Description
SEAK, Inc. is pleased to present its 33rd Annual National Expert Witness Conference. Experts from all disciplines and with all levels of experience will benefit from multi-disciplinary advanced techniques. Nationally recognized presenters will discuss all aspects of expert witness testimony, ethics, and trial techniques. Conference participants will be presented with practical suggestions for succeeding as expert witnesses. This highly acclaimed two-day program will include intensive breakout sessions.
Saturday-Sunday, May 2-3, 2026 Opal Sands Resort, Clearwater Beach, FL
Registration/Tuition/Discounts: Tuition for each course is $1,495 on or before March 6, 2026, $1,595 March 7–April 8, 2026, and $1,695 after April 8, 2026. Group Discounts: Group discounts are available for two or more persons registering together at the same time for the same course and from the same employer. Discount prices depend on the size of the group. Our programs can also be brought onsite to your organization. Please call 508-457-1111. Directory Discount — SEAK Directory: A special 50% discount is available on one new or renewal standard listing in the SEAK Expert Witness Directory placed by attendees while at the conference or pre-conference workshops.
Location/Hotel Accommodations: The 2026 SEAK Expert Witness Conference will be held at the Opal Sands Resort, Clearwater Beach, FL. SEAK has secured a special group rate of $389/night. Rooms are limited and this rate expires on April 8, 2026. The Opal Sands Resort offers guests ultra-modern Gulf front accommodations on the Gulf of Mexico, right on Clearwater Beach’s lively promenade. The Opal Sands Resort is located within walking distance of dozens of restaurants and is a 20 mile/30 minute cab, rideshare or shuttle ride from Tampa International Airport, so we suggest saving money and time by not renting a car. To make your reservations, please call 1-855-335-1087 and refer to the SEAK Group rate and National Expert Witness Conference or click here.
Conference Cancellations: Conference cancellations received in writing on or before April 8, 2026 will receive a full tuition refund. Conference cancellations received after April 8, 2026 will receive a full tuition credit.
Main Conference Continuing Education Credit Information
Note: If your specialty does not appear below and you desire credits, please contact Karen Cerbarano (Karen@seak.com or 781-826-4974). We can often obtain desired credits upon request, but unfortunately, obtaining some types of credits are not feasible. Please register early, as we can only apply for credits after your registration form has been received and it can take time to get the requested approvals back from the accrediting agencies. Accident Reconstructionists: SEAK will apply for credits through ACTAR upon written request at the time of registration. Accountants: State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. SEAK will provide each attendee with a certificate of attendance. Appraisers: Credits from The American Society of Appraisers will be applied for on written request at the time of registration. Arborists: SEAK will apply for Continuing Education hours through The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) on written request at time of registration. Attorneys: Credit varies by state. Continuing legal education credits for attorneys will be applied for if requested in writing at the time of registration. Engineers: 13 PDHs. The acceptance of this course is dependent upon your state(s) of registration. The vast majority of states do not require preapproval of either courses or course sponsors. Life Care Planners: SEAK will apply for credits through The Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC) upon written request at the time of registration. Physicians: SEAK, Inc. is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. SEAK, Inc. designates this live activity for a maximum of 13 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. For questions or more information call 508-457-1111 or email mail@seak.com. NOTE: SEAK does not accept commercial support for its programs and does not use faculty members with conflicts of interest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I am new to expert witnessing. Will this conference be appropriate for me?
A. Yes, although we also highly recommend that you sign up for our How to Start, Build and Run a Successful Expert Witness Practice preconference if your schedule permits or stream the pre-conference on-demand anytime from testifyingtraining.com.
Q. What types of experts is your training conference appropriate for?
A. All disciplines and all levels of experience. Each year we have experts who have testified hundreds of times attend as well as brand new experts. The level of diversity in terms of disciplines who attend the conference is breathtaking and includes accountants, engineers, physicians, attorneys, psychologists, life care planners, chiropractors, fire investigators, arborists, nurses, computer specialists, patent experts, damages experts, security, investments, etc.
Q. Are there continuing education credits for my discipline?
A. If we reasonably can obtain your credits, we will. Please see page 2 for more details and if you have any additional questions please contact Karen Cerbarano at 781-826-4974 or Karen@seak.com.
Q. How many expert witnesses have attended this training conference?
A. Over 4,000 since 1990. SEAK has trained many thousands more experts through seminars, on-site training, and 1–1 training.
