Manufacturing Expert Witnesses: 10

Floyd McConnell, PE, is a business leader and expert witness with Manufacturing Experience in the Aerospace and Defense Industry. With more than 40 years in the US and international aerospace manufacturing industry, Mr. McConnell leads a network of consultants that provide security, strategy, marketing, proposal, expert witness, and management services.

Mr. McConnell successfully managed the responsibility for overall financial performance and operations including the customer relationship and supply chain of diverse businesses within the Aerospace and Defense industry. His portfolio included commercial and military customers in Asia, Europe, the Mid-East, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South America and the United States. He has set up supply chains and managed manufacturing and production lines for businesses in Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and multiple locations within the United States.  

Litigation Support: Mr. McConnell reviews cases involving technical or managerial decisions in the aerospace industry and their impact including engineering, management, quality, and program performance, schedules, and corporate decisions. He's been retained on 11 cases; 40% with AmLaw 100 and 20% with AmLaw 200 firms. Cases involve the largest firms in the industry.

Areas of Expertise:

• BACKGROUND:

40+ years' experience including in product design, product development, and manufacturing in consumer, medical, and industrial product markets. Product innovation part-time academic since 2009, public speaker since 1985. Certified New Product Development Professional (NPDP) since 2008 by the Product Development and Management Association. Member of: Society of Plastics Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Society for Quality. Expert witness services to Product Liability, Intellectual Property, and Commercial Dispute litigators.

• PRODUCT LIABILTY EXPERTISE:

Retained by both plaintiff and defense counsel. Specialize in personal injury cases involving product defects, manufacturing defects, product safety, engineering design, mechanical failures, material failures, product quality assurance, and foreseeable misuse. 

• CASE EXAMPLES:

• Retained in cases involving 3M, Honeywell, Clorox, Ace Hardware, and others. 
• 3M Combat Arms earplug case, retained by two plaintiff firms. More at, https://bit.ly/Forbes-on-3M Daubert ruling at, https://bit.ly/EPR-3MEP-Daubert (Page 98). Two depositions. (Plaintiff) 
• Furniture review of the state of competitive product safety, mechanisms, warnings. Counsel represented major insurance company. Settled after report. (Defense) 
• N95 mask commercial dispute, settled after report. (Plaintiff) 
• Consumer electronics patent infringement, settled after report. (Defense) 

• MORE INFO AT:

Expert witness services offered can be seen at, https://bit.ly/PDEWS Preferred contact: eric@pinnaclepi.com

Content above is a selection of work, current case history available upon request. Expert witness testimonials at, https://bit.ly/EPR-EWT

• EXPERT WITNESS PODCAST INTERVIEW

Panorama Consulting Group specializes in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems and has multiple testifying experts for failed software litigation. This high-profile firm is called upon to investigate the feasibility of litigation, provide software expert witness testimony, and build background reporting for some of the industry’s highest-profile software lawsuits. They have worked with organizations ranging from multi-national conglomerates to boutique and large law firms, as well as state offices of the Attorney General.

As independent enterprise software experts, Panorama Consulting Group has hands-on experience with hundreds of software vendors. Their firm is not tied to a single law firm or software vendor, allowing them to focus on all types of clients and industries.

Litigation Support: The experts at Panorama Consulting Group work for both plaintiffs and defendants, software vendors and system integrators, and their customers. Their differentiator is using a team-based approach to provide expertise beyond just the testifying expert, which is cost-effective and efficient for their clients. They have multiple software expert witnesses available for provision of reports, depositions, and testimonies.

Allegations Addressed:

View Panorama Consulting Group's Consulting Profile.

D. Larry Dunville has over 45 years of Overhead Crane experience. Mr. Dunville has built, installed, engineered, estimated, sold, and serviced overhead bridge cranes. He has sat on the industry committees that wrote the crane specs for the steel industry, written articles, and taught professional architects and engineers about the special requirements required when designing buildings that will house overhead cranes. Larry was formerly the Executive Director of the Crane Certification Association of America and is currently on the ASME/ANSI B30.2 Overhead and Gantry Cranes Committee, ASME/ANSI B30.16 Overhead Hoists, and AIST (American Institute of Steel Technology) TR-13 Guide for the Design and Construction of Mill Buildings.

Business Experience

Mr. Dunville was the Owner and president of Dearborn Crane & Engineering Co., a builder and installer of overhead cranes and crane runway systems, from 1975 to 2012.  Mr. Dunville is the Owner and President of Overhead Crane Consulting, LLC (2016 to present). 

Speaking Engagements

Larry speaks on crane safety, crane inspection, and runway design. In the last year, he has spoken to AIST (American Institute of Steel Technology), CCAA (Crane Certification Association of America), CMAA (Crane Manufacturers Association of America), and FEWA (Forensic Expert Witness Association). 

D. Larry Dunville's Video Introduction 

Litigation Support—Larry Dunville offers expert witness services in crane cases involving industrial, manufacturing, mining, warehousing facilities, and power plants. His expertise is available to counsel representing both Plaintiffs and Defendants. 

