What happens when a drafted Army lieutenant who prosecuted courts martial before ever setting foot in law school goes on to become a founding partner of one of America's most decorated plaintiff's firms — with over $3 billion recovered and 21 seven-figure verdicts to his name? In this episode of the Trustcast Show, Zane Myers speaks with Steve Heninger, founding partner of Heninger Garrison Davis in Birmingham, Alabama, about five decades of plaintiff's trial work, the $64 million bingo casino fraud verdict that changed his firm's trajectory, and why he believes trial lawyers are in the lighting and heating business. Steve shares what separates cases that settle from those that have to go to a jury, how he approaches medical malpractice when juries instinctively protect doctors, and why the most dangerous mistake any trial lawyer makes is forgetting their humanity. They also discuss what it's like trying 19 jury trials alongside his son Eric, who was just named lawyer of the year alongside him, why great storytellers are interested people not interesting ones, how a phrase from Dolly Parton shaped his philosophy on connecting with juries, and why his wife's advice to turn down a run for Congress was the best she ever gave him. Steve Heninger is a founding partner of Heninger Garrison Davis, a national plaintiff's law firm based in Birmingham, Alabama, with offices in Atlanta. He is a member of the Alabama Law Foundation's top 1%, a Super Lawyer, and a Best Lawyer in America with over 50 years of trial experience. Connect with Steve Heninger: hgdlawfirm.com Email: steve@hgdlawfirm.com Birmingham, Alabama Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Steve Heninger 00:43 Prosecuting courts martial at Fort Benning before law school 01:50 Growing up in Salem, Illinois, hometown of William Jennings Bryan 02:59 How competing as a sprinter and wrestler shaped trial preparation 03:50 Why he chose plaintiff's work over criminal defense 04:45 How Heninger Garrison Davis came together in 2006 05:35 Over $3 billion recovered and the case that changed everything 06:37 The $64 million bingo casino fraud verdict in Montgomery 07:36 How you actually collect after a verdict like that 08:00 What separates a case that settles from one that goes to a jury 09:36 What it's like trying 19 jury trials alongside his son Eric 10:49 Trial lawyers are in the lighting and heating business 12:08 How he opened a fraud trial with cheaters always win 13:36 Where his trial ideas actually come from 14:53 The Trialnasium blog and why Dolly Parton inspired a philosophy 17:24 Teaching at Harvard, Stanford, and Georgetown — the most common mistake 18:41 Make fear a passenger in your car instead of the driver 19:13 Why he launched Trialnasium publicly after decades in the courtroom 20:00 Rapid fire questions 23:08 How he overcomes jury sympathy for doctors in malpractice cases 25:34 Why depositions are trial 26:43 How he decides which cases to take at this stage of his career 28:33 Managing offices in Atlanta and Birmingham with 20 lawyers 29:23 Which recognition means the most and why 31:44 What still gets him fired up to walk into a courtroom after 50 years 35:11 Where Heninger Garrison Davis is headed in the next five years 36:38 Why marketing is still a never-ending problem even after 50 years 38:45 How he and his son navigate disagreements on cases 39:59 Types of cases the firm handles and how to reach Steve Heninger #SteveHeninger #HeningerGarrisonDavis #PlaintiffsLawyer #TrialLawyer #MedicalMalpractice #ProductLiability #BirminghamLawyer #TrustcastShow #Trialnasium #LevelingThePlayingField
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