Eric Risberg is a Commercial Real Estate Expert Witness with nationwide experience and a strong emphasis on California real estate. He has been advising clients on commercial real estate matters since 1993. Mr. Risberg is the founder of Advanced Appraisal International, Inc., based in San Francisco, California. Earlier in his career, he provided commercial real estate appraisal services to American Appraisal Associates, the world’s largest independent valuation firm. Mr. Risberg has appraised property for more than 400 clients, including over 20 Fortune 500 companies in over 30 states.

Noteworthy projects include participation in the valuation of more than 200 investment-grade properties for a major U.S. Life Insurance Company, more than 50 hotel valuations for Marriott International, nationwide retail property portfolio valuations for Copley Real Estate Advisors, and the appraisal of high-rise office buildings in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.

Mr. Risberg has been hired as an Expert Witness on many occasions and has testified at trials for a number of cases. His expertise is called upon to value complex properties and advise clients on real property matters. Consulting Services are also provided in mediations, arbitrations or other Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) settings such as JAMS or the American Arbitration Association to resolve matters that are not expected to go to trial.

Areas of Expertise:

Changes in Market Conditions

Construction Defect Litigation

Forensic Valuations

Land Value Disputes

Real Estate Broker Standard of Care

Ground Leases

Residential Properties

Landlord-Tenant Disputes

Physical Damage Claims to Real Estate Due to a Variety of Natural or Man-Made Causes

Land Use and Zoning Issues

Lease-Option Arbitrations

Divorce Cases

MCS Associates is a nationally recognized consulting group that has provided financial, operations and regulatory/compliance consulting services nationwide to financial institutions, insurance companies and regulatory agencies as well as real estate and financial services organizations for over 30 years.

Expert Witness and Litigation Consulting are a primary focus of our services. We undertake expert witness assignments throughout the United States and our clients include several hundred leading law firms around the country, working on behalf of both plaintiff and defendant financial institutions, borrowers, depositors, investors, developers, insurance companies and their insured, securities/insurance/real estate brokers/agents, regulators and government agencies, and individuals.

Together with MCS Associates’ specialized resources in banking, financial services and real estate, we also draw on key strategic alliances in insurance, economics, academia and the securities industry to meet a wide range of expert witness needs. Our litigation experts include experienced bankers, lenders, consultants, regulators, managers, brokers & agents in insurance, real estate, and securities; insurance claims and underwriting managers; economists, accountants, appraisers, real estate analysts, and academics.

Areas of Expertise Include:

Banking Operations/Administration

Check Fraud

Lending Policies, Custom and Practice

Loan Underwriting & Credit Administration

Sub Prime Loan Originations, Underwriting, Securitizations & Servicing

Bankruptcy, Foreclosures and Workouts

Trust & Fiduciary Issues / Operations

Securities Brokerage & Investments

Valuations & Damages Analysis

Forensic Accounting

Employment / Compensation

Real Estate Brokerage & Management

Title Insurance & Escrow

Real Estate Appraisal & Transactions

Insurance Industry Custom & Practice

Insurance Coverages / Claims Handling

Insurance Bad Faith

John Busey Wood focuses his practice on Commercial and Retail Leasing and Construction Real Estate. He advises public and private companies on Real Estate Acquisitions, Facilities Management and Standardization, Construction and Development, Brokerage Law, Commercial Leasing, Commercial Property Management, and Litigation. Mr. Wood has represented owners in the design and negotiation of commercial leases covering in excess of 50 million square feet of retail, office, and mixed-use space projects for thirty years and in 1998 structured and closed the largest lease of an existing commercial building in the history of New York City exceeding 2 Million square feet.

His extensive national experience in developable land, improved property acquisitions, large scale retail and office developments, large project "fast-track" design-build construction, and leasing and management programs have made him an ideal corporate facilities support resource for companies. He is a noted authority on fair market value determinations, lease restructuring and re-negotiations as well as rental escalations, expenses, allocations, auditing, and litigation/dispute resolution.

Mr. Wood was named the "Father of the modern Killer Lease" in 1984 by the Wall Street Journal. His financing, auditing, and computer expertise contributed to his uncovering the largest computer leasing fraud in the United States. Mr. Wood is a member of the American Arbitration Association Commercial Neutral Panel.

