Employment and Labor Law Specialty Expert Witnesses: 5

Allison West, Esq., SHRM-SCP, AWI-CH

In 2000, after practicing law at a San Francisco Labor and Employment boutique, Allison started Employment Practices Specialists to fulfill her personal mission of helping companies build and maintain safe, respectful and productive workplaces.

Allison focuses her practice on conducting workplace investigations, delivering one-on-one sensitivity training for executives, managers and employees concerning sexual harassment, discrimination, and diversity awareness issues, coaching managers and employees with disciplinary and/or behavioral problems, providing expert witness and litigation assistance.

Litigation Support - Allison improves case effectiveness well before trial by suggesting strategies, investigating and uncovering facts, and performing research. She assesses the technical merits and the time/money/risk equation of a case, offering suggestions to counsel on the advisability of moving forward or settling. Allison's thorough knowledge of both Employment Law and Employment Practices can bring to your case the clear and comprehensive overview you need.

Areas of Expertise:

Allison specializes in developing and delivering interactive training programs in the US and internationally that address employment law and human resources issues.

Allison was brought into CBS News to deliver harassment training immediately after Charlie Rose was terminated and went on to deliver training at 60 Minutes, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and other CBS programs. She trains at organizations of all sizes and industries, nationally and internationally.

Allison is a frequent top-rated speaker at local and national events such as the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) Annual Conference & Exposition where she has been ranked as one of the top ten highest rated speakers.

Edward L. Smilow, Esq., PGM, is an Attorney at Law, Golf Professional, and Professor of Golf and the Law. As a trial and appellate lawyer for 35 years, a golfer for 55 years, a golf professional for 18 years, and the creator and professor of the only college course taught on golf course law in the United States, he has the unique ability to represent the Game of Golf and the people who make a living in the game.

Litigation Support- As general counsel to numerous golf courses, country clubs and resort properties, Mr. Smilow has broad-based knowledge and experience to provide legal counsel and representation to avoid legal entanglements, successfully defend against unwarranted claims, and effectively advocate the rights of those who have invested their lives and fortunes in the Game of Golf.

Mr. Smilow represents owners, operators, general managers, PGA professionals, superintendents, country club controllers, golf industry entrepreneurs, golf vendors, and industry leaders have all sought his counsel on the myriad of ways that golf is affected by the law. A much-requested and noted speaker at golf industry forums, he has a unique perspective reflective of his extensive knowledge of golf history, the importance of golf in today's society, and the need to avoid legal entanglements through the introduction of proactive measures and aggressive representation when needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - Graduate of Cornell University, the New England School of Law, the Professional Golfers Career College (Valedictorian) and advanced legal certification from the University of Southern California. Member of the bar of the State of California and the Supreme Court of the United States. Elected to membership in the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates and designated a "Citizen of Distinction" by the NAACP, City of Santa Ana, State of CA, and the Congress of the United States.

Past Executive Director of the California Golf Course Owners Association, Member of the CGCOA Advisory Board, Mr. Smilow represents owners and operators throughout the State of California.

A senior clinical faculty member at Harvard Medical School, Harold J. Bursztajn, M.D., is active in patient care in medical, psychiatric and judicial education nationally. He is qualified in both state and federal courts and is nationally recognized as a distinguished impartial, clinical, ethical and forensic expert to P/D attorneys and institutions. Individual and multispecialty team consultations available.

• Informed Consent & Malpractice
• Employment Litigation: ADA, Disability, Sexual Misconduct Discrimination, Worker's Compensation
• Emotional & Physical Damages: Conscious Pain & Suffering, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Neuropsychiatry & Pain Imaging
• Standards For Experts
• Product Liability: Medical Devices & Pharmaceuticals, Toxic Tort
• Criminal Justice & Public Safety: Diminished Capacity, Drug Addiction, Competency to Confess, Death Penalty Mitigation, Workplace Safety
• Family & Custody Issues
• Testamentary & Contractual Capacity
• Professional & Organizational Ethics: Patient Care, Managed Care, Privacy
• Psychoanalysis & Cultural Perspectives

DeAndrea T. Williams is a distinguished Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Certified Vocational Evaluator (CVE), International Psychometric Evaluator (IPEC) and a Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP). She has a robust background in vocational assessment, counseling, and disability management. Holding a Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Kentucky, DeAndrea is uniquely positioned to provide expert guidance and strategic solutions in complex vocational and medical-legal cases.

As the President/CEO of Land of Goods Vocational Consulting, Mrs. Williams leads a team of twelve evaluators conducting in-depth vocational evaluations, labor market analyses (local, state, and national), and transferable skills assessments. Utilizing authoritative resources like the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), and O*NET, she provides precise insights into employability and career potential. 

Litigation Support - Land of Goods Vocational Consulting (LOGVC) is a national vocational consulting firm providing Forensic Vocational Expert Services in private-law matters, including ERISA disability, Social Security disability, personal injury, workers’ compensation, and employment litigation. LOGVC maintains a curated directory of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors and vocational experts who provide defensible, methodologically consistent vocational opinions related to employability, earning capacity, transferable skills, and labor market access.

All experts listed through LOGVC are trained in standardized forensic vocational methodology, including the use of DOT/SOC crosswalks, O*NET data, BLS/OEWS wage data, labor market analysis, and individualized functional capacity synthesis, consistent with accepted professional and legal standards. LOGVC experts are available for record review, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony, and may serve plaintiff, defense, or neutral roles depending on the matter.

Areas of Expertise:

As a highly professional & credible Expert, Consultant, & Speaker, Jean Seawright has provided trusted advice & HR Consultation to thousands of organizations nationwide. As president of Seawright & Associates, a Human Resource Management-Consulting Firm, Ms. Seawright is widely respected for her knowledge of state & federal employment regulations including, but not limited to FLSA, ADA, FMLA, Title VII, & others.

Since 1987, she has focused on engagements involving hiring, coaching, & terminating employees; regulatory compliance; charges of discrimination; performance management systems; internal investigations (including harassment); employee handbook development; compensation plan design; HR audits; hiring systems; job descriptions; & others. Ms. Seawright is a frequent speaker at state & national trade associations & is the author of numerous articles & publications in the field of human resources, including the popular book, The Employment Genie®, an exclusive hiring, coaching, & termination system for businesses. 

Areas of Expertise:

• Negligent Hiring and Retention
• Discrimination and EEO Compliance
• HR Policies and Programs
• FLSA and Wage and Hour Compliance
• Harassment
• Expert Witness Services for Employment Law Matters
• ADA
• FMLA
• Hiring Procedures
• Title VII
• Employee Handbooks

Ms. Seawright is available for case analysis, case theory evaluation, expert witness reports, depositions, analysis of other expert testimony, and trial testimony.