The Secret to Vetting an Expert Witness
The expert witness search process is one that attorneys and legal teams have varying degrees of knowledge on. While some firms conduct their own searches in–house, others utilize firms like Round Table Group to conduct thorough searches that span various networks and institutions. The search for an expert can be tedious and resource intensive, and a big reason for this is that information must be compiled on the prospective experts. It is so important to research who you are considering retaining as well as who the opposing side has retained, to pinpoint red flags and avoid surprises pre-trial or in depositions.
Expert Witness Profiler is a legal research company that handles this process for attorneys. We were fortunate to speak with Ashish Arun, their Principal and Director of Research and Operations, on a recent episode of our podcast. Ashish is a legal tech entrepreneur based in India, and during our conversation he detailed exactly how Expert Witness Profiler is helping legal teams around the country.
Ashish explains how this process is extremely valuable as it provides a comprehensive snapshot of the expert in question:
Attorneys usually come to us to get information on the opposing expert. Then our company prepares detailed reports where we find out about the experts and their performance in court and earlier cases. We check their background and do educational degree verification.
When explaining the details that Expert Witness Profiler is looking for, Ashish says, “Do they have any disciplinary actions against them in the past? Are their licenses and certifications current and active? Were they excluded in the past? If so, on what grounds were they excluded and does that help the attorney in taking the expert down in the court in their court case?”
The truth is most of this information is in the public domain. However, finding the relevant details takes a lot of time, and most attorneys are not adept at this nuanced process. Ashish details the process, “Our team does this day in and day out. Over the years, we have developed techniques and search queries that we use to find this information effectively. . . .No matter how much time it takes, we make sure we [expend] every resource to uncover every piece of information about an expert.”
Equally as important as researching the opposition is researching your own expert, so that surprises do not arise throughout the litigation process. Round Table Group always recommends that attorneys do their due diligence on experts before using them at trial or as a consultant. Expert Witness Profiler eliminates the burden of this work, and helps legal teams avoid being held liable by the court for not doing appropriate due diligence on their expert.
Legal teams can transform their expert retention process with a service like the one that Expert Witness Profiler is providing. If you are interested in hearing more about the work being done by Ashish and his colleagues, take a listen to our conversation with him on our podcast Discussions at the Round Table. We were honored speak with Ashish and hope that you find our conversation most informative.
For more than 25 years, Round Table Group has helped litigators locate, evaluate, and employ the best and most qualified expert witnesses. Round Table Group is a great complement to any litigator’s quest for an expert witness and our search is always free of charge. Contact us at 202-908-4500 for more information or start your expert search now.