Pushing Buttons - Using the Bad Characters of Others to Your Advantage, with Attorney, Lisa A. Marcy & Attorney, Tina M. Weber | Friday, October 19, 2018, 8:30am - 4:30pm at ASU Law School, downtown Phx

PUSHING BUTTONS: Using the Bad Characters of Other To Your Advantage

with Lisa A. Marcy, attorney & Tina M. Weber, attorney

Introduction by Judge Christopher Whitten

Opposing counsel was overly pleasant and "fair minded." He was even helpful. But, I recognized his pattern - it was identifiable. Soon his generosity was replaced by bitterness and accusation - his demeanor was predictable. Co-counsel advised that we should be nice to him. Not a chance. I knew where his buttons were and intended to push them - his actions were reversible. By the time he stood to deliver his closing, he was, in a word, rude - rude to our client, rude to us, and rude to the jury. The verdict came back in our favor on all 8 counts. We had tried a good case and his rudeness was not the only factor in the decision, but i it was A factor and he was rude because I pushed him there.

Narcissistic patterns play out every day with opposing counsel, co-counsel, clients, witnesses, judges, subordinates and superiors. Narcissists (actual, identifiable people suffering from narcissistic personality disorder) make up 9% of the population. Their ranks in the legal profession might well be higher.

Without understanding the narcissist, you risk having your "straight-forward" case last years, costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, draining your energy, destroying your client's confidence in you, and increasing your exposure to challenges about your handling of the case, perhaps even leading to legal malpractice.

Lisa Marcy and Tina Weber are tested and successful trial lawyers. They offer questions to pose at every phase of a client interview, deposition, negotiation, mediation, or trial to expose the narcissist. Then they deliver proven techniques to disrupt the narcissist's predictable behavior and to turn it to your advantage.

Learn how to effectively:

•  identify the narcissist - who may be closer than you think.
• defend your client and yourself from their destructive behavior.
• maintain zealous advocacy for a narcissistic client.
•  depose, mediate. arbitrate and try your case, while deflating the effect of these dangerous people.
• recognize and work successfully with narcissistic co-counsel.

Program