SAN DIEGO (February 28, 2023) – Seeking to put an end to the surge of skyrocketing jury verdicts across the country, nationwide civil litigation and insurance defense firm Tyson & Mendes LLP announced today its second annual Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute will take place June 8-11, 2023 at the InterContinental San Diego.

The Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute is the only trial academy specifically developed to teach experienced defense attorneys how to stop Nuclear Verdicts® – large, unsubstantiated jury awards that typically exceed $10 million. Through psychology workshops, expert panel discussions, small group activities, and demonstrations, defense trial attorneys will practice and learn the advanced trial skills for defusing juror anger and defending against astronomical jury verdicts throughout this immersive educational experience. At its conclusion, each attendee will receive accreditation as a Nuclear Verdicts Defender, certified in the methods for defending against Nuclear Verdicts®.

“There is a pattern to cases that result in Nuclear Verdicts®, and our goal is to change what the defense is doing to break that pattern,” said Tyson & Mendes Strategic Managing Partner Robert Tyson. “The Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute teaches the critical skills needed to defuse juror anger and combat plaintiffs’ lawyers evolving tactics at trial.”

Based on the strategies first set forth in Tyson’s #1 best-selling book, “Nuclear Verdicts®: Defending Justice for All,” the Institute seeks to change the way the defense industry tries cases.

“The plaintiffs’ bar continues to find new ways to enrage juries and share their winning tactics with each other, while the defense remains siloed,” said Tyson. “At Tyson & Mendes, our mission has always been to achieve ‘justice for all,’ and we have learned the only way to truly do that is to encourage the defense bar to be more collaborative and innovative.”

“The information and skills we learned during the [Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute] should be shared with claim managers and defense attorneys. The NVDI skills will help reduce verdicts, make us better trial lawyers, have an immediate impact and are easy to implement,” said 2022 graduate and Nuclear Verdicts Defender John G. Revelli, Esq.

This year’s Institute will be led by an esteemed faculty of legal defense experts, such as top trial attorneys and a specialist in the psychology of anger. Keynote speakers include:

Robert Tyson, a noted trial attorney and author of “Nuclear Verdicts®: Defending Justice for All,” which presents a set of unique defense methods designed to drive down damage awards. With a goal of minimizing astronomical jury verdicts, Tyson is keenly focused on sharing his successful trial methods with the insurance and defense industries. He is especially known for his groundbreaking work on Howell v. Hamilton Meats, a reverberating decision that set the stage to save insurers and corporate defendants over $10 billion each year – reshaping personal injury litigation across California.

Jennifer Staples, Ph.D., an associate professor and associate director of clinical training at Alliant International University, and a licensed clinical psychologist with an emphasis on social justice advocacy. Staples is an expert in psychology, particularly in understanding tactics that both incite and defuse anger. Her expertise helps attendees understand how to apply these strategies in a trial setting to combat plaintiffs’ attorneys’ efforts to drive up damage awards through juror anger – which is proven to be the number one emotional motivator of a nuclear verdict.

The faculty also includes Tyson & Mendes trial partners Lynn Allen, Codie Dukes, Daniel Fallon, Jacob Felderman, Allison Lawrence, Edward Leonard, Mina Miserlis, and Susan Oliver.

Attendees must apply and be accepted to the Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute. For more information or to access the online application, visit nuclearverdictsdefense.com.

About the Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute

Based on the principles in the best-selling book, Nuclear Verdicts®: Defending Justice for All, the Nuclear Verdicts Defense Institute is the only trial academy developed to teach defense attorneys how to stop Nuclear Verdicts® – large, unsubstantiated jury awards that typically exceed $10 million. Through psychology workshops, expert panel discussions, small group activities and demonstrations, attendees practice and learn advanced trial skills for defusing juror anger and defending against astronomical jury verdicts. At its conclusion, each attendee receives certification as a Nuclear Verdicts Defender, an accreditation endorsed by University of San Diego School of Law’s Office of Graduate Programs. The Institute is hosted by nationwide civil litigation and insurance defense law firm Tyson & Mendes LLP. For more information, visit nuclearverdictsdefense.com.

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