How We Work
An attorney needs one expert who will hold up under cross‑examination.
Credentials and experience put an expert on the list. Knowing the person tells us who belongs on your case. That is what Vident Partners has done since 2005.
Complimentary consultation. Often within 24 hours. No obligation.
A better way to find expert witnesses
One right expert, chosen for this case
A stack of CVs leaves the hard part to you: read them all, interview most of them, then interview the finalists again. We do that work first.
We talk through the issues, the jurisdiction and the local rules. We talk to experts we know. Then we tell you who we would choose, and why. When you want to compare, we send more.
“We almost always refer a single expert.”
Peter George, Founder, 2020
How Vident chooses an expert
We know our experts as people
Credentials and experience are where we start. Then we look at how this person explains the subject, how they hold up under questioning and how they will come across to the people deciding your case.
What we verify on the record
- Board certifications and licensure
- Academic credentials and training
- Publication and research history
- Prior deposition and trial testimony
- Daubert and Frye qualification
- Potential conflicts of interest
- Availability for your timeline
- Rate structure and billing practices
What we learn by talking to them
- How clearly they explain the subject
- How they respond when challenged
- Whether they have testified at trial as well
- Where they have testified and how it went
- How they present themselves in a courtroom
A lesson from experience
The best engineer we had ever found
Early on, we referred one of the finest engineers we knew. His report was flawless and his deposition went beautifully.
Then came his first trial. What he wore that day took the jury’s attention away from everything he said.
We have asked about the courtroom ever since.
Deposition and courtroom
A deposition and a trial ask different things
| Topic | Deposition | Courtroom |
|---|---|---|
| Who is there | Attorneys, a court reporter, often a videographer | A judge, often a jury, attorneys, the public |
| Who matters most | Opposing counsel, testing what the expert says | The people deciding the case, hearing it for the first time |
| What is tested | The expert’s statements | The statements, and whether people believe the person |
| What carries | Precision and composure | Plain words, a steady pace, a calm presence |
An expert can be excellent in one and new to the other. So we ask how many of each they have done, and we tell you. A recorded deposition can reach a jury, so how an expert comes across on camera counts too.
The venue
Birmingham is not Kansas City.
Kansas City is not Los Angeles.
Pace, plain speech and how people listen change from one place to the next. We ask experts where they have testified and how it went, and we match that to where your case will be heard.
Pace
How quickly the room wants to hear it.
Plain speech
The words and examples that land here.
The court’s rules
Federal or state, Daubert or Frye.
The setting
A county seat, a downtown courtroom or a camera.
Our process
How an expert gets chosen
Every search is run by our attorney-led team, and every referral is complimentary.
- 1
Tell us about the case
By phone, by email or through our website. The search is complimentary and there is no obligation.
- 2
We ask the questions that narrow it
What the expert has to answer. Consulting or testifying. Where the case will be heard. Whether it is likely to reach a jury. Your deadlines.
- 3
We think about who
Our attorney-led team starts with the experts we know and the question in your case, and we compare notes with each other. If the right person is not yet in our network, we search for them.
- 4
We talk to the expert about your case
We confirm they are qualified on the question, willing to review it and a good fit for it.
- 5
We verify
Credentials, testimony history, Daubert and Frye qualification, conflicts and availability.
- 6
We tell you who we would choose, and why
You receive the expert we recommend, with a note on why they fit this case, often within 24 hours. When you want to compare, we send more.
- 7
We stay with you
You engage the expert directly, and we handle introductions, scheduling and rate discussions. If the first match is not right, we search again at no additional cost.
Behind every referral
Two decades, on both sides of the v.
We work with plaintiff firms, insurance defense, AmLaw 100 firms, the U.S. Department of Justice and international clients. Truth favors no side, and the substance of an opinion is the expert’s alone.
The Vident Authority Network
We publish the standard in each field, with named experts
Every subject in litigation has a standard. The Vident Authority Network defines it, one Center at a time: the science, the governing law, and what an expert in that field is held to. Each Center is anchored by named experts who practice in the field, takes no side, and carries a primary source behind every claim.
Center 01The Synthetic Opioid Project
Pharmacology, toxicology, and causation8 standards sections, 28 primary sourcesEnter the Center →
Center 02The Standard of Care in Schools
Special education, bullying, restraint, and student suicide8 standards sections, 41 primary sourcesEnter the Center →
Center 03The Long-Term Care Standards Project
Pressure injuries, falls, staffing, and the record11 standards sections, 41 primary sourcesEnter the Center →
Center 04The Patient Safety Standards Project
Reporting, review, disclosure, resolution, and clinician support10 standards sections, 46 primary sourcesEnter the Center →Questions attorneys ask
Choosing an expert witness
How do I choose an expert witness?
Start with the question the expert has to answer, then check the record: credentials, publications, prior testimony, and Daubert or Frye history. Then look at the person. Ask how they explain the subject to someone outside the field, whether they have testified at trial, and whether they have testified in a court like yours.
What makes a good expert witness?
Knowledge of the field, a clean record, and the ability to explain the subject plainly and stay steady under questioning. A strong report matters most at deposition. At trial, the jury is also deciding whether they believe the person.
What is the difference between a deposition and trial testimony for an expert?
A deposition usually takes place in a conference room or over video, with attorneys and a court reporter. The questions come from opposing counsel, and the transcript or video can be used later. Trial testimony takes place in front of the judge and often a jury, who are hearing the subject for the first time.
How quickly can you find an expert?
Often within 24 hours.
What does the search cost?
The search and consultation are complimentary. There is no obligation to retain an expert we recommend.
Do you work with plaintiffs and defendants?
Yes. We work with plaintiff firms, insurance defense, government agencies and AmLaw firms. Truth favors no side.
For experts
What an expert can expect from us
- 1
We get to know you
Your field, your testimony and the courts you know.
- 2
We bring cases that fit
Matched to the question in the case by an attorney-led team.
- 3
We handle the business side
One compensation agreement sets your rates, and we write the engagement agreement for each case.
- 4
Your opinions stay yours
The substance of an opinion is the expert’s alone.
Tell us about the case
Talk with Arie George, Managing Partner. The consultation is complimentary, and there is no obligation.