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EXPERT WITNESS PROFILER, LLC (“EWP”) www.ExpertWitnessProfiler.com, the expert witness research company, announced the official launch of its service to provide comprehensive background profiles on experts and consultants. The Expert Witness Profile report allows attorneys, paralegals, law librarians, legal investigators, insurance carriers, and other legal professionals to properly vet an expert they may retain, or to develop cross examination or exclusionary material for the opponent’s expert.

The Profile report details the expert’s litigation history, disciplinary history, prior expert witness testimony, expert challenges, licensing history, professional and educational background, and much more. The Profile includes information on how to access available depositions, motions, briefs, articles, and other documents referencing that expert. Each report involves a minimum of 20 hours of research by attorneys and professional legal researchers who leverage databases that are not readily available to the public. The primary goal of the Expert Witness Profile is to save legal professionals time and money, and to deliver a deeper, broader and timelier result than if the legal professional attempted to acquire information about an expert on their own.

EWP was founded by Jim Robinson, Esq., and expert witness/legal research executive Myles Levin. Mr. Robinson and Mr. Levin are two of the co-authors of Finding and Researching Experts and Their Testimony, the definitive white paper on researching experts as well as co-authors of the first chapter of the American Bar Association’s recent publication, Litigators on Experts: Strategies for Managing Expert Witnesses from Retention through Trial. Combined, they have over 40 years experience in researching expert witnesses through the companies they founded, JurisPro Expert Witness Directory and the Daubert Tracker, respectively. EWP’s research team is comprised of over 25 legal professionals specially trained to use advanced research tools and techniques to locate difficult to find information about expert witnesses.

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In The Paige Report: Does an insurance broker have a duty to give advice?, insurance practices expert witness Mr. David H. Paige, Esq. writes:

A continuing issue that has reappeared for years is the question of whether an insurance broker has an obligation to speak out and suggest to an insured that he should be purchasing more or different insurance. The courts have split on this question in different jurisdictions. As a latest example, a California court found that the defendant insurance agent did not have a duty to volunteer that an insured should procure different or additional coverage. Instead, as is the trend in many jurisdictions, the court stated that a duty to advise on additional insurance only arises under very specific circumstances. In California, the court found an expanded duty to advise arises when only one of three conditions is first met: (1) when the agent misrepresents the nature, extent or scope of the coverage being offered or provided, (2) when there is a request or inquiry by the insured for a particular type or extent of coverage, or (3) when the agent assumes an additional duty by either express agreement or by holding himself out as having expertise in a given field of insurance being sought by the insured.

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In Long‐Term Property Insurance, risk management experts Dwight Jaffee, Howard Kunreuther, and Erwann Michel‐Kerjan, Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, April 2010, write:

This paper proposes long-term insurance (LTI) as an alternative to the standard annual property insurance policy. LTI offers significant benefits to many stakeholders by reducing insurers’ administrative costs, lowering search costs, providing stability to consumers and incentivizing property owners to invest in risk-reducing measures.

Read more: http://opim.wharton.upenn.edu/.

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In Are You Waiting Too Long To Hire An Expert?, construction site expert witness William Gulya, Jr., President & CEO, Middlesex Trenching Company, writes:

If you feel you have a marginal case, an expert can assist you in framing the issues and facts. A qualified expert will possess the industry experience to instantly spot where industry standards and practices have been violated and can explain why these departures are important for your case. The expert has likely also seen and participated in similar cases so he can translate evidence into causation. You may lose this very valuable assistance if an expert is retained late in the process.

Another detrimental aspect of retaining the expert too late is retaining him or her after the discovery period is closed. A qualified expert can tell you exactly where to look for potentially damaging evidence on your adversary, which may support your position. What may not seem important or relevant may in fact be the smoking gun you are looking for. Attorneys know the law and are experts in the law. They often do not know the intricacies, nuances, and particulars of specific industries such as heavy or site-work construction methods, means and industry standards that apply to them.

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Sexual harassment expert witness Brett Sokolow testified this week in the $3 million breach of contract lawsuit trial against The University of the South – Sewanee. Sokolow, President of the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management, consults on college relating to sexual harassment and assault.

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In Working with Experts Part I, accident investigation expert witness R. Craig Jerner, PhD, PE, writes:

..Put your expert on board EARLY. Don’t wait until literally “the last minute.” How many times have I heard, “Dr. Jerner, I need your help; these are the facts; can you help me? I have to designate an expert today or tomorrow!” Attorneys who wait until “the last minute” are shortchanging themselves and their clients by not utilizing an expert’s years of experience….Some, but certainly not all of the advantages of getting your expert “on board early” are:

1. Early examination of evidence might confirm (or deny) that viable litigation exists.

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