Mastering Reptile Tactics: How Plaintiff Attorneys Secure Larger Verdicts and How Defendant Attorneys Can Avoid Them (2025 Edition)
Kate has spent her entire career defending and counseling individuals and insurance companies accused of not doing their jobs right. Primarily in professional liability, bad faith and sexual misconduct matters, Kate represents those in the legal, insurance, healthcare, real estate, accounting and education fields, among others.
2 hour CLE
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Program Summary
In recent years, plaintiff attorneys have used Reptile Theory (now “Edge”) to secure increasingly larger verdicts by appealing to jurors' sense of danger and the need to protect against it.
This updated CLE program dives into the core strategies behind Reptile Tactics and explores how $1 billion has become the new $1 million in damages.
Attendees will learn how to identify and counter reptilian questions, understand jury persuasion techniques, and implement a solid counter-reptile strategy.
The program also looks at emerging trends in Reptile Theory, equipping defense attorneys with the insights needed to anticipate and effectively challenge these tactics in future litigation.
This course is co-sponsored with myLawCLE.
Key topics to be discussed:
- Understanding Reptile Theory
- Evolution of Damages
- Identifying and Countering Reptilian Questions
- Jury Persuasion Techniques
- Building a Counter-Reptile Strategy
- Future of Reptile Tactics in Litigation
Date / Time: July 31, 2025
- 2:00 pm – 4:10 pm Eastern
- 1:00 pm – 3:10 pm Central
- 12:00 pm – 2:10 pm Mountain
- 11:00 am – 1:10 pm Pacific
Closed-captioning available
Speakers
Kathryn S. Whitlock | McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC
Kate has spent her entire career defending and counseling individuals and insurance companies accused of not doing their jobs right. Primarily in professional liability, bad faith and sexual misconduct matters, Kate represents those in the legal, insurance, healthcare, real estate, accounting and education fields, among others. Kate is highly-skilled in the courtroom and alternative dispute forums; she has tried over 100 cases to jury verdict, bench decision or final arbitrator award in state and federal courts and various other venues.
Kate also handles her own cases through appeal and is often called on by others after they receive a disappointing first level dispute resolution outcome. Kate has been recognized in her practice by The Best Lawyers in America© and Georgia Super Lawyers and was named among America’s Top Lawyers by The American Law Society in 2018.
Kate serves in leadership roles with several national organizations, including Defense Research Institute, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance and Georgia Defense Lawyers Association. In her pursuit to advance the legal field, she regularly lectures and publishes articles on emerging issues related to her litigation practice. Kate is also passionate about mentoring the next generation of trial attorneys.
Outside of MGC, Kate gives her time to non-profit organizations in Atlanta. She has been married to her husband—who is also an attorney—for over 35 years. Together, they share three grown non-lawyer children and two dogs.
Agenda
I. Understanding Reptile Theory | 2:00pm – 2:20pm
II. Evolution of Damages | 2:20pm – 2:40pm
III. Identifying and Countering Reptilian Questions | 2:40pm – 3:00pm
Break | 3:00pm – 3:10pm
IV. Jury Persuasion Techniques | 3:10pm – 3:30pm
V. Building a Counter-Reptile Strategy | 3:30pm – 3:50pm
VI. Future of Reptile Tactics in Litigation | 3:50pm – 4:10pm
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