Q. Are there any discounts available?
A. Yes. You can save up to $400 by registering early ($200 for the main conference and $200 for a preconference). Group discounts are also available. Call 508-457-1111. A special 50% discount is available on one new or renewal standard listing in the SEAK Expert Witness Directory placed by attendees while at the conference or preconference.
Q. I can’t make it to the conference, what are my other options?
A. SEAK offers live, expert witness training 3–4 times a year. SEAK also offers streaming, on-demand training including How to Start, Build and Run a Successful Expert Witness Practice. For a complete list of upcoming live and streaming seminars, please visit testifyingtraining.com.
Q. Should I sign up for a preconference or is that information already covered in the main conference?
A. We highly recommend that you take advantage of the smaller group format preconferences and sign up for one if your schedule permits. The preconferences go into far more depth than what is covered at the main conference and allow you to drill down and perfect your skills. A large percentage of attendees historically also attend a preconference.
Q. What other housing options are available in the Clearwater Beach area?
A. There are numerous hotel options at all price points within walking distance of the Opal Sands. There are also various condominium and apartment options so we encourage you to check out airbnb.com and vrbo.com for those options.
SCHEDULE
DAY 1: Saturday, May 2, 2026
7:30–8:00 AM REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:00–9:00 AM A View from the Bench: The Effective Expert Witness
Judge Kazanjian will explain the characteristics that effective, credible, persuasive expert witnesses have in common. She will discuss the common mistakes experts make and how to avoid them. Judge Kazanjian will discuss what juries have told her about expert witnesses and will offer practical suggestions and advice for expert witnesses. Questions & Answers
Hon. Hélène Kazanjian serves as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Political Science in 1982, and from Boston University School of Law in 1986. Following law school, Judge Kazanjian clerked for the Honorable William G. Young of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and practiced at Goodwin Procter. Judge Kazanjian worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington D.C. from 1991–1994, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maine from 1994–2010. From 2010 until she was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court in 2016, Judge Kazanjian served as Chief of the Trial Division at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. She currently sits in Middlesex County Superior Court and has previously served three 6 month rotations in the Business Litigation Session in Suffolk County. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Boston College Law School, where she teaches Evidence and Advanced Evidence.
9:00–10:00 AM Expert Strategies for Direct Examination: Taking Charge of Your Retaining Lawyer
Effective delivery of direct testimony by expert witnesses requires careful coordination and preparation with retaining counsel. Mr. Brinig will provide advice for how to proactively manage and lead the coordination with retaining counsel. He will cover how to properly organize your direct, how to develop and use appropriate demonstratives, how, why, and when to draft a script, teaching strategies, and how to select and explain the handful of key points experts typically cover during direct. Questions & Answers
Brian Brinig, CPA, JD is Managing Director in the San Diego office of CBIZ Forensic Consulting Group, a national firm with over 100 offices. His areas of expertise include financial damages and valuation. He earned is BSBA from Georgetown and his JD from the University of San Diego School of Law. Mr. Brinig has testified as an expert witness on economic issues in more than 300 trials across the United States. He is a nationally recognized speaker and has been on the faculty at the University of San Diego School of Law for over 25 years. Mr. Brinig is the author of multiple books, including Mastering the Art of Expert Witness Testimony. He served a tour of duty in Vietnam with the United States Marine Corps.
10:00–10:10 AM BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
10:10–11:10 AM Examples of Expert Witness Testimony: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Professor Boals will demonstrate effective and ineffective expert witness trial techniques through the use of both video examples and live in-class demonstrations. She will provide actionable advice for excelling during both direct and cross-examination and will explain how and why performance on direct and cross are inexorably linked. Questions & Answers
Elizabeth I. Boals, Esq. is Associate Professor of Law and Director, Center for Excellence in Advocacy at Stetson University College of Law. Professor Boals has published a variety of advocacy case files and books on criminal procedure and expert testimony. She lectures frequently both domestically and abroad on topics related to expert witness testimony, eye-witness identification, and trial skills. Before transitioning to a full-time teaching position, Professor Boals was a labor and employment litigation attorney for the U.S. Department of Commerce and in private practice. She received her BS from Virginia Tech and her JD from the Antonin Scalia School of Law, George Mason University.