Areas of Expertise:

View D. Larry Dunville's Consulting Profile.

Leonard J. Backer has over 28 years of extensive and successful Seating, Tables and  Furniture Industry experience in all key areas. Mr. Backer has been directly involved in the design and development of 250+ seating and table collections. He specializes in Private Label Manufacturing, Sourcing, and Product Development expertise. Mr. Backer provides aggressive Expert Witness and Litigation Support services to attorneys, insurers and businesses for Plaintiff or Defense. He performs site inspections, detailed product reviews and incident analyses. He has worked with law firms and insurance companies to develop and coordinate strategies for various types of legal actions and lawsuits. Very strong hospitality background. Mr. Backer has extensive experience with hotel, restaurant, cruise ship, retail store and senior living incidents. Personal Injury and Product Liability Cases. He provides detailed analyses, written opinions, and expert witness reports for clients throughout the U.S. Strong proven deposition and court testimony. Areas of Expertise:

View Leonard Backer's Consulting Profile.

Summary

Stephen (Steve) T. Hopper, PE, is Founder and Principal of Inviscid Consulting. Over more than three decades, Steve has helped hundreds of clients plan and streamline their warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and distribution operations by driving down operating costs, boosting capacity, improving service levels, mitigating risk, implementing effective supply chain solutions, emphasizing safety, and enhancing the performance of their supply chain resources: people, processes, inventory, facilities, equipment, material handling systems, transportation assets, and supply chain information technology (IT). He has worked with clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations.

Steve earned a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (BIE) degree from The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and is a board-certified, licensed, registered Professional Engineer (PE). He has served as an expert witness on dozens of cases involving supply chain operations in the US, Canada, and Australia and has advised private equity and venture capital investors. He has also been interviewed by the supply chain industry media, authored articles for industry publications, and spoken at industry events.

Industry Experience

• 3PL / Outsourced distribution and fulfillment
• Apparel / Footwear
• Building materials
• Consumer goods
• Direct-to-consumer / Ecommerce / Catalog
• Food / Beverage / Grocery
• Furniture
• High-tech / Electronics
• Industrial / Automotive / Aerospace
• Mining / Drilling
• Pharmaceutical / Health and life sciences
• Rentals
• Retail
• Reverse logistics / Returns
• Wholesale / General distribution

Supply Chain Solutions Expertise

• Warehouse management systems (WMS)
• Warehouse control systems (WCS)
• Warehouse execution systems (WES)
• Slotting and order picking systems
• Transportation management systems (TMS)
• Labor management systems (LMS) 
• Order management systems (OMS)
• Voice and automatic identification systems
• Equipment, automation, robotics, and software used for handling, packaging, storing, and transporting materials
• Logistics network design & optimization software tools

Education, Certifications, and Associations

• Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (BIE), The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
• Board-certified, licensed, registered Professional Engineer (PE)

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.

Litigation Support - Dr. Sorensen has testified in numerous Product Liability and IP disputes – both at the Federal and District court levels, as well as the ITC, USPTO, and US Customs and Border Protection.

Areas of Expertise:

Career Highlights:

• 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.
• Served as CTO at PaR Systems, a world-class supplier of large-scale robotic automation, control, advanced manufacturing, and nuclear-handling solutions.
• Founded Finity Engineering, which provides design, analysis, consulting, and litigation support services in the areas of robotics, automation, and mechatronics.
• Adjunct Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Teaches various engineering topics including Dynamics, Controls, Vibrations, Mechatronics, the Design Process, Product Development, Engineering IP, Product Liability, and others.
• Invited talks at premiere institutions globally including MIT, Kumoh National Univ. of Tech, Korea Atomic Energy Research Inst., Hyung Hee Univ., Huazhong Univ. of Science & Tech.

View Finity Engineering's Business Consulting Profile.

Randy Phares is an expert in Packaging, specializing in Corrugated, Crating, Baling, Shipping, Warehousing, Manufacturing Safety and Load Securement. 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, transportation, and running entire multinational business units for a Fortune 1000 Corporation. He has worked on projects in Asia, Jamaica, Afghanistan, Latin America, Eastern and Western Europe, USA, and Canada.

Mr. Phares has run packaging testing labs, design centers managed fleets of trucks, manufacturing machinery, and managed world class packaging manufacturing operations. He is a published international author, and speaker who was the President of the South Texas Manufacturers Association. He is a Packaging and Procurement Subject Matter Expert since 2019 saving over $10 million for SGS-Maine Pointe the #1 Supply Chain Consulting Firm according to Consulting.us and one of America’s Best Management Consulting Firms of 2022 according for Forbes Magazine.

Honors and Awards - Best Achievement of Organizational Business Improvement in Manufacturing Award presented by the Global Six-Sigma and Business Improvement Awards for an extensive plant turnaround for Temple-Inland (now International Paper). Best Performing Plant Award for 4 consecutive years out of 26 plants for Gaylord Container (now International Paper).

