Tips from the San Francisco ASA expert witness conference on rising to the top

Several things became clear during an intense two-day workshop James J. Mangraviti (SEAK Inc.) recently held in San Francisco as part of the ASA's expert witness conference: (1) It takes unwavering commitment to the profession to become the go-to expert for attorneys; and (2) Business valuators, perhaps more than other professionals with specialized knowledge, face a particular challenge when it comes to educating the jury about their subjects of expertise because jurors tend to view anything having to do with financial analysis and numbers as impenetrable.

Still, the best experts succeed in captivating the jury's attention and standing tall under cross-examination.