From immigrant to elite advocate

In a compelling conversation on Coopers’ Code, Miles Cooper pulls back the curtain with one of California’s most formidable and relentless trial advocates: Nina Shapirshteyn.

As a partner at Abramson Smith Waldsmith LLP, Nina has built a legendary reputation for securing blockbuster verdicts in complex catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. In this extensive two-part interview, she shares her inspiring personal journey and lays out the exact courtroom blueprints she uses to defeat well-funded corporate giants.

Nina’s reputation is legendary.

Part 1: The journey and the drive

The first episode dives into the human story behind the attorney. Growing up in Soviet-era Ukraine and arriving in the United States as a teenager, Nina had to rapidly adapt to a new language, a new culture, and a completely different way of life.

She shares the relentless work ethic required to build her legal career from the ground up and explains how her background as an immigrant fueled an unyielding empathy for the underdog. Listeners will discover how she transformed the initial challenges of being an outsider into her ultimate superpower: an extraordinary ability to connect with juries across all demographics through radical authenticity and clear, human storytelling.

Part 2: The anatomy of a multimillion-dollar verdict

In part two, the conversation shifts from personal history to raw trial tactics. Nina walks through the sophisticated frameworks she uses to prepare a case for trial, offering wisdom for attorneys and general audiences alike:

• The power of focus groups:  Nina explains why she heavily relies on intensive focus groups to test her arguments, refine her language, and expose hidden weaknesses in her narrative long before opening statements.
• Dominating with demonstratives:  A look at how cutting-edge visual storytelling and high-tech courtroom graphics can bridge the gap between complex engineering or medical evidence and a jury’s common sense.
• Dismantling corporate experts:  Tactics for successfully cross-examining defense experts by anchoring every question in foundational truths.

Why you should watch

Nina’s career is the perfect example of what happens when intellectual brilliance meets a profound sense of purpose. Whether you are looking to sharpen your own cross-examination skills, interested in the high-stakes world of personal injury litigation, or simply love a story about overcoming massive odds to do what is right, this two-part series is a must-watch.

Watch now on YouTube:

Part 1: The journey and the drive 
Part 2: Anatomy of a multimillion-dollar verdict