72nd Annual Melvin M. Belli Society Seminar

HILTON BAYFRONT HOTEL Indigo A & B San Diego, California July 26, 2019 Melvin M. Belli, Sr. a WORD OF THANKS

July 29, 1907- July 9, 1996 Thank you to all of our speakers and presenters who have offered their expertise, talent and energy in furthering the vision of the Melvin M. Belli Mel Belli was born into a pioneer family in Sonora, Tuolumne County, the heart of Society. California's Gold Rush region. His father, Caesar Belli, was born in Eureka, Nevada and was a prominent banker in California's Mother Lode region. His grandmother, Anna Thank you to our sponsors, High Impact, Injury Board, Halpern Group and Mouron, was California's first woman druggist. Henri Mouron was a professor of languages at St Augustine's College and headmaster of the Young Ladies Seminar of St. Filevine for their special expertise and for providing much appreciated Mary's of the Pacific, one of the first schools in California. refreshments and lunch.

Mel Belli attended elementary schools in Sonora and Stockton, California, before Special thank you to our Executive Director, Diane Gober. Diane goes above attending the University of California and Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley where he re­ceived his LLB in 1933. His first job after graduation was posing as a hobo for the and beyond to make certain that no detail goes unnoticed. Diane’s hard Works Progress Administration and riding on the railroad to observe the Depression's work has ensured that the 72nd Annual Melvin M. Belli Society Seminar and impact on the USA vagrant population. His findings were later used as the basis for dinner are unique and special events. transient relief programs throughout the nation. We hope you enjoyed the 72nd Annual Melvin M. Belli Society Seminar, and He was admitted to the California Bar in November 1933 and served as counsel for the Catholic priest at San Quentin Prison. He accepted the challenge of representing men on took away some ideas that you can put to work upon returning to your office. Death Row. Thus began a legal career representing individuals in personal injury cases and in raising personal injury awards to then-unprecedented heights that earned him the Here’s to another wonderful Seminar! title of "The King of Torts" by Life Magazine writer Robert Wallace in a 1954 profile. Linda Miller Atkinson Wallace later wrote a book about Mel Belli and his work entitled "Life and Limb". Melvin M. Belli Seminar Chair In his first personal injury lawsuit, Mel Belli represented an injured cable car grip -man. Over defense attorneys' objections, Belli brought a large model of a cable car intersection and the gearbox and chain involved in the accident to court to demonstrate to the jurors exactly what happened. Mel Belli was called the "Father of Demonstrative Evidence" for his pioneering work in illustrating in court the nature of his client's injuries. His early use of photographs, movies, scale models, human skeletons, animals, prostheses, and other devices was dramatic, riveting and highly effective.

Mel Belli's high profile clients included , , Lenny Bruce, , , , the so-called "Angel of Death - the Nevada nurse accused of murdering patients, television evangelist Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye, the Korean jetliner disaster, the MGM Grand Hotel fire in Las Vegas, the collapse of the Kansas City Hyatt walkway; the Benedictine birth defect cases, and Sirhan Sirhan. In his best known case, Mel Belli represented on trial for the murder of , the assassin of President John F. Kennedy. Belli attempted to show that Ruby was legally insane and had a history of mental illness in his family. On March 14, 1964, Ruby was convicted of "murder with malice" and received a death sentence. However, in late 1966, Ruby's conviction was overturned by the Texas Appellate Court and he was granted a new trial outside of Dallas, but Ruby died before the second trial could take place. Belli wrote a book, "Dallas Justice", on his perspective of the Jack Ruby case.

