S3 Eps 9 - Burned Into Memory: Inside the $100M CPS Energy Verdict
Release Date: 03/30/2025
S4 Eps 2: Stephen Boutros Interview
The Dirty Verdict
Welcome back to The Dirty Verdict—and this week, Peter Taaffe and Kyle Herbert are coming to you Tuesday after Thanksgiving with two things on the agenda: a little post-game storytelling from a wild weekend in Austin, and a masterclass in building a real law practice the right way. Their featured guest is Stephen Boutros, a board-certified personal injury trial lawyer and proud Texas Aggie, who joins the show for an honest conversation about what it takes to sustain a long, successful career without chasing hype. Stephen walks through his path from South Texas College of Law to plaintiff’s...
info_outline
S4 Eps 1: Will Moye and Ryan Loya Share Major Verdicts
The Dirty Verdict
In this episode of The Dirty Verdict, hosts Peter Taaffe, Bill Ogden, and Kyle Herbert welcome back fan-favorite trial lawyer Will (now with The Counsel Table podcast) alongside Ryan Loya, who’s fresh off launching his own firm. After some classic Dirty Verdict banter—college football pain, unexpected fan shoutouts, and law-firm “launch party” flexes—the conversation pivots into a deep dive on one of the most catastrophic industrial incidents Houston has seen in years: a propylene leak and explosion that devastated a neighborhood in January 2020. Will and Ryan break down how the...
info_outline
S3 Eps 30: Sean Teare - Harris County DA
The Dirty Verdict
The Dirty Verdict crew is back with Houston mediator Peter Taaffe and co-host Kyle Herbert—plus producer Amanda—welcoming back Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare for a wide-ranging, candid conversation. Teare breaks down what he’s learned in his first months in office, how he’s rebuilding morale by bringing veteran prosecutors back, and why he’s personally getting back into the courtroom. The discussion also dives into criminal justice priorities, jail population trends, a new diversion concept partnering with trade unions, and how today’s immigration enforcement climate is...
info_outline
Trial by Fire: Sammy Ford's Story
The Dirty Verdict
On this episode of The Dirty Verdict, Peter Taaffe, Bill Ogden, and Kyle Herbert sit down with Houston trial lawyer Sammy Ford of AZA Law Firm for a wide-ranging conversation about big cases, career pivots, and what it really takes to build a life in the courtroom. Sammy walks us through his journey from growing up in Houston’s Third Ward and dreaming of Wall Street, to Harvard, UT Law, a Fifth Circuit clerkship, and stints at powerhouse firms Sussman Godfrey and Abraham Watkins—before landing at AZA. Along the way, he shares war stories from Enron-era work, hedge fund blow-ups, MDLs, and...
info_outline
S3 Eps 28: Imrana Manzanares from Nurse to PI Attorney
The Dirty Verdict
Mediator Peter Taaffe and trial lawyer Kyle Herbert host a “diet” edition of The Dirty Verdict with a powerhouse guest: Imrana Manzanares, former ICU nurse turned trial lawyer at Abraham Watkins. Imrana walks through her journey from the Texas Medical Center to the courtroom, what it’s really like doing ICU nursing in Houston, how she pivoted into law school, and how her medical background gives her a serious edge in personal injury cases. She also opens up about raising kids while building a career, surviving floods and tornadoes at the firm’s iconic building, and why yoga and fitness...
info_outline
S3 Eps 27:The Dirty Verdict — Halloween Edition 2025 🎃
The Dirty Verdict
The Dirty Verdict — Halloween Edition 2025 🎃 Costumes, bourbon, and big-law war stories collide. Peter Taaffe, Kyle Herbert, and Bill Ogden welcome fan-favorites Mark Thiessen and Mark Metzger for our annual Halloween bash. It’s part comedy hour, part shop talk: mediation mind games, Stowers tactics, billboard math, PI client-poaching, charging trends in Harris & Galveston County, immigration cross-currents, and why this show is—ironically—a very visual medium. Watch for the costumes; stay for the legal gems. Chapters 00:00 Cold open: “This is a visual medium—watch on...
