Scott Schlesinger has known what it means to be a trial lawyer from his earliest days, growing up in the shadow of his father, legendary Florida trial lawyer Shelly Schlesinger. Scott talks about how the lessons and values he learned for his father shaped his approach. Scott has continued to legacy by becoming a one of the country’s best plaintiff’s trial lawyers in his own right, continuing to fight for clients impacted by the scourge of Big Tobacco, childhood exposure to Juul and many other cases of major significance from a public health standpoint. Join Ben and Rahul for their wide-ranging interview of Scott that takes us from the origins of the original cases against Big Tobacco to the cutting-edge cases going on today.

About Scott Schlesinger

https://schlesingerlawoffices.com/scott-p-schlesinger/

Since 1984, Attorney Scott P. Schlesinger has represented the rights of clients who have been injured by negligence. Over the years, he has established himself as a passionate advocate, securing multi-million dollar verdicts on numerous cases. Scott is proud to have the opportunity to help those who have been injured move forward from their incident and pursue a secure future.

The firm, Schlesinger Law Offices, P.A., focuses on the representation of claims involving defective medical devices, tobacco litigation, defective drugs, birth injuries, car accidents, and more. As the founder, Scott leads the way in providing legal services that are committed to excellence and to the individual needs of each client.

Professional Associations & Memberships

• Inner Circle of Advocates
• Florida Bar
• American Association for Justice
• Florida Justice Association
• Broward County Justice Association

Awards & Recognition

• Florida Trend Legal Elite, 2008-2012
• Super Lawyers®, 2014-2015, 2017-2019
• Martindale Hubbel AV Preeminent – Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence
• Martindale Hubbel Distinguished – Peer Rated for High Professional Achievement

Education

• University of Florida, 1984
• J.D.
• Brown University
• B.S.
• Major: Biopsychology

Publications

Featured in Daily Business Review, “Scott Schlesinger’s Key to Avoiding Burnout: Fight for Something Worthy”, October 2017

Join Ben and Rahul for a conversation with Spencer Lucas, Partner at Panish Shea Ravipudi, in which Spencer talks about his recent $135 million verdict on behalf of two victims of sexual assault by a teacher at a public school, and his work on the leadership trial teams representing sexual assault victims in claims against the Los Angeles Catholic Diocese and Boy Scouts of America. Spencer talks about how he found a passion for championing the rights of victims of sexual assault and how he has navigated the complexities of proving that the school district and Catholic Diocese had prior notice that the teacher and priest were harming children and failed to act upon that information to protect his clients.

About Spencer Lucas

https://www.panish.law/

Spencer Lucas is a trial lawyer and partner at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP specializing in litigating complex catastrophic personal injury, products liability, wrongful death, and sexual abuse cases. A member of the firm since 2007, he has extensive experience in cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and has successfully recovered over $600 million for his clients. Mr. Lucas prides himself on not only helping survivors of trauma and their families recover from tragic situations but by implementing institutional safeguards for the community.

Ranked among the Top 100 Southern California Super Lawyers in 2022, Mr. Lucas is recognized as a leading trial lawyer in California trying cases in venues across the state resulting in eight-figure verdicts. He has been the recipient of numerous awards for his work in the courtroom including nominations as Consumer Attorney of the Year by Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) and Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA). Mr. Lucas is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) with an elevated rank of Associate due to the number of lengthy trials to verdict he has completed and is annually recognized as a Best Lawyer in America® .

Mr. Lucas has obtained numerous eight-figure verdicts and settlements in cases throughout California, including the following:

• $135 million verdict for two men who were sexually abused as students by a teacher in the Moreno Valley Unified School District.
• $48,500,000 settlement at the beginning of trial involving a 26-year-old man who was struck by a corporate vehicle and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.
• $30,000,000 settlementat the beginning of trial involving a 33-year-old man who was struck by a tractor-trailer and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.
• $19,466,000 verdict In Zastawnik v. Asplundh Construction, for his client who suffered severe ankle fractures and resulting pain disorder after being struck by a construction truck while riding

Join Ben and Rahul for their conversation with Michael Talve, Founder and CEO of Expert Institute, a nation-wide expert search and research firm. Michael talks about how he stared the business in his apartment with a few friends and grew it to hundreds of employees that service more than 5000 plaintiff law firms across the United States. Michael discusses trends he has witnessed in the practice of plaintiff law and what he sees for the future of expert search and the role of AI in the plaintiff practice. He talks about the role of entrepreneurship in growing and scaling a business. Michael’s background as a successful entrepreneur serving the trial bar is fascinating and provides valuable insight. You don’t want to miss this episode.

