Settlement Nation - podcast cover

Settlement Nation

Courtney Barberwww.settlementnation.com

Conversations with leading trial lawyers and settlement professionals on topics ranging from advice and strategies from top trial lawyers, settlement planning for plaintiffs, tax planning for attorneys, and future innovations in the legal and insurance industries. Brought to you by Independent Life, the only plaintiff focused structured settlement provider, and hosted by Courtney Barber. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on the Settlement Nation podcast are those of the guests, and not necessarily those of Independent Life or its affiliates.

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Episodes

Sharpen Your Edge: Daily Habits That Set Elite Trial Lawyers Apart

Self-improvement is a daily commitment, not a one-time event. The most successful trial lawyers don’t just rely on talent; they find inspiration in everyday moments , fuel their mornings with positive content , and stay mindful of the information they consume because they know it shapes their mindset . In this episode of Settlement Nation , Courtney dives deep into how trial lawyers can optimize their mental game, cut out distractions, and build a high-performance routine that leads to daily suc...

Feb 04, 202511 minSeason 1Ep. 75

EvenUp: Closing the Justice Gap Through Technology and AI with Ray Mieszaniec

In this episode, Courtney discusses all things technology and AI with the COO of EvenUp , Ray Mieszaniec, exploring how their groundbreaking Claims Intelligence Platform™ is THE solution for personal injury law firms. EvenUp, featured in Forbes "Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2024", having also recently announced $135 million in new funding, provides complete insights for plaintiff lawyers, looking to supercharge their practises. From AI workflow automation to demands, medical chronologies and neg...

Oct 16, 202439 minSeason 1Ep. 74

Leveraging AI For Massive Legal Growth with Bob Simon & Jakob Norman (Part 2)

In Part 2 of this episode, Courtney sits down with legal innovators Bob Simon ( Simon Law Group ) and Jakob Norman ( Trial Lawyers For Justice ), to explore how AI is transforming the legal landscape. They explore how AI tools can streamline content production, the importance of social media platforms for lawyers and how to identify which tools to use for your market and brand. They also discuss the innovative features of the Attorney Share marketplace, as well as Law Di Gras and Trial By Human ...

Oct 10, 202419 minSeason 1Ep. 73

Leveraging AI For Massive Legal Growth with Bob Simon & Jakob Norman (Part 1)

In Part 1 of this episode, Courtney sits down with legal innovators Bob Simon ( Simon Law Group ) and Jakob Norman ( Trial Lawyers For Justice ), to explore how AI is transforming the legal landscape. From streamlining legal research and document review, to amplifying content marketing efforts, AI is proving to be a game-changer for law firms. Bob & Jakob also discuss how trial lawyers should embrace AI and technology to stay competitive, grow their brand and attract new clients. This episod...

Sep 18, 202423 minSeason 1Ep. 72

Things We Love & Need: 5 Genius Travel Buys For Trial Lawyers

Welcome back to the show and to 'Things We Love & Need', the series that showcases simple and effective items that support the busy trial lawyer on the go! In this episode I cover 5 items that will streamline your travel experience and keep you prepared for anything: a pop up work station, an ultra compact and powerful phone charger, a way to keep fresh after any flight or long day in court, a travel tech organizer for all those cords, and a multi-purpose garment bag that keeps your suits wr...

Jul 23, 202423 minSeason 1Ep. 70

Applying Pressure on the Defense with James Murphy

In this episode of Settlement Nation, James (Jim) Murphy from Claggett & Sykes Law Firm dives deep into his strategies for applying pressure on the defense, by conducting thorough insurance discovery. After 20 years working as an insurance defense attorney, Jim knows the critical questions plaintiff attorneys must ask to uncover all layers of coverage, including excess policies and endorsements. We highlight the importance of discovering exclusions, deductibles, and self-insured retentions, ...

Jun 24, 202437 minSeason 1Ep. 69

Exclusive: Introducing Brutal Honesty with National Trial Lawyer Nick Rowley

Tune in to this bonus episode of Settlement Nation as we discuss the launch of renowned trial lawyer Nick Rowley's new podcast - Brutal Honesty . This special episode offers a exclusive glimpse into the topics he will be covering each episode with listeners, sharing insights, expertise and stories from the courtroom and beyond. Whether you're a legal aficionado or someone who has overcome considerable odds in your life or profession, Brutal Honesty promises to cover what it really takes to be ex...

