Karen L. Bashor (Partner-Las Vegas) and Stratton Horres (Senior Counsel-Dallas) co-authored “Avoiding Shock Verdicts - When it comes to billion-dollar settlements, handle with care,” published in the October 2022 issue of CLM Magazine. The article is part of a series of articles in follow-up to their August 2021 CLM piece on best practices in litigating billion-dollar claims. Karen and Stratton address critical final steps in handling high-exposure claims to avoid trending shock verdicts. Their recommendations include testing out-of-the-box strategies, employing experienced claims administrators, utilizing careful messaging in settlement resolution to reflect fairness and positively impact public opinion on both sides, and always being poised to negotiate or move to an advanced level of preparation for any outstanding claims that remain outside of a global resolution - so that all claims can be reasonably resolved. Finally, if trial is necessary, strategic tactics on motions in limine, voir dire, and master storytelling must be utilized.

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