Our Successful Outcomes

CourtroomLogic conducted Focus Group Jury Research on behalf of a small, non-alcoholic beer distribution company suing two internationally recognized breweries for breach of contract. After receiving our written report and analysis of jury feedback, the trial team modified its evidentiary and presentation strategies, as well as its trial themes. We also developed graphic demonstratives and monitored courtroom proceedings on a daily basis to help guide the trial team to a success. A panel of 12 jurors ultimately rendered a $2.3 million verdict in favor of our client.

CourtroomLogic was retained by the defendants in a lawsuit claiming faulty workmanship in a public development and allegations that the owner’s performance bond should pay for all remediation. We worked with trial counsel on formulating voir dire queries that identified dangerous jurors and helped punctuate the roles each party played in the inadequate design plans. In addition, we helped develop dynamic trial demonstratives and illustrations to show jurors the project was built as-designed, and that the plaintiffs were seeking money for a new and improved design. Our courtroom operator attended trial each day and presented exhibits, video and graphics in a multimedia format. After more than a month of trial testimony, the jury rendered a favorable verdict for our client.

The State of Texas sued the owners of a ranch in Travis County to acquire property for a state highway. The lawsuit involved a dispute over the value the state assigned to the property. The ranch had unique qualities in that Wagyu cattle were raised on certified organic land. Juror Information Cards were received before the start of trial, and CourtroomLogic was retained to review the cards, rank each juror according to degrees of desirability, and provide suggested voir dire queries. After four days of evidence, jurors deliberated for eight hours and rendered a verdict of $7 million in favor of our client.

CourtroomLogic joined the trial team of a former executive and corporate counsel of a privately owned oil and gas company and its parent organization. Our client alleged breach of contract claims against his prior employer, and faced counterclaims of fraud and breach of fiduciary duty. The contracts and stock-related issues were extremely complex, and CourtroomLogic’s main goal was to simplify the issues for jurors and assist with jury selection. We held a few meetings, developed trial themes and authored a written jury questionnaire. We also assisted counsel with jury selection and observed key segments of the trial. Because the issues were so complex, we created over 100 trial demonstratives to educate jurors about key contractual language, the timing of key events, the concept of privately owned stocks, and the impact of altering the percentage of stock ownership. After six weeks in a Texas state court, the jury returned a verdict of more than $10 million in favor of our client. As for the counterclaims? We defeated them all.

Two weeks before trial, CourtroomLogic was brought in to assist defense counsel in creating trial graphics. The client, a global automotive and finance company, was sued under the Equal Pay Act, Title VII and the Texas Labor Act and faced significant damages. The plaintiff, a female who had been with the company for more than 15 years, alleged she hadn’t received promotions or equal pay because of her gender. After digesting raw numbers from various financial documents, CourtroomLogic produced creative demonstratives that communicated our client’s core message with clarity and simplicity: any pay disparities there might have been were justified and appropriate. Our graphics visually illustrated that the plaintiff not only had less experience than her male counterparts, but, in many instances, still received higher compensation. After a weeklong trial in federal court, the seven-person jury deliberated less than three hours and found in favor of our client. Oh, the power of graphics!

CourtroomLogic conducted Focus Group Jury Research on behalf of a national technology firm sued for allegedly monitoring employee communications. The trial team obtained significant data from the pretrial research, but one nugget stood out the most. According to jury feedback, the defense team was missing a powerful opportunity by failing to focus on a set of facts they had originally deemed insignificant. The trial team took the mock jury feedback to heart, made improvements, and was ultimately rewarded with a favorable trial verdict.

In a lawsuit claiming that underground storage tanks caused massive ground and water contamination, CourtroomLogic consultants were retained to help the trial team teach jurors about hydrogeology, hydrocarbons and the science supporting the client’s contamination defense. We collaborated with expert witnesses and a computer graphics specialist to develop a series of 3D animations to punctuate the art of water well drilling, the characteristics of natural aquifers and the science of groundwater flow. The parties reached an amicable settlement before trial.

