The Executive's Guide to Depositions

Book excerpt: The Executive's Guide to Depositions is a field manual for executives facing depositions in commercial cases. It is an indispensable treatise for anyone, including corporate counsel and educators, in need of an in-depth understanding of the strategies underlying taking and defending depositions. Written by an attorney with a broad range of litigation experience, the guide offers prospective deposition witnesses practical advice regarding maximizing value from counsel and minimizing witness expense and inconvenience. After previewing the content and style of typical deposition questioning, the guide surveys approaches to preparing for deposition testimony, including developing effective communication techniques, avoiding common witness pitfalls, and handling loaded questions. The guide comprehensively examines issues regarding protecting confidential information, recognizing attorney conflicts of interest, giving expert testimony, testifying at a videotaped deposition, and accommodating disabilities. The emphasis of the guide is on empowering witnesses, through case-focused preparation with qualified counsel, to testify accurately and convincingly, notwithstanding rigorous cross-examination by the opposition's attorney. Book jacket.