Call Your Next Witness – Matthew McCann
On this episode of the Call Your Next Witness podcast, we welcome fellow attorney, Queens Native and Regis High School alum Matthew McCann. Matt’s practice areas have varied greatly over the years, spanning white collar criminal defense, securities litigation, land use, cannabis, Special Education, and appellate practice, now at Moss & Colella, P.C. in Southfield, Michigan. Matt’s career and practice areas have evolved and grown in ways he never would have predicted as a younger attorney. And of course, we spent some time discussing Matt’s other “practice area” — Battle Rap –both in NYC and Detroit. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e8NbgmSd This may be the first ever lawyer-centric battle rap #podcast ever recorded. #wcmlaw For more information about the podcast, email Brian Gibbons.Read More
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Call Your Next Witness- Murray Singer
Murray Singer has been a practicing criminal attorney for 40 years in New York City, including 13 years as an appellate and trial attorney with the Legal Aid Society, and in private practice since then. Aside from being considered a mentor by many less experienced attorneys, it was refreshing to speak with Murray about what he has learned about the practice of law, how to interact with opposing counsel in an adversarial context, and about maintaining and cultivating your reputation. Despite what most legally themed documentaries may suggest, defense attorneys and prosecutors tends to get along, largely because they’ll have to work together on dozens if not hundreds of other cases. Credibility is everything. Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-26-murray-singer/id1552130914?i=1000602561010 — or wherever you download podcasts.
This is a great listen for younger attorneys interested in trial practice. For more information about Murray and his practice, check out murraysinger.com. And for questions about the podcast, email Brian Gibbons.
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Call Your Next Witness (Cannabis Edition) — Alex Buscher of Buscher Law LLP
“No Comfortable Advice.” Such is the life of a cannabis attorney, trying to advise clients about the regulatory framework throughout the United States. The federal farm bill has multiple iterations, and marijuana is still illegal at the federal level as a Schedule 1 narcotic. But 37 states have legalized marijuana use either recreationally or medicinally. In other words, regulations are consistently inconsistent.
Alex Buscher entered into the world of cannabis for personal reasons a few years ago, and has since delved in world head first. Since that time, regulations have changed almost by the day. Not to mention that marijuana and hemp have completely different regulatory frameworks. Advising clients on what action they can take in this world is a challenge, and Alex’s insight on how he navigates that challenge in collaboration with his clients is an instructive listen. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-25-alex-buscher-of-buscher-llp/id1552130914?i=1000589342323
https://www.buscherlaw.com/alex-buscher
For questions about the podcast, please contact Brian Gibbons.
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Call Your Next Witness – Ryan Eakes of Typhoon Farma
After a short break, the Call Your Next Witness podcast is back, with our first in a series of cannabis-related interviews.The Cannabis Industry was taboo as recently as 10 years ago. But now, not only is it a blossoming industry, but its becoming mainstream to the point where attorney and insurance conventions are including presentations specific to cannabis and how to insure that risk.
But how does one actually get into the commercial cannabis space, and what is the day-to-day like? Ryan Eakes, Chief Operating Office of Typhoon Farma, a hemp farm in western Colorado, offers some great insight into those questions through his own journey. With a background in construction and business development — not in agriculture — Ryan jumped on an opportunity to get into the cannabis and hemp world on the ground floor. Ryan encounters daily challenges that are truly unique to the cannabis industry, especially given the ever-changing regulatory framework he has to navigate. Listen here, or search for Call Your Next Witness wherever you download podcasts.
Think of this interview as “Cannabis for Dummies.” For questions about WCM’s practice in the cannabis insurance space, please contact Brian Gibbons.
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Call Your Next Witness – M.C. Sungaila
On this episode of Call Your Next Witness, I interviewed M. C. Sungaila, a renowned appellate attorney based in Orange County, California. Her practice focuses on civil appeals, trial strategy and consulting. We discussed her role as a trial strategist, and how she recognized early in her career that appellate practice, as opposed to trial practice, was the right fit for her. We also discussed the unique HR situation we have been facing, given the significant turnover in the legal and insurance industries, and what we can do as law firm managers to keep our teams personally and professionally satisfied.
This is a good listen not only for law firm managers, but also for younger associates looking for some insight on how to advance in the industry. M.C. also hosts a podcast called the Portia Project, which focuses on women lawyers and judges, and some insights from their respective journeys.
For any additional information about the podcast, or about being a guest, please email Brian Gibbons.
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Call Your Next Witness – Christon Halkiotis
Christon Halkiotis and I have a lot in common, in that we’re both former prosecutors who sought a change after a handful of years representing the government. Christon’s path took her to criminal defense, where she started her own practice in 2019 in Greensboro, North Carolina after 15 years as a prosecutor. Her practice flourished immediately, which is a testament to Christon’s personality, reputation and credibility among colleagues, and also, to a ton of hard work!
