Learn how neuroscience's growing discoveries concerning how humans process information is at odds with the jury system structure.
Nancy Neufer is a strategic communications expert, having studied persuasion and decision-making for more than 30 years. She assists our clients in developing impactful business and litigation strategies that are supported by compelling messaging frameworks designed to communicate effectively in complex environments. Her work with marketing clients focuses primarily on the pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare industries where she routinely leads an array of research projects and consults with clients to optimize their approaches to bringing products to market and communicating with their customers. She also collaborates with our litigation clients to develop effective communication strategies to be employed throughout the trial process in support of an optimal outcome.
Prior to joining HawkPartners in 2004, Nancy spent more than 10 years with FTI Consulting and DecisionQuest, conducting juror perception research and consulting with trial teams and corporate clients. Her work included the management of large-scale trial consulting engagements for clients in numerous industries including pharmaceuticals, professional services, technology, and consumer goods. And Nancy also has more than 10 years of experience in the airline industry in a variety of market research, sales and management positions.
Nancy earned a B.S. and an M.S. in Business Administration from The Pennsylvania State University. In the last few years, she has been a guest lecturer in Advanced Persuasion classes at Penn State Dickinson Law and Temple Beasley School of Law.
Perspectives by Nancy Neufer
An effective COVID trial strategy cannot be designed without first understanding the new COVID jury. By instead conducting focused research, trial communications can be optimized to resonate among the jury of now.
The COVID era trial must balance protecting the constitutional elements of a jury trial while protecting the nation’s health in a pandemic. Both a socially distanced in-person approach and a virtual approach allow for that – but also pose challenges that trial teams have never encountered.
Nancy Neufer and Rob Duboff share anecdotes from their research experience to illustrate the challenges faced by intellectual property litigators who must present technical evidence while still taking care to address the human elements of the story that concern jurors.
Rob Duboff and Nancy Neufer review the strategic jury selection approaches that might have led to a different outcome in a criminal murder trial.
For defendants, complex litigation necessitates that the story be effective in the first case to go to trial as well as those that follow.
Rob Duboff and Nancy Neufer describe the role of the trial attorney as a performer and the importance of connecting with jurors on an emotional level, an element of jury persuasion that is critical for litigators who want to win.
HawkPartners offer a perspective on how jury perceptions can be as important as actual evidence in reaching a verdict.
Nancy Neufer and Scott Berman discuss the importance, particularly for corporate defendants, of assessing the background issues that may influence jurors’ perceptions in the courtroom.