Continuing Education Information: Note: If your specialty does not appear below and you desire credits, please contact Karen Cerbarano (781-826-4974 or Karen@seak.com). We can often obtain desired credits upon request, but unfortunately, obtaining some types of credits are not feasible. Please register early, as we can only apply for credits after your registration form has been received and it can take time to get the requested approvals back from the accrediting agencies.

Attorneys: Credit varies by state. Continuing legal education credits for attorneys will only be applied for if requested in writing when sending in the registration form for the conference. Please contact Karen Cerbarano (Karen@seak.com) with any questions.

Engineers: SEAK, Inc. has been approved as an Authorized Provider by the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET), 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102. SEAK, Inc. is authorized by IACET to offer .7 CEUs for this program. PARTIAL CREDIT IS NOT ALLOWED. There are no prerequisites for this intermediate group-live program. No advanced preparation is required. This is an interactive program where learner-instructor dialog is encouraged. No technological skills or equipment is required.

Psychologists: 6.5 CE Credits. SEAK, Inc. is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SEAK, Inc. maintains responsibility for this program and its content. To receive credit each psychologist must attend the entire program, sign in before the program, sign out after the program and return a completed evaluation form. PARTIAL CREDIT IS NOT PERMITTED. There are no prerequisites for this intermediate group-live program. No advanced preparation is required. 

SCHEDULE

8:00–8:30 Continental Breakfast

8:30–9:00 Executive Summary and Initial Demonstration
Brief introductory remarks will be followed by an initial demonstration of an expert deposition utilizing a volunteer attendee. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain why deposition skills are essential for expert witnesses.

9:00–9:30 Understanding the Strategies and Goals of Opposing Counsel
Faculty will review the goals of opposing counsel at depositions. Attendees will also learn the alternative strategies opposing counsel will utilize at depositions to achieve her goals. Demonstrations will drive key points home. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Discuss the strategies and goals of opposing counsel at deposition.

9:30–10:15 Preparing for Your Expert Deposition
Experienced experts understand the significance of their deposition and how opposing counsel will likely be highly prepared to question them. Faculty will provide a detailed checklist of the specific steps that need to be taken to properly prepare for an expert deposition. Attendees will also learn how to help ensure that retaining counsel thoroughly prepares them for their deposition. Faculty will review the specific items experts need to be prepared to explain at their deposition. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe how to properly prepare for an expert deposition.

10:15–10:30 Break and Networking Opportunity

10:30–11:00 Deposition Strategies for Experts
Faculty will discuss the alternative strategies experts may follow at deposition. Faculty will explain how the best strategy to follow depends on many factors including the size of the case, type of case, who the attorneys are, and whether or not retaining counsel believes the case is likely to settle before trial. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Discuss the alternative strategies experts may follow at deposition.

11:00–12:00 Understanding and Defeating Counsel’s Deposition Tactics
Experts who are aware of, able to recognize, and effectively deal with the myriad of opposing counsel’s tactics are highly successful at their depositions. These experts help increase the value of the case and are highly sought after. The faculty will explain, analyze, and review many deposition tactics and will offer specific techniques for defeating each. Demonstrations utilizing volunteer attendees will help illustrate the tactics and defenses. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain opposing counsel’s deposition tactics and how to defeat each tactic.

12:00–1:00 Lunch Provided with Faculty

1:00–1:30 Videotape Deposition-Special Techniques
The number of videotape depositions taken are increasingly rapidly. In this segment the faculty will discuss advanced techniques for excelling at your videotape deposition. Attendees will view samples of effective and ineffective videotape deposition testimony. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain techniques for excelling at videotape depositions.

1:30–2:45 Advanced Deposition Tactics for Experts
The best experts are not only able to effectively respond to opposing counsel’s tactics, they are able to use their own tactics to help present truthful and effective testimony. This segment will describe numerous techniques experts can use to make sure that opposing counsel does not unfairly lock them in, does not take their testimony out of context and does not distort the truth. Demonstrations utilizing volunteer attendees will help illustrate many of these techniques. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Describe techniques the expert can use at depositions.

2:45–3:00 Break and Networking Opportunity

3:00–4:00 Pulling It All Together: Truthfully and Artfully Answering Trick and Difficult Questions at Deposition
In this segment the attendees will be able to practice the skills taught in the course by responding to numerous trick and difficult deposition questions. For each question the faculty and attendees will analyze what tactic opposing counsel is most likely employing, how that tactic can be defeated and various truthful and artful answers to the question. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Discuss methods for responding to trick and difficult questions at depositions.

4:00–4:15 Attendee Specific Trick and Difficult Questions
During this segment attendees will be allowed to submit to the faculty and his or her attendee-peers difficult and trick questions. The faculty and attendees will provide suggestions on truthful and artful ways to answer these questions. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: Explain how to respond truthfully but artfully to trick and difficult questions at depositions.

4:15–4:30 Takeaways, Conclusion and Evaluation
Faculty will take any final questions and solicit from the attendees a concise set of “bullet point” takeaways based on what was learned in this workshop. Questions and Answers. Learning Objective: List the most important concepts, techniques and action steps learned in the program. 

HOTEL INFORMATION

A limited block of rooms will be available at special rates at the site hotel ($199 Resort View / $229 Gulf View). Rooms are limited and this rate expires Monday, March 14, 2011. To make your reservations please call 1-800-237-7600 and mention that you are with SEAK, Inc. These rates are available for a limited time and on a limited number of rooms so you are strongly encouraged to make your reservations as soon as possible. The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club (www.naplesbeachhotel.com) features a gorgeous beach on the Gulf of Mexico, onsite championship golf, an award winning Tennis Center, large beachside swimming pools,complete fitness center, a world class Spa and a complimentary Beach Klub 4 Kids. It is located in the heart of Olde Naples and is a 2-3 minute drive to the world famous shops, galleries and restaurants of Fifth Avenue. Most major domestic carriers and several international airlines provide frequent service into Southwest Florida International Airport, just 40 minutes from the resort. Naples is located approximately 100 miles west of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, 150 miles south of Tampa and is easily reached by automobile.  To make your hotel room reservation please click here.