Tag Archives: Litigation Skills

Kathryn B. Fox is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Ellerese Topacio
04 Jan

Kathryn B. Fox is senior counsel at Buchalter. She is a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group and Vice-Chair of the Franchise Law industry group in the firm’s San Diego office.

Don’t miss Kathryn’s upcoming talk at our 2nd Annual Employment Law Year in Review, a two-part webinar on January 16 and 18 that entails a comprehensive discussion on California and federal employment law in 2023.

Ms. Fox advises employers on litigation avoidance and provides counseling on workplace law matters.  She has experience representing clients in single-plaintiff cases involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour issues. She also routinely advises and represents clients in class action and representative PAGA cases involving wage-and-hour allegations, including failure to pay regular and overtime wages, meal period and rest break violations, misclassification issues, piece-rate pay agreements, and reimbursement claims. Her representation of clients includes defending actions in state and federal court, in arbitrations, before the EEOC, DFEH, DLSE and EDD, and in mediation. Ms. Fox also provides trainings to clients on workplace privacy issues, preventing workplace harassment, and best practices for complying with California wage and hour laws.

Ms. Fox has been named a 2021-2023 “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers for her work in Labor and Employment Law: Management. Ms. Fox was also recognized as a 2021 “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine.

Just a coupler of highlights from Ms. Fox’s work include:

Successfully obtained a full dismissal of all claims against a large biotech company after filing demurrers and minimal discovery.

Obtained summary judgment for three defendants (two companies and the plaintiff’s manager) in a case involving allegations of age discrimination, wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotional distress and breach of implied contract.

Thank you for sharing your expertise with us, Kathryn!

 

Rich Matthews is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Ellerese Topacio
11 Dec

Our latest featured speaker is Rich Matthews from Jurology!

Rich is a popular and knowledgeable speaker on jury issues. Rich repeatedly presents at our jury selection programs such as our two-part  Art of Jury Selection California program from July 12, 2022-July 14, 2022.

Rich will speak at our upcoming Mastering Jury Selection and Winning Jury Trials: The Right Story for the Right Panel, a two-part webinar on December 12, 2023 and December 14, 2023.

For more than 20 years, Rich has been an attorney, trial consultant, and “mythbuster” for a lot of the widespread but often incorrect beliefs about jurors and jury selection. Rich combines research with psychology with artistic craft to create the best frames and themes for your case . . . and get the best results from jurors or in settlement.

His expertise includes separating jury issues from the legal issues; crafting the themes and frames that will shape juror perception of a case; writing openings and closings like a human actually speaks to other humans and in a story format that will bring your audience to your case (rather than the reverse); witness preparation; and all things related to jury selection from juror questionnaires and voir dire questions to exercising cause and peremptory challenges.

Rich has innovated the use of focus group results at mediations and in negotiations to achieve better settlements in a shorter time than clients had experienced without them.

Rich has appeared on national television and in major publications offering commentary on high profile trials. He serves on the California Bar’s Litigation Section’s committee for comment on proposed revisions to California’s standard jury instructions, lending his juror expertise to improving the understandability and clarity of jury instructions.

Rich works nationwide and is located in San Francisco and received his J.D. from the University of Oregon School of Law.

Catherine Basque Weiler is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
21 Jun

Our latest featured speaker is Catherine Basque Weiler from Swanson, Martin & Bell!

Catherine will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18 & 20, 2023. This will be her first time speaking with us. We are looking forward to it, Catherine!

Catherine is a Partner and the chair of Swanson, Martin & Bell’s Appellate Practice Group. Her practice area focuses on trial practice and appeals. She has briefed more than 200 cases involving a wide range of litigation topics in various state and federal courts of appeal, including the Seventh Circuit, all Illinois Appellate Districts, the Colorado Appellate Court and the North Carolina Appellate Court.

In addition to her appellate practice, Catherine actively represents clients in the state and federal trial courts through all phases of litigation, from case inception through trial, primarily defending legal malpractice, commercial, product and premises liability claims. Catherine’s wide-ranging appellate practice and knowledge of procedure gives her a unique perspective on case strategy.

Prior to joining the Swanson, Martin & Bell, Catherine acted as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General in the Civil Appeals Division, representing state agencies and representatives, and the People of Illinois, before all Illinois Appellate Courts and the Seventh Circuit.

Thank you for joining the program, Catherine!

Gretchen Harris Sperry is our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Trong Mai
14 Jun

Our latest featured speaker is Gretchen Harris Sperry from Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani!

Gretchen will be speaking at our upcoming Preserving the Trial Record for Appeal in Illinois Civil Cases Two-Part Webinar on July 18th & 20th (2023). This will be her first time speaking with us and was recommended as a speaker by multiple appellate attorneys.

Welcome, Gretchen!

Gretchen is a partner and Co-Chair of the Appellate Group in Gordon & Rees’ Chicago office. She frequently represents government agencies and elected officials in constitutional litigation as a court-appointed Special Assistant State’s Attorney. 

Additionally, Gretchen represents private sector clients before various governmental, legislative, and regulatory agencies, counseling them on pending legislation and regulatory compliance matters. Gretchen is experienced in white collar criminal matters, having represented entities in federal criminal prosecutions and investigations, as well as conducting internal investigations in anticipation of government involvement. 

Gretchen is an active member of the legal community. She was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Character and Fitness Committee of the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at two Chicago law schools teaching Appellate Advocacy. She also serves as the Secretary of the ABA Council of Appellate Lawyers and is a Past President of the Illinois Appellate Lawyers Association.

Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Gretchen was a partner at a national law firm where she served as chair of the firm’s nationally recognized Appellate Practice Group.  She was also a Judicial Clerk to the Honorable Mary Jane Theis and the Honorable Maureen E. Connors in the Illinois Appellate Court.

Thank you for joining the program, Gretchen! We look forward to it.

New Featured Speaker Kelly Kolb

Posted on by
06 Mar

Kelly Kolb, a Shareholder at Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney P.C., is our latest Featured Speaker!

Kelly has defended employers against employment claims for over 20 years in state court, federal court and before administrative bodies and arbitration panels in Florida and Texas. Kelly uses his vast experiences to advise management on best practices and claims avoidance and to oversee internal investigations. He also works with clients in the construction, education, marine, healthcare, transportation, aerospace and electronics industries as well as public sector clients.

It comes as little surprise that we have asked Kelly to speak at upcoming Mastering the Deposition seminar coming up in Ft. Lauderdale on March 10th. This program has received top reviews in the past like:

“I know a lot more practical information about depositions than when I woke up this morning.”– Nicholas A. Marzuk, Esq.

“I am preparing for my first depo and felt that [the seminar] gave a good overview.”– Amanda Allen, Esq.

“This was a great way to get insight on taking good depos.”- Cecilia Barber, Esq.

Very nice program and great speakers.” – Michael Shue, Esq.

We are confident that Kelly will add a great deal of insight to this program. He spoke at our more advanced program last December: “Hone your Litigation Skills: Successfully Gathering and Using Your Evidence” and received terrific reviews.

Kelly has been incredible to work with and has been instrumental to the planning process. We are looking forward to the upcoming program and to working with Kelly more in the future!