We are only two weeks away from the 2021 FEWA National Conference, June 11-12, 2021! Don't miss the opportunity to earn up to 13.5 credit hours, either in person at the Texas Justice Center in Bellaire, Texas, or livestream from the comforts of home. Attendees can look forward to two days of unparalleled and advanced educational programming. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to safely network with other experts, consultants, attorneys, and legal professionals.

Interested in sponsoring? There are countless ways to promote your organization through the FEWA National Conference. Sponsorship opportunities range from $100 to $3,500. Learn more about our offerings here.

Don’t miss the next installment of the FEWA Virtual Academy series on Wednesday, June 9 at 1:00 pm CT! The program, “Electronic Footprints - Does Your Computer Reveal More Than It Should?” will be presented by the President of Burgess Consulting / Forensics, Steven Burgess.

The Forensic Expert Witness Association offers webinars specifically tailored to the continuing education of expert witnesses. The FEWA Webinar series is free for all FEWA members and offered at the low price of $30 for non-members. The webinars are created to fit within the CFLC Core Program.

Webinars and virtual chapter meetings are open to all members and non-members.

FEWA member, Dr. John Levy, is a technical leader in the computer, software and hard disk industry with over thirty years experience; Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University. He is an inventor on seven patents and author of a book and several published technical papers. Dr. Levy is an engaged as an expert in over 60 cases including at least 5 involving IPRs, deposition and trial testimony; technical advisor to two Fed. Learn more about John below.

With the meteoric rise in the use of information and communication technologies by almost every individual in modern societies, an increase in cyber/digital nefarious activities was expected to follow. Commonly encountered issues nowadays are hacking using malware, blackmailing using ransomware, digital manipulation of images, and biometric data such as the face, voice, or digital fingerprints of the users. Digital forensics is comprised of the techniques, the methods, and even the software tools that aim to identify or prevent the aforementioned issues.

Many companies think of litigation as simply a cost of doing business. Does this mean that litigation fees can be deducted as a business expense? The IRS and Maylan Inc. recently went to court over Mylan’s 2014-2021 filing wherein they deducted patent litigation fees. The mixed outcome is one with implications for businesses and their legal teams, particularly for patent litigation. 

An expert witness’s role is to break down complicated subjects so that triers of fact can make informed decisions. However, sometimes even the most reputable experts in a particular field are not necessarily the best ones for trial. For instance, when choosing an expert, unquantifiable characteristics such as honesty and likeability might be the deciding factor. But before attorneys get that far, they first need to make sure an expert meets their state’s expert witness admissibility guidelines. If these state-specific expert witness rules are left unexamined, litigators risk losing crucial ground in their case presentations.

If a party has timely served a Demand for Simultaneous Exchange of Expert Trial Witness Information pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 2034.210, then “all parties who have appeared in the action shall exchange information concerning expert witnesses in writing on or before the date of exchange specified in the demand.” C.C.P. §2034.260(a). Unless there is a court order specifying otherwise, that date for the simultaneous exchange is 50 days before the initial trial date, or 20 days after service of the demand, whichever is closer to the trial date. C.C.P. §2034.230(b).

Hiring an expert witness is an important part of the legal process. As such, it’s not one that you want to save for the last minute. There are several benefits to be had from planning ahead and part of that includes hiring an expert witness as early as possible in the litigation process. When you have a plan, you’re better prepared. Hiring an expert early gives you adequate time to plan and carefully choose your resources. You won’t be left scrambling to figure out who to hire and what they can do—or if they can do what you need. 

Webinars and virtual chapter meetings are open to all members and non-members.