Control Systems Engineering Consultants: 15

Robert O. Peruzzi, PhD, PE is a Licensed Professional Electrical Engineer with particular expertise in Mixed-Signal Integrated Circuits (MSICs). His subspecialty within this broad category is with Integrated Circuits (silicon chips) used for signal-processing. Dr. Peruzzi's recent clients include Quantenna Communications, Wavefront Research, LSI, Berkeley Design Automation, among others. Examples of Signal Processing Systems:

• Telephones, mobile phones, cell phones
• Data recording and retrieving systems for magnetic media such as disk drives
• Radio transmitters / receivers - low noise amplifiers, filters, automatic gain control and frequency mixers
• Audio amplifiers
• Audio recording / reproduction systems
• Heat, ventilation, air conditioning controllers
• Data transmitting / receiving systems

Areas of Expertise:

• Behavioral modeling of analog/mixed-signal circuits using Verilog-AMS, VHDL-AMS or MATLAB/Simulink
• Specific verification requirements
• High-speed verification using real-value modeling techniques
• System-level design exploration
• Executable design specs

View Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Kanellakopoulos is a Technology leader with 25+ years of experience in R&D, operations, administration, and management, in both academia and industry. He has authored or co-authored books, numerous articles in peer-reviewed technical journals and refereed technical conferences, and multiple standards contributions. He is also the co-inventor on more than 25 patents. He has been the plenary speaker at major technical conferences, and an invited speaker at more than 40 industrial and academic venues in 12 countries across 4 continents.

In his industrial career, he Designed and Built Telecom Products such as DSL and Carrier Ethernet hardware and software, and has significant experience with international telecommunication standards (ITU-T). He has also worked in wireless communications (3GPP, Wi-Fi), primarily on digital signal processing methods for baseband transceivers.

In his academic career, Dr. Kanellakopoulos conducted research on adaptive control of nonlinear systems, with applications to automotive control systems, specifically ADAS (adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping, vehicle collision avoidance) and active suspension. He directed a project on automation of heavy-duty vehicles as part of the California PATH Program; one of the most visible results of this research was the “Variable Time-Headway” algorithm for adaptive cruise control, which was demonstrated on a fully-automated heavy-duty (Class 8) 18-wheeler truck and has found widespread use in current adaptive cruise control systems. His UCLA team also designed and built a prototype full-size fully-automated electric vehicle that has been used for research purposes on multiple college campuses.

Dr. Kanellakopoulos has directed collaborative projects with several automotive/truck manufacturers and vendors (Ford, Mercedes-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, Freightliner, Gentex, Visteon).

He has consulted for clients such as technology companies (on intellectual property strategy and product development), private equity firms (on due diligence for investment), and law firms (on expert witness matters).

He is an IEEE Fellow and a recipient of multiple national and international awards.

View Dr. Kanellakopoulos's Expert Witness Profile.

Matt Hartley Lighting, LLC combines the Science of Engineering Design to the Art of Illumination. They provide a wide variety of services to the lighting design community, some of which include:

• Lighting Design and Simulation - Produced over 12000 different designs for interior, exterior, roadways, daylighting, and sports lighting facilities
• Manufacturing - Includes both technical marketing services and optical design; creation and management of specification sheets, IES file review and management, fixture testing coordination, certification management of fixtures, BIM modeling, AGI32 instabase management, and competitive analysis of fixtures
• Teaching and Presenting - Provide training for large or small groups in areas including general lighting, photometry, applications, and advanced topics. Past training experience with Lithonia, Lighting Analysts, and Peerless

Principal, Matthew J. Hartley, is a noted expert in Lighting, Lighting Design, Product Development, AGI32, and Photometry He has been in the Lighting Industry for over 24 years. In that time, he has held positions in design, product management, customer service, and design engineering. Mr. Hartley has been employed by manufacturers, lighting software companies, and lighting agencies. He has immersed himself in different facets of the industry including indoor and outdoor lighting, safety and security, lighting and human health, and lighting standards. 

Mr. Hartley has been involved with several standard writing committees within the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, producing over six standard documents. Since 1999, he has taught Lighting and Lighting Design to diverse groups, from students to seasoned lighting professionals, and presented at conferences and seminars on a variety of topics, such as of photometry, design, or IES Documents.

View Matthew Hartley's Expert Witness Profile.

Dr. Homayoon Kazerooni is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, where he also serves as the director of the Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory. With more than 30 years of mechanical engineering experience and a doctorate degree from MIT, the results of this work on upper extremity augmentation led to Intelligent Assist Devices (IAD) that are currently marketed worldwide.

