Dram Shop Consultants: 5

Preston Rideout is a nightclub and bar consultant specializing in Dram Shop Expert Witness Testimony. He has 25 years of bar operations experience and 75 alcohol safety certifications. Preston is CEO of Rideout Hospitality and Founder of The Dram Shop Experts.

Upon graduating from the University of Mississippi, Preston relocated to Las Vegas to work for Pure Management Group. While in Las Vegas, Preston operated Coyote Ugly, Tangerine Nightclub, Pure Nightclub, PCD Lounge, LAX Nightclub, Noir Bar Audigier Nightclub, EVE Nightclub, Venus Pool Club, and Rehab Pool Party inside Treasure Island Casino, New York New York Casino, Caesars Palace, The Luxor, Aria Casino, and The Hard Rock Hotel. After Las Vegas, Preston launched Rideout Hospitality.

As CEO of Rideout Hospitality, Preston provides consulting to casinos, hotels, resorts, restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and hospitality management groups across the United States, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Clients retain Preston to optimize bar operations, create alcohol service policies, implement operating procedures, and conduct bartender training. Together. Preston and his team of consultants have provided consulting to over 250 clients

Areas of Expertise: include but are not limited to Alcohol Service, Alcohol Policies, Alcohol Procedures, industry Standard Bar Operations, Casino Bar Operations, Nightclub Operations, Restaurant Operations, Mechanical Bull Operations, Pool Party Operations, Management Oversight, Bartender Training, Intoxication Identification, Liquor Liability, Premise Liability, Wrongful Death, Slip & Fall.

Alcohol Certifications: Preston Rideout has 75 Alcohol Safety Certifications, including Techniques for Alcohol Management  (TAM), Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS), Responsible Beverage Service (RBS), Responsible Alcohol Server Program (RASP), Alcohol Seller Server Training (ABLE), Alcohol Beverage Commission (ABC) in all 50 states. 

Litigation Support: Preston Rideout provides Dram Shop Expert Witness Testimony for both plaintiffs and defendants.  

Litigation Experience: Preston Rideout has been retrained 73 times to provide Dram Shop Expert Witness Testimony. He’s been retained 23 times by Defendants 50 times and by Plaintiffs.

View Preston Rideout's Expert Witness Profile. 

Dr. William R. Sawyer  is a Professional Toxicologist with a doctorate in toxicology from Indiana University School of Medicine. He has over 32 years of extensive experience in Public Health and Forensic Toxicology. Forensic Environmental & Laboratory Analyses. Through education and experience, Dr. Sawyer has gained extensive expertise in Forensic Petroleum Analyses, Environmental and Clinical Forensic Analyses. 

With over 23 years of laboratory experience and over 14 years experience as a licensed environmental and forensic laboratory director in New York State, he has directed forensic laboratory analyses, sampling protocol and chain-of-custody in criminal and civil matters and has provided petroleum spill assessments to multiple clients including governmental environmental agencies (NYSDEC), Departments of Justice, various State Attorney General Offices (New York, Montana), defense and plaintiff law firms and industry. Petroleum spill and exposure assessment reports have provided an objective determination to within a reasonable degree of scientific certainty. 

Dr. Sawyer is a noted author having written numerous publications, abstracts, treatises and editorials on subjects within his field of expertise. He has also delivered professional presentations on the "Fundamentals of Medical Toxicology" and "Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS)" to such entities as The American Board of Forensic Medicine & The American College of Forensic Examiners among others.

 

Lisa Myers interviews Dr. Sawyer on NBC Nightly News

As a Board Certified Toxicologist, Dr. Sawyer provides impartial toxicological evaluations involving:

Chemical Exposures Petroleum Product Exposures Alcohol Ingestion Intentional Poisons Involved in Homicides Carcinogens

Pharmaceuticals Pyrolysis Products Heavy Metals Organic Chemicals Drugs of Abuse

View Dr. William Sawyer's Expert Witness Profile.

Ted W. Simon, PhD, DABT, is an award winning Environmental Toxicologist and Scientist. His expertise is in toxicology, risk assessment, mathematical modeling, statistics, neuroscience, and environmental / ecological health issues.

Dr. Simon has over 10 years of experience as a toxicologist employed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He served as EPA’s senior toxicologist in the waste management division working on risk and soil cleanup.

Teaching Experience - Since 2001, Dr. Simon has served as an Instructor / Adjunct Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, at the University of Georgia.

Public Speaker - Well published, including the author of a textbook on toxicology and environmental risk assessment, Dr. Simon has extensive national and international public speaking experience. Since 1996, he has been delivering seminars and lectures to universities and national institutes on many subjects within his area of expertise. In 2016, he delivered a lectures on “Bayesian Methods for Application of Uncertainty Factors,” to the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, and “Quantitative Prediction of Phenotypic Change from High Throughput Assay Results,” to the EPA's Workshop on In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation, Research Triangle Park, NC.

Litigation Support - Dr. Simon has over 15 years of experience offering expert witness services to counsel representing both plaintiff and defendant. He has been retained over 20 times since 2000 for cases involving environmental risk, drug and alcohol cases, DUI, accidental poisoning, and intellectual property. Dr. Simon has particular expertise in dioxin-like chemicals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). His services include consulting, reports, deposition, and trial testimony when necessary.