11:10 AM–12:10 PM The Expert Witness Deposition: How to Survive and Thrive
Providing deposition testimony is a critical deliverable for expert witnesses. How an expert performs at deposition can greatly affect the settlement value of a case and, at its extreme, could lead to the expert being excluded and a case or claim potentially being dismissed. If the case does go to trial, the expert’s deposition will serve as a powerful tool used by opposing counsel to develop their crossexamination. Attorney Morgan will explain how and why attorneys depose experts and the strategies and tactics they often employ. He will provide practical advice for how experts can excel at their deposition. Questions & Answers
Richard Morgan, Esq. is a partner with Husch Blackwell, an AmLaw Top 100 firm. A trial attorney who has first chaired more than 50 trials, Rick defends clients in complex toxic tort litigation and catastrophic personal injury cases. Rick primarily represents private companies—often those with a Fortune 500 ranking—in high-exposure toxic tort cases, including exposures allegedly resulting in death. He routinely handles complex multi-plaintiff and class action cases, and he has tried cases at bench and jury trials across the country, appearing in courthouses in more than 20 states. Acknowledged by his opponents as “one of the best cross-examiners” in practice, Rick regards litigation simply as storytelling. He knows that winning a case is a matter of first presenting a compelling narrative that relies on clearly-explained facts and science—along with performing the research necessary to discredit the opposition. Rick is a veteran and former active-duty JAG officer, who first cut his teeth in court as a prosecutor for the Army. He also served as an assistant U.S. attorney, prosecuting federal cases in Minnesota. He earned his BA with distinction from Cornell and his JD, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School.
12:10–1:10 PM LUNCH PROVIDED & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
1:10–2:10 PM BREAKOUT SESSION: CHOOSE ONE
How to Excel at Remote and In Person Depositions
Mr. Darius will provide insights and suggestions, with video examples, of how to excel during depositions. He will discuss how to succeed at both in-person and remote depositions. Questions & Answers
Chip Darius, OHST, CIT, CSHO, is an OSHA/Safety Consultant and Trainer with over 30 years of experience serving clients in general industry, construction, utilities and emergency services. In addition to his consulting and training business, Mr. Darius is an Instructor for the OSHA Training Institute Region 1 Education Center, where he has been teaching courses on OSHA regulations for over 20 years. Mr. Darius is a well experienced Forensic Expert Witness and Litigation Consultant in catastrophic injury, fatality and personal injury matters. He has experience in both plaintiff and defense cases, in state and federal matters. He has significant testimony experience in depositions and at trials. Mr. Darius has conducted training at international, national, regional, state and local conferences and seminars. He earned BS and MA degrees from the University of Connecticut. Mr. Darius has also been a certified Emergency Medical Technician for over 40 years.
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How Expert Witnesses Destroy Themselves—Avoiding Unforced Errors
Expert witnesses often shoot themselves in the foot by making preventable mistakes. Committing unforced errors can greatly facilitate opposing counsel’s job of challenging the admissibility and weight of the expert’s opinion(s). Attorney Bassett will share her experiences regarding the preventable mistakes experts most commonly make and advise experts how to avoid these mistakes. Questions & Answers
Heidi J. Bassett, Esq. is a Shareholder at Larkin Hoffman, a business law firm built for the modern world whose clients include Fortune 500 Companies. She is a tough litigator and a trusted advisor to her clients throughout Minnesota and Florida. Her practice spans business and real estate disputes with a focus on deceptive trade practices, unfair competition, fraud, and financial services. She is an experienced trial attorney who has also represented clients in more than 200 appeals. She has earned an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale Hubbell and, among other accolades, has been honored by Best Lawyers in America®, Litigation—Real Estate. Attorney Bassett also has served as an expert witness herself. Attorney Bassett earned her BA from the University of Minnesota and her JD from the University of St. Thomas.
2:10–2:25 PM BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
2:25–3:25 PM BREAKOUT SESSION: CHOOSE ONE
How Attorneys Locate and Select Expert Witnesses
Attorney Landers will survey the various methods attorneys might use to identify potential expert witnesses. Most importantly, he will discuss how lawyers evaluate and weigh the various factors that might lead a lawyer to choose one expert over others which might include; availability, accessibility, past opinions, baggage, Daubert history, the lawyer’s client’s wishes, credentials, publications, expert witness experience, past personal experience, positive and negative word of mouth, performance on the initial call with retaining counsel, fees/budget, communication skills, intangibles and other factors. Questions & Answers
Edwin F. Landers, Jr., Esq. is a partner in Morrison Mahoney LLP. He has more than twenty-five years of civil litigation experience. Attorney Landers successfully represents clients in professional liability, products liability, premises liability, employment and commercial matters. He defends various professionals, including, among others, attorneys, insurance agents, accountants, real estate brokers, appraisers, securities brokers, and home inspectors. Attorney Landers was elected by his peers to The Best Lawyers in America© Insurance Law guide (2014–2025) and has been rated by his peers as AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell for many years. He earned his B.A., cum laude, from Dartmouth College and his J.D., cum laude from Boston College Law School.
