Cogent Legal

Good people become great teams.

Cultivating a collaborative and supportive environment that attracts and retains outstanding talent doesn’t happen on its own. It takes effort. At Cogent Legal, we are proud of our culture and each member of our team. At the end of the day, a great idea can’t become a reality without the right people to implement it.

The Cogent Legal Team
Senior Staff
– The Legal Team –
Morgan Smith

Morgan Smith

Founder & CEO

Morgan Smith thrives at the juncture of law and art. With over 17 years of experience as an attorney litigating high-value cases, he combined his litigation background with strong creative and visual communication skills to found Cogent Legal. Now he helps other attorneys hone their strategies and translate their stories into compelling and creative visuals for trial.

Andrew Walker

Andrew Walker

Co-Executive Director - Sacramento

Andrew is the Co-Executive Director of the Sacramento office, and brings over 15 years of experience as an attorney to the job. Andrew was the founding member of Focused Decisions, and developed a successful nationwide practice in mock trial work. Andrew and Deep now head this department for Cogent Legal.
Deep Athwal

Deep Athwal

Co-Executive Director - Sacramento

Deep has over 15 years of experience as an attorney, and developed an expertise in the art of mock trials over the last few years at Focused Decisions, before joining Cogent Legal. Deep brings an extensive knowledge of combining compelling visuals and themes to test your case in a mock trial, and then provides the analysis afterward for trial preparation.
Michael Kelleher

Michael Kelleher

Litigation Consultant

As a graphics consultant and trial technician, Mike provides courtroom presentations, custom litigation graphics, e-briefs, and trial strategy consulting. Mike works side-by-side with litigators in court and trial war rooms, using his technological expertise and his 16 years of experience litigating complex business and intellectual property cases. Mike is a registered patent attorney and a former nuclear submarine officer.
Audrey Murray

Audrey Murray

Director of Public Relations

Audrey has been a dedicated member of the Cogent team since 2014. She brought over 19 years of experience in the legal field, both as a paralegal and consultant. Audrey focuses on consulting and building client relationships. She is often instrumental in crafting case strategy and developing themes with trial teams. She prides herself on her creativity, resourcefulness, and leadership skills.

Kira Iwinski

Litigation Consultant

Kira is a seasoned litigation consultant with a wealth of legal experience. She provides invaluable support to litigators, offering courtroom presentations, graphics, and trial strategy consulting tailored to each case’s unique requirements. Kira’s passion for the law, coupled with her proven track record of success, makes her an indispensable asset in navigating the complexities of litigation.

Liz Kelleher

Liz Kelleher

Trial Technician

Liz supports trial teams with in-trial technical services and graphics. With strong organizational skills, an analytical mind, and a keen eye for graphics, she keeps things running smoothly from the war room to the courtroom. Liz is certified in TrialDirector, and skilled in OnCue (trial presentation software). She is adept at providing creative solutions to complex issues and excels in high-pressure situations.

– The Creative Team –
David Filippini

David Filippini

General Manager
Creative Director

David has over 10 years of professional expertise within architecture, environmental graphics, and industrial design, and is uniquely equipped to analyze/visualize the built environment. He puts himself in the shoes of clients, juries, and judges to understand their needs and perspectives, then reinterprets the case to create compelling graphics in all phases of litigation.
Matthew Ritter

Matthew Ritter

Senior Animator

Matthew brings with him over 11 years of 3D production, and design expertise. Matthew’s thoughtful approach to design details are created using the highest levels of technology. With these techniques, he is able to achieve real-world accuracy for use across a wide array of litigation purposes. His work product has been utilized to great effect on countless high-value cases.

Ryan Nichols-Roy

Ryan Nichols-Roy

Marketing Director
Senior Consultant

Ryan brings over 18 years of experience in the digital marketing industry to the Cogent Legal team. With a passion for photography, videography, graphic design, and web development, Ryan excels at simplifying the message and perfecting the presentation. He supports the Mock Trial department as a Senior Consultant, providing clients with video production, graphic design, and case presentation services.

Jessica Weisman

Jessica Weisman

Director of Medical Illustration

With a master’s degree in Medical Illustration, Jessica heads up the Medical Illustration and Animation Department at Cogent Legal and is an expert in creating all kinds of high-quality, anatomically accurate images for your case. She has an acute understanding of medical/technical terminology, making it easy to dialogue with expert witnesses. This knowledge base is paramount in developing medical illustrations in a meticulous fashion.

Chris Conlin

Chris Conlin

A/V Production Specialist

Chris is a talented visual artist with over 13 years of experience across the A/V industry. His unique history has provided him with a wealth of knowledge focused on problem solving, communicating, and motivating through visual media. As a licensed drone pilot, videographer, and audio engineer, Chris uses his skill set to create compelling settlement and day-in-the-life videos for our clients.

Anne Chamberlain

Anne Chamberlain

Design Associate

Anne is a multidisciplinary designer who joined the Cogent Legal team shortly after receiving her BFA in Communications Design. She is an adept information architect who employs a contemporary, methodical approach to data visualization and information design. She is also an avid photographer, editor and fine arts fanatic.

Jenna Lateano

Jenna Lateano

Design Associate

With multiple years of experience designing for human advocacy, Jenna applies her creative problem-solving skills and analytical eye for design to create compelling visual stories. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design giving her an acute understanding of typography, design thinking, and brand language. Outside of her design career, Jenna has been recognized for her digital and traditional art.

America's top attorneys trust Cogent Legal.

What we do

You've come to the right place.

It's no secret that going to trial is one of the most stressful and intimidating experiences that an attorney will face.

At Cogent Legal, we craft high-quality demonstrative graphics designed to help you explain your case. We have decades of combined experience in creating persuasive trial exhibits for use in openings, closing, and witness examinations. Cogent Legal also provides strategic case consulting and trial support. In myriad ways, our team helps attorneys prepare and present their cases for maximum results with minimum stress. We specialize in creating artful and persuasive graphics meant to complement each case’s own unique story. 

What is said is not always understood. That is reason alone to incorporate compelling visual concepts into your case narrative. We also provide counsel and strategic guidance in areas of admissibility, design, tactics for presentation, interpreting legal issues, and other nuances. In addition to our design and consulting practice areas, we also offer in-court technology services, pre-trial support, mock trials, and focus groups. We pride ourselves in creating a boutique, client-focused experience, with the capability to handle any sized case.