Robert Woodford’s Post

Beyond the fictional depictions of table pounding and surprise witnesses, cross-examination in actual trials look very different from popular depictions. See a new blog on our website below!

What? You mean Peter Scanavino hasn't been on "Law & Order: SVU" from the beginning? That's OK, he says he'll still take compliments on the show's longevity. #LawAndOrderSVU #LawAndOrder #SVU #PeterScanavino #DominickCarisi #NBC #Peacock #TVShows #BehindTheScenes #LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit #PeacockTV #TV #TVNews #television #Entertainment #EntertainmentNews #Celebrities #Celebrity #CelebrityNews #CelebrityInterviews #TelevisionNews

People build up their wealth over the years, when the time comes they will distribute their wealth in the form of an estate. With a will, while it does provide peace of mind, it can cause drama in a sense that nobody would know how the assets are distributed. But it is better knowing that proper planning is already in place than no planning. Personally I would be happy getting a slice of the cake no matter how big. Reach out now for your Financial Planning needs. #singapore #financialplanning #estateplanning #wills #wealthaccumulation #wealthdistribution

Why is a joke like a Will? It has to be well executed to be any good. Section 9 of the Wills Act 1837 sets out the requirements for a valid will in England & Wales. So, what are the general requirements: 1. It must be in writing. 2. It must be signed by the testator (or someone in their presence who has been instructed to sign the document on their behalf) 3. That the signature is made or acknowledged by the testator in the presence of two or more witnesses at the time. 4. Each witness either: * attests and signs the will; or * acknowledges their signature, in the presence of the testator (but not normally in the presence of any other witnesses), but no form of attestation shall be necessary. As with any joke, timing is also important. While it's not legally required, it's recommended to include the date of execution on the will to avoid uncertainty There is much case law surrounding this. Far too much for this post alone. It is also where some amateur Wills fall down, leading to uncertainty and costly litigation, further stressing the importance of taking professional advice from start to finish. Ideally from Everys Solicitors LLP Thanks to Donna Hart for the LinkedIn challenge! #Wills #PrivateClient #WeAreEverys

I just received a lowkey notification from Roku that its "Dispute Resolution Terms" have changed. Of course, when I saw this, I knew it was going to be something sneaky requiring consumers to arbitrate all claims against Roku (i.e., we consumers must give up our right to jury trials, real judges, full discovery, and appeals in order to use Roku's products and must instead use an unregulated private judge system paid for by corporations). So, curiosity overtook me, and I was INTRIGUED to see that Roku now has specific procedures for "mass arbitrations" in its arbitration agreement. We are starting to see "mass arbitration" requirements in the employment context too. Corporations are allowed to force consumers and employees to give up their right to bring class action lawsuits (thanks, SCOTUS!). Some plaintiffs attorneys have responded to class action waivers by filing hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of individual claims in arbitration. Companies have to pay all of the fees, so this can end up being very expensive. Roku wants to further limit our ability to act collectively. Its arbitration agreement requires a limited number of mass arbitrations to go first, with all of the other claims stayed while the initial "bellwether claims" are arbitrated. Once the bellwethers are concluded, the parties must attend a mediation for all claims. If the mediation fails, then the remaining claims must proceed IN COURT and the parties must have a bench trial (judge must decide, not jury). Why is Roku structuring its arb agreement this way? Because it knows that arbitrators are better than judges or juries for big corporations, but it doesn't want to get stuck paying for 10,000 individual arbitrations if the first 20 go south. There is a 30-day opt-out provision, but it requires you to send a letter detailing all kinds of absurd stuff, and no one is going to do that. Normal people don't understand even simple arbitration agreements, and they certainly don't understand all the inside baseball of mass arbitrations. I think these mass arbitration terms are totally unconscionable, and deprive consumers of due process. Hopefully my plaintiff-side attorney friends will be challenging these types of mass arbitration terms. Happy to help.

🎬 Get ready for a legal showdown this March! 🏀 Join us as we dive into the courtroom drama of your favorite legal movies and TV shows, as we separate fact from fiction through the discerning eyes of our personal injury attorneys. From trials to jaw-dropping verdicts, we'll explore the realistic and unrealistic portrayals of law in entertainment. Whether it's iconic classics or trending series, we'll dissect the legal nuances and share insights that'll leave you seeing these beloved stories in a whole new light. At the end of the month we will be deciding which movie is the most realistic overall, based on our attorney's personal experience. Stay tuned for a month-long journey through the legal jungle, where truth meets fiction! March 31st will be the final draw to determine the most realistic movie AND tv show! (2 Winners/1 from each category) Video explanations for the 2 movies of the week coming the next two days!! The first two up will be movies that you know and love: 💡Legally Blonde VS. My Cousin Vinny 💡 What's your favorite movie out of the bunch? #LegalMarchMadness #LawAndEntertainment #marchmadness #legalmovies #RealisticLaw #MarchMadnessLaw #LawyerMovieMadness #LegalScaleMadness #RealismLaw #moviereview #legalmovie #bestlegalmovie #lawyertake #lawyerreact

🎥 If you want to get to know our trainee solicitors better you can now watch our getting to know the trainee video series in one playlist on YouTube ➡️➡️ https://lnkd.in/e5kYSi6j

Explore Mdakane Attorneys Inc's latest article on Producer Agreements. As the roles of Producers and Beatmakers continue to evolve, particularly with the emergence of genres such as Amapiano, House, and Hip Hop, disputes over royalties and ownership have become more prevalent. The article provides a detailed breakdown of 6 critical aspects of Producer Agreements that you need to consider. Read the full article to gain comprehensive insights and ensure that your agreements are well-structured. 🔗 Read the full post below: https://lnkd.in/dVcjhv7n

The only thing more exciting than binge-watching Netflix? Estate planning 😉 Let us help you keep the family drama where it belongs... on the screen. Give Inhulsen Law a call today to talk about your estate planning needs!

You want the attorney you hire to always be courteous and professional—ESPECIALLY to an adversary in litigation. Not only is civility an obligation lawyers and other professionals owe to society at large, IT IS IN YOUR SELF INTEREST for your attorney to treat an adversary with decency and respect. Gratuitous disrespect will nurse in your opponent an irrational desire to win. I would much rather be in a fight with someone who knows and cares about the fact they can bleed than with someone who is so angry at me their sole focus is to cause me pain. For that reason, although it makes for good entertainment in legal dramas, you actually don't want a scorched-earth attorney. Fighting for the sake of fighting in a legal context takes an enormous financial and emotional toll. On the flip side, courtesy can be taken too far. For example, in the classic screen adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch brings Mayella Ewell’s credibility into question through a demonstration of the accused’s physical inability to restrain another individual. “Do you want to tell us what really happened?,” he then asks her. An okay question, but then he lets her appeal to the jury's honor and manliness for an entire minute. https://lnkd.in/gVn5Xxbp Ideally, Atticus would have let his question hang in the air for only a moment and then said, “Question withdrawn; no further questions.” If he stops there, case closed. Not guilty. At the very least, he should have objected and cut her off when her testimony strays from answering the actual question. The takeaway: as you size up your litigator candidates, ask yourself whether they are professional and level-headed enough to never gratuitously disrespect an opponent but at the same time whether they have enough of an edge to: (1) uncover the truth; and (2) forcefully present it to a jury.