Expert Witness & Consulting Services
The Katz Law Firm provides professional expert witness and consulting services for legal malpractice and attorney ethics matters. Our expert witness services focus on establishing the standard of care for attorneys and evaluating professional conduct in attorney-client relationships.
Expert Witness Services
Our expert witness practice involves comprehensive analysis and testimony regarding attorney professional standards:
Standard of Care Analysis: Evaluating whether attorneys met applicable professional standards in their representation of clients.
We literally wrote the book on attorney standards of care. Firm principal Jeff Katz authored Chapter 2, “Attorney’s Legal Liability-Duties to the Client: Defining the Standards of Care” in the 2025 Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education (IICLE) handbook on Attorneys’ Legal Liability—the definitive resource used by Illinois attorneys and courts.
This unique expertise enables us to provide unparalleled analysis of whether attorneys met applicable professional standards in their representation of clients. Our standard of care opinions carry the weight of published authority, drawing from the same comprehensive research and legal framework that guides Illinois legal practice.
Key advantages of our standard of care analysis:
- Authored the authoritative IICLE chapter that defines attorney standards of care in Illinois
- Deep understanding of evolving professional standards and emerging legal challenges
- Recognition as a thought leader by the Illinois legal community
- Comprehensive knowledge of duties to clients across all practice areas
Professional Conduct Review: Analyzing attorney behavior and decision-making in relation to ethical rules and professional responsibility requirements.
Case File Review: Thorough examination of underlying legal matters to assess attorney performance and compliance with professional standards.
Expert Opinions: Preparation of detailed expert witness opinions and disclosures for litigation proceedings.
Litigation Support and Testimony
Our expert witness services include complete litigation support:
- Written Expert Opinions: Comprehensive reports analyzing attorney conduct and standard of care issues
- Deposition Testimony: Professional deposition testimony regarding expert findings and opinions
- Trial Testimony: Court testimony explaining professional standards and attorney conduct evaluation
- Case Consultation: Strategic consulting on legal malpractice case development and presentation
Dual Perspective Experience
The Katz Law Firm offers a truly unique credential in expert witness services: over two decades of concentrated practice exclusively in the law governing lawyers—a specialization unmatched in the legal community.
Unparalleled Focus and Depth: While most attorneys handle legal malpractice as part of a broader practice, we have dedicated our entire 20+ year practice to only the law governing lawyers. This singular focus has created an unprecedented depth of knowledge across every aspect of attorney professional responsibility, liability, and standards of care.
Comprehensive Dual-Side Experience: Our exclusive concentration in this field has provided extensive experience representing both sides of legal malpractice litigation:
- Plaintiff Representation: Experience representing clients in malpractice claims provides understanding of how attorney conduct impacts clients and case outcomes.
- Defense Representation: Experience defending attorneys against malpractice allegations offers insight into professional standards and reasonable attorney conduct.
This broad experience makes our expert witness services attractive to both plaintiffs and defense attorneys seeking knowledgeable, credible expert testimony.
Areas of Expert Witness Expertise
Our expert witness services cover various aspects of legal practice:
- Legal malpractice standard of care
- Attorney ethics and professional responsibility
- Fee arrangements and billing practices
- Client communication and case management
- Conflict of interest issues
- File management and case handling procedures
Why Choose Our Expert Witness Services
Specialized Knowledge: Exclusive focus on legal profession matters ensures deep understanding of attorney professional standards and ethical requirements.
Litigation Experience: Extensive courtroom experience provides credible, effective testimony in complex legal malpractice cases.
Balanced Perspective: Experience representing both sides of malpractice litigation offers comprehensive understanding of relevant issues and standards.