Business (General) Expert Witnesses

Expertise: Internationally recognized expert on the benefits of Crisis Management etc. Currently engaged by 7th largest organisation in the USA. Author of the new UK Government guide Preventing Chaos in a Crisis. Primary author of present UK Police command methodology Gold, Silver & Bronze. Senior Scotland Yard background, including setting up the multi agency operational management structure at the London Kings Cross major subway fire, secondment to the Anti Terrorist Branch. University lecturer. Highly entertaining / humorous global facilitator & presenter. Key motivator able to stimulate and focus wide audiences. Outstanding authoritative & skilled public speaker. Occasional TV appearances. Much quoted elsewhere. Member of the Guild of Freeman of the City of London.

Seminars & Speaking Topics:

• Crisis Management: Preventing Chaos in a Crisis.
• Avoiding Catastrophe: Human Behavior – Good or Bad.
• The People Factor: Factoring in How People Will React.
• Business Continuity (BC): No Longer a "Grudge Purchase" - More Profit!
• Understanding Risk: Knitting with Fog, or Drawing the Strands Together?
• Best Practice from the UK Govt: Why the UK & Europe Have Changed Focus.
• Don’t Make a Drama out of a Crisis: The Benefits of Effective Incident Management.
• Regulations 600 Years Old: Why Be a Freeman of the City of London?
• New Scotland Yard: A Behind the Curtain Look at Current Issues.

Company Background: Visor Consultants specializes in helping domestic and global organizations get the very best from their staff in times of possible disaster. We quantify your various risks and hazards; advise you on which pose the greatest threats; assist you to eliminate or contain them; and help develop your Crisis Management skills. We can then guide you in Risk Mitigation, in resolving any security issues, and in designing Crisis & Business Continuity Management strategies.

See Visor website for more information.

Dr. Jules Kamin received his Ph.D. in business economics, finance and management science from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, rated #1. He is an expert on Economic Damages and Economic / Financial Aspects of Liability. He brings to the practice of forensic economics a unique combination of educational background, practical business and teaching experience, and a proven record of expert retention and testimony in over five hundred cases since 1987.

Services Include:

Lost Profits Lost Business Goodwill Diminution of Business Value Business Valuation Lost Earnings and Benefits Course of Conduct Business Torts Fraud Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage

Breach of Contract Unfair Competition Condemnation Infringement of Intellectual Property Antitrust Securities Personal Injury Wrongful Termination

Brent Coker, PhD, is an Online Consumer Psychologist. With a PhD in Electronic Commerce (“Predicting Internet Purchase Intention”), Dr. Coker's research focusses on consumer behavior within the realm of psychology, digital business models, and marketing. He currently teaches Digital Marketing and Digital Business Models at the University of Melbourne.

Dr Coker prepares scientific reports pertaining to consumer behavior, branding, and Digital Marketing and technology related topics, based on scientific findings published in academic peer reviewed journals, and other third party relevant research. Any opinions expressed by Dr Coker are supported by peer reviewed academic research, established academic theory, industry standards, and other relevant logical evidence. 

Dr. Coker’s award winning research into digital marketing and consumer behavior has been published in top peer reviewed academic journals, beginning in 2004 when his research into the integration of the internet into business models won Best Paper Award at the 15th Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS). In the late 1990s, Dr. Coker had a dot-com (fernland.com), and he is currently director of Deloosh Pty Ltd.., inventor of the web analytics tool Webreep., and author of the book Going Viral.

 Dr. Coker is available for expert witness work, consultation, and advisement in Australia and internationally.

Areas of Expertise:

Brand Management Consumer Behavior Consumer Psychology Digital marketing Influencer Marketing

Internet Retail Internet marketing strategy Measuring the online consumer experience Social Media Viral Marketing

View Dr. Brent Coker's Consulting Profile.

Avinash Vashistha has dedicated his career to the unique requirements of the Global Outsourcing Market. His background and understanding of the practices surrounding Offshore Markets provides clients with a custom offshoring strategy, supplier / build mapping, favorable pricing, reduced risk, successful transition and sustainable performance contracts that address issues unique to offshore delivery.

