Construction Law Section Meeting (SCN240516)

Tips and Tools for Jury Trials of Construction
Cases on the Complex Litigation Docket

Speaker

Brian J. Donnell, Partner, Barclay Damon

Program Description

In October 2023, in Girolametti v. City of Danbury, a Connecticut jury rendered a verdict for the plaintiff building owners after a five-week trial against the City of Danbury based acts of its building officials during the permitting and construction that the jury found to be in reckless disregard for the health and safety of the public under Conn. Gen. Stat Section 52-577n. The jury awarded the Girolamettis damages of almost $17 million, to which the Court added costs and statutory interest of 10% per annum. The trial court upheld the jury verdict after extensive post-verdict motions and the City has now appealed. Hear from plaintiffs’ counsel, Brian Donnell, about the unique challenges of presenting a complex construction dispute to a jury on some often neglected but important topics, including:

1. Procedural Tips for Jury Selection in Complex Litigation Docket trials
2. Motions in Limine and streamlining the Trial Objection process
3. Trial Management Orders and Trial Exhibit protocols
4. Calling the Other Side’s Key Fact Witnesses as part of the Plaintiff’s case? When do you risk it?
5. The Importance of Requests for Jury Charges and Jury Verdict Forms and Interrogatories
6. Taking the Verdict and the Post-Verdict Motion process

Schedule

5:30 p.m. Networking
6:00 p.m. Dinner
6:30 p.m. Business Meeting
6:45 p.m. Presentation

CLE Credit

1.0 CT Credit (General)

Cost

$50

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