McGuireWoods London partner Simon Hems co-authored a recent Q&A in Corporate Counsel Business Journal discussing how attorneys and clients can best utilize expert witnesses to strengthen their positions in a potential dispute.
In the Jan. 20, 2023, story, “When and How to Work With an Expert Witness,” Hems shared insights on the lawyer-expert witness relationship.
Hems, an international dispute resolution and insurance recovery lawyer whose practice focuses on international arbitration, said potential litigants should begin exploring their options for expert witnesses as early in the case as possible. He added that understanding the limits of someone’s expertise can often be just as important as making sure they have both the knowledge and experience of the issues they are being asked to address.
“Experts definitely need a full grip on their report,” Hems told CCBJ. Often there will be “large teams working on a report underneath the appointed expert. And you don’t want the heart-stopping situation where an expert is asked a question in a hearing room, and they look a bit lost and start scanning the room for the assistant who worked on that bit.”