May 09, 20244 minSeason 1Ep. 68

Tactical Law: Building a Successful Trial Firm with Matt Granda

In this episode of Settlement Nation I chat with Matt Granda, the Managing Partner of Claggett and Sykes Law Firm. As well as being a personal injury lawyer, Matt oversees all of the operations and the 'business' of Claggett and Sykes, growing the firm to over 60 employees, 20 attorneys and 2 locations. Today we dive into actionable advice on building your firm to thrive. As a Marine veteran, Matt knows what it takes to lead an organization, and shares his unique strategies for growing a success...

Apr 23, 202447 minSeason 1Ep. 67

Deciphering mTBI in the Courtroom with Trial Lawyer Nolan Drafahl

In this episode of Settlement Nation I chat with Nolan Drafahl; the founder of Drafahl Law out of St. Louis, Missouri. Nolan is a trial lawyer and has recovered millions for his clients through jury trials, fighting for those who have been seriously harmed. Today we get REAL with all of our listeners, talking through the types of cases primarily seen in most of your practises. We break down Nolan's recent verdict on a low speed, mTBI collision case and uncover the 3 most important things he lear...

Mar 18, 202443 minSeason 1Ep. 66

War Chest Wednesday: Transforming How Trial Lawyers Connect, Learn & Engage

Welcome back to our series War Chest Wednesday, where we showcase tips, tools and resources to help power your fight for justice. Today I am joined Bob Dryzgula, the Co-Founder of Function4, powering the largest industry event databases in financial services, and now, law. Bob shares a brand new, industry breaking launch - The Trial Lawyers Events Hub , where trial lawyers and legal professionals can advance, connect and excel. This platform allows you to access training, CLE's and legal events ...

Jan 31, 202418 minSeason 1Ep. 65

Trying the Lie with Trial Lawyers For Justice

Welcome back to the show in 2024! In this episode of Settlement Nation, I chat with Jakob Norman and Brian Ward from Trial Lawyers For Justice. Jakob and Brian break down their $63M verdict against Chevron for covering up a toxic chemical pit, using Trial by Human techniques that they teach nationwide on their roadshow. Practising what they preach, both trial lawyers demonstrate how they used the Trial by Human method in voir dire, opening, finding the human story, visuals and how to weaponize h...

Jan 14, 20241 hr 16 minSeason 1Ep. 64

The Winning Formula of Working Hard & Being Kind with Trial Lawyer Sean Claggett (Part 2)

(Part 2): In this episode of Settlement Nation, I continue my conversation with Sean Claggett; founder, partner and lead trial lawyer of Claggett & Sykes Law Firm. We discuss three of Sean's most successful verdicts, including an in depth look at his recent $485 Million verdict against healthcare giant Acadia Healthcare in New Mexico. We also discuss the importance of big data, executing a game plan based on facts and myths surrounding "conservative venues". If you are a plaintiff trial lawy...

Dec 07, 202344 minSeason 1Ep. 63

War Chest Wednesday: The Power of Legal Visualizations for Trial Lawyers with Iconographics

Welcome back to our series War Chest Wednesday, where we showcase tips, tools and resources to help power your fight for justice. Today I am joined by by Michelle Jordan, the founder of Iconographics and her team Shawn Kinsey, Director of Forensic Visualization and Emily Beikirch, Director of Medical Visualization. Iconographics is the premiere visual company for trial lawyers. We talk about some recent cases where their powerful and persuasive visuals resulted in seven figure results, and how t...

Nov 08, 202318 minSeason 1Ep. 62

The Winning Formula of Working Hard & Being Kind with Trial Lawyer Sean Claggett (Part 1)

(Part 1): In this episode of Settlement Nation, I chat with Sean Claggett; founder, partner and lead trial lawyer of Claggett & Sykes Law Firm. Sean is an adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Boyd School of Law, as well as a long time entrepreneur and teacher, giving a lot of his time back to helping others become better trial lawyers. Sean has achieved numerous record breaking results, securing one of the largest personal injury verdicts in New Mexico history this year -...

Oct 17, 202333 minSeason 1Ep. 61

Things We Love & Need: 5 Cool Products to Upgrade Daily Productivity For Trial Lawyers

Welcome back to the show, and to a brand new series - 'Things We Love & Need'. This series showcases simple and effective items that support the busy trial lawyer on the go! From office upgrades to travel hacks, cool tech gadgets and products you never knew you needed, each episode will feature items recommended by myself and fellow trial lawyers, so you can stay your most productive and focused self. In this episode I cover 5 items that will up-level your WFH experience: a lap desk that mak...

