The Great Trials Podcast

The Great Trials Podcast

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The Great Trials Podcast offers a series of laid-back, casual conversations with leading trial lawyers, taking listeners "behind the scenes" of America’s greatest trials. Hosted by acclaimed trial lawyers Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey, each podcast episode focuses on one important trial and includes in-depth, insightful interviews with the attorneys who successfully argued the case in front of a judge and jury.

Recent Episodes

OCT 13, 2026
Robert Chaiken & Paul Perkins | McGowan v. City of Winter Garden | $37.54 Million
On the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview trial lawyers Rob Chaiken and Paul Perkins Jr. about Anthony McGowan v. City of Winter Garden, tried in March 2026 in Orange County, Florida, arising from a police pursuit that they argued should not have been initiated and should have been terminated. CASE DETAILS:Anthony McGowan v. City of Winter Garden, tried in Orange County, Florida in March 2026, resulting in a $37,542,665.43 verdict. The case involved a police pursuit that plaintiffs argued should not have been initiated and should have been terminated; the chase averaged about 124 mph over 3.1 miles, and the pursued vehicle was not the one sought in an earlier home-invasion/kidnapping. The fleeing driver struck McGowan, causing catastrophic injuries and a later stroke after splenectomy; the driver fled and was never apprehended. GUEST BIOS: Paul C. Perkins, Jr. was born and reared in Orlando, Florida. He developed a passionate desire to seek justice at an early age by watching his father Paul C. Perkins display his skills in court and act as a business and civic leader the community in which they lived. Paul’s parents instilled in him an understanding of the blessings he was given and the obligation he had to society to make an impact. “Of whom much is given, much is required.” After graduating from Trinity Preparatory School, he enrolled at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, surmising that there would be no better place to be prepared to serve than the training ground for some of America’s greatest leaders. At Morehouse, Mr. Perkins finally decided that the best way for him to make an impact was to follow in his father’s footsteps and seek justice in America’s courtrooms on behalf of those less fortunate. Knowing he would be returning to his home town, he enrolled at the University of Florida College of Law in Gainesville. (READ MORE) Rob Chaiken was born in Falls Church, Virginia on March 26, 1966. He attended theUniversity of Texas in Austin, where he graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He attended law school at the University of Florida and graduated from law school in 1991. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the United States District Courts for Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) and Texas Trial Lawyers Associations (TTLA). (READ MORE) LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Paul & Perkins, PAInstagram: @paulandperkinsLinkedIn: Paul & Perkins, PALinkedIn: Attorney Paul Perkins Jr.Website: paulandperkins.com Chaiken & Chaiken, P.C.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chaikenlawLinkedIn: Chaiken & Chaiken, P.C.LinkedIn: Robert ChaikenInstagram: @robertchaikenInstagram: @chaiken.lawWebsite: chaikenlaw.com Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:52 Rob Chaiken Background 01:19 Service Dogs Side Mission 02:31 Paul Perkins Legacy 03:29 Thurgood Marshall Juror Twist 06:05 Case Overview and Verdict 09:13 Pursuit Case Challenges 12:04 Missing Dash Cam Evidence 14:59 Driving the Route Math 17:17 Who Was the Striking Driver 19:35 Wrong Car Wrong Suspect 24:25 Officer Adrenaline First Chase 26:07 Dash Cam Surprise Before Trial 27:24 Orange County Venue Insights 29:47 Juror Questions Live Scoreboard 33:19 Juror Questions Midtrial 34:06 Voir Dire Police Bias 36:30 Flipping Policy Training 37:29 Why Take the Case 39:09 Proving Before and After 41:05 Seven Minute Damages Close 46:59 Anthony in Court Daily 50:20 Experts Live vs Video 53:32 Defense Missteps on Cross 54:52 Alternate Juror Feedback 57:02 Catching Officer Lies 01:00:45 Trial Lessons an
68 MIN
SEP 29, 2026
Michael Pendell & Chelsea Monroe | New Mexico v. Meta Platforms Inc. | $942 Million Awarded
