Construction Claims Consultants: 39

Florida Office:
Andrew Avalon, PE, PSP
Chairman & CEO
8633 Willow Kane Court
Orlando, FL 32835
aavalon@long-intl.com
T: (407) 445-0825     F: (407) 650-3399

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Long International provides expert engineering and construction claims analysis, expert testimony, project management consulting, and insurance claims analysis services. Our focus is on heavy industrial projects including oil and gas, petroleum refining, petrochemical, chemical, mining/mineral processing, power, cogeneration, and other industrial projects. We analyze claims, not limited to, disputed change orders, schedule delay, acceleration, time extensions, liquidated damages, loss of productivity, defective specifications, and deficient project management performance.

Richard J. Long, P.E., P.Eng., Founder of Long International, has over 50 years of U.S. and international consulting experience involving construction contract disputes analysis and resolution, arbitration/litigation support and expert testimony, project management, engineering/construction management, cost and schedule control, and process engineering. As an internationally recognized expert in the analysis and resolution of complex construction disputes for over 35 years, Mr. Long has served as the lead expert on over 300 projects having claims ranging in size from US$100,000 to over US$2 billion. He has presented and published numerous articles on claims analysis, entitlement issues, CPM schedule and damages analyses, cumulative impact claims, and claims prevention.

Rod C. Carter, CCP, PSP is President of Long International and has over 20 years of experience in construction project controls, contract disputes and resolution, negotiations, mediation, arbitration support, and expert testimony on scheduling, loss of productivity, and quantum issues.  He has experience in entitlement, schedule, and damages analyses on over 30 construction disputes ranging in value from US$100,000 to US$7 billion, related to oil and gas, oil refinery, LNG, heavy civil, nuclear, environmental, chemical, power, industrial, commercial, and residential construction projects.  Mr. Carter is proficient in the use of Primavera P6 and P3 software, and he has extensive experience in assessing the impact to engineering and construction works of RFIs, change orders and other events.  Mr. Carter specializes in loss of productivity, cumulative impact, and quantum calculations, and had a lead role in assessing damages on more than a dozen major disputes.  In addition, Mr. Carter has developed cost and schedule risk analysis models using Monte Carlo simulations to address the uncertainty of estimates and claims.

Michael J. Vallez, P.E., MBA, LEAN SIX SIGMA is a Senior Principal with Long International and has over 40 years of hands-on and leadership experience in project management, engineering/construction management, cost and schedule control, change management, claims, and dispute resolution.  He has served in executive management roles for both the owner and contractor working on world-class oil and gas, power, and international mining projects.   Mr. Vallez has a proven ability to organize, integrate and manage the work of multi-disciplined technical specialists and project construction teams to achieve corporate financial goals and objectives of return on investment, safety, operational performance, cost, and time.  In all, he has provided leadership on several billion dollars’ worth of projects in the chemical, heavy civil, mining, power, oil and gas, industrial, and commercial sectors.  Mr. Vallez has written several books on the subjects of construction management, safety, and effective project leadership.

Advanced Building Consultants provides expert services for a wide range of Construction and Environmental issues. Their clients include homeowners, insurance companies, businesses, and attorneys. Advanced Building Consultants serves clients throughout the Southeastern United States.

Construction Services: Construction Management Building Codes Building Construction Roofing Cost Estimating

Environmental Services: Causation and Origin Healthy Habitat Remediation Damage Estimates

Principal, Clinton J. Ford, MS, ACA, CGC, CIAQM, CIE, CMR, CRMI, is a former Continuing Education Sponsor for the Florida Construction Licensing Board and has been a licensed Florida Certified General Contractor since 1981. He has many years of construction experience on projects ranging from $5,000 to $50,000,000 and has been providing consulting and expert witness work for both construction and environmental issues since 1994.

Mr. Ford has obtained both field experience and education in the following four distinct but often related disciplines of Construction, Environmental, Real Estate and Insurance, and holds many titles and over thirty years of construction experience with twenty-five years as a State Certified General Contractor.

Over the years Mr. Ford has combined his extensive construction knowledge with cause and origin of water intrusion and environmental issues offering an exceptional understanding of Building Science and its relationship to contamination from biological agents such as toxic mold, mycotoxins, bacteria and endotoxin’s.

View Clinton Ford's Expert Witness Profile.

Geoffrey Beresford Hartwell is a Chartered Consulting Engineer who practices as an Arbitrator, Adjudicator and Expert for Determination. Geoffrey is the former Senior Partner of Consulting Mechanical and Electrical Engineers BHA Cromwell House.

