Malekpour & Ball is the nation's only trial consulting team qualified and certified to advise attorneys on Reptilianmethods and techniques.
GET STARTEDAbout M&B
Expert Trial & Jury Consultants
Video 02:30Malekpour & Ball works nationally on civil and criminal cases of every size and scope. The firm's methods are meticulously researched and thoroughly practice-tested for today's changing juries. The strategies we provide for trial are known to have changed the face of trial advocacy over the past ten years, and are widely considered the "gold standard" of the consulting field. As we develop and adapt these strategies for each specific case, you are provided with tools that maximize your chances of doing well at trial or in mediation. Learn more
David Ball on the Reptilian Brain
Video 01:33What we have with Reptilian advocacy is a way to get right to the reptilian brain. In any situation where a decision has to be made and that decision can affect me, Juror #3’s security and safety - the reptilian brain takes over and the reptile never loses. It’s been used heavily in marketing and politics and when we started doing this, we thought maybe this would work in advocacy. And it had succeeded way beyond anything we ever though it would be. Learn more
What Makes a Good Visual
Video 01:26The brain learned to communicate with visuals long before words. And it did so in clear and concise fashion. Over time, visuals gave way to the written word yet the mind still and will always intuitively turn words into pictures. Thus, the key to a good visual, a visual with impact, is one that does not rely on labels and text to make its point. Through our partnering with High Impact, Inc., we are able to offer the first and only line of visual media based on the qualified and safe application of the principles of Reptilian advocacy. Learn more
Our Services
Case Workday
Malekpour & Ball now offers a Reptile WorkDay, available on either a flat fee or a sliding fee based on verdict or settlement. You bring your case to our North Carolina base for an interruption-free, day-long strategy session with David Ball and Artemis Malekpour. This intensive workshop -- brainstorming session will frame your case into David Ball on Damages, Reptile, and Rules of the Road principles. We start by taking an overview of your case, including its strengths and weaknesses. Then we work with you and your team to develop the optimum case narrative and positioning. We end by applying the Reptile, the Rules, and Damages methods to your discovery, jury research, and trial.
We do only three WorkDay sessions per two week period, so if you're interested, contact us as soon as possible.
Research (Focus) Groups
Focus group research is only as valuable as the ability of its consultants to turn its results into viable case strategies. This is why our lead consultants themselves – not assistants – design and conduct the case research sessions. The success of the research depends on presenting a fair and unbiased assessment of the case. Our goal is not to win the research session but to learn how jurors react to the issues and work towards decisions. Based on what we learn, we guide you in preparing the strongest possible case strategies and presentation for mediation and/or trial.
Our Team
Get in Touch
Hourly Consultation
We are available for consultation on an hourly basis in person, or via phone or video conference. We tailor the conference format, length and topics to your needs and resources. We offer special guidance with developing and refining rules, openings, mechanism of harm explanations and Reptilian tentacles spreading.
When to Bring Us On Board
Whether for hourly consultation, a Case WorkDay session or a Research (focus group) Project, we encourage you to plan ahead. Turning case analysis into mediation or trial strategy takes time. We recommend that you allow at least one month from hourly or WorkDay consulting to mediation or trial, and at least three months from Research Project to mediation or trial.
Artemis Malekpour, J.D., M.H.A.
Trial Consultant
Artemis Malekpour came to trial consulting as a lawyer with a background in psychology and psychiatric research. She has worked in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina Hospitals with children and adolescents coping with psychiatric disorders and legal issues.
Artemis holds a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s in Healthcare Administration with a concentration in mental health issues from UNC’s School of Public Health. In law school at Duke, she conducted extensive interviews with death penalty jurors. Since earning her law degree with honors, Artemis has worked closely with her partner David Ball, using Reptilian advocacy and other methods to deal with a case's weaknesses and maximize its strengths. She specializes in focus group research, case strategy, and jury selection.
Artemis has consulted on a wide variety of high profile, large and small cases of all kinds across the country. She is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and State Bar, the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the American Association for Justice, and the American Society of Trial Consultants.
Artemis has co-authored a book chapter, “Public and Private Sector Involvement in Managed Mental Health Care,” in Managed Care & Public Health, is featured in Trial Guides’ How to do Your Own Focus Groups, and has written updates for David Ball on Damages 3.
Artemis is one of the nation’s only two trial consultants qualified to teach and advise on Reptilian trial advocacy, and she regularly teaches Reptilian Advocacy at the ReptileKeenanBall seminars.
David Ball, PhD.
Trial Consultant
David Ball is widely acknowledged as America's most influential and effective trial consultant. He's a partner in Malekpour & Ball Consulting in North Carolina, the nation's only consulting firm qualified to guide attorneys in the use of Reptilian methods and strategies. Co-founder of Reptilian trial advocacy, Dr. Ball specializes in mediation techniques, early case development, focus groups, case analysis and presentation, advocacy skills, damages strategies, and jury selection. His best-selling books include Reptile with Don Keenan, David Ball on Damages (now in its third, ground-breaking edition) and Theater Tips and Strategies for Jury Trials. His DVDs include guidance on openings, voir dire, case strategies, and other essential topics for trial advocates. He is the nation's most in-demand and experienced trial consultant for teaching CLEs. His firm works on every kind of case including commercial litigation; plaintiff's personal injury, wrongful death, professional negligence, and civil rights cases; and criminal defense.
He is best known for his insight into methods of explaining difficult cases, identifying and dealing with case weaknesses, turning case problems into strengths, and focus group techniques. He is also regarded as the major authority on damages.
David Ball teaches trial advocacy coast to coast. He also has taught law students at Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and at Campbell University as Adjunct Professor of Law. A frequent teacher for the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, and AAJ’s National College of Advocacy, Dr. Ball received the 2002 Charles Becton Award for Excellence in Teaching Trial Advocacy.