Sep 01, 202327 minSeason 1Ep. 60

Confessions of a Former Defense Attorney (Part 5)

(Part 5): We are back with your favorite series and a brand new guest! In this episode I chat with James (Jim) Murphy from Claggett & Sykes Law Firm. Jim, now a plaintiff trial lawyer, has spent 20 years working as an insurance defense attorney and brings his unique perspective to Settlement Nation , shedding light on defense strategies. With a deep understanding of the tactics used by insurance companies, we cover defense assumptions, adjuster attitudes, coverage issues and many more import...

Jul 10, 202356 minSeason 1Ep. 59

From the Battlefield to the Boardroom with Green Beret Jason Van Camp (Part 2)

In this episode of Settlement Nation I sit down with Jason Van Camp, a decorated Green Beret, Ranger and West Point graduate, turned successful entrepreneur and high performance coach. In Part 2 of this multi-part series, Jason shares more battlefield lessons from his book "Deliberate Discomfort", demonstrating how anyone can develop the warrior mindset and do more with their life. We discuss why you need to be taking small doses of 'venom' everyday, how looking up under pressure is so critical,...

May 31, 202348 minSeason 1Ep. 58

How the Human Approach Drives Success with Trial Lawyer Arkady Frekhtman

In this episode of Settlement Nation I speak with Arkady Frekhtman from Frekhtman and Associates, a New York City trial lawyer passionate about helping serious injury victims and their families. Arkady and his firm have been able to recover over $900M for their clients, and have received some of the top verdicts and settlements in New York state history. Rated in the Top 10 personal injury firms in NYC, Arkady and I discuss client acquisition, valuations, why you should build your case for trial...

May 09, 202345 minSeason 1Ep. 57

Scaling Up: Strategies for Growing and Maximizing Your Law Firm with Ryan McKeen

In this episode of Settlement Nation, I chat with Ryan McKeen, the CEO and Co-Founder of Connecticut Trial Firm. Ryan is a trial lawyer, receiving the highest bodily injury verdict in the state - 100M, as well as a published author and Inc 5000 honoree. We discuss how to run your law practice like a successful business; everything from vision to scalability, systems, cash flow, identifying important tasks and how to get more cases in the door. A must listen for startups, solos or exisiting small...

Mar 30, 202345 minSeason 1Ep. 56

War Chest Wednesday: Upgrade Your Money Mindset

Welcome back to our series War Chest Wednesday, where we showcase tips, tools and resources to help power your fight for justice. This episode features Kristin Neerhof from Sage Settlement Consulting. Kristin assists plaintiffs and attorneys by developing comprehensive financial plans, that include strategies for tax deferral, wealth management, annuities, retirement and business growth. Whether you are a solo, small firm or large company, Kristin provides the tools and knowledge needed to estab...

Mar 01, 202332 minSeason 1Ep. 55

Expanding Your Horizons with Trial Lawyer Lauren Wood

In this episode of Settlement Nation I sit down with Lauren Wood, a trial lawyer with Omega Law Group and the founder of the Women in Trial Travel Summit (WITTS). Lauren has obtained hundreds of six and seven-figure verdicts and settlements for her clients, and has tried numerous cases to verdict, either as a solo attorney or lead chair. She has been named a Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2016 and with her years of experience within the legal industry, saw an oppo...

Feb 13, 202330 minSeason 1Ep. 54

The Success Blueprint with Adam Savin, Brian Kim & Maureen Hennessey

Welcome back to Settlement Nation in 2023! We start the year with a great interview with Adam Savin, Brian Kim and Maureen Hennessey from Savin Bursk Law. These three trial lawyers make up a dynamic team; from their marketing smarts to their results, with many huge settlements and verdicts between them, including a recent 18.79M jury verdict on a slip and fall case in California. In this episode we chat about the framework they used for calculating noneconomic damages for pain and suffering in t...