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Designing, Optimizing, and Maintaining a Website to Promote Your Expert Witness Practice: What Works
A website can be an effective means of making one’s availability to serve as an expert witness known. Mr. Kent will provide advice and tips for creating an effective expert witness website including: finding and using a vendor versus doing it yourself, content to include, content to leave off, how to update, backend analytics and security. He will also provide advice on getting your expert witness website viewed, including organic search engine optimization, paid search engine advertising and how AI will likely affect internet searching going forward. Questions & Answers
Peter Kent provides expert-witness and litigation-support services in a wide variety of lawsuits related to the internet, e-commerce and digital marketing. Mr. Kent first worked as an internet expert witness back in 1996, when he wrote a report on the use of sound in Web browsers for Microsoft, during a patent dispute. He has served as an expert witness in various practice areas–trademarks, copyright, unfair business practices, and more, related to various Internet technologies and processes such as Web development, SEO, PPC, social media, and more. His legal clients include Microsoft, Mastercard, Google, Expedia, Yahoo!, and GoDaddy. He is the best-selling author of around 60 business and technology books, including Search Engine Optimization for Dummies and Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Internet. He has also created three SEO training courses for Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning, and one course on selling products through the Amazon.com Marketplace. He has one of the highest rated SEO courses on Udemy.com, with almost 40,000 students. Mr. Kent earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Sheffield in the UK.
3:25–3:40 PM BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
3:40–4:40 PM BREAKOUT SESSION: CHOOSE ONE
Cross-Examination Survival Techniques: What Every Expert Needs to Know
Attorney Harvey will explain what attorneys are trying to accomplish during cross examination and the strategies and techniques attorneys use to effectuate these goals. He will provide practical advice and suggestions for expert witnesses to avoid common pitfalls and excel while testifying during cross-examination. Questions & Answers
James E. Harvey, Esq. is Of Counsel at O’Malley, Harvey and Brosnan, LLC in Greater Boston. He has experience in a wide variety of civil litigation including highly complex civil litigation, insurance claims and construction disputes. Mr. Harvey is a member of the Defense Research Institute, is the former co-chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Civil Litigation Section and served one year as the chair of the Massachusetts Joint Bar Committee on Judicial Appointments, a sounding board for the governor. He has tried over 200 cases including the successful defense of a one-billion-dollar insurance coverage and alleged bad faith claim. Mr. Harvey has extensive experience with expert witnesses. He received his AB, magna cum laude from Boston College and his JD from Boston College Law School.
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How to Develop and Grow a Successful Expert Witness Practice
Dr. Pisula will provide multiple tips and suggestions for growing a successful expert witness practice. He will first discuss getting word out to attorneys—describing based on his experiences what works and how to do it successfully. Second, Dr. Pisula will provide numerous pointers for how to earn repeat and word of mouth business from attorneys and law firms. Questions & Answers
Brian R. Pisula, MD, FAAEM is an emergency medicine physician with over 20,000 hours of clinical practice. During that time, he has evaluated over 40,000 patients in the Emergency Department setting. He currently practices full-time in southern Georgia with clinical time split between a regional medical center and a small community hospital. Dr. Pisula has provided expert reviews in over 120 cases since 2022. He has won numerous awards for his care of patients including the 2024 “Excellence in Care Award” from SGMC Health. Dr. Pisula is also an associate professor of emergency medicine at Mercer University with over 4,000 hours of teaching experience with residents and medical students. He was awarded membership into Alpha Omega Alpha in 2024 as well as “Faculty Member of the Year” in 2023 for his work as a faculty member in emergency medicine. Dr. Pisula Trained at UNC, received his MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and his BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
4:40–6:00 PM NETWORKING RECEPTION
DAY 2: SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2026
7:30–8:00 AM REGISTRATION & CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
8:00–9:00 AM How to Excel When Testifying at Bench Trials & Hearings
Expert witnesses are often called upon to provide testimony in settings where there is no jury present. Judge Broderick will explain how and why experts may testify in these settings and how the dynamics of these appearances may differ from those of a jury trial. He will provide practical advice on how to excel when testifying as an expert in a nonjury environment. Questions & Answers
Hon. Patrick M. Broderick is a judge for the Sonoma County Superior Court in California. Judge Broderick received a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University and a J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Prior to becoming a judge he was an attorney with the law firm O’Brien, Watters & Davis in Santa Rosa, California. He is the former Dean of Empire College School of Law.