CourtroomLogic was retained in a matter involving a Texas hospital and its nurses. The plaintiffs alleged the medical providers had failed to properly diagnose and treat their infant son, who had a history of gastroschisis. The child ultimately underwent surgery for an obstructed bowel and, as a result, now has short gut syndrome. CourtroomLogic joined the case during its early stages to assist counsel with strategic decisions. We reviewed pleadings, medical records, and charting notes related to the case. We analyzed the case from a jury level and provided counsel with a number of potential themes, as well as strengths and weaknesses. We also met with counsel and key nurse witnesses to prepare them for video deposition. The DepoPrep sessions paid off. All of the nurses did extremely well during their depositions: they were confident, assertive and stood by their charting. For the next scheduled mediation, CourtroomLogic prepared a multimedia presentation for counsel. The parties reached an excellent settlement and our client avoided incurring additional litigation costs. It was a great outcome for everyone involved.

A Nebraska hospital and its nurses were defendants in a medical malpractice claim involving a bad outcome during a woman’s delivery of her first child. CourtroomLogic was retained to help prepare nurse witnesses for deposition. We reviewed key documents, medical charts and records and consulted with counsel on key areas of concern. CourtroomLogic conducted multiple DepoPrep sessions with nurse witnesses and counsel in order to improve the nurses’ performance during the videotaped depositions. The parties reached an amicable settlement before discovery ended.

An international oil and gas exploration company was a defendant in a breach of contract dispute involving five oil and gas leases in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. The dispute revolved around an executed form of assignment and whether a breach occurred when the defendants failed to offer the leases back to the plaintiff prior to formal relinquishment. CourtroomLogic provided a full range of services for the client, beginning with FirstInsight™ Case Evaluation to guide the client in its decision to try the case before a jury or an arbitration panel. Based on jury feedback, the clients opted to go to arbitration. CourtoomLogic assisted with theme and story development, witness preparation, the creation of graphic demonstratives, multimedia technology support, and ongoing strategy consultation and monitoring during the arbitration proceedings. Despite the plaintiff’s request for more than $28 million in damages, the arbitration panel rendered a 2-1 ruling in favor of our client. Arbitrators are just like jurors: they’re persuaded by stories, too.

A jury rendered a seven-figure verdict in favor of our client. The complex partnership dispute involved real estate developments in Hawaii, California and Texas. CourtroomLogic assisted the trial team with development of trial themes, demonstratives, voir dire strategy, jury selection, and preparation of the Opening Statement. In addition to receiving our requested attorneys’ fees, the jury panel rejected all counterclaims, which were valued before trial at more than $7 million. This outcome definitely goes in the win column.

A global leader in the petroleum industry faced actual damages exceeding $60 million in a patent dispute in the Eastern District of Texas. CourtroomLogic was retained to help develop a trial story that would ultimately resonate with the jury panel. Using feedback from FirstInsight™ Case Evaluation, we determined that an unconventional trial strategy resonated with jurors. We followed up with Focus Group Jury Research and identified strengths, weaknesses, and universal themes that were further developed not only to punctuate the our evidence, but also to strategically place the plaintiffs on trial for wrongdoing. In an effort to simplify the complex nature of the patent claims and related technology, we worked with graphic and animation artists to develop dynamic 3D animations, 2D illustrations, and interactive models. After receiving encouraging feedback from two separate jury research studies, our client was able to position itself for a very favorable settlement. Another happy ending.

Before a formal lawsuit had even been filed, CourtroomLogic Consulting was retained by a national company facing personal injury claims related to a large chemical explosion. The parties hoped to reach an amicable settlement to avoid a public trial and the ensuing publicity. CourtroomLogic facilitated a custom design of Jury Research to meet the needs of both parties. In many ways, it resembled a mini-trial: it involved live presentations by actual trial counsel for both parties, as well as a day-in-the-life video of the injured litigant. Surrogate jurors deliberated over a modified charge and were debriefed regarding their impressions and perceptions. Both parties relied on information gleaned from this pre-trial research to assess value of the claims and to guide settlement discussions. Within a matter of weeks, the parties reached an agreement and ultimately avoided the cost – and publicity – of formal litigation. Now that’s a win-win.

Three internationally known corporate defendants were involved in a dispute alleging medical products liability and failure to warn. Our consultants assisted with supplemental written questionnaires and attended jury selection proceedings. After two mistrials due to the inability to seat a panel, we encouraged our client to hold plaintiff counsel’s feet to the fire, and they did just that. The trial judge issued a memorandum prohibiting some of the tactics employed by plaintiff’s counsel. During the third attempt to seat a panel — and after querying more than 300 jurors — a panel of jurors was ultimately seated. After six weeks of testimony, the jury rendered a complete defense verdict in favor of our clients, avoiding significant damages. Because similar claims were pending in other matters, in-depth post-trial interviews were conducted with the panel, subsequently resulting in numerous settlements.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a new trial to a criminal defendant serving 40 years in the state prison system for sexual assault of a minor. The new trial, however, only addressed the sentencing phase. CourtroomLogic was retained by counsel to help develop defense-oriented themes and to identify potential jurors who might struggle with the notion of assigning punishment without personally determining guilt or innocence. Although the jury rejected a sentence of probation, the panel greatly reduced the original 40-year sentence to 15 years with credit for time served.