Jan 04, 20231 hr 3 minSeason 1Ep. 53

Lessons From a $206M Verdict with Trial Lawyer Thomas Shaw

In this episode of Settlement Nation, I chat with Thomas E. Shaw from Dallas, Texas. Thomas has been practising law for over 38 years, has worked alongside some of the biggest names in the industry and has cultivated a reputation as a fierce advocate for his clients. Today we discuss his recent $206 Million verdict - but not as a 'war' story. Tom takes his time to show other lawyers what he did, how he did it and the experts he brought that made a difference in this case. We talk about his proce...

Nov 23, 202246 minSeason 1Ep. 52

War Chest Wednesday: More Whistleblowers Equals More Zeros with Stratejic

Welcome back to our series War Chest Wednesday, where we showcase tips, tools and resources to help power your fight for justice. This episode features Paul Littrel Jr. and Connor McDuffie from Stratejic Relationships. Stratejic harvests knowledgeable ex-employees that your defendant is praying you won’t find. Pioneers in 'insider witness mining', Stratejic documents the exact nature of systemic wrongs by defendant companies. They identify & obtain compelling testimony from former employees ...

Nov 09, 202219 minSeason 1Ep. 51

War Chest Wednesday: Powerful & Persuasive Visuals for Litigation

Welcome back to our series War Chest Wednesday, where we showcase tips, tools and resources to help power your fight for justice. In this episode I chat with Michelle Jordan and Rory Herington from Iconographics, a visual company founded by trial lawyers that know and understand trials. Iconographics ensure your client’s story is told through powerful and persuasive visuals – whether in a settlement opportunity letter, at mediation, or in trial. From crash reconstruction animation to medical ani...

Oct 12, 202217 minSeason 1Ep. 50

From Combat to the Cowboys with Chad Hennings

In this episode of Settlement Nation I sit down with Chad Hennings, a man who really has achieved a legacy of excellence. Chad had a nine year NFL career and three Super Bowl Championships with the Dallas Cowboys, flew forty-five combat missions with the Air Force during the Gulf War, flying the A10 Thunderbolt, and is now a successful real estate entrepreneur and sought after key note speaker. In this episode we discuss how to thrive through massive pressure and responsibility, the keys to livi...

Sep 29, 202242 minSeason 1Ep. 49

The Warriors Way with Trial Lawyer Kurt Zaner

In this episode of Settlement Nation, Courtney sits down with trial lawyer Kurt Zaner from Zaner Harden Law out of Denver, Colorado. Kurt has dedicated his legal career to representing individuals against modern day Goliaths, and becoming the champion for those that seemingly have the odds overwhelmingly stacked against them. He has many notable verdicts and settlements under his belt, including securing the largest premises liability verdict in the history of Colorado ($16M). Kurt is a publishe...

Sep 13, 202252 minSeason 1Ep. 48

From the Battlefield to the Boardroom with Green Beret Jason Van Camp

In this episode of Settlement Nation we sit down with Jason Van Camp, a decorated Green Beret, Ranger and West Point graduate, turned successful entrepreneur and high performance coach. In Part 1 of this multi-part series, Jason shares his blueprint for getting comfortable with the uncomfortable and how to thrive under pressure. Discussing key takeaways from his bestselling book "Deliberate Discomfort", Jason shares the lessons he learnt from real life examples on the battlefield, translating th...

Aug 14, 202248 minSeason 1Ep. 47

Improv For Trial with Brian Breiter & Joseph Limbaugh

In this episode of Settlement Nation we sit down with trial lawyer Brian Breiter and actor Joseph Limbaugh from Improv for Trial - the preeminent academy for teaching improvisational theatre techniques to trial lawyers, helping you to become skilled at adapting to unexpected or unplanned situations in the courtroom. Brian was nominated for trial lawyer of the year for 2020 & 2019 by CAALA and has over 100M in verdicts and settlements, as well as performing in over 1000 improv shows. Joseph h...

Jul 11, 20221 hr 4 minSeason 1Ep. 46

Qualified Settlement Fund Tax Myths for Trial Lawyers with Robert Wood

In this episode of Settlement Nation we sit down with Robert Wood, a managing parter at Wood LLP and tax expert, often listed among the top ten tax lawyers in the USA. Robert is a widely published author (Tax Notes, Forbes) known for explaining and demystifying complex tax concepts and advising plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, and settlement funds on settlements and judgments. We discuss his latest article "Qualified Settlement Fund Tax Myths" (link below) and why Qualified Settlement Funds (468...

Jun 09, 202227 minSeason 1Ep. 45
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