I'm Cliff Atkinson.
For 20 years I've taught lawyers how to circle a jury around the fire to tell a story of justice that ended with billion-dollar verdicts.
Today I invite you to gather round to tell a story of something important lost and something bigger that can be gained.
I write the decisive line from chaos into order that has transformed communication from boardrooms to courtrooms
Fortune magazine called my work "frighteningly powerful."
I helped craft the opening statement for the nation's first Vioxx trial: a $253 million verdict. I've worked on 150+ cases over two decades, resulting in billions in verdicts. My most recent case: a $5 billion antitrust verdict.
Before that I wrote a visual storytelling classic that transformed the way presentations are made from boardrooms to meeting rooms.Â
After two decades working in cases where billions were on the line, I began to understand what was actually happening when a case succeeded or failed, and it had nothing to do with strategy, preparation, or the quality of the argument.
It had to do with what was happening between people at a much deeper level. That discovery became the most important work of my life - creating several new lines of inquiry that offer new ways to solve very old problems.
What clients say
"Cliff, I just wanted to say a big thank you to you. Your presentation was spot on and fantastic!" — Kristin G. Hamlin, Vice President, Wells Fargo
"Our members are still talking about the great workshop." — Christina Busso, Executive Director of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC
"Cliff is stinking amazing!" — Mark Lanier, Trial Attorney with $20 billion in verdicts
I'm the author of books on communication, persuasion and human performance
Beyond Bullet Points: The visual storytelling classic, 125,000+ copies, translated into a dozen languages, named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon.
The Missing Membrane. The online pamphlet that introduces a new way of thinking about communication and culture. Visit www.themissingmembrane.com
The Survival of the Closest. The online book that gather us round a new campfire to find something we lost and regain something more than we ever were. Visit www.survivaloftheclosest.com
About Me
I hold a B.A. from Baylor University and an MBA from Richmond, The American International University in London. I served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force, and have lived in 32 places across the world. I'm currently living between Dallas and Montreal with my husband, Louis.
Ready to talk?
Whether you're preparing for trial, building a high-performance leadership team, or curious about what I teach, let's have a conversation.
