Design (General) Consultants: 20

Dr. Adam K. Aleksander, PhD, PE, CSP, has over 40 years of experience in the areas of Mechanical Engineering, Human Factors, and Safety Engineering. His consulting services include industrial projects related to utility and heavy industrial plant events, equipment failures, combustion, STG, chlorine, and material handling systems. Principal at ALEKSANDER & Associates and VP of an Energy Services firm, Dr. Aleksander has been a practicing engineer since 1972, focusing his Manufacturing, Consulting and Forensic investigations on Problem Definition and Root Cause Analysis of complex problems in confidential issues.

Dr. Aleksander has performed extensive research in his field of expertise. The author of numerous publications on Mechanical Engineering, Human Factors, and Safety Engineering, he has delivered lectures and presented seminars to such entities as the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the International Academy of Forensic Sciences, and the National Academy of Forensic Engineers.

ALEKSANDER & Associates Services Include:

Investigative Engineering Accident / Incident Investigation Accident, Loss, & Exposure Evaluations Environmental Permitting & Reclamation Product Liability Risk Management & Safety	Preventive Engineering Accident / Incident Investigations Human - Machine Interaction & Ergonomics Research & Investigations RMP & PSM Work Site Evaluation
Safety / Ergonomics Industrial Ergonomics Risk Management, PSM, Loss Control Accident, Loss, & Exposure Evaluations	Consulting Engineering Engineering Design & Analysis OSHA & Regulatory Issues Industrial Forensics

View Dr. Aleksander's Expert Witness Profile.

ATech Designs, Inc. is a five-time award winning Product Development, Design and Consulting company. They have worked with clients in many different fields of work including the Medical Product Device Design and Development industry. The types of medical products ATech Designs, Inc. has developed include medical disposables, medical devices, laparoscopic devices, anastomotic connectors, catheters, intravenous (IV) devices, mitral valve repair devices, non-invasive surgical instruments, and knitted multi-pole pockets for RF endometrial ablation. Services Include:

Product Design and Development Machine Design Polymer Selection Detail Drafting Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Manufacturing FACTTM Molding

Product Assembly Product Testing Root Cause Analysis / Dynamic Mechanical Analysis Animal Studies Clinical Studies Expert Court Witness Design Prototyping

Karl R. Leinsing, MSME, PE, President of Atech Designs, Inc., is a Professional Mechanical Engineer who specializes in Medical Device Product Development from concept to production. Mr. Leinsing has been granted over 20 patents (needle free IV valves, laparoscopic devices, needlescopic devices, suture lockers, catheters, mitral valve repair devices, knitting machines) and excels in solving the most complicated problems and design challenges. The winner of five design awards, Mr. Leinsing is recognized as one of the top 100 medical device professionals in the nation by MD&DI. For dedication to his industry, he was made the 2014 Chairman of the Medical Device and Manufacturing Conference in Anaheim, CA. Mr. Leinsing has also been acknowledged for his work in a publication by Life Magazine.

View Karl Leinsing's Expert Witness Profile.

Rob Wallace has unique expertise in Trademark, Trade Dress, Copyright, Brand Identity and Package Design Infringement. For 30+ years, Rob ran one of the nation's top Brand Identity Strategy and Package Design Resources providing global branding expertise to Fortune 500 companies in virtually all CPG categories. His clients include P&G, Nestle, Pepsico, Unilever, Kraft, Colgate, The Home Depot, Brown-Foreman, Novartis, J&J and more than 30 market leading companies. Manhattan-based, Rob has been an expert witness for important litigation involving:

• Likelihood of Consumer Confusion, Brand Valuation & Dilution
• Innovation/Ideation Copyright
• Package Graphic/Structural Design
• Product Design
• Branding Industry Best Practices
• False Advertising
• Corrective Advertising
• and all brand related issues.

Rob has commissioned literally hundreds of consumer surveys and is uniquely qualified to determine the results of all research.

He has worked for attorneys on both the plaintiff and defense sides of his cases. He is effective and efficient with the average project report requiring between 10 and 12 hours.

