Person Adam Nadelhaft Depp v. Heard← All People
Defendant's Team · Charlson Bredehoft Cohen Brown & Nadelhaft

Adam Nadelhaft

Adam Nadelhaft served as defense counsel for Amber Heard at the Fairfax County defamation trial, working alongside lead attorneys J. Benjamin Rottenborn and Elaine Bredehoft. He assumed primary courtroom responsibility for a broad witness portfolio spanning both sides of the case — conducting direct examinations of Heard's witnesses and cross-examining several of Depp's most consequential medical and expert witnesses.

Testimony Impact

Nadelhaft carried one of the heavier examination loads on Heard's team, directing three witnesses for her side — nurse Erin Falati, social media expert Ron Schnell, and psychiatrist Alan Blaustein — while crossing seven Depp witnesses. His cross-examinations of Depp's medical team (Kipper, Lloyd) focused on bias and impeachment: exposing Kipper's ongoing paid retainer, Lloyd's personal patient relationship with Kipper, and leveraging Depp's own texts and ER records against the bottle-throwing narrative. Against damages experts Marks and Bania, he systematically catalogued pre-existing negative publicity to sever the causal link between Heard's op-ed and Depp's career losses. His cross of Richard Shaw neutralized the Goldwater Rule attack on Heard's psychiatric expert by establishing that Depp himself had twice refused Dr. Spiegel's examination requests.

Notable Quotes From The Record

“He's at best a fraudulent, irresponsible turd of monumental proportions!!!”

Depp's own words about Heard's treating psychiatrist, introduced by defense to show volatility and hostility toward Heard's mental health care.

“most necessary PRNs are all headaches meds, Xanax, Adderall”

Depp's text requesting controlled substances from his physician, relevant to whether he was adhering to his substance-use treatment plan.

“MD offered patient Valium 10 milligrams IM to help with his anxiety and anger, but patient refused.”

Lloyd's own notes document Depp's anger during the Australia incident, corroborating the volatile atmosphere described by other witnesses.

“Patient was talking about wanting to drink alcohol but did not obtain any.”

Documents Depp's substance cravings in the days following the finger injury, from Lloyd's contemporaneous nursing record.

“Safe? No, she's not. Kept saying she wants to kill herself”

Nadelhaft reading Whitney Heard's March 23 2015 text to Falati, documenting Amber's suicidal statements to contemporaneous witnesses during the Australia aftermath period.

“I don't want anyone like Amber's (wife) therapist. He has only made things worse”

Nadelhaft reads Depp's June 2016 statement to Falati resisting further therapy, documenting Depp's hostility toward Heard's therapeutic support during the divorce period.

“And you understand that Dr. Spiegel requested to meet with Mr. Depp twice but Mr. Depp declined, correct?”

Flips the Goldwater Rule argument: Spiegel's lack of examination was Depp's choice, not an ethical breach.

“And this court authorized Dr. Spiegel to testify in this case, correct?”

Closes the cross by having Shaw acknowledge judicial authorization — the final rebuttal to the Goldwater Rule violation claim.

“Dr. Kipper also testified he told Mr. Depp to "bury the dragon," which referred to the bad feelings that Mr. Depp has inside him.”

Substantive excluded testimony: Kipper's characterization of Depp's internalized rage, proffered for the record after hearsay exclusion.

“Depp reported that he had cut himself as a child and burned himself with cigarettes.”

Proffered Blaustein testimony about Depp's self-harm history, excluded as speculation; contextually relevant to the finger-injury dispute.

“Mr. Deuters then sent a text message to Ms. Heard about Mr. Depp stating, 'When I told him he kicked you, he cried.'”

Proffer of excluded Deuters text message — evidence the court found outside the scope of his employment as Depp's agent.

Key Moments

Nadelhaft elicited from Kipper that Depp told the ER he had sliced his finger with a knife — directly contradicting the bottle-throwing narrative central to Heard's account of the Australia incident.

Day 4 · Redirect of David Kipper

During Ben King's cross, Nadelhaft introduced photos of cuts on Heard's arm, countering King's direct testimony that he had observed no injuries on her following the Australia incident.

Day 8 · Cross of Ben King

Nadelhaft played a one-minute audio clip of Depp's agitated, hostile voice — authenticated through Connolly — placing Depp in an emotionally volatile state during the Australia period.