Litigation Support - Randy Phares is a leading Packaging and Load Securement Subject Matter Expert relied upon for his experience, knowledge, and in-depth understanding of packaging, logistics, manufacturing, distribution, freight, and intellectual property. He performs forensic analysis and testing of packaging failures, loading, unloading and distribution failures that caused damage or injury. His services include thorough reporting, depositions, consulting, and trial testimony as needed.  

Cases involve crated, palletized, banded or boxed products, or boxed products loaded in railcars, trucks, vans or parcel trucks, warehoused, transported (loaded, or unloaded), or injury using a pallet jack, forklift, or by hand.

 Areas of Expertise: 

View Randy Phares' Consulting Profile.

Rosemary Coates, President of Blue Silk Consulting, is a seasoned executive with an MBA and 35+ years of experience in Chinese Sourcing and Manufacturing, Global Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Manufacturing, Importing/Exporting, and ERP Systems Consulting.

Prior to BSC, Ms. Coates was a Senior Director at SAP, the Supply Chain Practice Leader at KPMG Peat Marwick and at Answerthink, and a Regional Manager at Hewlett-Packard. Ms. Coates has consulted with global and domestic clients, VCs, and PE firms on operations systems and processes. She has considerable international experience and has worked for extended periods in Asia and Europe.

Ms. Coates' experience spans a broad range of industries including High Technology, Software, Chemicals, Health Care, Consumer Products, Industrial Products, Food Distribution, Transportation, Publishing, Retail, and Oil and Gas. She has extensive knowledge and experience in manufacturing and outsourcing in Asia, Europe, and the US. She has written five Amazon.com books including Best Seller, 42 Rules for Sourcing and Manufacturing in China, and Legal Blacksmith: How to Avoid and Defend Supply Chain Disputes, and  42 Rules for Superior Field Service, and Negotiation Blueprint for Buyers, and The Reshoring Guidebook 

Ms. Coates is also the Executive Director of the Reshoring Institute and a member of the Board of Directors at the University of San Diego Supply Chain Management Institute. She teaches Global Supply Chain Strategy at UC Berkeley. She is a Licensed U.S. Customs Broker. She earned a BS in Business at Arizona State University and an MBA at the University of San Diego. She resides in Silicon Valley. 

Rosemary Coates: Supply Chain Management Overview

Litigation Support - As an Expert Witness, Ms. Coates has assisted attorneys in their understanding of relevant Supply Chain Operations and Practices in sourcing, logistics, distribution, manufacturing, inventory, and Chinese Imports. She has worked on legal cases for the past 10 years, writing reports, giving depositions, and testifying at trial.

Case Opinions:

• Chinese Products
• Import / Export Management
• Counterfeit Imports
• Project Management for Enterprise Software
• ERP Software Consulting Implementation Failures and Runaway Projects
• China Sourcing and Manufacturing
• Securities
• Sales Channel Distribution and Compensation
• Supply Contracts
• Inventory Tax
• Global Manufacturing Operations, Contract Manufacturing, CMS, EMS
• Transportation and logistics, 3PLs and Freight Forwarders, Freight Shipping

Areas of Expertise:

View Rosemary Coates' Consulting Profile.

Dr. Rolf Biernath, PhD, Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, and BChE, Georgia Institute of Technology) has over 35 years of experience in the Chemical Industry with a concentration on Polymer Science and Engineering and Material Science Fracture Mechanics. He worked in Materials and Processes at 3M for 31 years in senior technical roles developing materials, processes, and systems. His 58 US patents span a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines.

Litigation Support - Dr. Biernath is a Patent & Civil Liability Expert Witness having worked with in-house and outside attorneys in prior art searches. He's drafted claims and strategized claims in a variety of fields. He has written Expert Reports for Civil Liability, including material failure analysis, computer simulation, and manufacturing assessment. He is known for his ability to explain complex technical problems simply.

Areas of Expertise:

Background Experience - Dr. Biernath has 58 Issued US Patents on new products and processes, including:

• Industrial Adhesives and Tapes – materials selection, development, automation, and tape application processes
• Electronic Materials – epoxy thermoset adhesives & application process, high speed electronic connectors
• Electronic Displays and optical display films, outdoor digital displays
• Microreplication and textured adhesives and processes, microfluidics, e-Paper
• Signage – retroreflective signage, license plate recognition, ADAS, and Human Invisible, Machine-Readable Coding System
• IoT and IIoT / Automatic and predictive selection and replacement

Dr. Biernath has expertise in stresses in planar systems due to a range of causes including, thermal expansion mismatch, humidity and solvent uptake or loss, and cure shrinkage. He understands assembly processes for tapes and adhesives including interpreting Technical Data Sheets, Application Data Sheets, developing test methods, and selecting materials.

View Biernath Consulting, Inc.'s Business Consultant Profile.