Bonneau Dickson, PE, is a Sanitary Engineer with over 35 years of experience in all aspects of studying, designing, and constructing water, wastewater, and stormwater facilities, both in the United States and abroad.

Mr. Dickson provides consulting services in the following areas::

Sewage Overflows Wastewater Facilities Design Wastewater Facilities Planning Septic Systems Water Facilities Design

Water Facilities Planning Standard of Care Stormwater Facilities Design Stormwater Facilities Planning PCE Contamination

Design Experience - Mr. Dickson has participated in the design of approximately 300 water, wastewater and stormwater projects, ranging in size from a single septic tank or well to a 120 MGD pure oxygen wastewater treatment plant. He was the project manager on many of these projects.

Construction Management Experience - Mr. Dickson has been resident engineer or otherwise participated in the construction phase of approximately 20 water and wastewater projects.

Management Experience - Bonneau Dickson has both project management and general management experience. Has been project manager on approximately 175 projects. He was operations manager for a 150 person engineering firm, and has frequently managed design teams and design departments. He has served as staff to technical agencies assisting them select, hire, and manage other consultants.

View Bonneau Dickson's Expert Witness Profile.

Caylor Engineering & Associates, PLLC is a private consulting mechanical engineering firm specializing in NH₃ and CO₂ Refrigeration Systems used in process and cold storage applications. Clients have included Leprino Foods, Safeway, Dreyer’s, Tyson,  ConAgra, Unilever, Nestlé, Imperial Irrigation District, Lineage Logistics, and Grupo Kuo (Kekén).  

Consulting Services:

System Design and Design Review (owner’s agent) Code Review (IIAR, IFC/IMC, ASME B31.5, ASHRAE Std 15)

Forensic Analysis and Expert Consultant/Expert Witness Operational Analysis

James Caylor, PE, Principal at Caylor Engineering spent his first 15 years in the refrigeration business were spent as a service and startup technician, including a UA steamfitter apprenticeship, 11 years in the industrial field and the final 8 years self-employed as Caylor Refrigeration. He then returned to college and graduated from Arizona State University in 2000 with a BSME.

Mr. Caylor worked as a project engineer for two design/build contractors and became a PE before moving to Tyson Foods’ corporate design group in 2005.  He joined Jacobs Engineering’s Food and Beverage Group in Fort Worth in 2007, finished in 2013 as Deputy Director in charge of all refrigeration projects and opened his own consulting firm in 2014.

Current committee service includes the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (Standards-CM and Government Relations-VM) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (Std 15, TC 10.1, TC 10.3 and TC 10.5; VM on all and chair of TC 10.3). He has revised portions of chapter 2 in the 2014 and 2018 editions of the ASHRAE Refrigeration Handbook and is completing calculations of CO2 piping capacities in chapter 3. 

 Mr. Caylor's work with the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association includes vice president of the Oakland, CA chapter, founder and first president of the Phoenix, AZ chapter and presentation of "Evaporator Leaks and Control Valve Selection" at the 2018 RETA National Conference. 

View James Caylor's Expert Witness Profile.

Creative Product Solutions, LLC provides engineering consulting services to the Consumer Goods Industry, including various Appliance and Product Manufacturers. Their services are available to clients with specific projects or intermittent support for the same client as needs arise.

Creative Product Solutions offers GD&T and dimensioning schemes which are functionally focused to relate component dimensions directly to product performance. This strategy has demonstrated improved product performance and reduced field service incident rate significantly.

Consulting Services

Product Design and Development Product Safety Testing Product Approval Testing Quality / Manufacturing Processes

Failure Analysis Root Cause Analysis Test Plans / Data Analytics Product Field Investigations Code Review

Robert C. Hoffman Jr, PE, CFEI, Principal at Creative Product Solutions, LLC, is a licensed Professional Engineer certified as a Fire and Explosion Investigator. With 30 years of experience, the primary focus of his knowledge is a deep understanding and application of all aspects of Product Safety for the Consumer Goods Industry.

Background Experience: For 27 years, Mr. Hoffman worked with the Whirlpool Corporation in various roles. He served the company as a Drum Sub-System Design/Development Engineer, a Laundry Product Approval Engineer, and Dryer Platform Structures Sub-System Leader and Engineer. His final position with the company before retirement was Principal Engineer, a position he served in for 8 years. 