Belli wrote more than 60 books including the multi-volume "Modern Trials" which is still Thanks for Coming! considered a classic textbook on demonstrative evidence. Mel Belli loved the law and the limelight equally and left behind a legacy of both creative and controversial "lawyering". See you next year in Washington, DC Belli reveled in his victories and after winning a big case, raised a Jolly Roger on the roof of his landmark building in and fired off two blasts from a signal cannon. Belli once said, "There may be better lawyers than I, but so far I haven't come across any July 17, 2020 of them in court." www.bellisociety.org EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2018-2019

NOTES______PRESIDENT: ERIC ROMANO, West Palm Beach, FL ______PRESIDENT-ELECT: STEVEN M. GURSTEN, Farmington Hills, MI ______SECRETARY: TODD O’MALLEY, Scranton, PA TREASURER: JOSEPH A. FRIED, Atlanta, GA ______PARLIAMENTARIAN: MARION MUNLEY, Scranton, PA ______IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: CHARLES MONNETT, Charlotte, NC ______COMMITTEES ______SEMINAR: LINDA MILLER ATKINSON, TOM DEMPSEY, JASON ______KONVICKA and STEVE GURSTEN MARKETING: STEVE GURSTEN, JIM LEVENTHAL, JOE FRIED, KAREN ______KOEHLER and TOM DEMPSEY ______LAW STUDENT AWARD: MICHAEL MAGGIANO, ERIC ROMANO, ______MONTY PREISER, ADAM MALONE, GARY GOBER and ______JOHN POWERS ______NOMINATING: CHARLES MONNETT, III, ERIC ROMANO, STEVE GURSTEN, JOHN POWERS and SANDRA ROBINSON ______THE MEL: DOUG SHEFF, CHARLES MONETTE, III, TODD ______O’MALLEY, JOHN BELL, GARY GOBER and ADAM ______MALONE ______STRATEGIC PLANNING: STEVE GURSTEN, ERIC ROMANO, IRA ______LEESFIELD, HENRY WEIL, JOE FRIED, ADAM MALONE, RONNIE BERKE, JASON KONVICKA, JOHN HILL, JOHN ______POWERS, CHARLES MONETTE, III, KIRK MORGAN, ______TODD O’MALLEY, MARION MUNLEY, TOM DEMPSEY ______and DIANE GOBER ______WEBMASTER: NOELLE—[email protected]

______EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ______Diane M. Gober ______Nashville, TN ______

______The Belli Society is an International group of trial lawyers dedicated to pre- ______serving and enhancing the Belli legal legacy. For information about member- ______ship, contact Executive Director Diane Gober, 3200 West End Avenue, Suite ______500, Nashville TN 37203-1322; 615/783-2874 and fax 615/783-1606. Direct line ______615/783-2875, email: diane@goberlaw.

______Like us on FACEBOOK Website: www.bellisociety.org PAST PRESIDENTS 4:10 - 4:25pm Closing Remarks 2017-2018 CHARLES MONNETT 2016-2017 DIANE M. BRENEMAN 2015-2016 JOHN K. POWERS President-Elect, Belli Society 2014-2015 SANDRA H. ROBINSON 2013-2014 WAYNE D. PARSONS Steven Gursten 2012-2013 ROSSER ADAM MALONE 2011-2012 THOMAS M. DEMPSEY 2010-2011 S.KIRKPATRICK MORGAN 2009-2010 BRUCE STERN 2008-2009 IRA H. LEESFIELD 2007-2008 HOWARD NATIONS 2006-2007 LINDA ATKINSON 2005-2006 MICHAEL MAGGIANO 2004-2005 RONALD J. BERKE 2003-2004 RANDALL H. SCARLETT 2002-2003 JOHN BELL NOTES______2001-2002 THOMAS R. TAGGART 2000-2001 GARY GOBER ______1999-2000 JOHN F. ROMANO ______1998-1999 CHARLES A. SALADINO 1997-1998 IRVING H. SHEFF ______1996-1997 GARY B. PILLERSDORF 1995-1996 LAWRENCE J. SMITH ______1994-1995 HENRY E. WEIL ______1993-1994 JOHN E. HILL 1992-1993 LAWRENCE B. FRIEDMAN ______1991-1992 THOMAS W. MALONE ______1989-1991 LEE C. SWARTZ 1988-1989 BETTY A. THOMPSON ______1986-1988 SIDNEY BERNSTEIN ______1985-1986 DAVID S. SHRAGER 1984-1985 HOWARD A. SPECTER ______1983-1984 RICHARD F. GERRY ______1981-1983 STANLEY E. PREISER ______THE MEL AWARDS ______2001 JANICE KIM ______2002 IRA LEESFIELD 2003 STANLEY PRISER ______2004 HENRY WEIL 2005 GARY B. PILLERSDORF ______2006 GARY GOBER ______2007 FRANK BRANSON 2008 LINDA MILLER ATKINSON ______2009 THOMAS MALONE ______2010 HOWARD NATIONS 2011 BETTY A. THOMPSON ______2011 RANDAL H. SCARLETT ______2012 J.D. LEE 2013 JOHN E. HILL ______2014 SHELDON MILLER 2015 MICHAEL MAGGIANO ______2016 ADAM MALONE ______2017 STEVEN GURSTEN 2018 MARY BETH RAMEY & RICHARD HAILEY ______3:10 - 3:25pm “Why You Need Admiralty” Program Introduction Moderator/Seminar Chair Stephen Herman Herman Herman & Katz 820 O’Keefe Avenue Linda M. Atkinson New Orleans, LA 70110 P: 504/581-4892 Atkinson, Petruska , Kozma & Hart Email: [email protected] N13927 Newberg Road Website: hhklawfirm.com Channing, MI 49815 P: 906/396-6912 Email: [email protected] Website: www.need-lawyer.com 3:25 - 3:40pm “Inoculating Experts”

