It's People

James Dobson
- Principal
- 631.676.7834
- Email Bio
Jim has a broad range of experience in both civil and criminal litigation and has supported both plaintiffs and defendants in matters involving contract disputes, securities and accounting fraud, intellectual property, antitrust, medical malpractice and others. He has been recognized as having played key roles in the successful outcomes of some of the nation's most complex and high-profile cases. After a long and successful career with several top tier National Jury Consulting firms, Jim co-founded Empirical Creative in 2006 with a renewed mission. Jim has leveraged his extensive jury consulting experience and training in the social sciences to build a practice that is grounded in rigorous empirical methods, yet provides clients with practical case strategy.
Jim’s unique expertise in the area of persuasive graphics has helped establish Empirical Creative as a truly integrated firm, where Jury Research and Graphics are part of a single consulting process. Jim is a published author and expert analyst in the area of jury decision-making and has contributed articles to Temple University Law Review, National Law Journal and the ABA Section of Litigation's Trial Evidence and IP Committee newsletters.
Leading media outlets, such as Fox News, CBS's 48 Hours, CBS News, National Public Radio, The National Law Journal and USA Today, have turned to Jim for insight into juror behavior in high-profile trials. Jim has a B.A. in Human Relations and a M.A. in Sociology from Fordham University, where he served 4 years as a Ph.D. fellow.
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David Klein
- Principal
- 631.676.7833
- Email Bio
Dave is co-founder of Empirical Creative. He is an experienced Jury Consultant who has worked with both plaintiffs and defendants on a wide variety of litigation matters, including securities and corporate fraud, products liability, insurance disputes, intellectual property cases, contract disputes , and others. His main areas of consulting expertise are in trial strategy development, jury selection and trial graphics.
Dave has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from St. John’s University. He is a licensed psychologist in the State of New York. Dave’s clinical and research background in psychology combined with his extensive practical experience consulting on a broad range of civil and criminal matters makes him a unique asset to trial teams.
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John Esser
- Senior Jury Consultant
- 347.578.5771
- Email Bio
John P. Esser is Professor and Chair of Sociology at Wagner College. He received his B.A. from Haverford College, and his J.D., M.S., and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as the Hewlett Fellow in Dispute Resolution. He is the co-editor of The Science of Courtroom Litigation: Jury Research and Analytical Graphics (forthcoming, ALM/Law Journal Press), as well as author and co-author of several chapters within. In addition, he has published articles on the changing form of contract law, on dispute resolution, and on the history of American jurisprudence in journals such as Law and Social Inquiry and the Denver University Law Review, and has presented papers on these topics at academic forums such as the American Association of Law Schools, The Law & Society Association, and the Social Science History Association. Dr. Esser is also involved in curricular reform in higher education. He has made presentations on this topic at various meetings of the American Association of Colleges and Universities and been quoted in The Chronicle of Higher Education. As a trial consultant, he has worked on some of the most noted corporate fraud cases of the past five years. He is licensed to practice law in the State of New York.
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Elizabeth Thompson
- Senior Jury Consultant
- 646.808.5184
- Email Bio
Elizabeth is an experienced trial consultant with expertise in securities litigation, patent and intellectual property cases, environmental litigation, employment disputes, pharmaceutical litigation and corporate governance issues. Elizabeth has assisted both plaintiff and defense teams with thematic case development and graphics. Drawing on her academic expertise in how individuals and groups cope under stress, Elizabeth has focused particular attention on the preparation of key witnesses for deposition and trial. Elizabeth has been a trial consultant in New York and San Francisco, and she has extensive experience in the major courts of California, New York, and New Jersey.
Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a focus on individual and group coping strategies under extreme stress. She is also a member of the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC).
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Steve Tuholski
- Senior Jury Consultant
- 469.233.1009
- Email Bio
Steve Tuholski came to the jury consulting field in 2004 after a successful academic career at Southern Illinois University. As a jury consultant, Steve is an expert in pre-trial research and how to effectively leverage data from research to increase his client's success at trial, pre-trial mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution settings. Steve's philosophy is to "practice like we play", and as such takes painstaking effort to develop research protocols that will mimic the actual trial situation as closely as possible, while also maintaining a high level of scientific rigor. In the past six years, Steve has worked on high-profile cases from coast to coast in the areas of securities, antitrust, toxic tort, intellectual property and insurance litigation.
Steve holds a Ph.D in Cognitive Psychology with a minor in Quantitative Psychology from the University of South Carolina and a BA in Psychology from Westfield University.
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Russell Maymi
- Creative Director
- 631.560.0089
- Email Bio
Russ has over 15 years of graphic design experience in corporate communication and litigation consulting. He has produced cutting-edge demonstratives for trial, ranging from high impact multimedia presentations to poster size boards that serve to provide a thematic roadmap for persuading intended audiences.
Russ is fluent in various design disciplines which enable him to create persuasive visual content that is both focused and unhindered. His critical, yet flexible approach to concept development is supported by a comprehensive understanding of design layout, color theory, typography, context, and visual perception.
Russ has produced high end sales and marketing materials as well as internal communication and training tools for various corporations. His visionary approach was essential in the establishment of a one stop shop business productivity model which served to provide administrative and marketing support to a global sales force. Russ’ relational style and client-oriented sensibilities are reflected in his work.
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Jessica Genaw
- Senior Graphic Artist
- 631.848.3696
- Email Bio
Jessica Genaw is a Senior Graphic Designer with Empirical Creative. She has been in the litigation design field for over four years working with trial teams to create persuasive and strategic demonstratives for complex litigation. Jessica has supported a wide range of matters across the country such as pharmaceutical litigation, insurance, employment and securities matters.
Previous to working in litigation design, Jessica worked for a home furnishings company designing product packaging and labels, department store signage, new product renderings and leading photo shoots. This experience has given her keen attention to detail and the ability to take high stress situations with ease, and is reflected in her work today.
Jessica holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the College for Creative Studies, Detroit.
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Jacqueline Schneyer
- Research Associate
- 631.560.1872
- Email Bio
Jackie has various experiences in coordinating and conducting qualitative and quantitative research projects which makes her a valuable addition to the firm. As an undergraduate, Jackie was recognized by the Community of Undergraduate Journals Online for her research in psychology. She is instrumental in the preparation and implementation of jury research projects, designing questionnaires, analyzing content collected from jury research, and contributing to case strategy.
Jackie graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and a minor in Business Administration. Jackie then earned her Master's degree in School Counseling from Long Island University and is a certified School Counselor in New York State.
Jackie is a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, Chi Sigma Iota, the International Honor Society of Counseling, and has served on the Executive Council of Western Suffolk Counselors Association.
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The Firm
Empirical Creative LLC
990 South 2nd Street, Suite 6
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 Tel. 631.676.7834
Fax. 1.800.693.6408
www.empiricalcreative.com
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It's People

James Dobson

David Klein

John Esser

Elizabeth Thompson

Steve Tuholski

Russell Maymi

Jessica Genaw

Jacqueline Schneyer

The Firm

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