Ms. Leslie J. Southerland

Leslie J. Southerland

Leslie Southerland, Rhodes, Hieronymus, Jones, Tucker & Gable, Tulsa, Okla.In an effort to stave off impeachment of their client, the plaintiff's lawyers had him testify (to try and tackle the issues head-on).But it didn't work out for them.In the plaintiff's deposition, he said he was a painter.But after our expert found that the fire in his vehicle was started by a paint product, he testified that he was not a painter.He also dropped his lost-wages claims after it came out that he had been fired.Previously, he'd said that he tried to go back to work but his back pain was so bad he could not continue.He tried to explain why he had given incorrect testimony but all that did was make the jury not trust anything he said.

Leslie J. Southerland is a partner with Rhodes Hieronymus.Her primary area of concentration is automotive products liability with a particular emphasis on air bag litigation.Ms. Southerland has defended cases on behalf of General Motors Corporation, Mazda North American Operations, Nissan North America, Inc., Dorel Juvenile Group, Inc, and has assisted in Ford Motor Company litigation.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tulsa and received her Juris Doctor from the University of Tulsa College of Law where she served as Research Editor for the Tulsa University Law Review.

She is a member of the Tulsa County, Oklahoma, and American Bar Associations, the Defense Research Institute, and the American Inns of Court.