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This article explores the mechanisms of trust and distrust in experts. In research and development (R&D) centers, experts are the scientific and technical staff who bring a competitive edge to the organization thanks to their specific skills. While trust is an essential condition for the exercise of the expert role among those seeking expertise, it remains largely understudied. The issue addressed in this article is as follows: How do expertise seekers express their trust in experts? To answer this question, we conducted a qualitative exploratory study at an R&D center, interviewing thirty-two experts, sixteen managers, and nine members of the executive committee or human resources managers (HRMs). Our results reveal a coexistence of trust and distrust toward experts, which can be explained by an ambiguous role of managers and contextual factors that generate distrust. Our contributions shed light on the paradoxical expression of trust in experts and give rise to managerial implications.