Raising the Bar with RebuttalPR

Ray's Hot Takes | Volume 3

Episode 36 of Raising the Bar with RebuttalPR takes on AI search — and the vendors selling rankings that don't exist. RebuttalPR founder Ray DeLorenzi joins host Hannah Gallagher to break down what actually drives visibility in tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini, which AI model he prefers and why, and how plaintiff firms are already thinking about AI accountability through litigation. The second half gets practical: what to do after your first media hit, why "billion dollars recovered" isn't the homepage stat you think it is, and how to write a lawyer bio that doesn't sound like everyone else's. Want to learn more about Ray and the RebuttalPR team? Visit www.rebuttalpr.com [https://www.rebuttalpr.com/]

Richard Ruohonen on Winning Trials, the Olympics, and Speaking Out When It Matters

In this episode of Raising the Bar with RebuttalPR, host Ray DeLorenzi sits down with Rich Ruohonen, a partner at TSR Injury Law in Bloomington, Minnesota, whose career spans nearly three decades of plaintiff’s work in traumatic brain injury, car accidents, product liability, and premises liability cases. The conversation digs deep into what Rich calls the parallels between being a competitive athlete and being a trial lawyer — from his firm’s “Fight Club” practice sessions for opening statements, to the sports psychology principles he applies in the courtroom, to the mental resilience required to push through week-long trials on four hours of sleep. Rich has tried roughly 90 cases and has not lost one since around 2011 or 2012, a streak that now stands at 27 consecutive wins heading into 2026. Rich also shares the story behind his Olympic journey — eight failed bids before coming out of retirement at 55 to help a younger team through injuries, winning the Olympic trials, and then traveling to Milan–Cortina as the oldest American Winter Olympian in history, breaking a 94-year-old record. He describes what it felt like to finally stand in that arena with his family watching, and why the experience was the greatest moment of his life. The episode closes with Rich’s account of speaking out at his Olympic press conference about ICE operations in Minnesota — a decision he made deliberately, knowing there would be death threats and backlash from the administration. He explains why he believes lawyers have an obligation to speak when the rule of law is being violated, and why free speech isn’t free if it stays in the locker room.

Rachel McCarthy on Nonprofit Plaintiff Funding, Industry Reform, and the Fight for Access to Justice

In this episode of Raising the Bar with RebuttalPR, host Ray DeLorenzi sits down with Rachel McCarthy, Executive Director of The Milestone Foundation, a Buffalo-based nonprofit that provides pre- and post-settlement funding to plaintiffs at rates designed to help rather than exploit.  Rachel shares how a Jesuit education, an AmeriCorps stint in Buffalo, years as a paralegal in New York City, and a detour through the San Francisco tech world eventually led her to John Bair and the founding of what would become The Milestone Foundation. She describes being there at the very beginning, when the organization was little more than a board and an idea, and what it meant to watch it grow into a team serving over 1,000 plaintiffs and working with over 320 law firms nationwide.  The conversation covers what separates consumer litigation funding from commercial litigation funding and why so many trial lawyers have a hard-line opposition to the practice. Rachel explains how the foundation’s nonprofit model keeps money in the mission and out of anyone’s pocket, and why attorneys who are skeptical of funding companies often come around once they understand what The Milestone Foundation is actually doing.  Rachel also takes stock of the regulatory moment the industry finds itself in, including New York’s Consumer Litigation Funding Act going into effect this June, and where she sees the biggest gaps still left unaddressed. She closes with the story of a veteran turned quadriplegic who used The Milestone Foundation’s funding to adapt his home to his disability, and a call to the trial lawyer community to support the foundation as it heads into its 10th anniversary year.  Learn more about The Milestone Foundation here:  https://www.milestonefoundation.org [https://www.milestonefoundation.org/]

Tony Romanucci on Civil Rights Litigation, the George Floyd Case, and Holding Power Accountable

In this episode of Raising the Bar with RebuttalPR, host Ray DeLorenzi sits down with Tony Romanucci of Romanucci and Blandin in Chicago, one of the leading civil rights litigators in the country. Tony discusses how growing up as a first-generation Italian American in Chicago shaped his worldview, and how a summer clerkship at the Cook County Public Defender's office permanently redirected his career away from securities law and into the courtroom. He describes watching the same story play out over and over in court and how that experience taught him the scales of justice were not evenly balanced for everyone. The conversation covers Tony's early days building Romanucci and Blandin, the case that put the firm on the map, and how he thinks about the decision to settle versus go to trial. He reflects on getting the call from Ben Crump one day after George Floyd's death, meeting the Floyd family for the first time, and why the $27 million settlement was only the beginning of the work. Tony also discusses representing the family of Renee Good, a case involving federal agents and near-absolute immunity claims, and how his approach to media strategy differed entirely from the Floyd case. He closes with what keeps him optimistic: the next generation of lawyers ready to carry the fight forward. Learn more about Tony Romanucci: https://www.rblaw.net/professionals-antonio-romanucci [https://www.rblaw.net/professionals-antonio-romanucci]

Pete Weinberger on Trials That Change Systems

In this episode of Raising the Bar with RebuttalPR, Ray DeLorenzi sits down with Pete Weinberger, partner at Spangenberg Shibley & Liber in Cleveland, Ohio. Pete shares his journey from a criminal defense lawyer to becoming the Plaintiff’s Co-Liaison Counsel in the National Prescription Opiate MDL. From his early days in the courtroom to his leadership in mass torts, Pete opens up about the challenges, the importance of collaboration, and the fight against big pharma. Tune in for a conversation on the future of opioid litigation and Pete’s personal path through the legal world.    Learn More About Pete Weinberger: https://www.spanglaw.com/our-attorneys/peter-h-weinberger/ [https://www.spanglaw.com/our-attorneys/peter-h-weinberger/]