Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Hostile Opposing Counsel - Part 2

Continuing the input from expert witnesses on dealing with hostile opposing counsel in deposition:

I have been doing expert witness work for 25 years. Attorneys basically have two tactics. They can either attack your opinions or attack you personally. If the whole deposition is about attacking you personally, you know you have won! If you the attorney could attack your objective opinions, he would certainly do so. If he refrains from attacking your objective opinions, he knows you are completely accurate. Therefore, since he can't directly dispute your opinions, he can only attempt to discredit you and therefore, by implication, your opinions.

If the attorney spends most of the deposition attacking how much money you make as an expert witness or how you testify more for one side or the other, or is extremely obnoxious and aggressive, just remain cool and calm. You have already won the case and that attorney knows it all too well. His only hope is to get you crack and say or do something stupid. Like you said, these tactics are primarily in depositions where they can't be "seen". These kinds of tactics are rarely used in front of a jury because the jury would see them for what they are. In addition, while you can't always depend on it, judges may limit some of these theatrics as your client attorney may object to the witness being abused.

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Take a look at Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule (d)(3)(A) regarding Motion to
Terminate or Limit deposition by witness.

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This all brings to mind a deposition I had in which the opposing counsel made a very big deal of the fact I had not brought exactly some financial data on my expert practice he had requested (I had brought something equivalent and in fact more responsive to his concerns). He then proceeded to politely but persistently ask me the same question over and over, in different ways but always the same question. My answer was critical to his case, and I answered politely but firmly each time. He never got what he wanted, and politely made sure I knew he was not happy about this. I thought he was a bit of a jerk.

Several months later he called me and asked me to work with him on a case. He introduced me to his partners as an expert who "is really good". It was only then that I realized he had been "trying me on for size" in that first deposition. Since that time he and his partners have become regular clients. I have come to understand he is in fact a pretty nice guy, and a well respected attorney. Learning how lawyers play the game is one of the many things I enjoy about my expert practice.

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Ask him why he is high-fiving and being insulting off camera (or whatever) and get it in the record.

2 comments:

suvie said...

Thanks so much for the mention! It is interesting how many
people don't think of simply being kind as acting in our own
best interests - most of the time, we feel that acting with kindness is
giving others the upper hand, especially at work. But when I look back on
the most important relationships I have in my career, they're often based on
mutual respect and kindness.

Unknown said...

My late father was a very influential player in the real estate game. I was with him, working on a large project when a lawyer in the meeting did his best bulldog imitation. My dad just quietly said to the lawyer, "this act of yours, does it work on a lot of people, because it is not working on me." I have used that many times over the years as an expert witness and it has made lawyers either grow red and lose it or back right down. Either way, they lose as I sit back and just smile. One thing, experts do not have to allow themselves to be bullied.