Litigating in the Virtual World: Passing Fad or Wave of the Future?
Sitting with the C-Suite: The New Normal - Embracing Remote Technology
VIRTUAL ADR UPDATE – TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY AND UNIQUE ISSUES PRESENTED BY HON. JOHN P. DIBLASI
Sitting with the C-Suite: COVID 19 Impact – Four Sectors of Change for the Legal Industry
The apex deposition doctrine is a judge-made rule that protects company executives from harassing, repetitive depositions in cases in which the executive has little relevant evidence to provide. Courts applying the doctrine...more
Revised Minnesota pretrial discovery rules, which took effect Jan. 1, now encourage remote depositions by allowing them to be set by notice alone. Former practice required either a court order or stipulation....more
The devastating wildfires that raced through southern California these past few weeks caused loss of life, property damage in the billions of dollars, and upheaval in the lives of millions of Americans who live in that...more
Last week’s blog recounted the story of a litigator surprised by the unannounced, off-camera presence of the witness’s mother in the room during her son’s remote deposition. That should never have happened and, in modern...more
Minnesota Rule of Civil Procedure 30.02 has been amended to expressly authorize parties to conduct depositions via remote technology and require a party seeking to take a deposition to elect between deposing in-person or...more
The Washington Supreme Court recently approved significant revisions to that state’s procedural rules on remote depositions. Revised Rule 30 of the Washington Civil Rules will now allow remote depositions to be noticed...more
The post-pandemic litigation environment has seen a rising desire to conduct depositions remotely and a diminishing opposition to remote proceedings. Where litigators do insist on in-person proceedings, those cases are...more
Depositions of witnesses residing in Mexico, at one time a relatively rare occurrence, are becoming commonplace for large law firm litigators. This is because many U.S.-based businesses have relocated manufacturing operations...more
The convenience and widespread use of remote depositions and virtual hearings will not, in seems, make it any easier for plaintiffs to choose what they believe is the most advantageous forum for litigating their cases....more
Litigators don’t always have control over the outcome-determinative evidence in their cases. Often, contracts, accident reports, photographic images, and other critical bits of evidence have in most cases already been created...more
Depositions are easy if you remember their purpose. A deposition is a record the attorneys are making. Clarity and thoroughness are paramount. In this article, we’ll discuss ten common mistakes attorneys might be making in...more
This guide provides legal professionals with an overview of how to prepare for and conduct remote depositions in a world that is increasingly adopting hybrid and virtual work environments. By using these best practices,...more
It all starts with a notice. In modern civil litigation, the notice of deposition is the principal means for litigators to ensure that the objectives of deposing a witness are met in a timely, cost-effective, and lawful...more
With the COVID pandemic, remote video depositions and trial testimony very quickly went from rare to routine. Remote testimony, for the most part, is viewed as a convenience to both witnesses and attorneys, and parties and...more
Though typically conducted in a conference room, a deposition can take place in many locations and through a variety of methods. So long as you capture a verbatim record, either face-to-face or remotely through the use of...more
Depositions were once an almost exclusively in-person process. In the not-so-distant past, remote depositions were used infrequently, but they became a necessity during lockdowns in 2020. Today, both remote and hybrid...more
Broadly speaking, most personal injury claims survive the death of the plaintiff. They live on as survivor’s actions or wrongful death claims brought by representatives of the deceased plaintiff’s estate....more
Many attorneys have long and successful careers without ever having to practice law outside of the jurisdiction where they obtained their license. But for litigators and in-house counsel, the need to be conversant with the...more
If the word “Shaq” conjures up the image of professional basketball legend and amiable IcyHot liniment pitchman Shaquille O’Neal, you could be missing out on a valuable mnemonic device for preparing witnesses for deposition:...more
Way back in April 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a federal magistrate judge in Colorado had already seen enough to offer the following plea that lawyers reassess their habit of traveling long distances...more
Depositions can be stressful affairs. For many witnesses, depositions are a once-in-a-lifetime plunge into the unknown with a lot riding on their testimony. Sitting in a room full of strangers, listening to lawyers argue over...more
No doubt remote deposition technology is compelling. Not only can remote depositions lower litigation spending and free up valuable attorney hours, they offer litigators the ability to efficiently depose witnesses located...more
Even today some attorneys approach remote depositions with a small measure of trepidation. They worry that the lack of physical proximity diminishes their ability to engage with the deponent. They wonder how they can...more
After the COVID-19 pandemic shook the world in early 2020, many industries pivoted to conducting business in ways that reduced or eliminated face-to-face interactions. Fortunately, with internet capability generally...more
The international law firm McGuire Woods recently published a news note, Virginia Court Holds School Board Immune From Virginia Human Rights Act Claims, explaining how a local school board successfully raised a sovereign...more