The invisible web of global commerce reveals its fragility when put to the ultimate test. Supply chain expert Rob Handfield takes us behind the scenes of what happens when systems break down and legal battles ensue.As the Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management at North Carolina State University, Handfield brings three decades of expertise to bear on some of today's most complex commercial disputes. From his first case with a pharmaceutical giant during the H1N1 pandemic to the avalanche of litigation following COVID-19, his journey illuminates how supply chain management has evolved from an operational function to a strategic imperative with national security implications.The conversation takes a particularly revealing turn when Handfield recounts joining the Joint Acquisition Task Force in March 2020, working alongside FEMA and DHS to locate critically needed medical supplies. "This opened my eyes to the fact that we were completely and wholly unprepared for this pandemic," he shares, noting the bitter irony that he had authored a pandemic preparedness report a decade earlier that "gathered a lot of dust." This frontline experience revealed America's dangerous dependence on overseas manufacturing for essential products, spurring his research into how companies are adapting to these newly recognized vulnerabilities.For attorneys and potential expert witnesses alike, Handfield offers valuable insights into effective testimony, emphasizing the importance of integrity, clear communication, and staying within one's expertise. His experience spans domestic and international courts, high-tech patent disputes, and cases requiring complex document translation, demonstrating the global nature of today's supply chain litigation. Through it all, he maintains that the best expert witnesses combine deep knowledge with an educator's ability to make complex concepts accessible to juries.Subscribe now to hear more conversations with leading experts who bridge the worlds of academia, business, and law while navigating today's most pressing challenges.

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