Mr. Hoffman's primary areas of specialization are Heat / Combustion Containment strategies, and Electrical System Design strategies in expected customer abnormal use.  His involvement in field investigation evaluations and product liability support allow him to understand how products react in the field and produce both relevance safety tests and design solutions.

Qualifications:

• Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan
• Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI)
• Master Certified in Design for Safety
• Master Certified in Force Failure Testing
• Certified Statistical Blackbelt
• Member of the UL Standards Technical Panel for Appliance Codes related to Clothes Washers and Dryers

View Robert C. Hoffman's Expert Witness Profile.

Daroff Design Inc. + DDI Architects PC, Architects, Planners, Interior Designers, and Consultants, partner with their clients such as Comcast, NBCUniversal, Disney, Marriott International, Hilton, and Ritz Carlton to create innovative environments that thoughtfully respond to their strategic branding, cultural, and operational objectives. They specialize in ground-up, renovation and historic adaptive reuse projects for office facilities, hotels, resorts, restaurants, meeting, conference and training facilities, aviation terminals and entertainment projects throughout the USA and Internationally. James Rappoport, AIA, NCARB, Principal and Architect of Record at Daroff, has provided technical consultations for hundreds of clients. He is the author of several professional text books and trade journal articles, has been awarded multiple copy rights and is an active member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the International Code Council (ICC), and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). He is certified by the National Council of Architectural Review Boards (NCARB) and licensed to practice in 31 states. Areas of Expertise:

Architecture Architectural Codes / Design & Standards Architectural Design Architectural Practice ADA - Accessibility Compliance ADA - Accessibility Design Building Codes & Ordinances Construction & Architecture Construction Claims Construction Disputes Facility Programming Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment Specifications Furniture, Fixtures, & Equipment Failures

Hotel & Resort Design & Planning Interior Design & Planning Office Building Design & Planning Owner – Architect Agreements Owner – Contractor Agreements Professional Liability (Architecture & Design) Project Planning Slip – Fall Accident (Causes) Site Assessment & Development Site Planning & Design Standard of Care (Architecture & Design) Urban Design Urban Development & Planning

View James Rappoport's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. is one of the highest respected consulting firms dedicated to the Packaging industry. Since 2010, it has become a globally renowned source for packaging process improvement, purchasing, manufacturing, distributing, shipment, and packaging environments. Dr. Box Consulting Inc.'s clients include Fortune 1000 corporations around the world and the Governments of the United States, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and the Country of Georgia.  

Business Consulting Services:

Packaging and Business Improvement - Waste reduction, quality improvement, safety improvement, profit improvement, lean manufacturing, machine productivity improvement, overtime reduction, on-time-delivery improvement and many other business improvement areas. A global leader in Packaging Procurement results.

Packaging Design and Branding - Assess packaging lines, improve efficiency, reduce material cost, design cost-effective packaging utilizing better and more flexible designs to protect and display products.

Branding - Design packaging, proper color choice, placement and designs of logos, names of products, placement of wording on the product and packaging for cosmetics, food products, household goods and many others. 

Packaging Research - Market assessments to determine the viability of building new plants in specific areas, including economic analysis, trend analysis, assessment of potential competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, market pricing analysis, and determination of potential customers.

Randy Phares, President and CEO of Dr. Box Consulting, Inc., is a Packaging expert specializing in Corrugated and Folding Carton Packaging. He has over 30 years of progressive leadership experience in Packaging, Procurement, Shipping, Lean Manufacturing, Quality, Safety, Productivity, and Business Improvement.

Since he began his career in 1990, Mr. Phares has held almost every job in packaging operations. These include manufacturing, distribution, sales, design, safety, and transportation.

Mr. Phares has served as a consultant for the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry's (TAPPI) Consulting Council. He was also the Vice Chair of the Packaging Consultants Council for the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IOPP) and President of the South Texas Manufacturer’s Association. 

