This episode features national employee benefits litigator J.J. Conway whose small firm has built a big reputation representing employees in mission-driven lawsuits. Host Maxwell Goss talks to J.J. about a class action he handled that changed how autism treatment is covered and another addressing pension fund abuse during Detroit's Kwame Kilpatrick era that had an impact on Detroit’s bankruptcy filing and saw city officials sent to prison. Don't miss J.J.'s insights on litigating employment cases, spotting potential class actions, and making a big impact with a lean team.

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The Litigation War Room is hosted by litigation attorney Maxwell Goss. Max represents clients in intellectual property and business cases in Michigan and around the country, bringing forceful advocacy and creative solutions to every case he handles.

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On this episode host Max Goss facilitates a discussion with attorneys Megan Bonanni and Elon Scharf about a historic $380 million settlement for survivors of sexual abuse by Dr. Larry Nassar. The episode explores the litigation strategies, innovative settlement approaches, and the significant non-monetary terms secured to ensure justice for the survivors and institutional reforms for all those who come after these athletes.

Megan and Elon share insights on the challenges posed by institutional failures, how they collaborated with 500 plaintiffs and their legal teams, and the powerful role of survivor testimonies in influencing negotiations. The episode highlights the legal effort to secure both financial compensation and meaningful institutional change for over 500 survivors.

Episode outline

00:20 Brief Overview of the Scope of the Nassar Abuse and the Survivors’ Case

01:29 Participants and Their Roles

03:57 Megan Bonanni on the Criminal and Civil Cases

07:55 USA Gymnastics and Its Culture of Enablement

15:26 Ilan Scharf on Bankruptcy and Mediation Process

25:39 “Game of Thrones” - Negotiation Strategies and Challenges

33:18 Non-Monetary Relief and Important Institutional Reforms that didn’t Make Headlines

40:16 Final Thoughts and Takeaways from Megan Bonanni and Ilan Scharf

42:29 Closing Remarks

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Ilan Scharf bio page

Ilan Scharf on LinkedIn

Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP

Megan Bonanni bio page

Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers

Megan Bonanni on LinkedIn

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The Litigation War Room is hosted by litigation attorney Maxwell Goss. Max represents clients in intellectual property and business cases in Michigan and around the country, bringing forceful advocacy and creative solutions to every case he handles.

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On this episode, host Maxwell Goss speaks with Chris Darrow about his dual role as a patent attorney and special master. Chris offers insights into his intellectual property work and details about his experience serving as a special master in nearly a hundred cases.

Max and Chris discuss bridging the knowledge gap for lay judges and juries in technical patent cases. Chris also talks about interesting cases including the "Rainbow Loom" patent case and the "Indoor Snowball Fight" copyright case. This episode offers an inside look at how special masters do their job and help parties resolve their disputes.

00:27 Meet Chris Darrow: Patent Attorney and Special Master

05:14 The Role and Responsibilities of a Special Master

16:19 Chris’s Notable Cases and Experiences

16:37 The Rainbow Loom Case

19:28 Understanding Claim Construction in Patent Cases

22:40 The Indoor Snowball Fight Copyright Case

26:04 How a Special Master Adds Value by Saving Time and Money

28:52 Final Thoughts on the Value of a Special Master and Getting in Touch

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Chris Darrow bio page

DarrowMustafa.com

Chris Darrow on LinkedIn

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The Litigation War Room is hosted by litigation attorney Maxwell Goss. Max represents clients in intellectual property and business cases in Michigan and around the country, bringing forceful advocacy and creative solutions to every case he handles.

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On this episode of The Litigation War Room, host Max Goss speaks with seasoned trial lawyer, professor, and author Shane Read about his book, Winning at Deposition, and about what it takes to master deposition strategies and techniques.

Max and Shane break down high-profile (and entertaining) cases involving President Bill Clinton and Microsoft founder Bill Gates to highlight common pitfalls and best practices for depositions. Their conversation covers the crucial importance of depositions in modern litigation, the strategic reasons for taking or not taking a deposition, and how best to prepare for a deposition. Because, as Shane makes clear, winning at depositions means having a clear case strategy and a bottom line message from day one.

00:20 Guest Introduction: Shane Reed

00:33 Discussing Deposition Strategies

01:36 Shane Reed's Background and Career

03:19 The Crucial Role of Deposition Testimony

04:53 Reasons to Take or Not Take a Deposition

07:11 Effective Deposition Techniques

17:00 The Role of Preparation in Depositions

20:22 Handling Forgetful Witnesses

24:47 The Importance of Preparation

25:36 Bill Gates's Antitrust Testimony

27:52 The Art of Persistent Questioning

31:33 President Clinton's Infamous Deposition

34:31 A Heated Exchange in a Deposition Room

38:18 Common Mistakes Lawyers Make in Depositions

40:09 Insights on Remote Depositions

43:16 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

Shane Read bio page

ShaneRead.com

Winning at Deposition

Turning Points at Trial

Shane Read on X

Shane Read on LinkedIn

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The Litigation War Room is hosted by litigation attorney Maxwell Goss. Max represents clients in intellectual property and business cases in Michigan and around the country, bringing forceful advocacy and creative solutions to every case he handles.

