Trial Mastery: Developing a winning strategy and preserving your best issues

James M. Susag | Larkin Hoffman

[email protected] | 952-896-1572

James M. Susag is a seasoned trial attorney with a focus on franchise and dealer disputes, real estate, and complex commercial matters. He has been the lead attorney in over 100 trials and arbitrations in state and federal courts across the country and in domestic and international arbitration forums. Jim has the unique perspective of a trial lawyer who has also managed complex litigation and developed strategic legal plans as in-house counsel. Clients appreciate his boardroom-to-courtroom experience in crafting resolutions for their business disputes.

Timothy M. Kowal | Kowal Law Group

Tim’s practice focuses on both trials and appeals. In his litigation practice, Tim represents clients in cases involving lender disputes, real estate development disputes, trespass and easement disputes, fraud and fraudulent transfers, breaches of fiduciary duty, promissory notes, trade secrets and unfair business practices, conversion, and most types of business and financial disputes.

In his appellate practice, Tim works directly with trial attorneys throughout litigation, including dispositive motions, evidentiary hearings, trial, and posttrial motions, writs, and appeals, in state and federal courts. Tim has substantial experience in obtaining stays of judgment enforcement during appeal.

Using both trial and appellate court remedies, Tim specializes in developing unique legal strategies for his clients. Tim’s trial and appellate victories total over $60 million.

Tim is co-host of the California Appellate Law Podcast, providing legal updates and practice tips to trial and appellate attorneys.

Tim taught civil procedure as an adjunct professor of law at the Fowler School of Law from 2015 to 2017.

Outside of his legal practice, Tim is active in his community in Huntington Beach. Tim and his wife, Andi, worked with councilmembers in 2017 toward making HB the third Orange County city to stop using glyphosate and toxic herbicides in city parks.

While in law school, Tim served as Editor-in-Chief of the Chapman Law Review. Before practicing law, Tim helped run a successful IT sales and consulting firm in Orange County that continues to serve small businesses and individual customers in the region. He graduated from UC Irvine with a B.A. in philosophy and is an alumnus of St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower.

Session I – Trial Mastery: Developing and executing a winning strategy | 11:00am – 1:10pm

• Jury Selection
• Handling Expert Witnesses

Break | 12:00pm – 12:10pm

• Cross-Examining Adverse Witnesses
• Opening and Closing Statements

Break | 1:10pm – 1:20pm

Session II – From Pleadings to Post-Trial Motions: Mastering the art of preserving your case | 1:20pm – 2:20pm

• Pretrial Preparation, Including Reviewing Your Pleadings, Jury Instructions, and Motions in Limine
• Being Prepared to Get in Your Most Important Evidence, Including Expert Witnesses
• Making a Record by Ensuring Sidebars and Objections to Jury Instructions are Done in the
• Presence of the Court Reporter
• Posttrial Strategies, Including Making Rule 50(a) Motions Before submitting to the Jury, Objecting to the Verdict, and Making Posttrial Motions