and she is also the Vice Chair of the International Franchise Association’s Annual Legal Symposium.  She is an Associate Editor for the American Bar Association’s Franchise Law Journal.  Amy also serves as a member of the Franchise Advisory Board for the Illinois Attorney General.  For her work in this area, Amy was named a "Legal Eagle" by the Franchise Times, recognized by Who's Who Legal, Leading Lawyers, and Chambers and Partners, and selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America® in the field of franchise law.

Host Ted Hart will be having a Q & A session with John Bennett and David Shevlin, attorneys from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.  They will be discussing how charities can comply with IRS expectations for reporting on use of funds received from grants. About the guests: JOHN N. BENNETT Associate, NY Office John Bennett is an Associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP where he practices in the Exempt Organizations Department. He advises a number of endowed universities, foundations, hospitals and cultural institutions in connection with the investment of their endowments.  John has represented not-for-profit institutions in connection with secondary market sales of interest in various private investment vehicles. John also advises a variety of public charities and private foundations on structural and operating issues, including governance, reorganizations, domestic and international grantmaking and taxation.     DAVID A. SHEVLIN Partner, NY Office David Shevlin is a Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and is Head of the Exempt Organizations Group. He advises a variety of international and domestic exempt organizations, including all forms of private foundations and public charities. Mr. Shevlin also advises donors to and the governing bodies of exempt organizations. Mr. Shevlin has been recognized as a leading practitioner in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2008 – 2012). In addition, he regularly speaks and writes on topics of relevance to exempt organizations.

Can we still have “privacy” in the Network Age? How do individuals, as well as services such as Craigslist, Facebook and Twitter, protect themselves and their information online? What can we do about it, if anything? Join us on November 4 to discuss “Privacy and Data Security in the Network Age” with noted expert Samir Jain.About Samir Jain:Samir Jain is a partner in the Communications, Privacy, and Internet Law group at WilmerHale, where his practice involves litigation, regulatory work, and counseling on a wide range of cutting-edge e-commerce, privacy, and communications issues. His areas of expertise include online intermediary liability for third-party content, privacy and data security, electronic surveillance, national security and public safety, advertising, online child safety, and regulation of information and telecommunications services. Mr. Jain has been recognized for his exceptional national standing in both “Privacy and Data Security” and “Telecom, Broadcast, and Satellite: Regulatory” in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2007-2009 editions). Mr. Jain has represented members of the online industry such as Amazon, AOL, craigslist, eBay, Google, and Yahoo! in many of the leading cases defining the scope of the immunity afforded to service providers for third-party content by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Mr. Jain speaks and writes regularly about Internet and communications law issues. He also is an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School, where he co-teaches a course on Electronic Commerce Law.

Can we still have “privacy” in the Network Age? How do individuals, as well as services such as Craigslist, Facebook and Twitter, protect themselves and their information online? What can we do about it, if anything? Join us on November 4 to discuss “Privacy and Data Security in the Network Age” with noted expert Samir Jain.About Samir Jain:Samir Jain is a partner in the Communications, Privacy, and Internet Law group at WilmerHale, where his practice involves litigation, regulatory work, and counseling on a wide range of cutting-edge e-commerce, privacy, and communications issues. His areas of expertise include online intermediary liability for third-party content, privacy and data security, electronic surveillance, national security and public safety, advertising, online child safety, and regulation of information and telecommunications services. Mr. Jain has been recognized for his exceptional national standing in both “Privacy and Data Security” and “Telecom, Broadcast, and Satellite: Regulatory” in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2007-2009 editions). Mr. Jain has represented members of the online industry such as Amazon, AOL, craigslist, eBay, Google, and Yahoo! in many of the leading cases defining the scope of the immunity afforded to service providers for third-party content by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Mr. Jain speaks and writes regularly about Internet and communications law issues. He also is an adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School, where he co-teaches a course on Electronic Commerce Law.