About Michael Talve

https://www.expertinstitute.com/resources/insights/author/michael/

Michael Talve stands at the forefront of legal innovation as the CEO and Managing Director of Expert Institute. Under his leadership, the Expert Institute has established itself as a vital player in the legal technology arena, revolutionizing how lawyers connect with world-class experts and access advanced legal technology. Michael's role involves not only steering the company's strategic direction but also ensuring the delivery of unparalleled intelligence and cutting-edge solutions to legal professionals. His work at Expert Institute has been instrumental in enhancing the capabilities of attorneys in case preparation and execution, making a significant impact on the legal industry's approach to expert consultation and technological integration. Michael's vision and execution have positioned the Expert Institute as a key facilitator in the intersection of law and technology. Under his stewardship, Expert Institute has played a pivotal role in some of the most important cases of the past decade - totaling more than $300B in verdicts and settlements.

Expert Institute has grown to become one of the foremost businesses dedicated to partnering with leading plaintiff firms. The company has been involved in high profile matters ranging from Camp Lejeune, to opioid litigation, to numerous mass shooting incidents, and more recently, Boeing airplane investigations, and thousands of single claimant cases each month.

From a young age, Robert Glassman worked hard to perfect his abilities as a public speaker. When he was in high school, his parents enrolled him in a Dale Carnegie program to develop confidence speaking in front of strangers. From high school to law school, Robert was a perennial class president and accustomed to giving planned speeches before large audiences. Join Rahul and Ben as they discuss with Robert the advantages and challenges of transitioning his public speaking skills to success in the courtroom. Robert talks about how he developed expertise in handling high-profile cases involving injuries to children while in the care of the public schools, and lessons learned from his first experience examining witnesses at trial to recently obtaining an eight-figure jury verdict the day after his forty-first birthday.

About Robert Glassman

https://www.panish.law/glassman.html

Robert Glassman is a partner at Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP where he represents plaintiffs in large and complex personal injury cases and is a recognized leader in the Los Angeles legal community.

Recognized by the Daily Journal as among the 2023 Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 in California, Mr. Glassman has also been named a “Rising Star” in Personal Injury litigation by Law360 and recognized as a “Rising Star” by the Super Lawyers publication since 2013 where he has been consistently selected as one of the “Up-and-Coming 100 Southern California Rising Stars”, the list of lawyers who rank at the top of the Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list.

His work on three high-profile school injury cases – Lee v. Pupil Transportation Cooperative, Pierce v. Murrieta Valley Unified School District, and Sepulveda v. Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District – led to significant reforms at the school districts where the tragedies occurred and helped to establish new child safety laws in California.

Mr. Glassman also represents victims and survivors of sexual abuse, including ‘Jane’ who filed suit against her abusers in the high-profile case against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

A three-time Consumer Attorneys of California Consumer Attorney of the Year finalist for his work on Lee v. Pupil Transportation Cooperative, Pierce v. Murrieta Valley Unified School District, and Sepulveda v. Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District, Mr. Glassman has also been recognized as a 2023 California Lawyer Attorney of the Year for his work on Sepulveda v. Yucaipa-Calimesa Unified School District.

Mr. Glassman currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers Los Angeles Young Lawyers division and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Los Angeles Chapter.

SOME OF MR. GLASSMAN’S MOST NOTABLE TRIAL VERDICTS INCLUDE:

• Diao v. Southern California Gas Company (Los Angeles jury awarded a $19,786,818 to injured plaintiff following a gas explosion at home in San Gabriel, CA). The judgment was recently upheld on appeal.
• Dillon v. City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles jury awarded $11,045,000 for a motorcyclist who suffered serious injuries following a collision with a Los Angeles Department...

Join Ben and Rahul for their in-depth discussion of Ben’s recent three-week jury trial in which Ben represented a little girl who developed cerebral palsy following the development of necrotizing enterocolitis in the NICU. Ben discusses how decision-making guided by big data led to him and his client to turning down an $11 million offer after closing arguments to take a verdict. He discusses what he learned following extensive discussions with jurors following the trial. Ben describes how this verdict influences his thinking about data, risk and approach to trial moving forward.

About Ben Gideon

https://gideonasen.com/our-team/benjamin-gideon/

Ben grew up in Portland, Maine, attended public schools and graduated from Deering High School in 1989. Ben’s father, Martin Rogoff, was a prominent member of the Maine Law School faculty, so Ben grew up immersed in discussions of the law. Ben began to develop his legal skills early in life through nightly arguments with his father at the dinner table.