Day 11 · Cross of Malcolm Connolly

Nadelhaft's direct of nurse Falati introduced contemporaneous nursing notes documenting Heard actively bleeding from her lower lip on December 17, 2015, providing the defense's clearest third-party injury record.

Day 12 · Direct of Erin Falati

Nadelhaft forced Marks to concede no Pirates 6 contract existed, then catalogued pre-op-ed negative Depp coverage to challenge the causal link between Heard's article and Depp's career decline.

Day 12 · Cross of Richard Marks

Bania conceded under cross that five of six negative hashtag spikes occurred after the Waldman statements and that his Google Trends analysis peaked in 2004 — well before the op-ed — gutting the rebuttal to Heard's counterclaim damages model.

Day 12 · Cross of Doug Bania

Nadelhaft established that Depp had twice refused Dr. Spiegel's requests to examine him, then introduced APA ethics opinions supporting Spiegel's approach — neutralizing Shaw's Goldwater Rule critique of Heard's psychiatric expert.

Day 21 · Cross of Richard Shaw

Evidence From Their Proceedings (58)

Photographs Admitted

Australia House — Bathroom Mirror Writings (Exs. 374, 375, 1830)

Photographs of bathroom mirrors in the Gold Coast, Australia rental house bearing messages written in black oil paint and red lipstick, including "Starring Billy Bob and Easy…

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Documents Unclear

Heard's Aquaman Option Contract with Warner Bros.

Amber Heard's test option agreement with Warner Brothers for the role of Mera in the Aquaman franchise, establishing a tiered salary structure across multiple pictures, identified…

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Documents Admitted

Falati Nursing Notes for Amber Heard (Aug 2014–May 2016)

Erin Falati (née Boerum), Heard's personal nurse, maintained clinical notes documenting Heard's physical condition, emotional state, and medication regimen from August 2014…

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Documents Unclear

Schnell Social Media Hashtag Analysis / Dataset

Ron Schnell's social media analysis and underlying Twitter API dataset tracking negative hashtag tweets against Heard from April 2020 through January 2021 and into 2022, tracking…

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Documents Unclear

Blaustein Session Notes — October 2014 through January 2015

Dr. Alan Blaustein's handwritten session notes for Johnny Depp, beginning with an initial telephone consultation on October 2, 2014, and spanning through January 8, 2015. Notes…

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Digital Communications Admitted

Depp to Kipper — March 2015 Finger Injury Text (Exhibit 394)

Text message(s) from Depp to his physician Dr. David Kipper, sent around March 7–8, 2015, in which Depp states 'I cut the top of my middle finger off' and comments on Heard's…

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Documents Excluded

Kipper August 18, 2014 Email to Christi Dembrowski

An August 18, 2014 email from Dr. Kipper to Christi Dembrowski (Depp's sister and manager) summarizing Depp's post-Bahamas condition, including pessimism about stopping drugs,…

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Documents Admitted

Lloyd Nursing Notes for Depp — June 2014 through July 2015

Debbie Lloyd's contemporaneous nursing notes for Johnny Depp's care spanning June 2014 through July 2015, covering the detox period, Australia, post-Australia recovery, and…

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Documents Excluded

The Sun 'Wife Beater' Article — Dan Wootton (April 2018)

An April 27, 2018 article by Dan Wootton in The Sun, headlined 'How can JK Rowling be genuinely happy casting wife beater Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts film?' Introduced…

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Documents Admitted

Anderson Couples Therapy Session Notes (Plaintiff's Ex. 2)

Seventeen-page redacted session notes (Bates 1–17) prepared contemporaneously by couples therapist Laurel Anderson during sessions with Depp and Heard, color-coded and…

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Documents Unclear

Arnold Expert Damages Analysis / Report

Kathryn Arnold's expert damages testimony and report, including her $45 million projection, comparable actors analysis, and renegotiation opinions, as well as actor salary and…

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Documents Unclear

Australia Hospital Emergency Room Records

Records from the hospital that treated Depp's finger injury in Australia, including documentation that Depp told the treating ER doctor he had sliced his finger with a knife, with…

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Documents Unclear

Bania Deposition Transcript

Bania deposition transcript, including March 21, 2022 pages 74, 83, and 113, and page 177 lines 6–10 on Momoa Q score timing.