info_outline
S3 Eps 27:The Dirty Verdict — Halloween Edition 2025 🎃
The Dirty Verdict
The Dirty Verdict — Halloween Edition 2025 🎃 Costumes, bourbon, and big-law war stories collide. Peter Taaffe, Kyle Herbert, and Bill Ogden welcome fan-favorites Mark Thiessen and Mark Metzger for our annual Halloween bash. It’s part comedy hour, part shop talk: mediation mind games, Stowers tactics, billboard math, PI client-poaching, charging trends in Harris & Galveston County, immigration cross-currents, and why this show is—ironically—a very visual medium. Watch for the costumes; stay for the legal gems. Chapters 00:00 Cold open: “This is a visual medium—watch on...
info_outline
S3 Eps 26: Marty Lancton Enters the Race: A Firefighter’s Bid for Harris County Judge
The Dirty Verdict
In this episode of Dirty Verdict, hosts Peter Taaffe, Bill Ogden, and Kyle Herbert sit down with returning guest Marty Lancton, president of the Houston firefighters’ union and now an announced 2026 candidate for Harris County Judge. Marty opens up about why he’s running, what he’s learned from decades of front-line public service, and how his experience leading Houston’s firefighters has shaped his vision for Harris County’s future. The conversation covers everything from public safety, disaster response, and infrastructure to transparency, county budgets, and rebuilding public...
info_outline
S3 Eps 25: Billboards, Boxing & (Very) Venomous Hobbies ft. Anthony Pusch
The Dirty Verdict
Houston PI attorney Anthony Pusch joins Peter Taaffe, Kyle Herbert, and Bill Ogden for a wild, wide-open conversation about building a law brand that actually cuts through the noise—plus boxing gyms, tasers, and… cobras. Anthony traces the path from seven high schools and a hot-headed teen to launching Pusch & Nguyen, shares the hard lessons behind PPC, TV, radio, and those viral billboards (including the infamous Step Brothers and “Brokeback” creatives), and gets candid about ethics complaints, attribution, and why authentic social content beats canned “10 things after an...
info_outline
S3 EPS 24: Jeff Davis on Oilfield Trials, Mentors, and Moshing Gone Wrong
The Dirty Verdict
Defense trial lawyer Jeff Davis joins Peter, Kyle, and Bill for a fast-moving hour that hops from a wild “mosh pit” case at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion to the nuts and bolts of catastrophic oilfield litigation. Jeff shares early-career war stories with Peter, breaks down indemnity and Chapter 95 fights, and explains why stipulating to liability can defang a jury’s anger. You’ll hear candid takes on focus groups, witness prep disasters, New Mexico’s hedonic damages, and how juries “send a message” without blowing up numbers. We wrap on golf: Bandon trips, Pebble magic,...
info_outlineIn this high-stakes, high-impact episode of The Dirty Verdict, Peter Taaffe, Kyle Herbert, and Bill Ogden sit down with powerhouse Dallas trial lawyers Chris Simmons and Mike Lyons to talk about one of the most jaw-dropping jury verdicts in recent memory: a $109.5 million win against CPS Energy following a devastating natural gas explosion in San Antonio.
From digging through decades-old utility records to overcoming a defense strategy that tried to deny the undeniable, Chris and Mike break down how they built the case, connected with the jury, and ultimately delivered justice for a mother and son with intellectual disabilities who survived the blast.
You’ll also hear stories from their early careers, the cases that pushed them to switch sides from defense to plaintiff, and why juries today are fed up with corporate BS.
👉 Whether you're a trial junkie or just love courtroom drama, this one’s got it all.
🔥 Episode Highlights:
- 00:03:00 – A look at recent big verdicts: Astroworld, crane collapse, Encore
- 00:04:00 – Dallas vs. Houston culture war: Who really runs Texas?
- 00:08:00 – Mike & Chris share how they met and teamed up in Dallas
- 00:14:00 – The moments that made them switch from defense to plaintiff’s work
- 00:17:00 – What’s fueling today’s massive jury verdicts? (Hint: It’s not just gas)
- 00:26:00 – Inside the CPS explosion case: victims, facts, and the gas company’s failing defense
- 00:43:00 – Voir dire strategies that flipped the case
- 00:50:00 – How the $60M settlement was struck while the jury was deliberating
- 00:54:00 – Dallas gas explosions: the next battleground?
Follow and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Got a case that needs coverage? Slide into our DMs.