9:00–10:00 AM AI and Expert Witnessing: Opportunities and Risks
Dr. Daft will explain and demonstrate how—and how not—to use AI to assist your expert witness practice. He will discuss hallucination risk, confidentiality (including why many popular large language models are inappropriate for expert witness work), and disclosing the use of AI in testimony and reports. He will provide his opinion on which private cloud systems are best for expert witnessing. In addition, Dr. Daft will review and demonstrate how attorneys use AI in real time at deposition to come up with difficult questions for experts and will offer his opinions on the future of AI and expert witnessing. Questions & Answers
Christopher M. Daft, DPhil is an award-winning scientist whose areas of expertise include medical imaging, electronics, semiconductors, medical devices, sensors, MEMS, signal processing and image processing. He is an experienced expert witness in high stakes intellectual property disputes. Dr. Daft is a serial inventor holding 27 U.S. Patents with 20 applications pending. He holds BA and MA degrees in Physics from Oxford University as well as a Doctorate from Oxford in Materials Science.
10:00–10:10 AM BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
10:10–11:10 AM How to Be a Superior Expert Witness at Deposition and Trial
Dr. Lisko will provide practical advice for being a superior expert witness at both deposition and trial. She will touch on areas which include preparation of effective teaching both in deposition and trial, demonstratives, tone of voice, and body language—all based on extensive research she has conducted about expert witnesses with judges and juries. Dr. Lisko will conduct live demonstrations to exemplify the points made in her presentation. Questions & Answers
Karen Lisko, Ph.D. is a Senior Litigation Consultant & Persuasive Communications Advisor with Perkins Coie, a top international law firm of over 1,000 lawyers. She has consulted on hundreds of civil cases and has helped prepare in excess of one thousand witnesses to testify in deposition and at trial. Karen holds a doctorate in legal communication, a specialized degree attained by only a few consultants in the nation, and is the author of three books, Patently Persuasive, Proven Jury Arguments and Evidence, and Kind Dynamite. Her background covers a wide spectrum of complex litigation, with a particular depth in intellectual property litigation medical malpractice defense, and trade secrets litigation. She is the past president of the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC) and is the 2024 recipient of the ASTC Lifetime Achievement Award. Karen focuses on persuasive case strategies and especially enjoys bringing that experience to witness preparation.
11:10 AM–12:10 PM How to Prevent and Effectively Respond to Motions to Exclude Your Expert Testimony
Motions to exclude under FRE 702, Daubert, Frye, etc. are being used more and more often. When granted, such motions can result in the case at hand being dismissed and lost. Attorney Silverman will provide insights and suggestions for how to produce opinions (and deposition testimony) that are resistant to successful challenge. Additionally, he will offer suggestions for how to work with retaining counsel to successfully defend against these challenges including by helping retaining counsel draft the response to the motion to exclude and participating in a Daubert hearing. Questions & Answers
Raymond C. Silverman, Esq. is a partner at Parker Waichman LLP—one of the nation’s premier personal injury and mass tort law firms which has recovered billions of dollars for its clients. Mr. Silverman is a highly-respected trial attorney whose practice areas include: Defective Pharmaceuticals, Mass Torts, Defective Medical Devices, General Personal Injury, and Toxic Torts. Attorney Silverman has a national practice and has served as Co-Lead Counsel on numerous high-stakes cases with multiple plaintiffs against extremely well-financed defendants. He is a frequent lecturer. Attorney Silverman earned is BA at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his JD from Fordham University School of Law.
12:10–1:10 PM LUNCH PROVIDED & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
1:10–2:10 PM BREAKOUT SESSION: CHOOSE ONE
How to Form Bulletproof Opinions and Optimally Express Them in Your Report
Attorney Bowman will give tips on how to form exceptionally strong opinions. She will discuss why it is crucial to work with retaining counsel to understand the legal issues in the case, what the expert should and should not be opining on, and what the opposing side’s theory of the case is. She will also explain the critical importance of not letting retaining counsel push you into giving opinions you are not able to defend. She will provide multiple tips on how to strengthen one’s factual assumptions, methodology and conclusions. Attorney Bowman will also deliver multiple pointers for how to make an expert witness report stand out from the competition and impress both retaining and opposing counsel. Questions & Answers
Rebecca A. Bowman, Esq., P.E. is a sole practitioner attorney whose focus is on real estate and construction defect litigation. In addition to her law practice, Attorney Bowman is an award-winning forensic engineer who prides herself on the quality of her opinions and reports. She is the Former Executive Director of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers and also served for four years as National Society of Professional Engineer’s Sr. Director of Ethics and Professional Practice. Attorney Bowman has extensive teaching experience, mainly focused on engineering and ethics. She received her BS in Civil Engineering from the University of North Dakota and her JD from Duquesne. To maintain her technical competence, she recently competed a graduate certificate in sustainability policy at Penn State.