Technical Expertise:

Electrical Engineering and Design Mechanical Engineering and Design Instrumentation Automation and Computer Control Systems Maritime and Infrastructure Engineering Process Engineering Solid Waste Handling

Communications Manufacturing Computer Cartography Moving Bridges and Lock Gates Construction Project Management Nuclear Energy Water and Waste Water Treatment

Consulting Services Include:

• Arbitration - Geoffrey Hartwell acts as an arbitrator and adjudicator, as an expert mediator and conciliator, as an expert investigator and assessor for arbitral tribunals, and also as a Special Referee in the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man. His services have been required in the UK and internationally
• Dispute Boards: Geoffrey has experience both as Member and as Chairman of Dispute Boards. He has been a member of Dispute Boards, retained from the beginning of a project or, alternatively, appointed on an ad hoc basis when a problem arises, Dispute Adjudication Boards to determine a binding decision, and on Dispute Review Boards to make decisions that are advisory but not binding
• Adjudication: Similar to arbitration, Mr. Hartwell adjudicates domestic and international disputes which are only temporarily binding unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties

Background: After his early career in aerospace and nuclear energy, Geoffrey entered private practice in association with the late Leslie Heap and Gerald Lewis of Heap and Digby, Consulting Engineers, in 1969. While with them he designed water and sewage equipment and also the bascule moving machinery for the Lowestoft Bridge, in Suffolk. He practiced also as Beresford Hartwell and Associates and, in 1971 established a separate office in Wallington, South London.

In parallel with his design career, Geoffrey was first appointed as arbitrator in 1972 and his first foreign arbitration, an ICC appointment in Switzerland, took place later that year. He studied Law to Intermediate level and then transferred to the examinations of the Institute of Arbitrators (now Chartered) of which he became Chairman in 1996-1997 and for whom he taught in various countries on several courses, including the prestigious Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration.

Selected Projects:

• UK Maritime - Roll-On Roll-Off: At Yarmouth in the Isle of Wight, Geoffrey designed an hydraulically-operated vehicle ramp to engage with ferries at all states of the tide. Remote radio control enables the ramp to be trimmed by the approaching vessel. The project included car marshalling and adjustable area lighting
• Modernization of The Tower Bridge, London - In 1974 BHA were appointed by Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Co Ltd to design and manage the modernization of the machinery of The Tower Bridge. The project included new electro-hydraulic pumps, hydraulic motors and drive gears
• Ipswich - Central Control for Water Supply Network: The entire system of pumping stations, treatment works and distribution had new instrumentation and control connected by radio and landline telemetry to a central base station. Geoffrey designed and managed the entire scheme with a dedicated design team

View Geoffrey Beresford Hartwell's Expert Witness Profile.

Burtness Engineering Services, is a multi-disciplined consulting engineering firm serving municipal, institutional, industrial, and commercial end user clients, civil engineering firms, and landscape architectural firms with MEP services for the construction industry. They specialize in Street and Area Lighting Design, Electrical Engineering, and Forensic Engineering services.

Consulting Services Include:

• Illumination Engineering for Roadway, Street, and Area Lighting
• Electrical Engineering (Through 15kv)
• Monitoring and Control Systems for Street and Area Lighting
• Full Range of MEP Services
• Industrial Instrumentation and Control Systems
• Stakeholder Based Collaborative Design Philosophy
• Focusing on the Marriage of the Art of Aesthetic Design and the Science of Technical Engineering
• Serving as a Prime or a Sub Consultant
• Forensic Consulting and Expert Witness Services

Principal, Thomas H. Burtness, PE, is an Electrical Engineer specializing in both Electrical and Building Construction - equipment selection, specification, and installation (actually “working with the tools”), as well as cost control techniques.

Background - Mr. Burtness has 40+ years of experience in the design, specification, construction contract administration, installation, startup, and troubleshooting of electrical power, on-site generation, distribution, control, and instrumentation systems and equipment for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal occupancies. His experience also includes water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment plants, and military facilities.

Additional expertise includes Illumination Engineering for street, roadway, and area lighting including photometric footcandle requirements, calculations, field verification, equipment specifications, installation, and analysis of failure, glare, overlighting and underlighting.

Thomas Burtness has written numerous in-depth reports, including municipal master planning documents, as well as operation, maintenance, and testing manuals. He also has extensive experience in public speaking and teaching.

View Thomas Burtness' Expert Witness Profile.

