Reed Morgan: 48 Years Beating Exxon, Big Oil & Corporations - How Juries Really Make Decisions

In this episode of the Trustcast Show, host Zane Myers sits down with S. Reed Morgan, a trial lawyer with 48 years of experience taking on corporations like Exxon Mobil and winning. Reed is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, a graduate and former staff member of Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College, and the founder of Victory Alliance Partners Consulting, where he teaches trial lawyers his Persuade & Prevail Method for winning cases by understanding jury psychology. What You’ll Learn • Why verdicts are not decided by facts, but by how jurors understand the case • The moment Reed realized trial advocacy requires training, not just talent • How Trial Lawyers College changed everything for him after attending in 1998 • The psychology of persuasion and how to reach jurors at a deep emotional level • Why lawyers must be truth tellers above all else • How to blend storytelling with duty, breach, causation, and damages • The 8 million dollar Exxon Mobil verdict involving benzene exposure and bladder cancer • How company controlled medicine can fail workers when employers influence diagnosis • Handling vicarious trauma when clients are dying or die during trial • Fighting meritless defenses designed to deny rightful compensation • When judges fight you harder than the defense and how to stay steady • Why you must anchor jurors early in voir dire and opening statements • The biggest mistake lawyers make in openings, avoiding the point • Why most lawyers misunderstand juries and why categorising jurors backfires • How focus groups with 150 to 175 people can shape strategy with useful data • Reed’s jury selection philosophy, seek fair, even handed people, not ringers Gerry Spence’s Legacy • Reed reflects on Gerry Spence’s impact and the Trial Lawyers College approach to truth, humanity, and persuasion • Gerry Spence passed away August 13, 2025 Connect with S. Reed Morgan • Victory Alliance Partners Consulting: https://www.vapartnersconsulting.com • Email: [email protected] • LinkedIn: Reed Morgan (Victory Alliance Partners Consulting) • Location: Comfort, Texas Previous Firm, Of Counsel • S. Reed Morgan, P.C. of counsel to Carlson Law Firm • 413 8th Street, PO Box 38, Comfort, TX 78013 • Phone: (830) 995 2464 • Toll free: 1 888 808 6077 Qualifications • Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1993) • Licensed: Texas (1977), Louisiana (1976) • Graduate and Former Staff Member: Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College • Member: Texas Trial Lawyers Association, American Association of Justice, Western Trial Lawyers Association, Maritime Law Association of the United States Practice Areas • Personal Injury Trial Law • Maritime Law (Jones Act, seaman injuries) • Toxic Tort (benzene exposure, cancer cases) • Railroad Workers (FELA) • Oil and Gas Accidents • Defective Products • Medical Malpractice Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:57 Why Verdicts Aren’t Decided by Facts 03:48 The Parallels Between Trial Law and Copywriting 06:01 Interweaving Law with Storytelling 07:12 8 Million Exxon Mobil Verdict Bladder Cancer Case 10:21 Vicarious Trauma When Clients Die During Trial 11:57 Going Up Against Exxon’s Legal Team Repeatedly 12:31 It’s About Righting Wrongs Not Bragging 13:29 Overcoming Meritless Defenses 15:43 Connection Lost Resume 00:17 Unreasonable Defenses as Smoke Screens 01:43 When Judges Fight You Harder Than the Defense 02:42 Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College How He Got There 04:06 From Student to Staff Member 04:49 Rapid Fire Biggest Verdict You Can Talk About 05:31 Longest Trial 6 Week Houston Case Against 15 Oil Companies 06:24 Best Cross Examination Fifth Amendment Invoked 07:54 What Lawyers Get Wrong About Juries 08:48 Anchoring Jurors Early 09:52 Biggest Mistake in Opening Statements 10:53 Victory Alliance Partners The Passion Now 12:12 Focus Groups and Trial Consulting 14:11 Adding Different Perspectives to Case Strategy 15:51 Why Even Top Lawyers Misread Juries 18:16 What Most Lawyers Skip in Focus Groups 19:16 Jury Selection’s Huge Role 20:37 Final Message to Law Firms Unsure About Their Cases 21:35 How Long Will You Keep Doing This #TrialLawyer #JuryPsychology #VictoryAlliance #PersonalInjury #ToxicTort #TrustcastShow