At IMS, we believe our people are our greatest asset. In honor of our incredible team, we are thrilled to go "beyond the bio" and share the personal stories of employees across our organization.
In this edition of Beyond the Bio, we are pleased to highlight two standout members of our custom expert witness services team: Kara Largent and Jessica Shanahan. They exemplify the collaboration, initiative, and dedication that define the IMS expert witness experience, from forging meaningful connections to streamlining complex search and engagement processes.
Learn about how Kara and Jessica found their way to IMS, what drives their motivation, and how their unique strengths enable impactful results for clients, experts, and colleagues alike.
Kara Largent, Engagement Manager
Q: How did you get into this industry and find IMS?
A: I found my way into this industry from my previous position within the civil department of a law firm. I served as a liaison between our attorneys and clients, who were major banks. Working alongside attorneys, I monitored and mapped out their litigation and translated that into rate and budget negotiations. This experience allowed me the foresight to similarly manage expert witness engagements.
Q: What do you like most about your specific department and/or role?
A: I enjoy the process of being able to oversee, strategize, and anticipate the needs of our experts and clients.
Q: What special strengths and unique skills do you offer clients and colleagues?
A: I am very detail-oriented and preemptively catch opportunities that encourage and facilitate the smooth running of our expert engagements.
Q: Would you like to share any stories, memories, or accomplishments?
A: I am always proud of my accomplishments when I successfully have an expert partner with us on a concern or dispute. I find these moments to be rewarding because they emphasize our value and the support we offer.
Q: What has been your favorite case to work on so far?
A: I find myself naturally drawn to environmental cases and am curious from a toxicology standpoint. It has been very interesting to work with experts and learn how natural disasters and manmade products might affect the environment.
Q: What do you think sets IMS apart from competitors or other companies?
A: IMS understands that in the expert witness industry, our experts’ success generates future growth and positive outcomes with our clients. Our ability to keep expert witness engagements flowing smoothly and professionally leads clients to continually return, knowing they will secure the right experts and receive superior service.
Jessica Shanahan, Recruiting Consultant
Q: How did you get into this industry and find IMS?
A: My sister-in-law, Emily Franklin, worked for IMS and told me about opportunities on the expert witness team. I was looking for a strategic career change and decided to apply!
Q: What do you like most about your specific department and/or role?
A: Recruiting is an excellent role because you learn about various industries and expert experiences. Our department conducts expert witness searches in the medical, financial, automotive, food and beverage, and countless other industries. We learn something new every day.
Q: What special strengths and unique skills do you offer clients and colleagues?
A: I feel as though my biggest strength is communication. It is important to me and vital for this role that everyone on the team is up to date on progress and changes during an expert search. I also focus on ensuring my colleagues are not only looped in on any updates but also understand how they can affect us moving forward, including beneficial process updates or changes. Communicating with the team means everyone is on the same page and can work together efficiently to reach our goal while maintaining a positive relationship with each other.
Q: Would you like to share any stories, memories, or accomplishments?
A: At IMS, one of my biggest accomplishments happened recently. The custom expert witness search team has had a significant number of new searches these past few months. I came across Microsoft Bookings, which allows us to share our calendar availability with teammates and experts to easily and quickly schedule calls or meetings. I brought the program to leadership, and they allowed me to pilot it and determine if it would be helpful for our role. We have now fully launched the use of Bookings, allowing us to quickly schedule and complete vetting calls with experts to move our expert searches forward with ease. In this busy season, it saves us so much time to be able to provide our full availability to experts and let them choose the time that best works for them!
Q: What has been your favorite case to work on so far?
A: So far, my favorite case to work on was a search for a behavioral health expert. After joining the initial specification call with counsel, it was clear that they were looking for an expert in applied behavior analysis therapy (ABA), an industry I have experience in. A few years before joining IMS, I was a registered behavior technician in ABA. Speaking to experts about an industry I understood and resonated with made the project very enjoyable, and it was easy to explain the counsel’s requirements to the candidates.
Q: What do you think sets IMS apart from competitors or other companies?
A: What sets IMS apart from other companies is the support and encouragement we offer, both personally and professionally. IMS provides an environment in which we are genuinely invested in everyone’s growth and success. It makes all the difference working each day, knowing I have a supportive team and leadership behind me every step of the way, and that we extend the same care to our clients and experts.
Learn More
A big thank you to Kara and Jessica for the energy, insight, and heart they bring to IMS every day. Their dedication to connecting with experts and supporting their teammates truly embodies the spirit of our company.
Want to learn more about the people behind our work? Explore the links below to meet more of the IMS team and discover what makes our culture unique.