Litigation Support - Dr. Kazerooni has been deposed and testified in various Intellectual Property cases. His services include thorough examination and reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Robotics Mechatronics Control Sciences Bioengineering

Exoskeletons Medical Devices Human Machine Systems Intelligent Assist Devices

Homayoon Kazerooni, Director, Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Lab addressing the EmTech Asia 2016 crowd on New Developments on Lower Extremity Exoskeleton Systems

Dr. Kazerooni is a professor, entrepreneur, and expert witness The Berkeley Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory’s mission is to develop fundamental scientific and engineering principles on robotics, control sciences, exoskeletons, and bioengineering.  Dr. Kazerooni founded Ekso Bionics which became a public company in 2014. He's also the founder and current CEO of U. S. Bionics (DBA suitX) which brings advanced exoskeleton technologies to various markets.

Most of the developed technologies in this lab at Berkeley have found their ways to market.  Prior to his research work on lower extremity exoskeletons, Dr. Kazerooni led his team to successfully develop robotics systems that enhance human upper extremity strength.  The results of this work led to a new class of intelligent assist devices currently being used by workers worldwide for manipulating heavy objects in distribution centers and factories.  

Dr. Kazerooni holds a Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and has published more than 200 articles, delivered over 130 plenary lectures in the U.S. and internationally, and holds over 200 pertinent patents and awards. He  has won numerous awards including Discover Magazine’s Innovation Award, the McKnight-Land Grant Professorship, and has been a recipient of the outstanding ASME Investigator Award. His research was recognized as the most innovative technology of the year in New York Times Magazine. 

John Hatcher is an industry leader in Building Systems Engineering including, Information Technology, Audio Visual, Security, Building Automation Systems, Fire Alarm Systems, Intelligent Building Concepts and Commissioning. He has worked on some of the most prestigious facilities in the world including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Russia, India and Southeast Asia. 

Hastak Consulting Services is a Construction Engineering and Management firm established by Prof. Makarand (Mark) Hastak, PhD, PE, CCP, CRIS, Professor and the Dernlan Family Head of Construction Engineering and Management as well as Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Hastak offers consulting services to clients around the world in the following areas:

• Project Controls and Risk Management
• Process Improvement of Capital Projects
• Profitability Improvement and Construction Analytics
• Process Improvement for Factory Built Housing
• Capital Rehabilitation Planning
• Strategic planning and decision-making for resolving project complexities
• Planning for Disaster Mitigation, Resilience, and Capacity Building

Dr. Hastak has been involved with the construction industry for the past 35 years providing his expertise through consulting, research, teaching, and service to the industry. He is a world renowned expert in the area of construction engineering and management including process improvement, disaster risk reduction, resilience and capacity building, infrastructure management, factory built housing, intelligent planning for the built environment, project control, project management decision-making, risk management, contracts and warranties, and strategic planning.

Dr. Hastak is a Professional Engineer (PE), a Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and a Certified Cost Professional (CCP). Dr. Hastak has given over 50 keynotes and invited lectures around the world. As a prominent educator, he also engages in developing training material and workshops as well as regularly teaching professional courses for the A/E/C industry. He has completed the 30-Hour OSHA Hazard Recognition Training for the Construction Industry. His services include consultation, on-site investigation, data collection, assessment,and reporting.

Dr. Hastak Lectures at the 2015 International Conference on Building Resilience

Prof. Hastak has worked on numerous projects sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute (CII), NSF, State DOTs, and City Agencies. He has authored over 200 publications on process improvement, project controls, capital rehabilitation planning, strategic planning, and decision-making. He has co-authored a widely used book on Infrastructure Planning, Engineering, and Economics (McGraw-Hill 2006 and 2015). 

Dr. Hastak is the current President of CIB (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction), He is also the academic Advisor to the Downstream and Chemicals Committee of the Construction Industry Institute (CII) and serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board of the Global Leadership Forum for Construction Engineering and Management programs (GLF-CEM). He served on the Education Board of the Association for Advancement of Cost Engineering (2004-2016). He was Editor for two AACE books, the Skills and Knowledge of Cost Engineering (6th Ed. 2015) and the CCP Certification Study Guide (2nd Ed. 2016). He was also the Editor-in-Chief of the ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering (2009-2016).

View Dr. Hastak'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.

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.

Discovery Engineering is a private Engineering Firm based in Boulder, Colorado, performing investigations into Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Systems.  Discovery Engineering also works with management to analyze risk, improve quality, and understand variability processes.  Clients include industrial, commercial, research, legal, government, and private entities.