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How to Create Effective Exhibits for Reports and Court Appearances
Visuals and exhibits can be highly effective for assisting experts in both their reports and when testifying at trial. Ms. Wilson will explain how to use readily available and inexpensive plug-in applications to create powerful and effective exhibits that will make your reports and testimony stand out. She will provide multiple examples of effective exhibits and teach and live demonstrate how to easily create them. Questions & Answers
Shawn Wilson, MAI has been a professional real estate appraiser and expert witness since 1987. She has completed over 1,000 expert witness assignments and has testified over 100 times. Ms. Wilson has served as an appointed Special Magistrate in several Florida counties, conducting tax appeal hearings and making recommended rulings for property tax assessment appeals. Her cases include eminent domain, litigation appraisal, property tax appeals, easements, landfills, proximity damage, impact of stigma, contamination impact, impact of construction defects, powerlines, and sinkhole impact. Ms. Wilson is an experienced lecturer who delights in making the complex simple.
2:10–2:25 PM BREAK & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY
2:25–3:25 PM BREAKOUT SESSION: CHOOSE ONE
Expert Witness Fees & Billing: 2026 Best Practices
Attorney Mangraviti will present what he sees as the biggest mistakes expert witnesses make in fees and billing. He will facilitate an interactive discussion with the attendees to draw out and share what works and what doesn’t work in areas such as rates, retainers, billable time, invoicing, collections and retention agreements. Questions & Answers
James J. Mangraviti, Jr., Esq., has trained thousands of expert witnesses through seminars, conferences, corporate training, training for professional societies, one-on-one training/mentoring, and training for governmental agencies including the FBI, IRS, NYPD, SEC, Secret Service, and Department of Defense. He currently serves as President of The Expert Witness Training Company SEAK, Inc. (testifyingtraining.com). He is the co-author of thirty-one books, including: How to Be an Effective Expert Witness at Deposition and Trial; How to Be a Successful Expert Witness: SEAK’s A-Z Guide to Expert Witnessing; and How to Write an Expert Witness Report. Jim can be reached at 978-276-1234 or jim@seak.com.
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Emotional Intelligence for Expert Witnesses
Dr. Aucoin will provide an overview of emotional intelligence (EQ) and utilize interactive exercises. He will focus on applying EQ in critical areas of the practice of expert witnessing, including: interactions with lawyer clients, preparing to testify, testifying, and using EQ to connect with jurors. Questions & Answers
B. Michael Aucoin, D.Engr., P.E., is an award-winning electrical engineer and highly experienced expert witness. Dr. Aucoin was a member of the NASA-Johnson Space Center Mishap Investigation Board and has been an investigator on research projects for NASA, NSF, the US Navy, and the Electric Power Research Institute. He holds five U.S. patents. Doctor Aucoin has reviewed 200+ cases, many with eight figures at risk, and testified in dozens of depositions and trials. He is on the faculty at Texas A&M University (where emotional intelligence is a foundation of his course in Engineering Leadership) and Gonzaga University and was formerly a member of the University of Maryland faculty. He earned his D.Engr. at Texas A&M University; his M.A. at Gonzaga University; his M.Engr., at Texas A&M University; and his B.S., at the University of New Orleans.
What past attendees have to say:
“Everyone I met, from so many fields, shared the involuntary ‘anal retentive, obsessive compulsive, nutjob’ tendencies that have served me well this far in my clinical career. At the same time these characteristics sometimes felt burdensome, and even worked against me financially as a clinician. I instantly knew these were my people. I hadn’t considered the fact that expert witnessing is a teaching profession. Teaching has always been the most rewarding part of my clinical work. This career is a perfect fit for who I’m wired to be. Thank you!”
“There was so much to learn. I appreciated that the speakers listened to each other and then built on what other speakers said. It helped reinforce concepts and didn’t seem repetitive. The stories were a huge part of the learning and assimilation of material!”
