While there are many respectable and legitimate expert witness agencies who provide brilliant support to the expert witnesses who work with them, the EWI has had continuing reports of the activities of some unethical agencies who prey upon experts who do not have a good understanding of expert witness work or are vulnerable to such approaches for other reasons.
These unscrupulous agencies often contact experts through social media platforms, such as Linkedin, offering significantly below market rates for expert reports. They generally do not provide the expert with a good understanding of the role of an expert witness and even, in some cases we are aware of, mispresent the duties and responsibilities of an expert witness to an extent that would breach the rules and regulations. It is important for experts to appreciate that if they are not fully cognisant of the role and duties of an expert witness or act outside their expertise, they could fall foul of the relevant procedural rules, potentially impacting their credibility and reputation and even resulting in a referral to their professional body.
We do not want any expert to fall victim to an unscrupulous agency, so we have prepared a short guide setting out the red flags to watch out for in the approach of an unethical agency and, conversely, the sorts of positive signs to expect from a respectable and legitimate agency. We've also included a quick checklist to complete.
The Guidance is freely accessible at: Unscrupulous agencies guide
We would appreciate if you could share it with any non-members who may be subject to these types of approaches.