Geoff Berg Is Litigious

Other than lawyers and corporate executives, almost nobody really knows (or cares) what a fiduciary duty is, but everybody knows what betrayal means. When someone you trust turns on you, it can send you reeling. The same is true in business: Employees take your business’ secret information and start a competing company, a broker trades on your account just to earn a commission, a lawyer inflates a bill. In life, this is called “che...

After decades of insurance company propaganda about “lawsuit abuse” designed to get people to vote to deny themselves the right to recover if they’ve been hurt, jurors are now conditioned to believe injuries are exaggerated or even fabricated by the lawyers who represent victims. Houston injury lawyer Katie James (you know her as CarwreckKatie.com) joins to explain how she’s done it so successfully – how she picks juries, tries cas...

Dan Aykroyd is on the podcast. Do you really need more information? Ok, Aykroyd owns Crystal Head Vodka, which sued a competitor for stealing the bottle’s design. The design was created by Crystal Head’s other owner, legendary artist John Alexander. The case was tried, lost, appealed, sent back down. Then a new trial lawyer – one of the top 4 in the Berg family, David – took it to trial and won. Aykroyd, Alexander, and the other Be...

George Clooney opines about politics – again – despite my previous ruling that he is not to be taken seriously pursuant to Tex.R.Evid. 702. I thought I made that clear. Trump, just one week after the episode on this topic, gives the perfect example of a rambling, incoherent, nonresponsive answer to a simple, direct question. His response is stricken. Next, the “get back to the constitution” crowd melts down when the copyright claus...

If a politician is asked whether they voted yes or no on a bill and starts rambling about what an honor it is to be there and how a middle class kid from the Midwest never imagined they’d be in this position, there’s not much a reporter can do except ask the question again. But if a witness gives an answer like that, the judge will point his or her finger and order the witness to answer it with the threat of contempt (and, theoreti...

Every four years, Donald Trump whines about what people are “allowed” to say. But even Walter Sobchak knows prior restraint is unconstitutional. General rules, though, are made to be broken. A court could, for example, order a competitor to stop publishing ads saying the queso at Mar-A-Lago is made with greasy used bronzer and Aqua Net particulates (unless it’s true, and the makers of this podcast have no reason to believe it is, t...

Donald Trump thinks Kamala Harris’ huge Detroit rally was AI and nobody was really there, which is something a person says out loud in public if they’re not not mentally ill. If this was a lawsuit, Trump’s lawyers would be in front of a judge begging that he not be required to submit to a psychiatric evaluation - a fight they would lose. Plus, we hit a big milestone this week in the fight to recover stolen crypto for our clients at...

Saying Trump "does things outside the guardrails" is understated at best. But what does that actually mean? Why does it matter when a candidate concedes and why does lying about an election harm customs and norms? You’d think the answer would be obvious – and you’re probably right, but what does that have to do with jury trials? A lot, actually. Let's discuss how democratic norms translate to courtroom conduct and respect for the r...

Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz’s observation that “these guys are just weird” is making Trump act even weirder, which seemed impossible just two weeks ago. Is demeaning and humiliating your opponent through pithy and dismissive observations as effective in court as it is in politics? Well, yeah unless it turns out you're the weirdo completely lacking in self-awareness. But Trump and Vance aren’t the only freaks. Self-righteous leftwi...

When the president exited the race, Trump argued Republicans should be reimbursed because Biden defrauded them into spending millions of dollars running against him. This, of course, is imbecilic but it raises the question: How do you prove fraud in court? Glad you asked! We also have a crypto update. This week, my team and I got a court order freezing wallets containing assets belonging to victims of "pig butchering." And radio le...

After a worldwide IT outage blamed on Crowdstrike, the company’s CEO says it was a problem “we’ve caused,” which is an admission that makes lawsuits against the company that much easier. So how to deal with trying those cases? As in any trial, an attorney should address your worst evidence in your own case. That's something Geoff’s brother and sister liberals would be well advised to keep in mind when they start spouting hippie non...

Now that Beryl has passed, insurance companies are going to be sending armies of adjusters to Houston eager to write checks. Paying you everything you’re owed makes them no money, so that’s not why they’re coming. They’re there to pay you as little as you’re willing to take while you’re desperate, which is going to lead to a metric ton of Beryl-related litigation. How and when to sue your chintzy insurer – discussion from an expert...

When crypto scammers con you out of your money, it’s almost always gone and never coming back. Working with a team of extremely sophisticated investigators using technology understood only by indoor people, Geoff may have found some and is filing suit to find out. How (maybe) to get your stolen money back. And, in honor of the 4th, Geoff explains how we didn’t throw the baby out with the British bathwat...

If the 'Hawk Tuah' girl lived in Texas, could she be fired for her enthusiastic endorsement of thang spitting upon? Geoff explains how free speech could cost you a steady paycheck. Plus, Geoff talks about what might happen if the City of Galveston tried to ban the kind of comments NBA legend Charles Barkley made about "America's Greatest Resort Destination" and illustrates the fundamental problem with Texas' attempt to curb online ...

Finally, a lawyer with a podcast! This is a show about the law, politics, jury trials, and what to expect when you're expecting (to sue or be sued). Geoff Berg is a delightfully rambunctious trial lawyer with 30 years of experience. Based in Houston, he's recovered or saved hundreds of millions of dollars for his clients. The extremely perceptive writers at the Houston Chronicle said Geoff is “one of the best-known experts and thin...