“This course was top-notch and very applicable to my expert witness practice. After 10 years of expert work, my style and approach to the practice was validated over and over again. I learned additional “soft skills” and every single presenter was engaging and an expert in their subject matter. I will be attending again!”
“Excellent information and presenters. I very much appreciate that almost each session started and finished as advertised. I highly recommend this program to new and seasoned experts as a good refresher.”
“Amazing! I’m so glad I chose to attend prior to beginning my practice. The time and money spent will definitely pay off exponentially. In 4 days, I suspect I learned more than I would have in years of practice without this preparation.”
“Best course in > 30 years of CME. Highly worthwhile investment if plan to do this work.”
“Every speaker was outstanding and at the top of their game”
“Outstanding. I’ve attend[ed] many CME courses over the years, and SEAK courses are among the best I’ve ever attended, including Harvard and Mayo.”
“Very professional, great networking opportunities.”
“Well designed and executed course.”
“Professional, high level.”
“Fantastic. Informative. Helpful.”
“Very helpful, informative. Wonderful speakers.”
“It was outstanding, well structured, and highly informative.”
“Outstanding. I’ve attended many SEAK conferences over the years and been extremely impressed by the consistent excellence of speakers and content.”
“Tremendous, very informative with great information.”
“Well worth the time and travel. I am prepared to integrate all aspects of expert witness current best practices.”
“Excellent, as always! I have been attending the Annual SEAK National Expert Witness Conference every year since 2005 when I started my own business. At that first SEAK conference, I made a conscious decision to come every year in order to elevate my expert witness practice. I literally treat the expense as I would my mortgage payment each month. I have taken each of the SEAK training courses at least two times and repeat this process every 3 to 5 years, depending upon what my schedule will allow. I have also had the honor of presenting at a SEAK conference in 2019. I credit SEAK, in part, in assisting in the development of my expert witness practice over the years, which has been very financially lucrative and professionally rewarding.”
“That was a spectacular and excellent conference. I learned more at the conference than the last three or more professional conferences I’ve attended put together. The speakers were excellent, the educational materials were first class, the hotel facilities were magnificent, the food was superb, and the SEAK organization was flawless.”
“Outstanding. I’ve attend[ed] many CME courses over the years, and SEAK courses are among the best I’ve ever attended, including Harvard and Mayo.”
“The SEAK conference in Clearwater, Florida, exceeded my expectations in the quality and quantity of education, and the numerous networking opportunities.”
“I am very grateful for all the hard work you, and the SEAK organization, put into presenting an outstanding conference. Many thanks.”
“Informative and effective. I picked up a wealth of techniques that will change my business practices.”
“The SEAK conference on a scale from 1–10 was an 11. Thank you to you and your team and the professionals who spoke!”
“I gained additional insight on testifying, relationships with retaining counsel, and overall operation of my growing expert witness practice all of which will lead towards improving my organization.”
“Fantastic. Worth [the] expense [of] traveling across the country. Great attendees who were willing to share.”
“Outstanding networking at Class & Conference!! Met many Experts that I want to maintain long-term interaction. Excellent job on providing the Voluntary Networking info file.”
“The entire conference was a total game changer. The presenters, the information, activities, the information was superb. And the chance to network with some of the best in the business was simply outstanding.”
“This was a very worthwhile conference. It was put together very well and from an attendee viewpoint, run flawlessly. Several of the sessions I have taken in the past. What I discovered was, that the past attendance laid a good foundation. The second time around, things made more sense and I was able to build on that foundation to a greater understanding of the subject matter.”
“In addition to great learning from the faculty, having some expert witness work under my belt at this point, I was able to engage in more meaningful conversations with other attendees which allowed me to learn from those conversations as well.”
“It was another excellent conference. The networking opportunities were very good and more so with this particular conference.”
“Great training. I could use several hundred more hours of it. I will be putting what I learned to work next week.”
“The sessions were definitely worth the time and expense. I would recommend it to anyone in this field.”
“A hearty “thank you” to you and the team for another amazing conference. This is my 3rd year and an already great event seems to continue to improve.”
“An eye-opening experience.”
“As always, the content is very valuable. The location and hotel is probably the loveliest and most relaxing conference destination I’ve been to.”
“Awesome, I will be back.”
“Congratulations on another successful conference! It is impressive that, given the limited number of topics, you keep the meetings fresh with new speakers and new ideas. It was a fun experience, and I look forward to many more stimulating SEAK experiences.”