E. Robert Miller has over 40 years of service to the real estate profession and has unrivaled expertise in Property Management Techniques. As President of E. Robert Miller & Associates, he provides Expert Witness Consulting and trial work, educational services and business development services.

Mr. Miller has served on more than 550 cases as an Expert Witness or Consultant in the property management field since 1996. He was the 2004 Northern California Expert Witness Association President. Mr. Miller's experience and thoroughness in research, depositions and trial situations makes him your best choice for an expert witness in property management litigation.

Areas of Expertise

Accident or Assault - Safety/Security Conditions

Improper Eviction

Unpaid Rent - Habitability Standards

Contractor Dispute

Partnership Dispute

Bankruptcy

Animal Control

Security Deposits

Association Board Responsibilities/Management Duties

Samuel N. Oliva has served as Managing Partner of ECS Financial Services, Inc., a regional certified public accounting firm, since 1982. Concurrently, Mr. Oliva has served as CEO of Beacon Funding Corporation, a successful equipment leasing company, since 1990.

Mr. Oliva is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Lease Professional, licensed business broker and a licensed real estate broker. Mr. Oliva serves on the Board of Directors of Harris Bank in Chicago. His distinctions include the 2002 Financial Executive Award from the Institute of Management Accountants and the 2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Western Illinois University. Mr. Oliva obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University, and his MBA from the University of Chicago.

Mr. Oliva’s accounting and tax background, coupled with his superior business knowledge and management skills, his expertise within the leasing industry, and his natural business sense, make him uniquely qualified to opine on accounting, finance, credit and real estate related matters. He has been instrumental in building both his CPA firm and his leasing company into well managed, successful organizations. He has offered valuable advice to numerous business owners and managers over the years, helping many companies to grow and develop into successful financial organizations.

Mr. Oliva has served as an expert witness in a variety of situations. His experience includes serving as a confident and knowledgeable trial witness, preparation of expert witness reports, evaluation of damages and consulting with attorney’s throughout the various stages of litigation.

Areas of Expertise:

Leasing Company Management

Merger and Acquisition Consulting

Real Estate Brokerage

Finance and Management

Estate Administration

Litigation Support

Personal and Corporate Tax Planning

Financing Acquisition and Negotiations

Investment Advice and Systems Consulting

Strategic Business Planning

Steven D. Epcar, CPM is an Expert in Real Estate and Property Management Issues with 30 years of experience including residential, commercial, retail and mixed-use properties. He is experienced in litigation support including personal injury, standard of care, partnership conflicts, due diligence and life safety cases. Mr. Epcar is a current Member of the Forensic Expert Witness Assoication (FEWA).

Mr. Epcar is a real estate consultant to institutional and private investors and performs an array of services including asset and property management, organizational assessments, financial feasibility, Tenants-In-Common investments and new development services.

Mr. Epcar's was also Principal/Founding Partner of Ventana Property Services, a third party management and consulting service provider involved with both commercial and multifamily assets. The company's portfolio is comprised of 10,000 apartment units and 3,500,000 square feet of suburban, urban and mixed use comm

Michael J. Welton, a Self Employed Consultant since 1998, has been retained as an expert in over sixty separate cases in the areas of Property Management, Asset Management, Wrongful Death, Credit Tenant Lease Transactions, Real Estate Development and Toxic Mold Remediation Protocol for Commercial and Multi-Family properties. As a seasoned and experienced real estate professional, Mr. Welton has the background to develop successful income producing assets, evaluate and complete the acquisition of income producing assets and create teams of individuals to professionally manage any type of real estate.

Significant Accomplishments:

Increased annual rent from $18 million in 1990 to $49 million in 1995

Supervised/negotiated credit tenant lease transactions generating in excess of $500 million of long-term revenue

Consistent double digit rates of return on invested capital

Developed 1,212,000 square feet of retail shopping centers from 1990 to 1998

Directly responsible for acquisition and disposition of one asset generating before-tax profits of $32 million

Mr. Welton has court and deposition testimony experience in AZ, CA, OK, MO, OH, NC and TX. He is available to travel ANYWHERE.