Steve Lowry sits down with Motley Rice partners Michael Pendell and Chelsea Monroe about State of New Mexico/DOJ v. Meta Platforms, Inc., which produced a $375 million jury verdict for Unfair Practices Act violations and a $567 million bench-trial public nuisance abatement award, totaling $942 million. CASE SUMMARY: The case, brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleged Meta designed and operated its platforms with inadequate protections that enabled predators to find, groom, and exploit vulnerable children. The complaint asserted multiple violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act, supported by claims that defendants misrepresented or omitted material facts about the risks their products posed to minors. Motley Rice served as trial counsel for the State of New Mexico. (READ MORE) GUEST BIOS CHELSEA L. MONROE: Chelsea Monroe represents victims of defective medical devices, medical drugs and cosmetic products, as well as families and communities harmed by toxic exposure. Specifically, Chelsea’s casework focuses on women’s health issues. She is amember of the Leadership Development Committee in MDL 3060 In re: HairRelaxer Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation in theNorthern District of Illinois. The thousands of plaintiffs in the MDL argue theydeveloped gynecological cancers after using certain chemical hair relaxers. Theyassert defendant manufacturers failed to adequately test the products and warncustomers about potential harms.(READ MORE) MICHAEL J. PENDELL: Michael Pendell is a trial lawyer who represents people affected by corporate wrongdoing, including whistleblowers, people harmed by tobacco, prescription medications, dangerous medical devices, and victims of international terrorism. He also represents pension fund trustees and other institutional investors insecurities, consumer fraud, and other complex class actions.Michael served as trial counsel in a number of prescription opioid lawsuitsrepresenting dozens of governmental entities, including states, cities, and countiesin litigation against several pharmaceutical drug manufacturers and distributors forthe alleged deceptive marketing and distribution of highly addictive prescriptionopioids. (READ MORE) LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motleyricelaw/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MotleyRice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/motley-rice/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MotleyRice --- Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast --- Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Welcome and Guests 01:39 Meet Michael Pendell 03:19 Meet Chelsea Monroe 04:15 Motley Rice Tribute 05:08 Case Verdict Breakdown 06:10 What Meta Did Wrong 08:59 How Damages Were Calculated 11:56 Phase Two Public Nuisance 15:25 Injunctions and COPPA 20:07 Building the Trial Machine 23:01 Parallel California Trial 25:54 Shocking Evidence and Whistleblowers 34:14 Whistleblower Culture Shift 36:05 Section 230 Strategy 39:53 Jury Selection Reality Check 44:19 Focus Groups And Timing 46:29 Meta Defense Tactics 50:08 Mosseri Safety Slipup 53:55 Appeals And Wrap Up
63 MIN
SEP 15, 2026
GTP CLASSIC: Sagi Shaked | Tyler v. Gibbs & Register, Inc. | $12.24 Million
In this classic episode of the Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey are joined by renowned Miami lawyer Sagi Shaked. They delve into a significant wrongful death case Shaked successfully tried in 2017, resulting in a $12,240,000 verdict. Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite platform. Case Details: "After a 4-day trial, we obtained a $12,240,000.00 verdict on behalf of a family that lost their mother as a result of a tragic head-on automobile collision. The trial team consisted of Sagi Shaked, Joel Roth, Manny Lorenzana and Iury Carvalho. Unfortunately, Roitiki Tyler only got to see her star athlete son play one college game. Tyler was accompanied by her 11-year-old, who flew from Florida to Iowa to watch Devontre Tyler play middle linebacker in a Saturday game in November 2014. The following night, Tyler was driving home when a Ford F-150 truck hit them head-on at 65 mph. The mother of two died. Her young son survived his mother without physical injuries, but whose subsequent emotional traumatization led a jury to award them with $12.24 million." (Source) (More Coverage on Case Details) --- Guest Bio: Sagi Shaked As an experienced Miami personal injury lawyer, Sagi Shaked actively litigates cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death on behalf of victims and their families. These cases include car accidents, product liability, medical negligence and malpractice, nursing home abuse and neglect, trucking accidents, industrial manufacturers, insurance disputes, premises liability, drowning accidents, airline accidents, burn-related accidents, and others. Sagi Shaked has been practicing law since 2000 and went on to found the successful Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers in 2007, where he became one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the United States as named by the American Trial Lawyers Association. This highly coveted honor was bestowed upon Mr. Shaked for his exemplary legal expertise, compassion for his clients, and consistently recovering multi-millions of dollars in damages for those he represents. Read Full Bio --- LINKS FROM THE EPISODE: Shaked Law Firm on Facebook Sagi Shaked on LinkedIn Shaked Law Firm on Instagram Shaked Law Firm on YOUTUBE --- Check out previous episodes and meet the GTP Team: Great Trials Podcast --- Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production
