Secrets to Success: Preparing to Take Depositions

The ability to effectively litigate a case is one of the most marketable skills a lawyer can have. Without considerable experience handling litigation cases from their onset through trial and beyond, it is difficult to understand how each piece of the litigation puzzle fits together. For example, an attorney asked to prepare discovery might not understand how that discovery impacts the greater case including the filing of a potential motion for summary judgment and trial. That ability is key and, while it typically takes years to develop, Elite Litigation Training was created to change that. Elite Litigation Training is a comprehensive civil litigation training course specifically designed to accelerate career success and rapidly increase confidence and competence. The course not only provides attorneys with a detailed understanding of each aspect of the procedural litigation process and mechanism (from initial client intake all the way through trial, appeal, and judgment collection), but also how it is strategically important to the case as a whole. This skill and ability - which would otherwise take years to develop - is critical and attorneys who complete Elite Litigation Training will be able to wield it far beyond their actual years of experience. Elite Litigation Training courses are led by highly experienced and seasoned litigation professionals who have over forty (40) years of combined experience representing both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation matters. This background allows trainers to give attending attorneys a unique and invaluable perspective that provides even more insight into litigation strategy and skills.

Matt D’Abusco is an innovative and highly effective mediator who is committed to helping parties successfully resolve difficult, complex, and emotionally charged disputes. With his diverse background and experience (both on the defense and plaintiff bar), Matt brings a unique approach to mediation, utilizing his ability to understand the positions of all parties to break impasses and find creative and practical solutions to settle disputes. Matt is a seasoned litigator and subject matter expert in employment law, having spent his entire career handling individual, class, and complex disputes across the State of California including those focused on harassment, discrimination, retaliation, leaves of absence, wrongful termination, executive contracts, and wage and hour matters, including those arising under the California Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”). Matt has also litigated a wide variety of business disputes. Matt began his career working for large defense firms where he represented businesses of all sizes ranging from small family-owned shops to Fortune 500 international corporations. During that time, in addition to obtaining successful results for clients in all phases of litigation including at trial and on appeal, Matt continuously ensured his clients’ legal objectives (both in the course of business and during litigation) aligned with their business strategies to set them up for continued growth and success. Matt later founded and ran a boutique plaintiff’s employment firm where he successfully represented hundreds of clients in individual, class, and complex cases. Whether pursuing claims on behalf of single minimum wage workers or Chief Executive Officers, Matt focused on understanding his clients and their objectives and worked tirelessly to get them results. Matt is devoted to understanding and bridging the gaps between the parties’ distinct perspectives. This fuels his approach to mediation and has proven invaluable in helping parties achieve successful resolution of their disputes. Matt trained as a mediator at Pepperdine University School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. He has been recognized as a Legal Visionary by the Los Angeles Times and as both a Rising Star (2015 to 2017) and Super Lawyer (2019 through 2024) by Super Lawyers Magazine.

Cynthia is a neutral who offers a unique perspective. Prior to transitioning her practice to full-time mediation, Cynthia served as plaintiff, defense and in-house counsel. This affords her an exceptional grasp unmatched by most other mediators. She is also a Spanish speaker. Cynthia’s varied experience enables her to appreciate the perspectives of both plaintiffs and defendants. She brings a sensitivity and understanding that allows her to relate to the parties in both rooms. She is also able to appreciate the business perspectives of employers and in- house counsel. These skills have enabled her to resolved numerous disputes, from single plaintiff matters to large class action and PAGA claims. Cynthia’s significant and wide-ranging experience also allows her to bring a deep technical understanding of the law to her role as mediator. Prior to becoming a full-time neutral, Cynthia dedicated her 27+ year career to employment law. Cynthia began focusing on employment law in earnest when she joined Jackson Lewis, P.C., where she became an Equity Shareholder. Cynthia represented a wide array of clients from Fortune 100 companies to small family-owned businesses. Cynthia expertly litigated matters involving discrimination, sexual harassment, disability claims, leave issues and wage and hour violations (including class action and PAGA). Cynthia developed a large client base who relied on her not only for litigation but also for her deep understanding of the law, in particular those relating to wage and hour and leaves of absence. Cynthia then took her experience to serve as in-house counsel for Towne Park, a nationwide employer with over ten thousand employees. Here, Cynthia not only provided daily advice regarding numerous employment law issues, she also supervised outside counsel and regularly advised the C-Suite on matters of significance. During her tenure with Towne Park, Cynthia developed a strong understanding of the partnership between in-house counsel and their business partners. This allowed Cynthia to effectively represent Towne Park in a variety of settings including in litigation, before administrative agencies and in mediation. rom there, Cynthia became a Shareholder at Ares Law Group, P.C., a boutique plaintiffs employment law firm. where she exclusively represented employees. Cynthia was known as a litigator with a wealth of knowledge, often able to identify unique violations, particularly with respect to pay practices and leave management. Cynthia also assisted executives with severance negotiations. She was also able to empathize with her clients and the experiences which brought them to her office. Cynthia has litigated several cases to trial and arbitration, which provides her a strong understanding of the risks associated with employment law claims. This wealth of experience coupled with Cynthia’s unique ability to establish connections and understand the competing interests enables her work with the parties to find the right resolution.