Partner Donald Workman, who heads Baker Hostetler's Bankruptcy Restructuring & Creditors' Rights practice for the Washington, D.C. office, moderated a panel for the Florida Bar Out of State Division at the Bar's October 1, 2008 meeting held in Boston, MA. Steve Dettelbach, a partner in the White Collar practice in the Cleveland and Washington offices, also presented on the panel.
The panel was part of the Bar's educational programs for their approximately 12,000 out of state members and can be viewed online on their website. The title of the panel's presentation was "The Investigation and Trial of a White Collar Case: Navigating Around the Land Mines."
Don led the panel's discussion on investigating and trying a white collar case by serving as both moderator and the hypothetical company representative under the fact scenario presented by the panel. Steve served as the defense counsel. The panel examined such issues as retaining professionals, privilege and work product claims, the computer forensic and E discovery specialist, Daubert and opposing experts, trial preparation, and trial execution. Don also discussed the impact of bankruptcy on the process.
The panelists, who all have years of experience, concluded with a laundry list of action items for the audience to apply in their situations. On the panel with Don and Steve were William Shepherd, Florida's Statewide Prosecutor, Bruce Dubinsky and Erik Layton, both Managing Directors, Duff and Phelps.