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Photographs Unclear

December 2015 Heard Injury Photos — Anderson Recollection

Photographs of Heard's facial bruising, including bruising around the eyes, shown to couples therapist Laurel Anderson by Heard around the time of the December 15, 2015 incident.…

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Documents Admitted

Depp–Falati Text Messages, Oct 31, 2015

Text messages between Johnny Depp and Erin Falati dated October 31, 2015, produced from Depp's own records, in which Depp references the Australia finger injury with the phrase…

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Documents Unclear

Depp–Kipper Texts July–August 2015 (Dr. Cowan / Medication Requests)

Text messages from Depp to Dr. Kipper in July–August 2015 showing Depp's hostility toward Heard's psychiatrist Dr. Cowan and requests for Xanax and Adderall as PRNs.

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Documents Admitted

Falati–Whitney Heard Text Messages, March 23, 2015

Text messages exchanged between Erin Falati (then Boerum) and Whitney Heard on March 23, 2015, following the loft incident during the Australia aftermath. The exchange was…

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Photographs Admitted

Heard Arm/Wrist Cuts — Post-Australia Incident

Photographs depicting long, uniform cuts on Heard's arm and wrist area, documented after the Australia incident. Ben King identified the cuts as consistent with what he observed…

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Documents Unclear

Kipper June 2014 Bahamas Detox Consultation Notes

Kipper consultation notes from June 2014 documenting treatment encounters around the Bahamas detox arrangement, including Amber Heard's presence and her family history of drug and…

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Documents Unclear

Kipper-Lloyd Multi-Date Progress Notes (June 2014–April 2015)

A combined set of Kipper and nurse Lloyd patient progress notes for Depp spanning June 2014 through April 2015, including Bahamas detox notes, the bloody knuckles episode,…

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Documents Excluded

Plaintiff's 1296 Q Score Comparison Chart

Plaintiff's Trial Exhibit 1296 — a demonstrative Q score comparison chart using winter 2019 data, showing Amber Heard alongside Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, Zendaya, Ana de Armas, and…

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Documents Excluded

Sawhney March 8, 2015 Email re Depp's Australia Condition

A March 8, 2015 email from Raja Sawhney to Dr. Kipper containing notes on Depp's condition (under alias Robert Wells), including hand contamination observations and information…

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Documents Unclear

Anderson Billing Ledger — Session Pseudonyms

Laurel Anderson's billing ledger tracking therapy sessions under the pseudonyms Ann Henry (Heard) and Joey Davis (Depp).

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Documents Admitted

Anderson–Carino–Heard Email Chain (March & September 2015)

Email chain among therapist Laurel Anderson, Christian Carino, and Amber Heard arranging the initial and subsequent couples therapy consultations in March and September 2015.

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Audio Recordings Excluded

Australia Cleanup Second Recording — Jerry Judge (Ex. 380)

Second audio recording from the Australia cleanup period, featuring Jerry Judge, offered during Ben King's testimony.

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Photographs Admitted

Australia House — Painted Lampshade (Ex. 377)

Photograph of a lampshade from the main-level art studio of the Gold Coast, Australia rental house, showing a painting applied to its surface.

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Photographs Admitted

Australia House Audio — Depp's Voice, March 2015 (Plaintiff's 380A)

An audio clip, approximately at the 33–34 minute mark, capturing Johnny Depp's voice at the Australia rental house on or around March 8, 2015.

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Photographs Excluded

Australia House Cleanup Audio — Jerry Judge (Ex. 378A, excluded)

An audio recording captured during the cleanup of the Gold Coast, Australia rental house, featuring the voice of Jerry Judge, Depp's former head of security, who has since died.

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Documents Unclear

Blaustein Billing Invoice (October 2014–January 2015)

A billing invoice from Dr. Alan Blaustein's files documenting 18 sessions with Johnny Depp from October 2014 through January 2015.

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Documents Unclear

Carino March 2016 House Call Request to Anderson

Carino's March 2016 request for a house call from Dr. Anderson, along with Anderson's reply noting she wanted Depp to understand something she believed he did not.