Derrick Walker Allen & Allen 1809 Staples Mill Road Richmond, VA 23230 P: 804/353-1200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.allenandallen.com

3:40 - 3:55pm “Challenges Ahead: Navigating through a Broken DC” Welcome! Linda Lipsen, CEO-AAJ 9:00 - 9:05am From the President of the Belli Society American Association for Justice 777 6th St., NW, STE 200, Washington, DC, 20001 202/965-3500 Eric Romano Email: [email protected] Romano Law Group Website: justice.org 1005 Lake Avenue Lake Worth, FL 33400 P: 501/533-0700 Email: [email protected] 3:55 - 4:10pm “Proving Chronic Pain Damages” Website: www.romanolawgroup.com

Robert J. Francavilla Casey Gerry 110 Laurel Street San Diego, CA 92101 P: 619/238-1811 Website: caseygerry.com 9:05 - 9:15am “Remembering Mel” 2:10 - 2:25pm “How Paraplegia + Neuropathic Pain = $148 Million Verdict” Todd O’Malley O’Malley & Langan Jeff Kroll 201 Franklin Avenue Kaveny & Kroll Scranton, PA 18503 180 North Stetson Avenue P: 570/344-2667 Chicago, IL 60601 Website: www.omalleylangan.com P: 312/761-5585 Email: [email protected] Website: kavenykroll.com “A LAWYER’S PERFORMANCE IN THE COURTROOM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ABOUT 25 PERCENT OF THE OUTCOME; 2:25 - 2:40pm “Can Lawyers Stop Windows Killing Children” THE REMAINING 75 PERCENT DEPENDS ON THE FACTS.” - MELVIN BELLI Wayne Parsons Wayne Parsons Law Office 9:15 - 9:30am “Compensating Injured Workers: Tort 1406 Colburn Street, Suite 201C Struggles with the Grand Bargain” Honolulu, HI 96817 P: 808/845-2211 Website: www.wayneparsons.com David Arbogast Smoger & Associates 933 Woodland Avenue San Carlos, CA 94070 P: 650/587-3006 Email: [email protected] 2:40 - 2:55pm “Letting Fitbit & Garmin Do the Talking”

Steve Gursten 9:30 - 9:45am “Let Witnesses Speak at Summary Judgment & Michigan Auto Law Mediation” 30101 Northwestern Highway Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Tom Doehrman P: 248/353-7575 Doehrman Buba Email: [email protected] 600 East 96th Street, Suite 450 Website: www.michiganautolaw.com Indianapolis, IN 46240 P: 317/844-9999 Website: tortslaw.com 2:55 - 3:10pm “The ‘Ride the Ducks’ Trial: Handling a Mass Transit Disaster”