CourtroomLogic was retained by a Florida-based insurance carrier facing allegations of trademark infringement and a demand for damages in excess of $52 million. We conducted a FirstInsight™ Case Evaluation and worked extensively with counsel to develop a trial story, themes, and graphic demonstratives aimed at minimizing potential damages. We also provided trial technology support and daily trial monitoring. After many late nights in the war room and three weeks of evidence, , jurors found non-infringement on the logo mark, but infringement on the word mark. Although jurors did award damages, the judge reduced the amount by 90 percent based on a prior ruling. Although our team had worked hard to obtain a complete defense verdict, the client viewed the $5 million judgment as a huge victory.

CourtroomLogic Consulting joined a multi-party intellectual property defense team shortly before trial began. We consulted with counsel on storytelling, themes and “simplifying the complex.” Our main goal was to show the jury that simply labeling something “confidential” does not make it so. Our consultants helped prepare key witnesses and craft voir dire to punctuate the theme that the alleged trade secrets were publicly available. We observed trial each day, debriefed counsel, and refined strategy for the following day. The plaintiff sought more than $40 million in actual and exemplary damages, but after a two-week trial and a jury charge containing more than 25 questions, the federal court jury rendered a complete defense verdict in less than two hours.

CourtroomLogic was retained to assist an international transportation company with the defense of a complicated qui tam case involving allegations of environmental contamination. Because whistleblower allegations implied that our client withheld information from the federal government, our case emphasized the information our client gave to the government, and when we gave it to them. CourtroomLogic worked side-by-side with lead counsel for months leading up to trial, assisting with theme development, witness preparation, story presentation and the development of graphics and 3D animations. We also assisted with jury selection, monitored the actual trial proceedings each day, and consulted each night with the trial team on best strategies for the following day. Facing a potential verdict of more than $400 million, the federal jury rendered a complete defense verdict in less than two hours. Those long hours and strategy sessions certainly paid off.

CourtroomLogic facilitated a two-day Focus Group on behalf of a police department and local municipality from one of the most crime-ridden counties of Los Angeles, California. The plaintiffs sought more than $20 million in damages for a death resulting from a drug-related SWAT raid. Personal bias and life experiences were critical factors involved in mock jurors’ decision-making, and research results indicated a desire to award a significant damage award in addition to punitive damages. After carefully evaluating mock jury feedback, quantitative data and potential risks, the client was able to reach an amicable settlement within days of the jury research. Crisis averted and tax dollars saved.

CourtroomLogic Consulting was retained to help prepare a key witness for video deposition testimony. The witness’s testimony would have a life-long impact: she was a young woman who had been individually named in a wrongful death lawsuit involving the death of a young child. When we first met “Jane,” she could not look anyone in the eye or even say the child’s name without a quivering, barely audible voice and a river of tears rolling down her cheeks. She was riddled with self-doubt, worthlessness and extreme sadness. Over the course of multiple sessions, CourtroomLogic and her lawyers worked with the witness to build her confidence and her comfort level in telling the story. Through our psychological and communication techniques, a more confident and capable witness began to emerge. By the time her deposition rolled around, “Jane” was able to answer questions directly, confidently, and with conviction. She embraced her story and held firm to the events in question. She not only survived the deposition, but she did so well that the case ultimately settled out of court a short time later.

CourtroomLogic was retained to assist a national trucking company facing a wrongful death dispute in the Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division). We helped prepare our driver for testimony, drafted a voir dire outline, and consulted with counsel on strikes and motions for cause. After jury selection, we were asked to attend the entire trial. So we rolled up our sleeves and offered strategic advice and assistance whenever and wherever needed. After four days of evidence, the jury began deliberations right before the noon break. Before we even began eating our lunch, the judge — eating a couple tables away from us — told us the verdict was in. Facing a potential judgment of more than $15 million, we were thrilled to learn that the jury found zero liability on our driver and company. Needless to say, lunch tasted just a wee bit better that day.