Mr. Phares has spoken and keynoted National, International and Local conferences. He has been hired to do DOT Packaging HAZMAT training for paper, rigid, and flexible packaging. Mr. Phares has done leadership training, Lean Manufacturing training, sales training, machinery training, new Supervisor training, safety training, and much more.

View Randy Phares' Expert Witness Profile.

James Parker has over 35 years of relevant industry experience specializing in Electronic Security Systems & Sensors, Electronics R&D and New Product Development. With executive and strategic leadership skills, Mr. Parker served as a principal product architect, is highly credible with customers, distributors, and suppliers. He is a prolific inventor having been granted over 24 unique patents with approximately 80 patent documents published worldwide. Mr. Parker is the Past Vice President of Engineering for Digital Security Controls Ltd. (DSC), a leading global manufacturer of electronic security systems and components with sales exceeding $400 million annually. He is currently the President at EE-Systems Group Inc. Canada (R&D) where he is responsible for overseeing new product and business development. 

Consulting Services - Mr. Parker's consulting services include identifying patent filing opportunities while avoiding infringement risks. He has in-depth knowledge of electronic product design in both Wired and Wireless Technologies and outstanding knowledge of Environmental and False Alarm Immunity. 

Mr. Parker also has expertise in the research, development, design, and manufacturing of electronic based products such as Security Systems, Burglar Alarm Systems, Intrusion Detection Systems, Occupancy Detection Systems, Fresnel and Mirror Optic PIR (Passive Infra-Red) Motion Detectors, Microwave Doppler Motion Detectors, Solar Powered, Motion Controlled, LED illumination Systems, and similar devices. 

View James Parker's Expert Witness Profile.

Finity Engineering, LLC comprises highly-accomplished engineers and industrial practitioners that work alongside leading researchers to provide design, analysis, consulting, and litigation support services. Associates are subject-matter experts in the areas of Automation, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Consumer Products.

Finity Engineering professionals have served scores of industry-leading companies and research institutes, and have developed and provided technical oversight for the implementation of hundreds of robotic, automation, and controls systems deployed within the facilities of high-profile end users. Collectively, Finity Engineering professionals are named inventors on over 60 patents and have founded dozens of successful entrepreneurial ventures, demonstrating pragmatic and marketable engineering innovation.

Clients Include: Alcoa, Apple, BMW, Boeing, Cargill, Caterpillar, Chernobyl, Cummins, Ford Motors, Fukushima, General Motors, Gestamp, Google, Honda, Hundai, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Johnson Controls, Kia Motors, Lockheed Martin, and many more.

Design, Analysis & Business Consulting Specialties:

Additive Manufacturing Aerospace Engineering Biomedical Engineering Consumer Product Design Control Systems Cranes Design Methodology Dynamics Electrical Engineering Failure Analysis Fluid Power / Hydraulics Haptics Hazard Analysis Image Processing Industrial Control Systems Industrial Design

Machine Design Machine Learning Machine Vision Manufacturing Mechanical Engineering Mechatronics Motion Control Optics Photogrammetry Product Design Rapid Prototyping Robotics Signal Processing Traction Control & Wheel Slip Vibrations Warnings

 Founder, Khalid Sorensen, PhD, is a highly accomplished technology leader in Automation, Mechatronics, Motion Control, Manufacturing, Machine Vision, and Human-Machine Interaction. He has over 20 years of experience developing and deploying world class, mechatronic, motion control, and automation solutions.

Dr. Sorensen has directed the development and implementation of 100s of complex, multi-disciplinary mechatronic systems for high-profile industry leaders including Toyota, Ford, Alcoa, Caterpillar, Boeing, NuScale, and many others, and high-profile facilities including Fukushima and Chernobyl.

Previously, Dr. Sorensen Founded a technology company where he invented and was the Chief Architect of Expertoperator^TM, Safemove^TM, Automove^TM, and Cranevision^TM – technology known within the primary metals, automotive, and heavy-equipment sectors for enhancing crane safety, productivity, and ease-of-use; Developed state-of-the-art, on-line, time-optimal trajectory synthesis software for Cartesian machines - key drivers in the acquisition of his company 5 years after inception by a global leader in automation.

View Dr. Khalid Sorensen's Expert Witness Profile.

