Episode 25: Amazon's Dirty Discovery Tactics

Amazon dropped a steaming pile of objections to discovery responses and Karen and Mo are not having it. In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™, they unpack Amazon’s absurd responses to basic discovery requests, like refusing to identify their experts or disclose insurance. Karen compares it to getting “pooped on from the sky,” and Mo brings out his alter ego, Ruthless Mo, to call out the obstruction for what it is: a total waste of time and a deliberate attempt to bury the truth.

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Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

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Episode 24: Sean Combs on Trial: Jury Out For Deliberation

As the jury deliberates in the explosive federal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs, attorneys Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi break down the charges, evidence, and legal strategies that make this trial a pivotal moment in shaping our understanding of consent, power, and accountability.

Behind the glamorous facade of celebrity parties lies something much more sinister. The defense characterizes it as a swinger lifestyle. Prosecutors describe it as systematic exploitation. Combs faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The evidence is damning. Surveillance footage shows violent abuse. Witnesses describe drug-fueled “freak-offs” lasting for days. Federal raids uncovered weapons, drugs, and thousands of bottles of lubricant.

Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi explore the concept of psychological coercion and how power dynamics can erase any real possibility of consent. When someone controls access to fame, money, and opportunity, even an invitation can feel like a threat. Add blackmail, physical abuse, and drugging to the mix, and the defense’s narrative of consensual activity falls apart.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

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📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
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Episode 23: Confronting the Money Taboo in Plaintiff Work

What happens when you’ve spent your whole life avoiding money, and now your entire job is to ask for it in the name of justice?

In this episode, Mo Hamoudi opens up about how childhood poverty and betrayal shaped a deep discomfort with money. He was taken advantage of by people who claimed to care about him. He learned early on that money could be a weapon. And then he became a plaintiff lawyer.

Karen challenges him: “Money is not a dirty word. If you're embarrassed about it, the jury will feel it. The defense will see it. And your client will lose.”

Together, they unpack how the civil justice system forces us to put a price on the unthinkable, like the loss of a child. “When you say a child’s loss is worth nothing, you destroy the very idea of what it means to love unconditionally.”

They also delve into the power dynamics within the plaintiff bar. The more money you have, the harder you are to wear down. And the more seriously you’re taken.

Mo’s working to reframe his relationship with money. Not as betrayal. But as fuel for justice. Karen thinks he’s about 20 percent there. And that’s better than zero.

🎧 Listen to Episode 23: “Confronting the Money Taboo in Plaintiff Work”
Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 22: Post-Settlement Syndrome

In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™, Karen and Mo talk about the emotional crash that hits when you’re “all dressed up and nowhere to party.” Karen calls it post-settlement syndrome. The adrenaline is still pumping, but there’s no fight. They unpack what it feels like when justice is close enough to taste, but the public reckoning never happens. Mike compares it to being robbed of your moment in the ring.

The frustration is real. They reveal how even a great result for a client can feel hollow when it stops short of holding the other side publicly accountable.

They revisit the landmark $10 million Black Lives Matter settlement and explore why some lawyers would rather go to trial than accept the win. For Karen and Mo, the trial isn’t just about the outcome. It’s about the strategy, the confrontation, and the moral clarity that only comes in open court. When that energy has nowhere to go, it often manifests as spicy interactions between colleagues.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 21: The Archetypes That Drive Us in Life and Law

Have you ever noticed how you show up differently depending on the room you're in? In this episode, Karen, Mo, and Mike explore the inner archetypes that shape our thoughts, work, and connections, particularly in the world of trial law.

Karen reflects on her transformation from Disco Karen to Martha Stewart Karen to Trial Karen, each persona tied to survival, tradition, love, and strength. Mo breaks down the different aspects of himself, from Little Mo to Ruthless Mo to Wise Mo, explaining how trauma has shaped these versions and how naming them has given him clarity and control. Mike shares how making music helps him access his most authentic self, the version where everything else falls away.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 20: Karen Koehler on Leadership Challenges in Managing a Law Firm

Can being too humble hold you back?

Karen opens up about her leadership style, one that prioritizes team praise over personal recognition, and the unintended downside of deflecting credit. Mo and Mike delve into how humility, when taken to an extreme, can blur the lines between authority and respect.

Together, they explore the tension between wanting respect but rejecting praise, how gender shapes perceptions of leadership, and why decisiveness is often mistaken for arrogance.

Mo shares a powerful take on Karen’s legal mastery, especially her ability to pace a case like a symphony, and reminds us why great leaders must sometimes own their power.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

🎙️ Episode 19: The Punk Move: When Abusers Use SLAPP suits to Silence Survivors

What happens when the accused turns around and sues the person making the accusation? Karen and Mo dive into the disturbing rise of SLAPP suits — lawsuits filed by powerful defendants to intimidate, drain, and silence sexual abuse survivors.

These lawsuits are calculated moves designed to scare survivors into silence by weaponizing the legal system. This episode explores how money, status, and power are leveraged to silence those who speak out.

Karen calls it a punk move. Mo breaks down the strategy behind it. Together, they explore why this tactic is so common in sex abuse cases and how it discourages survivors from coming forward.

#SLAPPSuit #TheVelvetHammer #KarenKoehler #MoHamoudi #LegalPodcast

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.

Episode 18: The Art of Driving Defense Lawyers Crazy

In this episode of The Velvet Hammer™ podcast, Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi break down the tactics that send defense lawyers into a spiral and explain why that’s not only strategic but also necessary.

Welcome to the “Flim Flam Sauce”, the unapologetic art of getting under opposing counsel’s skin without ever crossing a line. From the perfectly executed “head fake” (where you let your opponent walk into their own trap) to exposing moral hypocrisy in open court, Karen and Mo show how controlled provocation can shift power, pressure the truth, and tilt the playing field back toward justice.

They also confront the legal profession’s obsession with “civility.” Because when your client’s case is on the line, making the other side comfortable should never be the priority.

🎧 Stay Connected with The Velvet Hammer™ Podcast

Hosted by Karen Koehler and Mo Hamoudi, trial lawyers at Stritmatter Law, a nationally recognized plaintiff personal injury and civil rights law firm based in Washington State.

Watch full episodes on YouTube
Follow us on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook
📬 Questions or topic ideas? Email us at thevelvethammerpodcast@stritmatter.com

🔥 New episodes every Wednesday
Subscribe for bold takes, heartfelt moments, and the unfiltered reality of what it means to live and lead as a trial lawyer at Stritmatter Law.