Mark McFarland, PE, Founder & CEO, is an Licensed Engineer and Statistician with over 25 years of extensive education and experience in applied statistics, statistical learning, artificial intelligence, electrical engineering, and communications. His practical experience includes the design, analysis, and testing of satellite, cellular, LTE, Internet, wireless, Wi-Fi, RADAR, networks, data communications, communication protocols, standards, public safety communications systems, GPS, instrumentation, and control systems. 

Mr. McFarland understands variability is crucial to improving and controlling processes.  He brings scholarship and practical experience in Statistics and Applied Research to help clients understand variability and improve outcomes.

Applied Research and Analytics Consulting Services:

Data Mining, Inference, and Prediction Quality Improvement and Control Risk Analysis Root Cause Analysis

Research Methods Experimental Design Statistical Engineering Electrical Investigations

View Mark McFarland's Expert Witness Profile.

DireenTech is a Design and Systems Development firm in the Electronics and Software Industry. They are currently under contract with the US Air Force Academy Center for UAS Research, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the area of using General Purpose Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) in UAVs / Drones to provide fast autonomous target identification and GPS denied navigation. DireenTech has also partnered with FalconWorks and Falci Adaptive Motor sports on the NeuroGroove program to develop technologies to help those with neuromotor disabilities, including U.S. veterans, increase their ability to control and interact with their environment.

Core Services

• Software Design and Development
• Electronic Hardware Design and Development
• Research using GPGPUs for Control, Navigation and Image Processing
• Intellectual Property
• Reverse Engineering Hardware, Software, and Firmware
• Product Forensics

Chief Operating officer, Harry Direen, PhD, PE has over 30 years of experience as an engineer Designing and Developing Systems in the Electronics and Software Industry. He has taught engineering courses at the US Air Force Academy and at the University of Colorado. Dr. Direen currently works with a research group at the US Air Force Academy developing control systems and image processing using GPGPUs for UAVs. An inventor, he holds 3 United States patents. Dr. Direen has a broad base of knowledge in electronic and software systems gained from a long career developing a wide range of products and systems. He has reverse engineered a variety of complex systems over the years, including: media players, modems, modem compression algorithms, coriolis mass flow meters, database systems, and a range of other products to support patent infringement cases generating detailed claim charts and writing expert reports to demonstrate infringement. Dr. Direen has successfully discovered and analyzed complex digital signal processing algorithms and pertinent operations within these products for many years.

View Dr. Direen'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.

Dr. David Schaafsma, PhD has over 25 years of experience in Optical Systems, Optical Physics, Microscopy & Spectroscopy, Optical Materials, Lasers, Optoelectronics, Sensors, Data Acquisition, Product Development. sales, marketing, business development, operations, and management at small businesses, at government laboratories, and as an independent consultant. Before founding Applied Optical Engineering, Dr. Schaafsma was the director of Sensor Technology at Tetra Tech Data Systems (later Ipitek) and was responsible for all R&D, product development, and commercial activity in fiber optic sensors, and also worked on numerous projects involving fiber communications and embedded systems. As a Senior Scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory, he made the first chalcogenide fused fiber coupler and achieved the first results with single-mode IR-transmitting fiber in mid-IR scanning near-field microscopy. At the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Dr. Schaafsma's research focused on Quantum Optics and Fundamental Metrology of Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers, and included the construction of a confocal fluorescence system with a noise floor of 4 photons. As a Senior Characterization Engineer at Bandgap Technology Corp., he oversaw the production of compound semiconductor devices such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) modulators, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), solar cells, and laser diodes for an industry which was then in its infancy. Dr. Schaafsma holds two patents, a near-field optical microscope with infrared fiber probe and an infrared optical fiber coupler. He has spoken about many topics at professional venues such as conferences, to potential clients and corporate officers of multi-billion dollar companies, as well as to classes of students. Dr. Schaafsma is also a noted authored having written numerous publications in his areas of expertise. Areas of Expertise

Medical Product Design / Development Optics – Geometric, Diffractive, Waveguide, Optical Technology, Optical Materials Networks, Data Links, Protocols Fiber Optics Lasers & Light Systems Embedded Computer Systems, Microcontrollers Infrared Materials, Technology, Products Imaging & Microscopy (SEM & Optical), Spectroscopy

Software & Programming, Embedded & High Level Languages Electronics, Embedded Design Sensors, Data Acquisition Semiconductor Metrology, Photovoltaics, Renewables Project Planning / Management ISO 9000, SPC Tooling / Process Development Market / Patent Research Grant Writing

View Dr. Schaafsma'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.