9:45 - 10:00am “Anatomy of a $73 Million Dollar Verdict” Karen Koehler Stritmatter Kessler Whelan Koehler Moore Kent Buckingham 3600 15th Avenue West, #300 Buckingham Barrera Law Firm Seattle, WA 98119 1707 West Wall Street P: 206/448-1777 Midland, TX 79701 Email: [email protected] P: 432/570-1919 Website: www.stritmatter.com Email: [email protected] Website: medmal-law.com 1:15 - 1:30pm “Tony Gwynn v. US Tobacco: Handling High 10:00 - 10:10am “Relationships & Word-of-Mouth Marketing Profile Cases” Tactics Build the Practice”

David Casey Casey Gerry 110 Laurel Street San Diego, CA 92101 P: 619/238/1811 Website: caseygerry.com

1:30 - 1:45pm “Rosen v. UCLA: Universities’ Duty to Protect Stephanie Andre Student” Tampa, FL INJURY BOARD

10:10 - 10:25am “Amputation Injuries: What Damages?” Deborah Chang Panish Shea & Boyle 11111 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 700 Conal Doyle Los Angeles, CA 90025 Doyle Law P: 210/928-6200 9401 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 608 Email: [email protected] Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Website: www.psblaw.com P: 310/385-0567 Email: [email protected] Website: www.conaldoylelaw.com 1:45 - 1:55pm Mystery Topic

10:25 - 10:40am “Exaggerated Liability: Punitive Damages in Truck Cases”

Natalie Sticesen, Springfield, NJ Marion Munley www.halperngroup.com Munley Law P: 800/524-1631 227 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18501-1066 P: 570/983-3846 Email: [email protected] Website: www.munley.com 1:55 - 2:10pm “How to Fight Arbitration & Keep Your Case in Court” 10:40 - 10:55am “No Offer? Nasty Remarks? No Problem! $25 Million”

F. Paul Bland, Jr. Executive Director of Public Justice Joseph Fried 1620 L Street NW, Suite 630 Fried Rogers Goldberg Washington, DC 20036 3560 Lennox Road, NE, Suite 1250 P: 202/797-8600 Atlanta, GA 30326 P: 404/591-1818 Email: [email protected] Website: www.frg-law.com 10:55 - 11:05am “Maximizing Law Firm Efficiency” 11:50 - 12:00pm “The Latest & Greatest Visual Tools”

Ryan Anderson Tyler Komarnycky 8008 E. Arapahoe Court, Centennial, CO Provo, UT CEO & Visual Media Strategist P: 800/749-2184 11:05 - 11:20am “South Africa: Lawyers Together” 12:00 - 12:30pm LUNCH Sandra Robinson 12:30 - 12:45pm “Class / Collective Actions: Low Wage Workers The Cochran Firm Fighting for their Rights” 1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 340 Washington, DC 20005 Enrique Martinez P: 202/682-5800 Law Offices of John E. Hill Email: [email protected] 333Hegenberger Road, Suite 500 Website: www.cochranfirm.com Oakland, CA 94621 P: 510/588-1000 Email: [email protected] Website: www.hill-law-offices.com 11:20 - 11:35am “Ethics and Social Media”

Tad Thomas 12:45 - 1:00pm “Dealing with Deposition Obstruction” Thomas Law Offices 9418 Norton Commons Boulevard, Suite 200 Mark Kosieradzki Louisville, KY Kosieradzki Smith Law Firm P: 877/955-7001 3675 Plymouth Boulevard, #105 Email: [email protected] Plymouth, MN 55446 Website: www.thomaslawoffices.com P: 763/746-7800 Email: [email protected] Website: koslawfirm.com 11:35 - 11:50pm “Even 6 Year Olds Count” 1:00 - 1:15pm “How to Reform a System with Individual Settlements” Patrick Malone Patrick Malone & Associates, PC Julia Sherwin 1310 L Street NW, Ste. 800 Haddad& Sherwin Washington, DC 20005 505 Seventeenth Street P: 202/742-1500 Oakland, CA 94612 Email: [email protected] P: 510/452-5500 Website: www.patrickmalone.com Email: [email protected] Website: www.haddadandsherwin.com