Mr. Vashistha has evaluated and conducted due diligence on over 200 supplier firms, including companies in India, Russia, China, Philippines, Malaysia, C&E Europe, US, Canada, UK, Ireland and Vietnam. He has directed sourcing assessments, IT and BPO / KPO sourcing transactions and executed program governance models realizing $6 Billion in savings for clients. Avinash also developed significant expertise in the areas of R&D, Technology, Human Resources, Finance and Accounting, Analytics, Investment Research, claims processing and other domain specific voice and back office business processes. Mr. Vashistha has been a strong proponent of well-qualified, but lesser known tier-two suppliers in the competitive sourcing process.

Thought Leader: His opinions are sought and recognized by worldwide organizations and conference organizers such as IDC, NASSCOM, CITEM, C-Level, Private Equity Conference, the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, CII, SBPOA and IAOP. Leading media conglomerates such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Time, The Straits Times, The Business Times, USA TODAY, CNN, CNBC, Forbes, Business Week, Bangkok Post, NDTV, Times Group, Business Standard and Cyber Media have featured Avinash extensively. He has been recognized by HRO Today as ‘HRO Superstar’ for 2006 and 2007 in the category of thought leaders and advisors on outsourcing. He has also been recognized as ‘FAO Superstar’ for 2007.

Eric Kimberling, MBA, is one of the most recognized and respected independent Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems expert in the world, giving 100% unbiased advice to clients for more than 20 years. Mr. Kimberling has been quoted in thousands of articles, including the Wall Street Journal, CIO Magazine and Fortune. He provides keynote speeches at industry conferences and universities worldwide, and continually provides industry thought leadership through blogs, podcasts, webinars and articles. He is the author of the acclaimed book, “An Expert’s Guide to ERP Success.”

Throughout his career, Mr. Kimberling has been called upon to investigate the feasibility of litigation, provide witness testimony and build background reporting for the industry’s highest-profile ERP lawsuits, including Lyons Magnus, Inc. v. Fujitsu America, Inc.; Partner Services, Inc v. Avanade; Kathy Pishghadamian v. Nicor Gas; Flotek Industries, Inc. v. CD Group, Inc.; Midwest Tape LLC v. ESR Associates, Inc,; Waste Management v. SAP; and Whaley Food Service Repairs v. Epicor to name a few. Eric is actively involved in implementations and project recoveries, giving him unique and up-to-date experience with modern enterprise technologies.

Areas of Expertise:

Organizational Change Management Implementation Methodologies Sales Cycle Fraud and Misrepresentation Contract Compliance Consultant Errors

Budget Overages Project Governance Software Customization Project Team Staffing Software Schedule Delays

Eric holds an MBA with an emphasis in operational strategy and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. He is also Six Sigma certified and a certified practitioner of multiple ERP solutions, including SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Epicor and Infor, among others. He has won numerous industry awards for his experience and contributions, including Supply Chain Pro to Know and Best Independent ERP Blog from ERP Focus.

View Eric Kimberling's Consulting Profile.

Expertise: Ms. Wong is a media-experienced expert on intercultural issues and Feng Shui, an award-winning entrepreneur, a nationally-recognized authority on Asian and Asian-American business, as well as a best-selling author. In 1989 she founded her intercultural consulting and corporate training service and Pacific Heritage Books in 1992, both dedicated to "bridging cultures for better business." Since then she has created and secured a niche as a pioneer and an internationally recognized authority on the U.S. Asian market and feng shui.

Seminars: Through consulting, seminars, training, public speaking, writing, and publishing, Ms. Wong facilitates profitability between Asians and non-Asians globally. Her diverse and impressive clientele includes over 100 major residential and commercial developers nationwide as well as Universal Studios, Motorola, COTY, Nordstroms, Ford Motor Company, AT&T, Bank of America, New York Life Insurance, the Limited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Home Savings of America, United Way, cities, retailers and school districts.