In high school, Ben played varsity soccer and was the captain of the hockey team. Following high school, Ben attended Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Ben attempted to walk on to the Cornell hockey team, but was eventually cut from the team, ending his hockey career. Depressed and disappointed at this failure, Ben became a poor student, failed several classes, and was told he was being suspended from college on academic probation.

After rehabilitating himself through some community college courses, Ben was able to gain re-admission to Cornell and to complete his degree. Ben applied to law school and was admitted to Boston University School of Law. There, Ben was a standout student. His grades were so exceptional after his first year that he was accepted as a transfer student to Yale Law School where he earned his law degree.

Ben began his career in private practice at a large, multi-national law firm, Latham & Watkins, in New York City. He practiced there for several years before deciding to return to Maine to join Berman & Simmons, PA, Maine’s largest plaintiff’s law firm.

• Cornell University, 1993
• Yale Law School, 1999

• The Inner Circle of Advocates, 100 of the Best Plaintiff Lawyers in the U.S., 2019-present
• American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow, 2020-present, Top 1% of all lawyers
• America’s Top 100 Attorneys ― Listed in Maine for Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, and Products Liability, 2017
• The Best Lawyers in America ― 2013–present; “Lawyer of the Year,” 2016–present
• Super Lawyers ― “Super Lawyer,” 2013–present
• Martindale-Hubbell ― Top Rated “AV Preeminent”
• Chambers & Partners USA ― Listed for Litigation: Medical Malpractice & Insurance and Mainly Plaintiff
• Benchmark Litigation ― “Litigation Star”
• AVVO — Rated 10.0 out of 10

• Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar, Professional Ethics Commission
• Maine State Bar Association
• American Association for Justice (AAJ)
• American Bar Association
• Governor, Maine Trial Lawyers Association

• Maine (2003)
• U.S. District Court, District of Maine (2010)
• Vermont (2016)
• New Hampshire (2010)
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (2002)
• New York (2000)

During his years at Berman & Simmons, Ben rose from an associate to become an owner and practice leader at the firm. Ben was instrumental in helping the firm re-invent its approach to litigating and trying cases; expanded its areas of practice expertise; and recruited and trained many talented lawyers.

During his 17 years at Berman & Simmons, Ben enjoyed many...

Tampa Florida trial lawyer Steve Yerrid has done it all. He was a boxer in his youth and a fighter for justice in his career as a trial lawyer. Steve was the youngest member of the Tobacco “Dream Team,” which secured a $17 billion settlement from Big Tobacco and numerous changes in their business practices which have saved thousands of lives. Steve has many record setting jury verdicts. He has served as personal counsel to NY Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner. And he has given back to his community through his Yerrid Foundation. Steve has authored several books and has frequently spoken on the topic of what separates those would achieve greatness (i.e., those who have “it”) from everyone else. Join Rahul and Ben for their fascinating conversation with Steve as he shares aspects of his incredible career and things that have shaped his approach to trying cases and success in life.

About Steve Yerrid

https://www.yerridlaw.com/attorneys/c-steven-yerrid/

In a city like Tampa, Florida, a coastal metropolis steeped in history, the list of well-known names and larger-than-life personalities is rich and lengthy, but few names resonate with the same renown as Steve Yerrid.

Yerrid, a trail-blazing trial lawyer for more than 45 years, has built a legacy that continues to evolve, fueled by a relentless desire to help as many people as possible, whether seeking and securing justice on their behalf in the courtroom or selflessly devoting his time and donating a substantial portion of his accumulated wealth to bettering the world around him.

In an age where importance and social impact are measured by likes and subscribers, instead of hard work and good deeds, Steve remains a practitioner of the old ways, always leading by example and putting the needs of others first.

Whether meeting each client of his firm personally or taking time to deliver much needed food to the area’s most vulnerable and less fortunate, he is and has always been one-of-a-kind, a determined legal and social warrior the likes of which are a rarity in today’s world.

Yerrid has experienced a career of noteworthy achievements, including over 300 verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more for individuals and the families of those injured or killed by the wrongdoing of others.

Among those was a jury verdict of $217 million, the largest medical malpractice award in Florida’s history, and the nation’s largest verdict in 2006. In 2009, he again obtained the country’s largest verdict rendered in a wrongful death case that year, with a jury award of $330 million.

When he was just 30 years old, Yerrid received international recognition in one of the world’s largest maritime tragedies. In utilizing a rare “Act of God” defense, he was able to secure the complete exoneration of Captain John Lerro, the accused pilot in command of a large 608-foot bulk freighter which, during an unpredicted storm packing hurricane force winds, was blown off course and struck the mammoth Sunshine Skyway Bridge, collapsing its center span and tragically claiming 35 innocent lives.