CLM Engineering Associates has the ability to provide a vast array of services to real estate brokers, developers, home purchases/owners. President of the firm, Craig L. Moskowitz, PE, is a Civil Engineer with extensive Construction Management experience on both commercial and residential projects. His firm handles commercial and residential building inspections as it pertains to warranty and pre-purchase inspections as well as to handle specific Structural or Civil Engineering issues related to a property. 

Experience: Mr. Moskowitz has performed safety inspections on both civilian and military projects through the application of OSHA regulations. He has designed drainage systems for the government while an officer with the United States military and done cost estimating for various projects exceeding $500 million. 

Mr. Moskowitz has designed document creation and management of high-rise construction in Manhattan. He has managed telecommunications projects for Verizon in Manhattan including CPM schedule creation and updating and directed and managed all water distribution system and sewer system work while working as a contractor to the New York City Department of Design and Construction. CLM are specialists in the following areas:

• Traditional Commercial and Residential Building Inspections
• Storm Damage Assessment, Analysis and Reporting
• Comprehensive Construction Management
• Cost Estimating for Projects Ranging from $50,000 to in Excess of $1 billion
• Construction Scheduling and Delay Analysis
• Building Code and Drawing Review

View Craig Moskowitz's Expert Witness Profile.

Complete General Contractors, Inc., is a licensed General Contracting Construction Firm working throughout the Southeast for insurance companies, property owners, property managers, attorneys, and municipalities. They specialize in the cost estimation and causation of large loss complex property claims. Services Include:

• Appraisal and Mediation Services - Fire, wind, flood, storm, hail, and water losses to residential, commercial, or industrial properties
• General Contracting Services - Restoration or general construction, commercial construction, or industrial construction projects all over the United States. Manage vendors and trades, handle project documents, and serve as an authority for project information to all parties throughout the construction process

John G. Minor, President of Complete General Contractors, is a third-generation Contractor and licensed instructor certified by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. He is a recognized expert on the costs and applications necessary to repair buildings damaged by manufacturer, builder liability, water damage or intrusion, mold, or asbestos. Mr. Minor has provided for the successful restoration of millions of dollars in insurance restoration, building failures, and difficult repairs originating from defective construction practices and materials such as fire, wind, water, mold and mildew. His services were in demand for restoration on custom buildings on Bald Head Island. In addition to managing the business of Complete, Inc., John Minor teaches classes on mold and mildew remediation and prevention through proper building practices to a variety of clients thru Lorman Educational Services and other professional trainers. View John Minor's Expert Witness Profile.

Construction Strategies provides a complete range of Construction and Construction Consulting services. They offer pre-construction services for owners considering future projects who need assistance in evaluating the feasibility and conceptual costs. Construction Strategies also offers post construction services for owners who are facing close out problems including conflict resolution, mediation assistance, close out service completion, punch lists, and warranty assistance.

Pre-Construction Services Value Engineering Analysis Constructability Reviews Design Team Management Scope Package Development Estimate Evaluations Bid Evaluations & Recommendations Contract Negotiation Support Program Procedures Scheduling Development or Analysis

Post-Construction Services Change Order Negotiation Contract Administration Dispute Resolution Management Information System Document Control Systems Post Completion Analysis Quality Control Inspections Code Compliance Inspections Close Out Evaluation

Principal, Sanford C. Loy , CCM, B.Arch, MSCE, has over 40 years of experience in the Construction Industry. Mr. Loy has Degrees in Architecture and Engineering. A Certified Construction Manager (CCM), he is committed to the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice established by the Construction Management Association of America. CCM is the ANSI accredited professional designation for construction management and is the gold standard for CM service providers in over 145 countries.

Background Experience - Mr. Loy's experience spans virtually every type of building and design process. His strength centers on his understanding of the dynamics and interactions of the various trades and professions unique to every building project. He has experience with Construction Management at Risk, Construction Management Agency, Design-build, and Design-bid-build. Having successfully managed the completion of over one billion dollars of construction, Mr. Loy served as a Regional Engineer for the American Institute of Steel Construction and as Director of Construction and Development for Belz Enterprises, the largest development company in Tennessee, before founding Construction Strategies in 1988.

See more at our website: https://www.construction-strategies.com

View Sanford Loy's Expert Witness Profile.

Victor Republicano, Jr., CPA, CGMA is an accounting and consulting practitioner, who has provided professional services to business owners, corporate management, lawyers and their clients, since 1977. Mr. Republicano provides assistance in all phases of the litigation process, from strategy sessions early in the dispute, through settlement negotiations, and trial. Among his distinguishing achievements are his CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant) designation from the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants); Diplomate status from the American Board of Forensic Accounting, and his Fellow status from the American College of Forensic Examiners, in addition to his affiliation with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. 

