BLG attorney, John Vinci, presented a CLE with the topic of “Practical Guide to Getting Foreign Testimony in DBA Cases” this past Saturday at the WILG 2025 Longshore Conference, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Workers Injury Law & Advocacy Group holds this conference annually, and this year asked Mr. Vinci to help attendees understand the complexities of how to get foreign testimony for cases before U.S. administrative law judges.
BLG represents a large number of clients from outside the United States in their claims before the U.S. Dept. of Labor under the federal Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 1651-54). As early as 2021 the DOL began instituting hearings by video conference, and since then practitioners have had to wrestle with how to have testimonial oaths administered to foreign national claimants and other foreign witnesses in conformity with U.S. and international law. Very early on, Bosson Legal Group, took hold of this challenge and led the way to find solutions under the law so that our clients’ cases could be resolved.
BLG was one of the first firms to attempt to use a commissioner under the Hague Evidence Commission in a case before the Department of Labor and may have been one of the first firms to attempt to utilize a relatively new law in Kosovo that provides a mechanism for Kosovar judges to take testimony in Kosovo for use in tribunals outside their country.
If you live outside the United States and have a DBA claim, we may be able to help you. You can contact us at (571) 775-2529 or submit an inquiry through our contact form.