The oldest of three boys born to a trial lawyer father and a Ph.D/lawyer mother, my early summer days were spent swimming at Lake Michigan and climbing the Grand Tetons Mountains. If we weren’t doing something physical, we were engaging in what our folks had instilled in us to love: Reading. I graduated from University of Missouri- Columbia ready, willing and able to sponge off of my dad’s largess to continue to go to school (i.e., law school at Mizzou). My mother frankly didn’t make a lot of money because she was always in school, climbing mountains, playing tennis and just basically being the greatest mother of all time. As an example, she actually interviewed for her dissertation Supreme Court Justices who wrote the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. Weeks before I was to start law school, my dad was electrocuted due to a poorly designed hand drill. Note that the Missouri wrongful death cap at the time was a TOTAL of $25,000 (combination economic and/or non-economic). That injustice so infuriated me that it spurred me into what I still do today as a plaintiff’s attorney. From there I was shot out of a rocket launched into my career as the beneficiary of great trial lawyer mentors. Head and shoulders above all of the legal accolades I have been fortunate enough to receive, my whole world changed with the birth of my son (Bart) and daughter (Brooke) who now live in Los Angeles. I carry on the wanderlust inspired to me by my folks getting out to LA as often as I humanly can still in the water and on the mountains with my two kids. One of the guiding principles of my life was told to me by my mother who said that the secret to a fulfilling and happy life came in two words: “Remain curious!”. I hope I have lived up to the ideals of my mother and father.
Breakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
Hosted by

Sach Oliver · Joe Fried Winning the Most Common Tractor Trailer Case in AmericaCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by

Sach Oliver · Joe Fried Winning the Most Common Tractor Trailer Case in AmericaCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by

Sach Oliver · Joe Fried Winning the Most Common Tractor Trailer Case in AmericaLunch
Sponsored by
Michael CowenGetting Big Justice in Big Rig CasesCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Joseph CamerlengoHow to Use the Truck Driver and Trucking Company to Maximize Your Client's RecoveryCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Aaron BroussardWhat Does It Take to Be a Great Plaintiff Lawyer? It’s Not What You ThinkBreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
Hosted by
Melissa ScartelliCharting the Path to Verdict: Strategic Decisions in Medical Negligence TrialsCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
George SidiropolisTactical Tradecraft in Institutional Bad Faith: What Really Happens Inside Insurance ClaimsCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Brian PanishLectureLunch
Sponsored by
Ben B. RubinowitzJury SelectionCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Kimball Jones9-Figure Framing: Winning Punitive Damages in TrialCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Al FoecklerBlack Hat Justice Opening StatementBreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
Hosted by
Kurt ZanerCreating Drama at Trial – How to Tell a Story in Trial Through Dramatic Theatrical TechniquesCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Sagi ShakedLectureCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Kurt ZanerWriting a Story – Win Your Case in a Page and a HalfLunch
Sponsored by
John RomanoStorytelling in Cross-Examination of Defense Damages & Causation WitnessesCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by


Edward Ciarimboli · Corey Suda · Jay VaughnTaking FedEx from the Boardroom to the CourtroomCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Tim MckeyEnsuring Your Legacy: How the Best Firms Create Lasting Systems and Succession SuccessBreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
Hosted by
Andrew PickettFrom Herniated Disc to $6.7 Million Verdict: Preparation, Strategy, and Trial ExecutionCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by

Andrew Robb · Brittany Sanders Robb Maximizing Recoverable Damages Before Trial: Framing Your Case for Actual RecoverabilityCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Tom BosworthLectureLunch
Sponsored by
Patrick KangHow We Built An Eight-Figure Practice On Just Toxic Mold Litigation.Coffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Dan AmbroseCross ExaminationCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Eric CastelblancoSue Your Slumlord: The Ins and Outs of Habitability Law in CABreakfast
7:30am - 9:00am
Hosted by
Orlando De CastroverdeHow To Get A 1.7m Verdict On A Neck Injection CaseCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
George MoschopoulosStrip the Noise: How to Frame Employment Cases for Verdict Coffee & Snacks
Hosted by
J. Russell PateIsland Justice: Restaurant Fall; $7M Verdict on $235,000 OfferLunch
Sponsored by

Michael Stephenson · Lucy Allen $12.1 Million mTBI Verdict: Trial Strategy Breakdown – Hickey v. HarringtonCoffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Alex IvanovSpinal Medicine for Dummies (*Lawyers*)Coffee & Snacks
Hosted by
Sarah HavensDon’t Let the Defense Frame Your Case: From “Impossible” Case to 10M Trial Result