A Trial-Ready, Team-Based Model
Because trials can last weeks and evolve quickly, Fullerton Beck approaches trial work as a collaborative, team-based effort. Upon the filing of the Note of Issue, cases are “roundtabled” with the firm’s core Motions & Trial Team, bringing together senior trial lawyers to collectively further assess strategy, exposure, valuation, and theme development. As cases move toward trial, the assigned trial attorney is supported by a dedicated team—providing second chair coverage, witness and exhibit preparation, real time research, and motion practice during trial.
This collaborative approach is grounded in the team’s experience as active trial lawyers. Unlike many firms of comparable size, Fullerton Beck maintains a robust trial practice, having taken six matters to verdict in 2025 alone, which informs how cases are evaluated, staffed, and tried. Several members of the team were trained at the New York City Law Department (Corporation Counsel), where attorneys develop trial skills through hands on experience handling cases and taking them to verdict early in their careers.
The team also brings a dedicated motions and appellate lens, including live monitoring of trial and/or review of daily transcripts to identify appealable issues and advise on trial motions as testimony unfolds. Where cases require it, the team draws on internal clinical resources, including staff nurse consultants, to support expert preparation and medical analysis.
Continuity and Manageable Caseloads
A key differentiator of the Motions & Trial Team is continuity. The firm prioritizes keeping the same attorneys on a file from assignment through trial whenever possible, rather than rotating staffing based on calendar availability.
To support that continuity, trial lawyers maintain smaller caseloads than many firms, allowing for deeper preparation, more thoughtful issue development, and a consistent trial focused lens from the outset of a case—an approach shaped by attorneys who regularly try cases and understand how early decisions impact trial outcomes.
Trial Monitoring and Late Stage Trial Support
In addition to trying cases directly, Fullerton Beck is frequently retained as monitoring counsel, often by excess carriers, to collaborate with defense counsel on strategy, protect excess layers, and provide real time trial feedback, including issue spotting for appellate preservation.
This work is informed by the team’s dual trial and appellate perspective, as well as its experience stepping into active matters and preparing them for trial. The firm is also regularly called upon to step in at late stages of litigation, triaging matters and taking over trial work when cases are transferred for trial handling.
Strategic Motion Support and In-House Collaboration
Fullerton Beck is frequently engaged by institutional clients to support matters at critical stages through targeted motion practice. In addition to drafting dispositive or strategic motions on behalf of our clients, the team also works closely with in-house counsel to help support their legal department to develop and refine defense arguments and draft motions in the client’s name. This service helps support a client’s in-house legal team when they only require targeted assistance with their claims.
The firm also monitors high-exposure cases, which provides a distinct vantage point in identifying issues that lend themselves to compelling motion practice, often earlier than they might otherwise surface. Combined with a well developed appellate perspective, and the practical insight of attorneys who regularly try cases, the team approaches motion practice with a focus on both immediate impact and long term positioning, helping ensure that key arguments are preserved, developed, and framed effectively at every stage of the case.
Staying Ahead of Fraud Trends
The Motions & Trial Team’s approach is informed by the firm’s active work tracking fraud and racketeering allegations emerging in New York personal injury litigation, particularly in New York Labor Law and motor vehicle cases, where repeat patterns, recurring actors, and questionable treatment pathways have drawn growing scrutiny.
The firm maintains an internal, regularly updated confidential resource to help identify when additional investigation may be warranted, including summaries of filings, decisions, known actors, and practical litigation guidance. This fraud investigation program and awareness are incorporated into the team’s everyday handling of cases including trial preparation, particularly in expert analysis and cross examination, ensuring that trial tactics reflect the current litigation landscape.
Training the Next Generation of Trial Lawyers
Fullerton Beck invests in the long-term strength of its trial bench through structured, hands-on skills training, including hosting intensive three-day trial advocacy programs through the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA). These programs are built around immersive trial simulations with real-time coaching on openings, direct and cross examination, evidentiary objections, and closings.
The team also conducts frequent “Lunch and Learn” sessions, led by senior attorneys, focused on issues that arise in active trials and motion practice, providing practical guidance grounded in real world experience.
Together with the team’s training roots and commitment to continued learning, this ongoing investment reinforces a deep, trial ready bench equipped to handle complex matters.