Rudolph P. Frizzi, PE, GE, D.GE is a Civil Engineer with over 25 years of extensive practical Foundation and Geotechnical Engineering experience. His geotechnical Engineering and project management experience is extensive with particular emphasis on: foundation design and construction in urban areas and large scale land and waterfront public and private development projects throughout the United States and internationally. Mr. Frizzi has interacted on projects located in practically every continent world-wide.

Consulting Services Include:

• Sub-surface Investigations
• Foundation Design
• Seismic Analysis and Numerical Modeling
• Earth Retaining Structures, Excavation Support, Underpinning Design
• Ground Improvement and Soil / Rock Slope Stabilization
• Tunneling, Underground, and Trenchless Construction
• Waterfront Design and Marine Engineering
• Temporary and Permanent Groundwater Control
• Controlled Inspection and Instrumentation Monitoring During Construction

Mr. Frizzi has obtained extensive field, office supervision, project management, and forensic experience including soil and rock sampling and in-situ testing; monitoring pre, during, and post construction with state of the art geotechnical instrumentation; nondestructive testing; aqueous and sub-aqueous inspections and investigations and heavy construction field inspection which has contributed to his practical approach to geotechnical problem solving. Selected Projects:

• One57 - 1,005 feet tall, 5-star, 210 room Park Hyatt Hotel and 95 premium condominiums and residences. Performed geotechnical and environmental engineering investigations, and provided foundation recommendations to support the proposed tower on spread footings supported on rock
• Farmer's Field Event Center - geotechnical and environmental engineer for this highly anticipated 1,700,000-square-foot state-of-the-art sports stadium, entertainment venue, and premier convention center that will bring the NFL back to Los Angeles

View Rudolph Frizzi's Expert Witness Profile.

Leonard J. Backer has over 28 years of extensive and successful Furniture Industry experience in all key areas including:

Sourcing Private Label Production Product Development Original Design Marketing Branding Import and Distribution

Vendor Qualification Supplier Relations Contract Negotiations Customer Service Competitive Analysis Sales Agreements Designer Driven Approach

Mr. Backer has executive level perspective in start-up, turnaround and aggressive growth situations with long term industry relations, both domestically and overseas. He specializes in Private Label Manufacturing, Sourcing, and Product Development expertise.

Leonard Backer has provided extensive consulting work on short and long term projects. He has provided consulting work on various topics over the past few years for private equity companies, large branded manufacturers, and independent product designers. Mr. Backer has conducted site visits to 80 overseas and domestic factory operations. Worked closely with independent product designers.

View Leonard Backer's Expert Witness Profile.

OrthoBioMech LLC provides Medical Device Development and Injury Biomechanics Analysis services to the orthopedic and legal fields. The founder, Mari S. Truman, PE, has more than 37 years of experience in Orthopedic Product Design and Development. As Principal Engineer, she acts as an R&D design and development consultant to the orthopaedic industry and an injury biomechanics and medical device forensic expert.

While working for and with the major US Orthopaedic companies, she designed numerous instruments and implants for repair of skeletal injury. Ms. Truman is named on 12 Orthopaedic Patents and frequently gives talks on implant design and injury biomechanics on topics such as: knee and thumb-based joint surfaces and kinematics, joint design, rapid prototyping, medical device design control, and injury biomechanics.

Ms. Truman founded and ran ArthroMotion (1993-1997) and Seabrook International LLC's Midwest Design Center (1999-2002). Her project experience (non-inclusive):

• Total and Hemi Joint Resurfacing Systems: Hip, Knee, Wrist, Ankle, Hand/Toe, CMC, PIP, DIP, Shoulder
  
• Trauma Systems: Plates, specialty screws, intramedullary nails, wires, cables, external fixation systems, spinal fusion systems
  
• Soft Tissue Reattachment Systems

Speaking Venues: ASME Congress, North American Spine Society, Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference, International Society of Biomechanics, National Manufacturing Week Conference, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, International Hand and Wrist Biomechanics Symposium, International Federation of the of the Societies for Surgery of the Hand, Vth International Symposium on Computer Simulation in Biomechanics, Indiana Medical Device Manufacturer’s Council, Ohio Bar Association and the Ohio Trial Lawyer’s Association.

