“The state settled because it was crystal clear that they were going to have a very aggressive trial on their hands, and Ned was a major part of that,” says Children’s Rights founder Marcia Lowry. (Attorneys for the state could not be reached for comment.)
McDermott donated a five-person team to trial preparation, while advancing $300,000 for experts and other costs. Liebensperger, who ordinarily tries professional liability cases, participated in everything from trial strategy to settlement talks to scut work. “It was tremendously rewarding,” he says. “Just what I hoped in terms of having an impact.”