Media Appearances: Ms. Wong has appeared on OPRAH, LIVE Regis and Kelly (5/1/01), CBS Sunday Morning, CNN Headline News, Discovery & Learning Channels, TIME (7/3/00), NBC, FOX TV, featured in New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, John Naisbitt's Trend Letter, API, The Atlantic, Chicago Tribune, USA Today, Trade and Culture, Seattle Times, Asian Week, and over 300 print, Internet & broadcast features.

Publications: Best-selling Feng Shui Dos and Taboos, Feng Shui Dos & Taboos for Love, 2003 Feng Shui Page-a-Day Calendar, Night of the Red Moon (1994), a historical fiction based on the 1871 Los Angeles Chinatown massacre and favorably reviewed in Los Angeles Times, Asian Week, Seattle's International Examiner, and nominated for Beatty Award for children's literature.

The Baby Boomer's 4-Minute Bible: Enduring Values to Live By (1998).

Been There, Done That: 16 Secrets of Success for Entrepreneurs (1997).

The Wind-Water Wheel: A Feng Shui Tool for Transforming Your Life (1996).

The Practical Feng Shui Chart Kit (1992)

She has served as advisor to Random House and wrote the foreword for Feng Shui: Arranging Your Home to Change Your Life, contributed to the Feng Shui Anthology. Ms. Wong's landmark TARGET: The U.S. Asian Market, A Practical Guide to Doing Business, (1993) was the first book about designing, marketing, and selling to Asians in a culturally-sensitive way for profitability, and won 1995 Best Business Book of the Year Award from Bookdealers World.

Awards: A member of Rotary International and 2001-2002 President, Palos Verdes Sunset Rotary Club, she now holds a special appointment for Rotary Image and Protocol for the 46 clubs of Rotary District 5280 which will host the 2008 Rotary International Convention in Los Angeles. Ms. Wong has been honored as one of the "Outstanding L.A. Businesswomen of the Year" by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Merrill Lynch and Ernst and Young cosponsored Ms. Wong for INC. magazine's prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She is also the winner of the IRWIN Award, So. Calif. Book Publicist of the Year and many other awards and recognition from numerous cities and organizations.

Howard Brod Brownstein, CTP, is a nationally-known Turnaround and Crisis Management professional with over 40 years of experience. He serves as a President of The Brownstein Corporation, where, in addition to leading turnaround assignments, advising senior management, and fulfilling a senior management role, he has overall responsibility for the firm’s transactional activities and for the marketing of its services to clients.

Mr. Brownstein is a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP). He has served on the International Board of Directors of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and its Executive Committee, and chaired its Audit Committee. Mr. Brownstein received TMA’s “Outstanding Individual Contribution” award in 2007. He also serves on the Board of the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), co-chairs its Complex Financial Restructuring Program, co-chaired its Mid Atlantic region for several years, and is a Contributing Editor of the ABI Journal. He serves on the Governing Board of the Commercial Finance Association (CFA) Education Foundation.

Mr. Brownstein is a frequent speaker at professional and educational programs, including at Harvard Business School, Villanova Law School, Northeastern University, ABI, the American Bar Association, and TMA. He has authored over thirty articles, and has served on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Corporate Renewal, and serves as a Contributing Editor of abfJournal.

Background - Previously, Mr. Brownstein was Managing Director of Enprotech Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of ITOCHU (formerly C. Itoh), one of the world’s largest companies. Enprotech acted as ITOCHU’s acquisition and holding company for engineering service and product businesses with over $1 billion in assets. Mr. Brownstein has served in several senior executive and board positions, including CEO and COO of The Stone Group, a leading multinational manufacturer of comfort and safety equipment for the passenger rail industry with operations in the United States, Spain, and England.

Litigation Support - with extensive experience in valuing, financing, and selling businesses, Mr. Brownstein has served as Chief Restructuring Officer and Financial Advisor to debtors, lenders, and Creditor Committees in bankruptcy proceedings, and as a litigation expert in several cases, including the landmark Merry-Go-Round bankruptcy.

Areas of Expertise:

Business Operations Business Valuation Turnaround Management

Restructuring Bankruptcy Corporate Governance

Education: BS (Econ.), Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; BA College of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania; JS, Harvard Law School; MBA, Harvard Business School.

