Expert Witness Blog

Practical guidance for expert witnesses — testimony, report writing, depositions, fees and building a successful practice.
March 17, 2014

What are some of the stranger things that have occurred during your depositions?

As an expert witness, what are some of the stranger things that have occurred during your depositions? I use this example to convey that, although we are experts, we have no business intervening, even if we are psychiatrists: let the storm pass and wait for the next question.

Due to the increasing number of settlements in civil cases (over 95%) much of the litigation and examination of experts take place during their depositions. Forensic psychiatrist Thomas Gutheil, MD answers the question; As an expert witness, what are some of the stranger things that have occurred during your depositions? In one such case the retaining attorney completely lost his

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March 17, 2014

How much assistance can Expert Witnesses expect from retaining counsel at deposition?

Retaining counsel may be helpful both in posing objections and by giving you clues from the form of the objection about what might be the flaw in opposing counsel’s question

In a recent interview, Forensic psychiatrist Thomas Gutheil, MD, answers the question; How much assistance can Expert Witnesses expect from retaining counsel at deposition? Retaining counsel may be helpful both in posing objections and by giving you clues from the form of the objection about what might be the flaw in opposing counsel’s question. However, retaining counsel cannot tell you

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March 17, 2014

How Expert Witnesses can deal with abusive opposing counsel at deposition

Forensic psychiatrist Thomas Gutheil, MD answers the question; Q. How do you deal with the confrontational abusive opposing counsel at deposition? I let it wash over me, as if I were dealing with a personality disordered patient. Remaining cool under fire is an essential expert skill. Answer the question underneath the fury. —————– Dr. Gutheil will be speaking at the

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March 17, 2014

Why are expert witness depositions increasingly more important?

Due to the increasing number of settlements in civil cases (over 95%) much of the litigation and examination of experts take place during their depositions.

Due to the increasing number of settlements in civil cases (over 95%) much of the litigation and examination of experts take place during their depositions. Forensic psychiatrist Thomas Gutheil, MD explains. Q. Dr. Gutheil, why are expert witness depositions increasingly more important? Attorneys are very concerned about being surprised or even sand bagged at trial by information and/or opinions they

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March 15, 2014

What are some of the biggest mistakes expert witnesses make in their marketing?

In many instances one client is worth eight, ten, fifteen thousand dollars or more yet they are afraid to spend a few hundred or a few thousand dollars to get the visibility

Interview with Restaurant expert witness Howard Cannon discusses: Q. What are some of the biggest mistakes expert witnesses make in their marketing? A. I believe the 3 biggest mistake experts make in their marketing is that: 1] They do not consider the ROI [return on investment] of their marketing plans and budgets. In many instances one client is worth eight, ten,

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March 15, 2014

What social media works best for expert witness marketing?

We feel that all types of social media have value because we can gain reach and visibility without spending much time, much money, or much real effort and therefore the ROI [return on investment]

In a recent interview, Restaurant expert witness Howard Cannon explains. Q. What social media works best for expert witness marketing? A. We feel that all types of social media have value because we can gain reach and visibility without spending much time, much money, or much real effort and therefore the ROI [return on investment] – both time investment and

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March 15, 2014

How effective is YouTube for expert witnesses?

Interview with Restaurant expert witness Howard Cannon explains. Q. How effective is YouTube for expert witnesses? A. We strongly believe in the power of YouTube as an effective and efficient marketing and branding tool. We currently stand at roughly 200,000 YouTube views on our videos and channels and draw a significant amount of awareness and visibility from our effective use

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March 15, 2014

How aggressive can and should expert witnesses be in marketing their practices

Interview with Restaurant Expert Witness Howard Cannon was asked: Q. Mr. Cannon, how aggressive can and should expert witnesses be in marketing their practices? A. If an expert expects to get any sort of real and lasting visibility he/she must outwork and out-think his/her competitors in the marketplace and he/she must understand that marketing intensity, frequency, reach, and visibility are

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March 15, 2014

Why Expert Witnesses Need to Prepare for Deposition and Trial

More and more expert witnesses are reporting that retaining counsel are either unwilling or unable to properly prepare them for their depositions and trials. Why would an attorney spend thousands of dollars on an expert witness and not properly prepare them? Trial attorney and SEAK trainer and attorney Nadine Nasser Donovan explains. Q. Attorney Donovan, how often are expert witnesses

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March 15, 2014

What Expert Witnesses Need to Know About Video Depositions

Expert witnesses are with increased frequency undergoing video depositions. These depositions in differ in many ways from the traditional transcribed depositions. Trial attorney David Markowitz explains. Q. Attorney Markowitz, how do video depositions differ for experts from traditional transcribed depositions? Steno depositions record only the words.  Video depositions record facial expressions, body language, and tone and timbre of voice.  The

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