Tennessee

Challenging an expert witness requires more than just wondering what questions to ask on cross-examination. Is the expert witness even an expert in the right subject matter? Should the expert be deposed before trial and challenged before he or she takes the stand, or would cross-examination without giving the expert the clues that come with deposition questions present the best opportunity to defuse the weight of the expert’s opinion? How can the trial lawyer prepare for cross-examination of an expert and contain the damage done on direct examination of the expert?

The strategy of providing funding to troubled companies or purchasing existing secured debt at a discount in order to obtain ownership (so-called “loans-to-own”) continues to inspire controversy and litigation even as its use by debt financiers and other investors has become more commonplace. This panel will explore the practical considerations, business risks and legal issues associated with loans-to-own, both inside and outside of bankruptcy.

Poker players look for tells. Polygraphs measure physiological indicators. Movies suggest that there is some magic to looking somebody in the eye. In court, though, judges and lawyers are left to their own devices to determine whether a witness is lying. A clinical psychologist and a former attorney general of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will join experienced trial lawyers and judges to discuss lying and the limits of detecting lying, including verbal and nonverbal cues that aid in assessing the credibility of statements.

Oyez, oyez, oyez, all attendees are admonished to draw near and give their undivided attention to this panel as it delivers the most recent and updated analyses on this term’s U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

This panel will discuss the discharging of student loan debts, bankruptcy trustees and the avoidance of tuition payments, undue hardship and real life applications of these issues.