DEALING WITH THE MEDIA IN A STRANGE NEW WORLD
The old ways of dealing with the media in litigation are gone forever. The plaintiff bar has sophisticated strategies for using the media to influence and manipulate the jury pool. Clients who continue to take the "no comment" approach are conceding the "high ground" and immediately putting themselves on the defensive. Knowing the gradually loosening ethical and court rules on media contact and devising an effective media plan are critical in high stakes litigation.

INJURY MAY NOT BE AS CATASTROPHIC AS IT IS MADE TO APPEAR
Combat-tested trial lawyer Keith Phoenix brings us a case study involving a brain-damaged plaintiff who won a $5 million settlement against two defendants but took nothing from a target defendant. Discussion of how family members and a forensic psychologist were used by the defense and how plaintiff’s treating doctor was positioned to abandon an earlier brain injury diagnosis. After being confronted with the 'new' defense and other developments, the plaintiffs dismissed their lawsuit and then faced a fraud investigation by the federal government.

LESSONS LEARNED IN COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
Experience-Based Changes Made Now Can Improve Future Experience
Phil Scaletta summarizes 29 years of litigation experience in bite-sized practice pointers for in-house counsel’s risk management, avoidance and transfer efforts. Discussion will cover contractual risk transfer, document creation, management and retention issues; evidence preservation issues; employee awareness and email techniques with examples from FEMA’s experience in the recent Hurricane Katrina disaster; using defensive document preparation methods; words, phrases and terms that can turn a result; contractual risk transfer pointers using insurance, contract and indemnification provisions.

EXPERT WITNESS SELECTION, CARE AND CONTROL
A How-To Guide on Expert Witness Management
Your defensive case rides on the performance of expert witnesses whose testimony can be concise, on point and persuasive. But, it could also be wandering, self-absorbed and disregarded. With experts charging as much as or more than attorneys, and with their impact on results being at least as much as counsel's, experts must be carefully selected, managed and monitored, unnecessary writings must be avoided, and witnesses must stay focused. Hal Morlan reaches into his 29 years of trial experience to give us guidance and tips in this highly determinative area of litigation management.

DEFENDING SECTION 17200 CLAIMS
10 Ways to Beat Section 17200 cases
Defending against the most malleable, ubiquitous and plaintiff-friendly causes of action since the inception of tort law. Every commercial complaint has one and trial lawyer Shawn Parrish will show you how to beat them. Effective use of the new standing requirement. Removal to federal court under the new Class Action Fairness Act. Winning tactics for unfair business practice cases and class action litigation. Limitations on profit disgorgement and other remedies. Pre-emption knockouts.

E-DISCOVERY ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: YOU THOUGHT YOU HEARD THE LAST WORD
Responsibilities of in-house counsel to preserve, maintain and produce documents in litigation, cost-allocation methods, proposed e-discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure; harsh penalties for e-discovery violations. Trial lawyer Joe Ortego tells you what you need to know today to stay out of trouble tomorrow.