Areas of Expertise:

Dioxins PCBs Drugs Alcohol Poisoning DUI / DWI Water Contamination Soil Contamination Environmental Risk Assessment

Environmental Toxicology Carcinogenicity Food Contamination Pesticides Fracking Lead Marijuana Polychlorinated Biphenyls Intellectual Property

Restaurant Consulting Innovations (RCI) provides services to the Restaurant / Food Services Industry, whether for new development, existing concept re-development and enhancement, or salvaging a company in crisis. RCI provides a highly focused and effective approach from evaluation to implementation of solutions to benefit their clients in the most efficient manner.

Clients List - Joe's Crab Shack, Cask ‘n Cleaver, Lord Charlie’s, El Gato Gordo, Pizza Pronto, Safari Bar Restaurant, Shark Club, Bull Dog Grill, Stronghouse, Pangea, The Ballroom, Juarez Grill, Dickerson’s Club 29, Yucatan Liquor Stand, Zepp’s Atomic Tex Mex, Cabo Grill, Angel Stadium, In Cahoots, The Ball Room, Slick Willie’s, Rodeo, Jake’s, Bobs on the Bay, Crabby Bob’s Seafood, PizzaRev, Honolulu Harry’s, Lahaina Mai Tai Lounge, Canyon Grill, Campagnia, Huey’s Grill & Brewery, Gladstone’s Long Beach, Pro’s Ranch Markets, Lily's Doughnuts & Pops

Consultant Services:

• Design Build Management - Design from Culinary Vision to Construction Documentation, Full Project Management / Installation, Consolidation and Delivery, Site Surveys to Determine Operational Efficiencies, Custom Stainless Fabrication, GPO Procurement Power
• Business Coaching - Leadership Development & Accountability, Performance Optimization, Franchise Model Development, Value Enhancement to Sell or Leverage Bank Financing, Business Performance Reviews, Strategic Planning, Business Turnarounds, New Concept Development
• Industries Served - Independent Restaurants, Multi Unit Operators, New Concepts & Emerging Brands, Franchise Companies, Food-service Suppliers, Hotel Food & Beverage, Investors / Private Equity / Landlords, Wineries, and Virtual Kitchens

Gary R. Coburn, Principal at RCI,  is an award-winning Restaurant Executive with 40 years of experience creating, opening, running, and advising hundreds of full service restaurants, limited service, quick-service, bars and nightclubs. Additional expertise in restaurant franchising and commercial kitchen design/build from remodels to ground up including conceptual development, viability and business interruption.

With over four decades in the industry, Mr. Coburn has held positions as VP of National Accounts and Design Build for the largest commercial kitchen and distribution company in the country to, Director of Operations, President, COO, Executive Director of Food Services and owner operator. His management experience has included supervising more than 2,000 employees, including 170 managers, along with overseeing consulting assignments for numerous companies.

View Gary R. Coburn's Expert Witness Profile.

Perry Group International, founded in 1985, provides consulting, interim hotel management and restaurant and hospitality expert services for lodging, food services, resorts, and nightclubs. Their group does work nationally and internationally with new startup, profitable, and under-performing and distressed hotels, restaurants, bars and nightclubs, retail and mixed-use real estate. 

The professionals at Perry Group International serve as third-party asset manager, owners representative, and advisor, for investors and owners. They also act as court appointed receivers and interim hospitality managers for lenders, operators, and their legal and real estate professionals. Clients have included Biscuits & Blues, Cantina’s, Chevy’s, Choice Hotels, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Hilton, Holiday Inns, Hooter’s Casino, Hyatt, Marriott, McDonald’s, Microtel Inn & Suites, Outback Restaurants, Radisson, Residence Inns, Signature Resort, Sizzler, Sonic Drive-Ins, Starbucks, Starwood, Sheraton, Togo’s, Wendy’s, and Willie Mays Skybox Lounge among others.

Hospitality Management Consulting:

Interim Hotel Management Temporary General Manager Short Term Corporate Manager

Owners Representative Hotel Asset Manager Project Supervisor

Hotel Restaurant Nightclub Consulting:

Acquisition and Disposition Due Diligence Financial Evaluation and Income Impact Planning, Market Analysis, Feasibility Operations and Internal Review Business Interruption

Pre-opening / Post-opening Technical Support Workouts, Restructuring and Repositioning Court Appointed Receiver Provisional Director Expert Witness

Dennis Gemberling, CHA, CFBE, FMP, FCSI, President and Founder of Perry Group International, has over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality Management industry. His experience includes managing, operating, and consulting on full-service, limited-service, extended-stay, all-suite, condo and timeshare hotels and resorts, casual, fine-dining, and quick-service restaurants, bars and nightclubs, special event facilities, casinos, and mixed-use real estate. 

Mr. Gemberling has held prior positions for different owners, operators, and chains as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, and Restaurant Unit Manager. He has been retained for over 400 projects with typical values in the $1 million to $75 million range and revenues in the $1 million to $100 million range both nationally and internationally. 

View Dennis Gemberling's Expert Witness Profile.