She shares some lessons about how to make yourself a better attorney, what it was like to “hang out a shingle,” and how she has dealt with owning a business during the pandemic. You can listen here, or wherever you download podcasts. If you have questions about the podcast, or about being a guest, please email Brian Gibbons.
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Call Your Next Witness – Wendy Sheinberg & Jennifer Hillman
Have you ever watched a movie with a legal issue and thought to yourself, “Wait, could this plot really happen this way?” In Rain Man, for example, Tom Cruise kidnaps his autistic older brother, played by Dustin Hoffman, to extort his brother’s inheritance. Instead of being presented as the somewhat flawed protagonist in Rain Main, Tom’s character probably should have served time under a federal kidnapping statute. Rain Man is just one example.
Wendy Sheinberg and Jennifer Hillman. partners at Rivkin Radler LLP on Long Island, recently decided to look at some of these movies that mishandle legal issues pertaining to estate handling, litigation and the like. And in their publication, “Wendy and Jen Wreck the Movies,” they comment some of the poetic license filmmakers often take, and offer their two cents on what should have happened, if the filmmakers went by the book.
On this episode of Call Your Next Witness, Wendy and Jen join Georgia and Brian to talk about some of the movies they are delving into, including Citizen Kane, Rain Main, Howard’s End, and a few others, and to point out how Hollywood consistently gets it wrong. (At least, from a legal-realism perspective…although realism probably isn’t Hollywood’s goal most of the time.) Meaning, in real life, Lt. Caffey probably doesn’t get Col. Jessup to just admit guilt on cross-examination. But it sure does make for compelling drama! You can find Wendy and Jen at rivkinradler.com, or follow them on Twitter at @wjwreckthemovi1.
If you would like more information about Call Your Next Witness, or are interested in being a guest, please contact Brian Gibbons or Georgia Coats.
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Call Your Next Witness – Brandi Percy of Markel
Unlike some of our other guests, who went to law school and then found themselves in the insurance industry, Brandi Percy got her start working as a claim representative in insurance, and THEN went to law school. Her career has taken her through various in-house positions, both in insurance and in the corporate world. We had a great time discussing how her career has progressed, some notable claims that presented her with “teachable moments” over the years, how risk managers can use analytics to help narrow predictive outcomes, and also, how her prior career as a college basketball player held shape Brandi as a professional. (And we also complained about being the parents of young children in the age of COVID, which could have been a whole separate episode…) You can listen here, or wherever you download podcasts, by searching for Call Your Next Witness. If you would like more information about the podcast, or think it would be fun to be a guest, feel free to email Brian Gibbons.Read More
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Call Your Next Witness – Former BXDA Joshua Kirshner
Joshua Kirshner is a former colleague of mine from the Bronx County District Attorney Office who has been a federal law clerk in the Southern District of New York and for the past 10 years, has been a successful criminal defense in New York. And coincidentally, just as Josh and I are former Bronx D.A. colleagues, our mentors — Ben Brafman and Dennis Wade — were former colleagues at the NY County D.A’s office. Josh joined me for a discussion on the Call Your Next Witness podcast. He recently started his own criminal defense practice, which has been both exciting and terrifying. We discuss Josh’s career, what it has been like to “hang out a shingle,” and also, Josh’s recent “COVID-era” federal trial in the Eastern District of New York. This easily could have been two episodes, and is a great listen, particularly for any attorneys pondering starting his/her own practice. Listen to this episode here, or wherever you download podcasts. If you have questions about the podcast, or would like to be a guest, please email Brian Gibbons.Read More
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Call Your Next Witness – Ross Mallor of PM Legal
On today’s episode of the Call Your Next Witness podcast, we welcome Ross Mallor of PM Legal. Ross is a true entrepreneur in the litigation arena in the northeast United States. Since joining his father at PM Investigations, now PM Legal, the company has grown from a 2-person investigation company into a 200+ employee company, which conducts investigations for both plaintiffs and defendants, provides litigation support, handles service of process and court filings, and is also now affiliated with elaw and Lexitas. Ross takes advantage of technological innovations, keeps an open mind about new opportunities, and most importantly, listens to his clients. Aside from that, Ross is a fantastic storyteller, and in this interview, relays some great stories about his business practices over the years, a few about conducting surveillance, and even one about playing poker with actor Kevin Pollack. (This story is worth the price of admission.) For more information about Ross’s company, check out PMLegal.com Listen to my interview with Ross here: https://lnkd.in/ejnHZK8k — or search for Call Your Next Witness wherever you download podcasts. If you are interested in being a guest, please email Brian Gibbons or Georgia Coats.Read More
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