51 MIN
SEP 1, 2026
GTP CLASSIC: Philip Sieff and Tara Sutton | McDougall v. CRC Industries | $7.75 Million
In this episode of The Great Trials Podcast, hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey welcome guests Tara Sutton and Philip Seiff from Robbins Kaplan LLP. The discussion centers on the significant legal case, McDougal vs. CRC Industries, which resulted in a $7.75 million verdict (later over $10.5 million after post-judgment adjustments). Remember to rate and review GTP on Apple Podcasts: Click Here to Rate and Review Case Details: The Robins Kaplan trial team secured a groundbreaking $7.75 million verdict against CRC Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of aerosol dust remover products. This is believed to be the first known case against a dust remover manufacturer that has been tried to a plaintiff verdict. The litigation stemmed from a tragic vehicle crash in 2019 where the client’s wife was killed after her car was struck by a driver who was impaired from huffing CRC Duster. Inhaling this product can cause dramatic impairment effects from the chemical used as a propellant. The case focused on the well-known abuse of aerosol dust remover products, such as CRC Duster, and CRC Industries’ responsibility for the foreseeable consequences of their products' misuse. (Source) Guest Bio: Tara Sutton Tara Sutton, chair of Robins Kaplan’s National Mass Tort Group, has built a distinguished career in mass tort litigation and is renowned for her dedicated, unyielding commitment to justice. Her career has been marked by steadfast advocacy, and an unrelenting pursuit for accountability over corporate misconduct. Tara stands out as the embodiment of legal excellence representing individuals, governments, and Tribal Nations harmed by defective products or corporate negligence. Her legal acumen and tenacity is evident as she navigates the complex landscape of mass torts — including cases involving defective products, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, and faulty medical devices. Read Full Bio Philip Sieff Trial lawyer Phil Sieff battles for justice when wrongdoers cause serious injury or death. Intense and relentless, he helps clients find the courage they need to face those who have hurt them. He has significant experience representing families coping with the wrongful death of a loved one, particularly a child, having handled hundreds of wrongful death cases. He has particular experience in complex and high-profile cases, including: the I-35W Bridge Collapse (lead co-counsel of I-35W Consortium, a group of 17 law firms that provided legal services to over 100 collapse victims); the Red Lake High School Shooting; and the Holidazzle Parade Disaster. Read Full Bio Links: Robins Kaplan on Facebook Tara Sutton on LinkedIn Philip Sieff on LinkedIn Robins Kaplan on X LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM: Great Trials Podcast Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
58 MIN
AUG 18, 2026
GTP CLASSIC: Joe Fried | Bradfield v. Amazon Logistics, et al | $16.2 Million Verdict
This week, on a classic episode of the Great Trials Podcast, Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey spoke with renowned trial lawyer Joe Fried from Fried Goldberg LLC about his landmark case, Bradfield vs. Amazon Logistics, which resulted in a $16.2 million verdict. The case involved an 8-year-old boy, Gabe Bradfield, who suffered severe injuries after being struck and dragged by an Amazon delivery van. (More details on the case here) Joe Fried Joe Fried is one of the original truck accident lawyers in the country and is widely recognized as a top attorney in the field. His passion for what he does shines through, and his reputation and record-setting results speak for themselves. Joe has litigated cases in more than 43 states, which gives him an unmatched perspective, and his leadership in the field of truck accident law and trucking safety is second to none. Joe is known as one of the principal founders of truck accident law as a unique field. He has changed the way truck crash cases are handled, helping Fried Goldberg LLC earn a national reputation. Joe is credited with developing many of the best practices used by lawyers nationally in truck accident investigation and truck accident litigation. (Read full bio) CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST: Fried Goldberg LLC Fried Goldberg on LinkedIn Joe Fried on LinkedIn Fried Goldberg on Facebook Fried Goldberg on Instagram LISTEN TO PREVIOUS EPISODES & MEET THE TEAM: Great Trials Podcast Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com Production Team: Dee Daniels Media Podcast Production Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2
83 MIN