Program Details
2026-07-10 14:00:00
Over 1,000+ webinars
Course Overview
2026-07-10 14:00:00
2h CLE Credits
Intermediate
2
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm ESTExamine the definition and core principles of Reptile theory, including how plaintiffs leverage fear and safety rules to influence jurors. Identify early warning signs in pleadings and correspondence, and trace the direct line connecting Reptile tactics to nuclear verdicts.
Donald Patrick Eckler
Kate S. Whitlock 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm ESTExplore how third-party litigation funding, alternative business structures, and private equity investments are reshaping the legal industry. Connect these structural shifts to aggressive marketing strategies and juror conditioning that set the stage for Reptile tactics and inflated verdicts.
Donald Patrick EcklerKate S. Whitlock 3:10 pm - 3:20 pm ESTUse written filings and motions to neutralize Reptile arguments before they reach the jury. Leverage procedural tools to limit inflammatory framing, and align defense strategy with jury psychology to counteract plaintiff pre-conditioning and fear-based narratives early in litigation.
Donald Patrick EcklerKate S. Whitlock 3:20 pm - 3:50 pm ESTSpot Reptile questioning techniques during discovery and deploy tactical objections to protect the record. Prepare witnesses to recognize loaded safety-rule questions, avoid traps that reinforce the plaintiff’s narrative, and maintain composure under aggressive deposition pressure.
Donald Patrick EcklerKate S. Whitlock 3:50 pm - 4:10 pm ESTApply voir dire approaches that uncover juror bias rooted in pre-conditioning. Use cross-examination techniques to reframe safety rule arguments on your terms, and deliver closing strategies that dismantle Reptile’s fear-based appeal and restore rational decision-making.
Donald Patrick EcklerKate S. WhitlockDonald Patrick Eckler is a Partner and Chicago Office Co-Chair at Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, where he also serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions national practice section, Vice-Chair of the Midwest Coverage Team, Vice-Chair of the Transactional Risks/Representations & Warranties practice team, and a member of the Appellate Advocacy Section. A highly experienced litigator, he focuses his practice on professionals, insurers, and businesses in disputes in state and federal courts across Illinois and Indiana — representing lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers, and other professionals in malpractice defense, coverage disputes, and complex commercial litigation. He is an active voice in the organized defense bar at both the state and national level, publishes a weekly column in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, co-hosts the Podium and Panel Podcast, and is among the most prolific legal commentators on LinkedIn in the Midwest defense bar. Before law school, he spent three years teaching history and coaching high school and college basketball. He holds a J.D. from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law.
Kate Whitlock is a Partner at McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has spent her entire career defending and counseling individuals and companies accused of professional misconduct. Her practice centers on professional liability, bad faith, and sexual misconduct matters, representing clients in the legal, insurance, accounting, real estate, and education fields, among others. She has tried over 100 cases to jury verdict, bench decision, or final arbitration award in state court, federal court, licensing board proceedings, arbitration, and other venues — and handles her cases through appeal, often being called upon by other attorneys to assist on appeal after adverse first-level outcomes. In 2025, she earned a Master Negotiation certification from Harvard Law School Executive Education’s Program on Negotiation, and in 2019 she earned the Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designation from CLM. She is a recognized leader in DRI and CLM, a passionate mentor of young trial attorneys, and an active contributor to Atlanta’s nonprofit community. She holds a J.D. and B.A., both with honors, from the University of Iowa.
Donald Patrick Eckler is a Partner and Chicago Office Co-Chair at Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP, where he also serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions national practice section, Vice-Chair of the Midwest Coverage Team, Vice-Chair of the Transactional Risks/Representations & Warranties practice team, and a member of the Appellate Advocacy Section. A highly experienced litigator, he focuses his practice on professionals, insurers, and businesses in disputes in state and federal courts across Illinois and Indiana — representing lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers, and other professionals in malpractice defense, coverage disputes, and complex commercial litigation. He is an active voice in the organized defense bar at both the state and national level, publishes a weekly column in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, co-hosts the Podium and Panel Podcast, and is among the most prolific legal commentators on LinkedIn in the Midwest defense bar. Before law school, he spent three years teaching history and coaching high school and college basketball. He holds a J.D. from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law.
Kate Whitlock is a Partner at McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has spent her entire career defending and counseling individuals and companies accused of professional misconduct. Her practice centers on professional liability, bad faith, and sexual misconduct matters, representing clients in the legal, insurance, accounting, real estate, and education fields, among others. She has tried over 100 cases to jury verdict, bench decision, or final arbitration award in state court, federal court, licensing board proceedings, arbitration, and other venues — and handles her cases through appeal, often being called upon by other attorneys to assist on appeal after adverse first-level outcomes. In 2025, she earned a Master Negotiation certification from Harvard Law School Executive Education’s Program on Negotiation, and in 2019 she earned the Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) designation from CLM. She is a recognized leader in DRI and CLM, a passionate mentor of young trial attorneys, and an active contributor to Atlanta’s nonprofit community. She holds a J.D. and B.A., both with honors, from the University of Iowa.
Requirements
The Alabama State Bar MCLE Commission requires attorneys to complete 12 credits, including 1 ethics, by December 31 of each year. All credits must be reported by February 15 of the following year. A maximum of 12 credits, including 1 ethics credit, may be carried over for 1 year only.
Formats