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Documents Unclear

Defendant's Exhibit 1904 — Defendant's Exhibit 1904 — APA ethics committee opinions on

Defendant's Exhibit 1904 — APA ethics committee opinions on principles of medical ethics, containing language that psychiatrists have argued the Goldwater Rule is unsound for…

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Documents Admitted

Demonstrative 1900 — Monthly Negative Hashtag Bar Chart

Demonstrative 1900 — a monthly bar chart of negative hashtag volume against Heard and Depp from April 2020 through January 2021, derived from Twitter search API data.

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Documents Admitted

Demonstrative 1901 — Extended Hashtag Line Graph

Demonstrative 1901 — a line graph of the same hashtag data extended through January 2022, with the dominant 'Justice for Johnny Depp' hashtag removed for scaling clarity.

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Documents Admitted

Depp Medical Records — Redacted Comprehensive File

A 123-page redacted compilation of Johnny Depp's medical records, admitted with redactions pending during Dr. Kipper's testimony.

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Documents Unclear

Falati Nursing Notes for Johnny Depp, Apr–Jun 2016

Erin Falati's nursing notes documenting care provided to Johnny Depp from April through June 2016, covering Falati pages 114–119. The notes recorded Depp's emotional state,…

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Documents Unclear

Fireman's Insurance Fund Invoices for Kipper Services (2014)

Insurance invoices from Fireman's Insurance Fund for Dr. Kipper's services in 2014, confirming the scope of Kipper's treatment relationship with Depp.

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Documents Unclear

Hamada Testimony — Momoa Aquaman Salary Renegotiation

Walter Hamada's prior trial testimony regarding Jason Momoa's Aquaman salary renegotiation from $3–4 million to $15 million.

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Documents Unclear

Heard Photos Texted to Falati, May 21, 2016

Photographs that Amber Heard texted to nurse Erin Falati on May 21, 2016, contemporaneous with the penthouse phone-throwing incident on that date.

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Testimonial Unclear

InsidetheMagic.com Article on Pirates of the Caribbean (Nov. 5, 2020)

A November 5, 2020 article on Insidethemagic.com reporting that Disney had scrapped plans for Depp's return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, published three days after…

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Documents Unclear

Kipper Billing Records

Billing records from Dr. Kipper's files covering February 2015 through February 2021, establishing the ongoing financial relationship between Kipper and Depp including a monthly…

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Documents Admitted

Kipper June 11, 2014 Progress Note

A Kipper progress note dated June 11, 2014, recording a 'polysubstance abuse' clinical impression and a planned medication and detox protocol for Depp.

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Documents Admitted

Kipper May 22, 2014 Intake Evaluation

Dr. David Kipper's intake evaluation of Johnny Depp dated May 22, 2014, documenting Depp's polysubstance abuse history at the start of the treatment relationship.

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Documents Unclear

Kipper–Depp Text Messages — Treatment Period Compilation

A compiled set of text messages exchanged between Dr. Kipper and Johnny Depp across the treatment period, containing Depp's use of 'monster' language, complaints about Heard, and…

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Documents Unclear

Kulber June 27, 2015 'Crush Injury' Email to Lloyd

A June 27, 2015 email from Dr. David Kulber to Debbie Lloyd describing Depp's finger injury as a 'bad crush injury.'

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Documents Unclear

Lloyd Exhibit 5 — Chart of text messages from Depp production (DEPP 7819), inc

Chart of text messages from Depp production (DEPP 7819), including August 26, 2014 texts

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Digital Communications Unclear

Lloyd Text Exchange re End of Depp–Kipper Care Relationship

A text exchange (Bates LLOYD 140–145) including Depp's farewell message referencing being 'fired by their physician.'

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Digital Communications Unclear

Lloyd–Heard Texts, Bahamas Island Stay (Aug 2014)

Text messages between nurse Debbie Lloyd and Amber Heard from the Bahamas island stay in August 2014.

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Photographs Unclear

May 21, 2016 Face Photos Sent to Falati at 12:36 a.m.

Four photographs of Heard's face, designated as part of Exhibit 11 (Falati 114–119), sent to nurse Erin Falati at 12:36 a.m. around May 21, 2016. The photos show Heard's…

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Documents Unclear

October 2018 Daily Mail Headline on Depp / Pirates 6

October 2018 Daily Mail headline speculating that Depp would not appear in Pirates of the Caribbean 6, published approximately two months before the Washington Post op-ed.