Not a decade has passed that Steve has not left an indelible mark.

In 2010, confronted by one of the largest environmental catastrophes in history, then-Governor Charlie Crist appointed him as Special Counsel regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster and its aftermath. Yerrid gave his time, costs, and efforts for nearly a year to the people of Florida as a public service. As a result, The Florida Justice Association presented him with the Outstanding Pro Bono Award, a special recognition given only every several years.

Yerrid also was retained by the City of Tampa to hold BP responsible for the economic damages it sustained as a result of that disaster. He successfully

Join Ben and Rahul for their discussion with Jake and Tor, breaking down the recent 495 million Dollar verdict in a product liability case against Abbott Laboratories for pre-term infant formula that increases the risks for developing necrotizing enterocolitis. Hear how Jake and Tor navigated this difficult case and won this epic battle.

About Jacob Plattenberger

https://www.torhoermanlaw.com/team/jake-plattenberger/

Jacob Plattenberger has taken hundreds of depositions, argued in countless hearings, and tried over 35 cases to a jury.

His experience in and out of the courtroom has made him a passionate advocate for those injured due to the negligence of others.

Jake started his career trying cases at one of the busiest civil courthouses in the country – the Richard J. Daley Center in downtown Chicago.

He started out doing insurance defense because he knew that afforded him the best opportunity to get courtroom experience.

“When I was working on the defense side, I always knew that I was going to be a plaintiff’s lawyer. I knew that being able and willing to try a case to a jury was a skill that I needed to have if I was going to be able to offer my clients the best legal representation. Insurance companies and corporate defendants need to believe you when you say you will take them to trial – they need to fear that.”

This type of real trial experience is exceedingly rare in complex civil litigation and having seen it from the defense side gives Jake an added advantage.

At TorHoerman Law, Jake manages our Chicago office where he leads trial teams in nationwide, complex litigations such as:

Representing dozens of workers across the United States who were exposed to Diacetyl at work and now suffer lung disease

eg. The Juul/E-cigarette Litigation

The Incretin Mimetics Products Liability Litigation, currently pending in the Southern District of California, where he was named to the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee

Various Transvaginal Mesh multidistrict litigations that are currently pending

Jake also maintains a personal injury practice in Chicago, representing people and their families who have been victims of catastrophic auto and truck accidents, products liability, maritime accidents, premises liability, and medical negligence.

Jake believes that to successfully represent his clients, it is absolutely necessary to get personally involved.

Jake’s quote below perfectly reflects that belief!

Notable Cases & Results

Incretin Mimetics – Products Liability Litigation, MDL Case No. 13MD2452 AJB (MDD). Appointed to the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee by Judge Battaglia in the MDL. The case is pending.

JUUL E-Cigarettes – Products Liability Litigation, JCCP No. 5052. Appointed to the Plaintiff’s Steering Committee by Judge Anne Jones in the JCCP. The case is pending.

Diacetyl – Leads the Diacetyl litigation for TorHoerman Law. Previous settlements and verdicts have exceeded $5,000,000.00 to date. Litigation is currently ongoing.

Actos Related Cases, MDL Case No. 11 L 10011, Et. Al. – Actively participated in managing the case for TorHoerman Law which resulted in a $2.4 billion settlement.

Gadolinium-based...

Join Ben for his conversation with Dylan Ruga, trial lawyer and co-founder and President of Steno, a long-time sponsor of the pod. Dylan updates us on the new functionality and services offered by his innovative court reporting service, Steno. Steno allows plaintiff attorneys to defer costs of court reporting and videographer services until the end of the case. In states that allow it, these deferred costs can be non-recourse. Steno now operates through the Zoom platform but offers an app that integrates with Zoom and makes collating, marking, annotating, and saving exhibits at depositions seamless. Steno also offers videographer services that enable recording of the witness and exhibits and post-production editing so that witnesses and exhibits can be presented in optimal fashion without requiring substantial attorney time or other vendor for editing. Dylan also discusses the roll out of a new product, Transcript Genius, which uses AI that has been specifically training to understand and interpret deposition transcripts to enable lawyers to query one or multiple transcripts to quickly identify key admissions, information, or contradictions in witness testimony. If you are a trial lawyer who handles a volume of depositions, you will gain a lot of insight and value from this episode.

Dylan is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Legal Officer at Steno, where he stewards business development initiatives and forges new partnerships. Dylan is also a founding member of Stalwart Law Group, recognized as one of California's top 20 litigation boutiques. He is a practicing trial lawyer with more than 15 years of experience in intellectual property, professional liability, and commercial litigation.