Edward Susolik | Callahan & Blaine

Edward Susolik is the President and CEO of Callahan & Blaine, a powerhouse litigation firm in Orange County with 32 highly experienced litigation trial attorneys. Among its many accomplishments, Callahan & Blaine, which is celebrating its 42th anniversary in 2026, has a $934 Million verdict in a complex business litigation case, the highest jury verdict in Orange County history. In addition to his extensive litigation experience, Mr. Susolik is generally recognized as one of the leading experts in the United States in mediation and settlement strategies, having successfully conducted over 1500 mediations.

Mr. Susolik is also in charge of Callahan & Blaine’s Insurance Department and is considered one of the top insurance coverage attorneys on the West Coast, having successfully handled over 2000 complex insurance disputes and represented hundreds of corporations in disputes with insurance companies in over 30 years. Mr. Susolik can be reached at ed@callahan-law.com or on his cell phone at (949) 422-7900.

Frank F. Daily | The Law Offices of Frank F. Daily, P.A

Frank F. Daily’s practice centers on litigation, primarily on products liability, toxic torts, insurance coverage and regulatory matters, and personal injury matters. He received his undergraduate degree at Duke University (B.A. 1981) and his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis (1984). Mr. Daily is a member of the Bar Association of Baltimore City, the Bar Association of Baltimore County, the American Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, and the Maryland Defense Counsel, Inc. He served as Chair of the Young Lawyers Section of the Bar Association of Baltimore City in 1992-1993 and Chair of the Judiciary Committee from 1993-1996. Mr. Daily served on the Maryland State Bar Association Board of Governors from 1993-1995. Mr. Daily has lectured extensively in the areas of civil litigation, insurance defense and claims handling, and lead paint litigation. Mr. Daily is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has tried over one hundred jury trials. He has been designated a “Super Lawyer” since 2008 by a local publication.

Sayed Emal Wahezi, MD | Montefiore Medical Center

Sayed Emal Wahezi, MD, is Professor and Program Director of the Pain Medicine Fellowship at Montefiore Einstein. Dr. Wahezi’s clinical focus is in interventional pain medicine.

A graduate of State University of New York at Buffalo, Dr. Wahezi earned his Doctor of Medicine in 2005. He completed his internal medicine internship at Cornell University, New York Hospital, Queens in 2006, then came to Montefiore to complete his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation in 2009, serving as chief resident in his final year. In 2010, Dr. Wahezi completed his interventional spine and musculoskeletal fellowship at Spine Technology and Rehabilitation, then returned to Montefiore to complete a pain medicine fellowship in 2013, and created the clinical and academic foundation for Pain Medicine at Montefiore.

Dr. Wahezi’s research interests include innovative percutaneous pain treatments and his basic science interests include the physiology of neuropathic and orthopedic pain. He is actively involved in basic science and clinical studies in pain management. Dr. Wahezi has authored more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed pain journals, book chapters, abstracts and posters. Many of Dr. Wahezi’s publications have led to the innovation of novel interventional pain procedures. He has given more than 200 academic lectures in pain management across the country. He is a reviewer and editor for several pain journals. He also owns several Neuroscience patents in the field of Pain Medicine.

Dr. Wahezi is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is a long-standing member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), American Academy of Pain Medicine, New York Pain Society (NYPS), Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP), Eastern Pain Association (EPA) and Association of Pain Program Directors (APPD). He is a nominated American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR) delegate representative for the American Medical Association’s Expert Panel on Pain Management, nominated representative on ASIPP’s expert lumbar stenosis panel and the Board of Directors for the NYPS. He is also a graduate of the AAP Program for Academic Leadership (PAL) and a past president of the APPD. He serves on the Board of Directors for American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), is a member of the Educational Council for the Association of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN), has Chaired several educational programs for the Association of Regional Anesthesiology and Chronic Pain (ASRA) as well as the New York Pain Congress, and is Chair for the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM) membership council.

Session I – Fragile Plaintiffs, Strong Cases: Litigating the “Eggshell Plaintiff” Rule | 1:00pm – 1:45pm

• What is the “Eggshell Plaintiff” Rule?
  • Defendants take the plaintiff as they are found
  • Focus is on the defendant’s conduct, not the plaintiff’s condition
• Strategies for the plaintiff
  • Practical tools for applying the rule
  • Demonstrating the defendant’s negligence worsened the condition
• Overcoming defense tactics
  • Countering arguments such as deterioration or mitigation
• Common scenarios and realistic examples
  • Applicability to mental health
  • Fragile/elderly plaintiffs
  • Real life stories from Ed Susolik

Break | 1:45pm – 1:55pm

Session II – Negotiating and Litigating Eggshell Plaintiff Cases: Refining your Skills for Success | 1:55pm – 2:55pm

• Low impact motor vehicle collisions
• Effective use of medical records and experts
• Deposing and cross-examining experts in eggshell plaintiff cases

Break | 2:55pm – 3:05pm

Session III – Understanding Defense and Plaintiff Injury Cases: A Medical Perspective | 3:05pm – 3:50pm

• Understanding how to select a medical expert
• Explain how to maximize the efficiency of a medical expert
• Describe how a medical expert should intellectually navigate a case
• Describe how a medical expert should write a report