Kevin Smith, Founding Partner at WSHB, joins a panel of legal experts as they explore “How to Survive Litigating a Construction Claim in a Judicial Hellhole” at the 2017 CLM & Business Insurance Construction Conference in San Diego, California on Wednesday, October 11, 2017. Nationally celebrated for his impressive success in the courtroom, Smith will join other national thought leaders on this hot topic. This includes Larry Beemer, from the IAT Insurance Group; Marissa Beyers, from Trial Behavior Consulting; Thomas Mannion, from Lewis; and Carolyn Crawford from Nationwide Insurance for this CLM Premier Session.
“Trial of a construction case in a judicial hellhole raises a host of issues and can potentially increase the damages awarded if not handled properly, said Smith. “This panel will explore the differences between a case venued in a hellhole and those venued elsewhere and how venue affects all aspects of handling the case.”
Discussion topics will include:
- The early identification of high-risk cases and why having the proper team in place is critical to a successful resolution.
- How developing a game plan agreed to between the client, excess insurers, primary insurer, and defense counsel is essential to a settlement and a successful defense.
- How trial jury research, effective trial themes and focused jury de-selection is necessary to increases your chances of a favorable outcome.
Smith has obtained victories on behalf of his clients in an impressive ninety four percent of the cases he has tried. In his 30 years of practice, Smith has defended commercial, professional liability, product liability, transportation and catastrophic matters in state and federal courts. Smith was recently elected to the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates and is regularly honored as a Southern California “Super Lawyer.”