Michael Nranian, JD, MBA, MS has over 30 years experience focusing in Product Development, Intellectual Property, Patent Litigation, Legal and Technical Compliance, and Product Liability Litigation. He is a licensed attorney in Michigan, Texas, & the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Mr. Nranian is a Six Sigma Black Belt, Professional Engineer, & Certified Project Management Professional. He has an in-depth background and education in Law, IP, Electrical, Chemical & Computer Engineering, & Business. He has testified extensively as an expert witness in depositions, hearings, and trials in state & federal courts.

Mr. Nranian conducts Product and Technology Analysis, Patentability & Prior Art Research,and provides Technology & Litigation Support for Intellectual Property. His litigation background includes patent infringement / non-infringement under literal infringement and the doctrine of equivalents, patent validity / invalidity, prior art, & file-wrapper estoppel, for both ITC and Federal cases, including Inter Partes reviews. He conducts analysis of patents and products, prepares claim charts, & expert witness reports. This includes testimony and document preparation for cases before state, and federal court jurisdictions, and the International Trade Commission and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

Mr. Nranian is thoroughly familiar with all 101, 102, 103, 112, and other enablement and prior art arguments. His experience includes Technology Standards Boards and Licensing Authorities, Antitrust / DOJ, Technology Development and Transfer, Patents, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, and Copyrights, Licensing, Unfair Competition/Trade, False/Deceptive Advertising, & Lanham Act Actions, & Class Actions.

His Product Liability Expert Witness litigation background includes all types of Safety Systems, Electrical Systems, Fires, Accident Reconstruction, and Evaluation of Alternative Designs for Automotive, Medical and other industries. He has over 29 years of experience in Automotive Safety Systems, Sensors, Seatbelts, Airbags / Curtains, Seats, Diagnostic Systems, Crash Recorders, Crash Pulse Analysis, System Diagnostic, Fault Codes, Structure (including roof-crush and door) and front, side & roll-over systems (including sensing and algorithm development) for domestic and international corporations. He is thoroughly familiar with all regulatory (including FMVSS), and corporate due-care requirements, & preemption arguments, occupant kinematics, & injury causation.

William R. Acorn is founder of Acorn Consulting Services, LLC, an engineering firm. As a consulting mechanical engineer, Bill provides project analysis, forensic reconstructions and litigation support services relating to the design, delivery, and functioning of high-tech manufacturing facilities, semiconductor fabrication facilities, institutional laboratories, data centers, health care facilities and a variety of commercial buildings. He is a recognized expert in the evaluation of deficiencies in HVAC systems, cleanrooms, piping systems, refrigeration systems, construction defects, building and fire code compliance, and patent and trade secret disputes. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants.

Bill has more than 40 years of experience as a professional engineer and is a recognized expert in assessing, evaluating, remediating and providing testimony on complex project design, construction and operational matters. His consulting expertise has been influential in shaping approaches to code compliance and life safety in semiconductor and similar advanced technology facilities.

Certifications and Designations:

• Registered as a Professional Mechanical Engineer in the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.
• Registered with the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying NCEES (Certificate No. 6999)
• Fellow in the HVAC industry leading organization ASHRAE
• Visiting lecturer at the Arizona State University Del E. Webb School of Construction in Tempe, AZ
• Advisor to CREATE, ACE – Alliance for Construction Excellence and the IAB – Industry Advisory Board, all affiliated with ASU

Building Systems Analysis:

HVAC and Refrigeration Process and Power Piping Plumbing Systems Standard of Care in Design and Construction

Chemical Exposures in the Workplace Cleanroom Design and Performance Codes and Standards Patent and Trade Secret Disputes

Litigation Support: Bill’s pragmatic approach to both forensic and litigation consulting as well as project consulting is based on more than 40 years of real-world experience as a design professional, mentor and forensic analyst, as well as many years as an instructor in professional and academic settings. Represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of jurisdictions throughout the US and Asia. Bill’s ability to explain complex issues to non-technical audiences, including juries, mediators and judges, is a key to successfully solving your litigation challenges.

• Forensic Analysis
• Strategic Litigation Consulting
• Trial Demonstratives
• Expert Testimony

Acorn Consulting Services

Consulting Services: Services range from peer review to conceptual design to development of strategies and programs for expedited project delivery.

Bill frequently acts as an owner’s agent and mentor, functioning as an extension of the owner’s project team. On other projects, Bill serves as a subject matter expert assisting project delivery firms in their development of viable solutions and review of construction documents.

As a project consultant, Bill assures the project gets off to the right start and provides his expertise through completion and operation to maximize return on investment.

Consulting Expertise Includes:

• Project Design and Management Consulting
• Forensic Analysis and Litigation Consulting
• Mentoring & Advanced Education