“Engaging presenters who understood what was expected of them”
“Excellent content”
“Excellent seminar with a very interesting and diverse attendance”
“Excellent speakers and lecture content”
“Excellent, as usual (I am a repeat visitor)”
“Excellent, every session had some relevant information that will help me be a better expert witness.”
“Excellent, excellent use of speakers content areas that were all relevant but diverse with the whole variety of presenters with different style and information to share. Relevant, informative, interesting, and timely.”
“Excellent. Lots of great speakers with relevant content and valuable experience”
“Excellent. One of the best I have attended”
“Extremely beneficial”
“Fabulous, exciting”
“Fabulous-I am new to the field and it has been a great foundation to use to build my skills”
“Fantastic as always!”
“Fantastic seminar, exceeded expectations”
“Fantastic, a plethora of knowledge on a wide variety of subjects relating to expert witness work.”
“Fantastic”
“First and foremost, as a first year attendee I have to tell you the conference was AMAZING! I walked away with more real-world, directly applicable information than I thought was possible in a weekend. SEAK is an amazing organization and a fantastic resource.”
“Great speakers, very helpful”
“High class and informative.”
“I appreciated all of the preparedness of the professionals speaking.”
“I would like to thank you for Saturday and Sunday at Clearwater Beach. Everything was seamless, and the speakers were on top of their game. It was a very enjoyable time, and I learned more than I had in the past. You and Jim put together a totally first rate performance, and I’ll be coming back again.”
“Impressive-true leaders in the field”
“Incredibly valuable”
“It was a great seminar. Thank you!”
“It was as always, a life changing experience. Thank you for everything.”
“Once again the seminar was amazing. Thank you for providing this service to experts.”
“Outstanding!”
“Phenomenal, game changer!”
“Really enjoyed the event. Very good group of speakers and a high level audience. Look forward to working with you in the future.”
“Superb speakers! Great course.”
“Thank y’all for a great experience! It was fun and very, very helpful. I hope to do it again in the future.”
“Thank you very much. I found the conference to be extremely informative and well work my time and money.”
“Thanks again for a wonderful conference. One of the best ever.”
“Thanks for a great conference in a perfect location. As always, very informative and well organized.”
“Thanks to all of you. As always, the conference was outstanding.”
“The conference always re-energizes my batteries”
“The Conference was AWESOME, as always!! Thank you so much for all your effort and I'll see all of you in Clearwater, FLA!!”
“The meeting, exceeded my expectations. The only thing I regret was not taking these courses before accepting my first case. I appreciated the absence of commercial presence. The setting and services were fantastic."
“This is exactly what I needed”
“This is must know information for anyone doing expert witness work.”
“This was my first SEAK conference and it will not be my last. I was hesitant on attending since I was unsure of the quality of the program. I was very pleased and will certainly be recommending it to colleagues.”
“This weekend, my first exposure to SEAK, was extremely positive.”
“Thoroughly enjoyed this conference very interesting and informative, I will be back!!!”
“Tons of helpful information and strategies for expert witnesses”
“Very good seminar — many excellent speakers”
“Very good, lots of useful information”
“Very helpful, informative. Wonderful speakers”
“Very helpful”
“Very informative, great speakers”
“Very informative-all presenters knew their stuff”
“Very smart presenters”
“Very well organized. High level of professionalism”
“Well organized with a nice variety of topic areas and targeting various levels of experience.”
“Well-crafted for relevance and a stellar cast of presenters with a focus on practical knowledge”
“Well-crafted for relevance and a stellar cast of presenters”
“Worth every penny of my money.”
“You guys do such a fantastic job that any comments on improving would be Monday morning quarterbacking GREAT JOB! Thank you.”
“You have a great program. So glad to be a part of it. The training is invaluable.”
"This conference, your teaching, was the best conference I have attended in my entire professional career. I did hear from a number of participants that they come back multiple times to your course and I can see why. There is just so much valuable content.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the expert witness conference this weekend in Clearwater. The presenters were exceptional and I picked up multiple tips and tricks to improve my business.”
“Thank you SEAK! As usual, you delivered a memorable and rich learning opportunities. I enjoyed the content, the location, and the networking immensely. Keep up the fantastic work!”
“Awesome! Educational. Relevant. Well organized. Great job to all that were involved in organizing this event.”
“The conference was positively outstanding from end-to-end!”
“Awesome! Educational. Relevant. Well organized. Great job to all that were involved in
organizing this event.”
“The conference was positively outstanding from end-to-end!”