Mr. Republicano has extensive experience in providing litigation consulting services and expert testimony in a wide variety of areas. His litigation consulting projects have included damage assessment and analysis, inspection and reconstruction of accounting records, pre-trial preparation, expert testimony, witness preparation, courtroom assistance, and post-trial consultation with counsel. He has served as an expert witness in over 100 cases, including matters in state and federal court, administrative proceedings, and alternative dispute resolution forums. 

Mr. Republicano is experienced in small business consulting, accounting and auditing, publicly traded companies, and litigation services. His industry experience includes: Ag-Chem, Construction, Distribution, Financial Institutions, High-Tech, Manufacturing, Network Marketing, Non- Profit Organizations, Professional Services (Architects, Engineers, Law Firms, etc), Securities and Retail. Mr. Republicano has assisted a variety of companies with IPO's, private placements and statutory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. He also has provided extensive consultations to entrepreneurs and others and other non-public business owners regarding mergers and acquisitions, inventory control systems, credit and collections management, and property lease analyses. 

Litigation and Other Services:

Accounting Alternate Dispute Resolution (Mediation, Referee, Special Master) Business Valuations Construction Claims Contract Disputes Expert Witness Damage Calculations and Assessment Economic Loss White Collar Crime	Forensic Accounting Fraud Insurance Claims Investigative Services (accounting, finance, business and trade practices) Lost Profits Personal Injury Reconstruction of Accounting Records Witness Preparation

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.

The Diehl Group Architects, Inc. is a full-service design and consulting firm specializing in Forensic Architecture, quality assurance, and expert witness testimony. Their services `include:

• Architectural Design - With years of traditional architectural design experience includes residential, commercial, and institutional projects, they focus on unusually challenging building types, including aviation aircraft and pilot support facilities, a contemporary single family home, and support services for a subterranean wine cellar
• Quality Assurance - Identifying potential shortcomings of construction documents prior to breaking ground which allows them to review drawings before construction even begins and continue to monitor building techniques and processes to provide compliance and ensure construction accountability
• Construction Administration - Monitor construction schedules, cost, progress and quality while providing support services such as instruction or clarification to contractors as required
• Reconstruction Services - Reconstruction designs and building details solve existing problems while addressing future needs. By evaluating a range of building methods and materials through their forensic engagements, their team possesses a unique advantage over traditional architecture firms
• Forensic Architecture - The Diehl Group Architects, Inc. goes beyond standard investigative methods and procedures with state of the art technologies to ensure accurate reporting, lower costs, and side-step unnecessary intrusive testing methods
• Expert Witness Testimony - Diehl has a broad range of experience as designated architectural experts for plaintiff parties and developers in defense of plaintiff parties, in addition to a host of sub contractor disciplines

President, John (Jack) P. Diehl, AIA NCARB LEED AP, has over 40 years of experience as an Architect. Mr. Diehl currently specializes in Forensic Architecture and Construction Defects. He is licensed to practice in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Mr. Diehl is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and the International Code Council (ICC). He is also a LEED AP Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional, Construction Document Technician, and General Contractor California, "B" License.

View Jack Diehl's Expert Witness Profile.

DM Bekus Construction is a New Jersey Home Design, Construction, and Remodeling Contractor. For over 30 years they've been helping homeowners throughout the area improve properties and build homes. DM Bekus Construction delivers high quality, reliable construction services that help homeowners get more pleasure and enjoyment from their homes and buildings.

Services Include:

New Home Construction Interior Remodeling Exterior Remodeling

Construction Project Management Homeowner Association Construction Expert Witness Services

Principal, David M. Bekus has over 35 years in the Construction Industry specializing in home design, construction, and remodeling. He offers services to homeowner associations, housing communities, townhome complexes, property managers, and individuals.

Mr. Bekus is licensed by the State of New Jersey as a building inspector (RCS, ICS, and HHS), a licensed home remodeler, and a licensed new home builder. He is also certified in Project Management, Cost Estimating, Construction Methods, Construction Site Safety, and is a EPA Lead Safe Certified Contractor.

Mr. Bekus has been a project manager, overseeing all aspects of construction from conception and approvals to final sales for single homes and developments. He has designed and built over 100 custom homes.

View David Bekus' Expert Witness Profile.

