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Experts & Expert Reports

Experts & Expert Reports. Experts and the FRE FRCP, Rule 26 and experts How are experts used in patent litigation? What belongs in a Rule 26 report? Qualities to look for in an expert Care and feeding of experts. Experts and the FRE.

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Experts & Expert Reports

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  1. Experts & Expert Reports • Experts and the FRE • FRCP, Rule 26 and experts • How are experts used in patent litigation? • What belongs in a Rule 26 report? • Qualities to look for in an expert • Care and feeding of experts

  2. Experts and the FRE • If specialized knowledge will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, a witness qualified as an expert may testify about the evidence or the fact in issue in the form of an opinion or otherwise. FRE 702 • An expert may base his opinion on hearsay if the information is “reasonably relied upon by experts in the particular field in forming opinions or inferences upon the subject. FRE 703

  3. FRCP, Rule 26 and experts • Rule 26 governs discovery pertaining to experts • Requires disclosure of witness list and reports of testifying expert under Rule 26(a)(2) • Must identify all potentially testifying expert witnesses • Any expert witness “retained or specially employed to provide expert testimony” must “prepare and sign” a written report regarding his testimony • Rule 26(a)(2)(B) addresses what the written report must contain • Disclosure statement required for any testifying expert who does not have to provide a full written report. Rule 26(a)(2)(C) • Statement should include subject matter of anticipated testimony and summary of facts and opinions to which witness is expected to testify

  4. FRCP, Rule 26 and experts • Discovery from experts • Can depose after receiving report. Rule 26(b)(4)(A) • Drafts protected from discovery. Rule 26(b)(4)(B) • Non-testifying expert not subject to discovery unless “exceptional circumstances.” Rule 26(b)(4)(B) • Communications between testifying expert and attorney are protected unless communications • Relate to compensation • Identify facts or data provided by party’s attorney that expert considered in forming opinions expressed • Identify assumptions provided by party’s attorney that expert relied on in forming opinions expressed

  5. FRCP, Rule 26 and experts • Supplementing expert witness disclosures and responses • Affirmative duty to supplement or correct information provided in expert’s written report or expert deposition. Rule 26(e)(2) • Consequences of failing to identify expert witness or disclose supplemental information • Precluded from later use unless omission was “substantially justified or harmless.” Rule 37(c)(1)

  6. How Are Experts Used in Patent Litigation? • Consulting experts • Used to educate attorneys • Use to develop viable arguments for later use with testifying expert • Used to evaluate discovery requests and prepare responses • In theory no longer needed

  7. How Are Experts Used in Patent Litigation? • Testifying experts • Markman hearing • Tutorial • Declaration and testimony on meaning of terms to POSA (e.g., Fischell declaration) • Pretrial • Rule 26 expert reports (e.g., Simonsen expert report) • Trial • Technical experts • Teacher of technology • Describe state of art before claimed invention • Apply claims to the accused device or prior art • Damages experts

  8. What Belongs in Rule 26 Expert Report • Under FRCP 26(a)(2)(B), expert report must contain: • Qualifications and publications • Compensation • Cases in which testified in last 4 years • Complete statement of all opinions and bases for them • “Facts and data considered” by expert in forming opinions • Exhibits to be used • Example • Simonsen expert report • Approaches to drafting expert reports • Old Rule 26 • New Rule 26

  9. Qualities to Look for In an Expert • Ability to teach!!! • Credibility • Recognition in field • Thinker • Hard worker • Not a professional expert • Example: Fischell

  10. Care and Feeding of Experts • What do you do if your expert’s initial opinion diverges from yours? • Your burden to educate him • It’s up to you to ensure that you have a committed expert

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