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On this podcast episode, litigation attorney Maxwell Goss hosts the insightful and funny Suzanne Lucas, better known as the Evil HR Lady. Suzanne has had a multifaceted career as an HR writer, keynote speaker, webinar company owner, and improvisational comedian.

Suzanne brings serious insights and her own witty brand of advice to a host of HR topics, including common mistakes employers make that can lead to lawsuits, the changing world of non-compete agreements, and the challenges of remote work. Suzanne also offers her candid (“Sorry if this gets you canceled, Max!”) views on gender and age discrimination and the impact of artificial intelligence in HR, and provides practical advice on handling employee terminations.

The personal anecdotes and valuable insights that Max and Suzanne share make this a great listen for litigating attorneys, HR professionals, and anyone interested in becoming a savvier, more effective leader in the workplace.

00:18 Meet Suzanne Lucas, the Evil HR Lady

02:12 What improv has to do with Leadership Training

04:29 Why 'Evil HR Lady'?

05:42 Human resources and legal intersections

07:50 Common HR missteps and how to avoid them

22:14 The use and abuse of AI in employee recruiting

23:21 The career impact of parenthood

24:03 AI and gender bias in the workplace

27:57 Legal complications created by remote work

35:36 The changing landscape of non-compete agreements

40:17 Best practices for employee termination

44:57 Suzanne’s final thoughts

The Litigation War Room kicks off Season 2 with an interview with Justin Brooks, founder of the California Innocence Project and author of You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You’re Innocent. Justin speaks with host Maxwell Goss about his work exonerating the wrongfully convicted. He brings both realism and hope in sharing his amazing and moving stories from the front lines of our justice system.

00:24 Introduction to Justin Brooks and his work

01:21 Expanding innocence projects in Latin America

04:10 Justin's defense of football star Brian Banks

08:10 The journey of writing You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent

09:44 Justin's appeal to the reader's self-interest

14:14 Defense of a client sentenced to death on a plea bargain

23:44 Defense of a client convicted based on false identification

29:53 Defense of client convicted because of debunked science

33:59 Advancements in forensic science and DNA testing

39:10 How cases come to the Innocence Project

46:37 Challenges and reflections on the criminal justice system

The Litigation War Room is hosted by litigation lawyer Maxwell Goss. Max represents clients in trade secret, intellectual property, and business cases throughout Michigan and around the country, bringing forceful advocacy and creative solutions to every case he handles.

Maxwell Goss is back in The Litigation War Room with the perfect blend of happy hour and litigation masterclass, where you'll hear leading litigation attorneys and thought leaders share their best war stories and winning strategies.

We're talking about actionable insights that will help you elevate your litigation game and win more cases.

Here's a preview:

• Attorney and author Justin Brooks will share about how an innocence project director helps get the wrongly convicted off death row.
• Deposition expert Shane Reed will offer important lessons about examining witnesses for maximum impact.
• Suzanne Lucas, the evil HR lady, will join us for a lighthearted discussion about what HR professionals want every attorney to know.
• IP attorney Chris Darrow will give us a peek behind the scenes of what a special master does in litigation and how to make the best use of them.

In addition to the attorney interviews you know and love, we will be mixing it up this season with author interviews, roundtables, and voices outside the law. It's going to be a lot of fun. I hope you'll join us on the Litigation War Room Season 2.

Learn more about Maxwell Goss and The Litigation War Room.

• Shane Read
• Justin Brooks - School of Law - University of San Diego
• Christopher G. Darrow — Special Master
• Evil HR Lady — Demystifying Your Human Resources Department

Attorney and host Maxwell Goss interviews Michelle Harrell, a partner and litigation attorney at Taft Law. Michelle tells the entertaining story of her epic, six-year battle against the City of Pontiac on behalf of her client, the owner of a commercial office complex in the City of Pontiac. Michelle discusses the twists and turns in the case and the amazing result she got for her client. This conversation includes many great takeaways for real estate litigation and for the litigation practice in general.

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• 00:18 – Introduction
• 01:54 – About Michelle Harrell
• 03:02 – Michelle on real estate litigation
• 03:38 – Ottawa Towers vs. City of Pontiac
• 24:25 – Condemnation action
• 37:34 – Michelle's advice for property disputes
• 40:36 – Litigating against the government

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Michelle Harrell's Attorney Bio

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The Litigation War Room is hosted by litigation lawyer Maxwell Goss. Max represents clients in intellectual property and business cases throughout Michigan and around the country, bringing forceful advocacy and creative solutions to every case he handles.

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