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Documents Unclear

Pharmacokinetic document regarding neurotransmitter function, genetics, and medi

Pharmacokinetic document regarding neurotransmitter function, genetics, and medications shown to Anderson by Heard

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Documents Unclear

Plaintiff's 120D — Plaintiff's Exhibits 120A–120D — documents including a June

Plaintiff's Exhibits 120A–120D — documents including a June 16, 2015 communication referenced in sidebar

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Documents Unclear

Plaintiff's 1294 — Hashtag Spike Timeline Chart

Plaintiff's Trial Exhibit 1294 — a hashtag spike timeline chart numbered 1 through 6.

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Documents Unclear

Plaintiff's 1297 — Instagram Follower Count Demonstrative

Plaintiff's Trial Exhibit 1297 — a demonstrative showing Instagram follower counts for Heard and comparables including Ana de Armas.

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Documents Excluded

Plaintiff's 888 p.76 — Bania Expert Designation (excluded)

Plaintiff's Exhibit 888, page 76 — Bania's expert designation document listing search result headlines 6A through 6N.

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Documents Admitted

PX-1236 Google Trends Demonstrative

Plaintiff's Exhibit 1236, a Google Trends demonstrative published to the jury during direct examination.

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Documents Admitted

PX-889 Q Score Chart (Winter 2012–Summer 2021)

Plaintiff's Exhibit 889 at page 117 — a Q score chart compiled from Dr. Allen Jacobs's data covering winter 2012 through summer 2021, admitted as a demonstrative over a foundation…

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Documents Admitted

Schnell Term-Frequency Chart — 'Hoax,' 'Waldman' (Dem. 1902)

An admitted demonstrative chart prepared by social media analyst Ron Schnell showing term-frequency searches for 'hoax,' 'fake,' 'fraud,' 'Waldman,' and 'Wald-Mignon' within the…

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Documents Unclear

Walt Disney Corporate Designee Deposition

Deposition of Disney's corporate designee, in which Disney represented that it produced no internal documents referencing Heard's op-ed and the designee did not recall seeing it.

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Appearances (20)

Depp v. Heard

Day 3 Direct Laurel Anderson — Direct Examination of Laurel Anderson April 14, 2022 Day 3 Redirect Redirect Examination of Laurel Anderson of Laurel Anderson April 14, 2022 Day 3 Direct Direct Examination of David Kipper of David Kipper April 14, 2022 Day 4 Direct Direct Examination of David Kipper (Continued) of David Kipper April 18, 2022 Day 4 Redirect Redirect Examination of David Kipper of David Kipper April 18, 2022 Day 4 Direct Direct Examination of Debbie Lloyd of Debbie Lloyd April 18, 2022 Day 4 Redirect Redirect Examination of Debbie Lloyd of Debbie Lloyd April 18, 2022 Day 8 Cross Cross Examination of Ben King of Ben King April 25, 2022 Day 11 Cross Cross Examination of Malcolm Connolly of Malcolm Connolly April 28, 2022 Day 12 Cross Cross-Examination of Richard Marks of Richard Marks May 2, 2022 Day 12 Cross Cross Examination of Doug Bania of Doug Bania May 2, 2022 Day 12 Direct Direct Examination of Erin Falati of Erin Falati May 2, 2022 Day 13 Redirect Redirect Examination of Erin Falati of Erin Falati May 3, 2022 Day 19 Direct Direct Examination of Ron Schnell of Ron Schnell May 19, 2022 Day 19 Direct Direct Examination of Ron Schnell of Ron Schnell May 19, 2022 Day 19 Redirect Redirect Examination of Ron Schnell of Ron Schnell May 19, 2022 Day 19 Direct Direct Examination of Alan Blaustein of Alan Blaustein May 19, 2022 Day 21 Cross Cross Examination of Richard Marks of Richard Marks May 24, 2022 Day 21 Cross Cross Examination of Doug Bania of Doug Bania May 24, 2022 Day 21 Cross Cross-Examination of Richard Shaw of Richard Shaw May 24, 2022