Evolving Standards for Daubert Challenges in Environmental Litigation
Pesticides, Herbicides, Airborne Toxins, Climate Change, and Fracking
Recording of a 90-minute CLE webinar with Q&A
This CLE course will examine the evolving standards for Daubert challenges in toxic tort and environmental litigation. The panel will summarize developments related to expert-witness testimony in the most highly-contentious environmental disputes, and provide insight into successful strategies—based on recent state and federal rulings—for presenting or defending a Daubert challenge.
Outline
- Evolving Standards for Daubert Challenges
- Herbicides and pesticides
- Airborne toxins
- Climate change
- Fracking
- Dispositive Motions in the Daubert hearing
- Daubert’s application to toxic tort and environmental litigation
- Is the expert qualified?
- Is the testimony reliable and relevant?
- Strategies for presenting and defending Daubert challenges
Benefits
The panel will review these and other relevant questions:
- How can counsel effectively challenge the most novel theories of environmental expert witnesses?
- What lessons can be learned from recent cases related to herbicides, pesticides, airborne toxins, climate change, and fracking?
- How do courts construe a proffered expert’s reliability?
- What role do regulatory compliance issues play in these types of litigation?
Faculty
R. Trent Taylor
Partner
McGuireWoods
Mr. Taylor defends complex toxic tort and products liability cases with an emphasis on public and private nuisance... | Read More
Mr. Taylor defends complex toxic tort and products liability cases with an emphasis on public and private nuisance litigation, environmental contamination suits, and food safety issues. His experience includes defending clients in class actions, MDL coordinated proceedings, nationwide mass tort litigation, and appellate cases involving complex scientific and medical issues.
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Jim Wedeking
Counsel
Sidley Austin
Mr. Wedeking is an environmental litigator, representing large companies in the defense of criminal and civil... | Read More
Mr. Wedeking is an environmental litigator, representing large companies in the defense of criminal and civil enforcement actions, toxic tort defense, and complex civil litigation. A key aspect of his practice includes developing an involved understanding of how a client’s facilities and operations function, given the complex scientific and technical issues that are typically the subject of litigation. These clients have included large companies in the oil and gas, electric power, chemical manufacturing, mining, and automotive industries.
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