View Mari S. Truman's Expert Witness Profile.

Packaging Technology & Research LLC provides Food Packaging Consulting, Tailored Packaging Science, and Value Chain Solutions that improve   packaging in the Food and Beverage Industry. 

Science-Based Consulting:

Problem Solving and Technical Consulting - Help uncover and shine a spotlight on what’s working and what is NOT to help our clients take bold steps rooted in science-based packaging expertise.

Sustainable Packaging - Unlock the optimal blend of food and packaging science, value chain experience, and consumer insights to achieve more sustainable packaging for clients. This includes food packaging system, flexible packaging, and packaging materials that support food packaging sustainability.

Increase Shelf Life and Prevent Food Waste - Empower clients with packaging solutions to prevent food waste, meet bold commitments on addressing UNSDGs, food justice, hunger, and GHG. reduction. F

Strategy and Roadmaps - Steer clients’ futures by developing science-based, systems-thinking strategies and roadmaps to ensure both an intelligent plan and a strong business case. From food packaging for frozen food to edible packaging and pet food packaging 

Clients: Food Companies, Produce Companies, Frozen Food Manufactures, Meal Kit Delivery Companies, Food and Packaging Wholesaler, Restaurant Chains, Industry Associations, Packaging Companies, Bakeries, Pet Food Companies, Packaging Manufacturers, Quick Service Restaurants, Environmental Advocacy Groups, Chemical Companies, Dairy Farms, Butchers, Copackers, Meat Delivery Companies, Restaurants.

Claire K. Sand, PhD, is a Global Packaging Technology  Leader with over 35 years of Food Science and Packaging experience. Dr. Sand's background includes working with Total Quality Marketing, Nestle, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Safeway, and academia, as well as in basic research, development market research, and marketing in Germany, Colombia, and Thailand. 

Dr. Sand is the owner and founder of Packaging Technology and Research, LLC, as well as Gazelle Mobile Packaging Inc. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Michigan State University and CalPoly. She is an IFT Fellow, the Riester-Davis-Brody Lifetime Achievement in Food Packaging Award recipient, a member of numerous Editorial Boards, the author of the Packaging Value Chain, and the co-chair of pacfoodwaste. Dr. Sand received her doctorate in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Minnesota, as well as master's and bachelor's degrees in packaging from Michigan State University.

View Dr. Claire K. Sand's Expert Witness Profile.

R. Kevin Smith PE, BSME, MMAE, has been a specialist in Engineering Forensic Safety and Design for 35 years. He has consulted on over a 1,000 matters nationwide.

Mr. Smith is a registered professional engineer and holds a BSME and MMAE from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He specializes in Material Handling Equipment Safety, including lift trucks, dock safety, truck loading, conveyors, and aerial work platform safety.

Mr. has been actively involved as a member of the committee that writes the Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks (ASME/ANSI B56.1) for over 30 years. He also serves on the B56.6 committee (rough terrain lift trucks) and the ANSI A92.5 and A92.6 subcommittees (self-propelled elevating work platforms).

Litigation Support - Mr. Smith formerly worked for Triodyne, Inc. for over 15 years as a forensic engineer/principal engineer. As President of R. K. Smith Engineering Inc., he currently has a laboratory for examination and testing, and owns or has access to varied testing equipment and tools.

Kevin Smith has testified at depositions and trials on several hundred matters. He has performed hundreds of investigations into product failures involving injury and property damage, and has reconstructed numerous accidents. His expertise is available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant. Mr. Smith also is on the Adjunct Math faculty at Prairie State College.

Areas of Expertise:

Forklift Trucks Aerial Work Platform Lifts Product Testing Material Handling / Lifting / Rigging Equipment Accident Reconstruction Machine Guarding Safeguarding Warnings

Agricultural and Construction Equipment Skid Steer Loaders Stability Testing Loading Dock Safety Consumer Products / Testing OSHA Citations Codes & Standards Standard of Care in Design

View R. Kevin Smith's Expert Witness Profile.