by Ken Lopez Founder/CEO A2L Consulting In case you missed it, the New York Attorney General's Office dropped a bombshell this week. They have accused major retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreen's and GNC of knowingly selling supplements that contain either none of what is advertised (an incredible 80% of the time) or something else entirely. The herbal supplement industry is estimated to have close to $100 billion in annual sales. That's about five times the revenue of all AmLaw 200 law firms combined. Once I saw the New York Times piece reporting on this issue, I wanted to learn more about what this might mean for litigators. Fortunately, I knew exactly who to speak with. Below is an interview with Dr. David Schwartz, head of scientific support to counsel at Innovative Science Solutions. He describes his role as something of a scientific detective, regularly helping ISS’s clients defend and support pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, medical devices, foods, and dietary supplements in the courts, the regulatory arena, and the market place. In this six-minute interview, Dr. Schwartz shares his outlook for how this issue might unfold in the courts.
by Ken Lopez Founder/CEO A2L Consulting Not every page, blog article, webinar or e-book on A2L Consulting's site is right for everyone. As the saying goes, what is everyone's favorite radio station? WII – FM, of course. Otherwise known as "what's in it for me?" With hundreds of articles, dozens of e-books and hundreds of other pages, A2L's website has over 2,500 pages of valuable content. Sometimes, finding materials that are specific to your litigation practice area or need can be a challenge with all the available options. You can search A2L's site or even browse by topic area using a topic list in the sidebar of every blog post. In spite of this, I still hear from a lot of people who wonder whether we have experience working in their specific practice area or where they can find useful information related to their practice. I wrote this article to highlight some very useful information organized by practice area below. I've broken down the practice areas into 14 topics that cover most of the work we do. The alphabetical list with links under each topic should prove helpful when looking for the information most relevant to you.
by Ken Lopez Founder/CEO A2L Consulting Over the past 15 years, A2L Consulting has partnered with Innovative Science Solutions (ISS) on everything from tobacco litigation to hydraulic fracturing to alleged health effects of cell phones. Along the way, we have learned, often by overcoming enormous challenges, how to make science your ally.
I notice something about audiences in the PowerPoint presentation era. They seem to get easily disengaged part of the way into a presentation. This tendency is especially problematic in a courtroom setting since judge and juror visual attention is critical for courtroom persuasion.
When it comes to being an expert witness in court, there are certain things that should never be said. These statements not only have the potential to damage your credibility but can also harm your case. As an expert witness, it is crucial to maintain professionalism, objectivity, and transparency throughout your testimony. Here are some additional statements that you should avoid making in court to ensure the effectiveness of your testimony:
by Ken Lopez Founder/CEO A2L Consulting
by David H. Schwartz Managing Director, Scientific Support to Counsel, Innovative Science Solutions The key to any toxic tort case involving complex scientific concepts is retaining the right experts. However, as any experienced litigator well knows, finding the right expert is not a simple or straightforward matter. Although getting the right lead on a specific individual can be challenging, half the battle is often identifying the right type of expert for your case.
by Ken Lopez Founder/CEO A2L Consulting
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