• Over 35 years of experience in Mechanical / Structural Engineering & Design, Failure Analysis, Product Liability, Industural Asbestos,Pressure Vessel & Boiler analysis and evaluation of mechanical and structural components.
• Extensive trial experience. Has been involved in multi-million dollar cases. Areas involved included:

  
  

  - Piping & pipe supports - Structural failure of products - Failure analysis - Industrial asbestos - Seismic analysis - Fire protection - Pressure vessels

  - Tanks - Construction - Heat transfer analysis - Environmental qualification of equipment - Welding - Product design - Patent information

• Expertise in developing litigation rate-case exhibits and detailed supporting testimony, and in organizing case documentation into easy-to-use computer databases for trial use.

Gene Farmer, AIA, NCARB, LEED-AP, is president of Gene Farmer and Associates, Architects and Planners an award winning architecture firm. He has over thirty years of experience in the Design of numerous Residential and Commercial Projects in Florida, Texas, Illinois and Minnesota. His work has been published both locally and nationally and he has received numerous awards including two F.A.M.E. awards and the prestigious Price Waterhouse South Florida Business Journal "Up and Comer Award for 1990."

Mr. Farmer holds a license to practice architecture in the State of Florida, an N.C.A.R.B. Certification, and a Dade County Sub-Builder Certificate. He is also a certified Florida Building Inspector, a certified Florida Building Plans Examiner, a certified International Code Council ICC Commercial Building Inspector and a certified International Code Council ICC Building Plans Examiner. Mr. Farmer currently holds an OSHA 30 hour certification and has been a certified OSHA 500 instructor.

Mr. Farmer has served as an Expert Witness in numerous cases ranging from Construction Defects to Construction Claims Analysis.

Gene Farmer is a Professor Emeritus in the Moss School of Construction, in the College of Engineering and Computing at Florida International University. His teaching specialties include Principles of Construction Management, Building Construction Materials, Sustainable Construction, Building Codes, Quality Control in Construction, and Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing Systems in Buildings.

In addition to his book entitled Architectural Detailing for Commercial Construction, published by McGraw Hill in 1991, he has a book entitled “A Contractor’s Guide to LEED Certified Construction” which was published in 2013 by Delmar-Cengage.

Roger W. Griffith, PE, has over 37 years of professional experience as a Mechanical Engineer in the design, maintenance, and operation of mechanical systems. He specializes in the areas of Plumbing, HVAC, and Fire Sprinkler Systems Design.

Background - As the principal of Griffith Engineering & Consulting for 23 years, his design experience with commercial and industrial projects include convention centers, schools, office buildings, condominiums, apartment buildings, hotels, churches, manufacturing facilities, medical buildings, restaurants, historic buildings, dormitories, fire halls, and maintenance facilities. Prior to that, Mr. Griffith worked at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a mechanical engineer for 14 years. 

His roles at TVA included nuclear piping analyst, valve and heat exchanger specialist, maintenance engineer, and later maintenance supervisor at a fossil plant, and quality manager. His engineering roles included failure analysis of plant equipment. He also taught many courses on the subject of problem-solving and failure analysis for company employees.

Consulting Services:

HVAC Design Plumbing Design Hot Water Systems Design

Legionella Outbreaks HVAC Design Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Sprinkler System Design

View Roger W. Griffith's Expert Witness Profile.

Gryphon Consulting, LLC - Built on a Lifetime of Experience

 Paul L. Johnson is an award-Winning Construction Professional with 35 years of hand-on experience. A self-made man and the founder and operator of two highlysuccessful construction firms, his experience includes all aspects of High-End Residential Construction.

Mr. Johnson's has extensive experience with new builds and remodeling, light commercial construction, and tenant build-outs. He has completed 60 whole home remodels, over 500 kitchen remodels, almost 400 master bath remodels, numerous tenant fit out projects, restaurants, and a historic landmark complete renovation.  

Mr. Johnson is a patented inventor of cabinet installation assembly and the author of the book Residential Construction & Remodeling; Straight Talk About The Industry & Process.

Consulting Services: Mr. Johnson serves as an Owner's Representative on matters related to high-end, high-value residential new construction, and renovation projects ($1,000,000+). He has guided numerous clients through the difficult process with the following services:

Selecting Designers, Architects, and, Contractors Translating a Vision into Reality Attending Required Meetings Making Sure Plans Meet Expectations

Overseeing Workmanship and Industry Standards Advising on Additional Expenses Maintaining Critical Path Schedule Overseeing Payment to Avoid Liens

Mentoring Services - Mr. Johnson also serves as a Mentor to young construction professionals looking to start or grow their own Construction business. He offers his decades of experience to help others in the industry streamline their company's by advising on the Systems, Documents, Procedures, Marketing, and Home, Jobsite, and Personnel Closing Ratios that affect their bottom lines.

View Paul L. Johnson's Expert Witness Profile.