View Howard Brownstein's Consulting Profile.

GRANT D. STIEFEL, ESQ. | www.grantstiefel.com | grant@litigationlimited.com

• Grant D. Stiefel, Esq. is a nationally-recognized, full time attorney fee consultant, testifying expert and the principal of Litigation Limited, a boutique legal fee consulting firm
• Mr. Stiefel has testified in over 45 lawsuits, including matters in federal district courts, California trial courts, JAMS/AAA arbitrations, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, State Bar courts, and attorney-client fee arbitrations
• He has qualified to testify and has testified live at trials and arbitrations as a designated attorney fee expert
• Mr. Stiefel’s methodology for reviewing, auditing and evaluating legal invoices has been cited, approved and adopted by California state and federal courts
• He has been retained as a testifying attorney fee expert by the world’s largest law firms, including Reed Smith; McDermott Will and Emery; Jones Day; Sheppard Mullin; Sidely Austin; Dykema Gossett; Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe; and Littler Mendelson, among many others
• Mr. Stiefel is a member of the California State Bar and is unique among fee experts in that he practiced law for many years at two of the world’s largest law firms (Akin Gump and K&L Gates)
• Mr. Stiefel has managed a multi-billion dollar litigation portfolio and has audited hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees from law firms nationwide since 2008 
• He has developed and implemented outside counsel billing and case management guidelines for Fortune 500 corporations
• He is a California State Bar-approved continuing legal education instructor on attorneys’ fees who has trained hundreds of executives and in-house counsel from a host of Fortune 500 corporations
• Mr. Stiefel is qualified as an attorney-client fee dispute arbitrator with the California State Bar’s Mandatory Fee Arbitration program and as a judge pro tem with the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles

SAMPLE ENGAGEMENTS

• Grant Stiefel was the testifying fee expert on a series of fee applications by class counsel in Jones v. Wells Fargo, on behalf of aggrieved California consumers in the first consumer class action brought under the Unruh Act.  Relying upon Mr. Stiefel's testimony regarding the reasonableness of hourly rates and overall work performed, the trial court awarded more than $25 million in attorneys' fees to class counsel
• The district court for the Central District of California adopted and approved Mr. Stiefel's methodology for identifying and quantifying block-billed, vague and redacted billing entries in cutting Plaintiff's fee request by more than sixty percent in CNS v. Planet, from $4.8 million to $1.9 million
• In Vides v. ABM Janitorial Services, the trial court reduced Plaintiff's fee request in a FEHA action by over $1 million based upon Grant Stiefel's expert testimony.  Plaintiff moved for an award of $1,578,232.50 in attorneys' fees, which the trial court reduced to $544,183.12.  Mr. Stiefel's testimony showed that the hourly rates claimed by Plaintiff's counsel were unreasonable under the circumstances, that excessive time was spent on inter-office communications, and that the matter was overstaffed

California Office: 357 Avenida Castilla Unit C Laguna Woods, CA 92637 (424) 223-8252 www.grantstiefel.com grant@litigationlimited.com

"Grant Stiefel draws on his experience as a big firm trial lawyer to help companies save on outside legal fees." -- NALFA (National Association of Legal Fee Analysis) “Mr. Stiefel’s qualifications [as a testifying fee expert] cannot seriously be in dispute.” Hon. Michael Paul Lindfield, Los Angeles County Superior Court (Trial Proceedings, February 14, 2014).

View Grant Stiefel's Consulting Profile.

Rod Tasker specializes in Payment Services, Transaction Banking, and e-Commerce. He has over 20 years of experience working for major banks in strategic and business planning and cradle to grave product management, including business cases, feasibility, piloting, commercialization, and retirement. Mr. Tasker consults in strategic management and innovative solution delivery in the banking and finance industry. His achievements in Australia and internationally include:
     - Leading a team of 25 people in developing an internet payment service
     - Developing an enterprise Sales and Service architecture for a major bank
     - Developing an international payments business architecture & operations strategy for a major bank
     - Obtaining consensus amongst a consortium of 15 global banks for the strategic vision and plan for implementing B2B international ePayments
     - Developing a variety of e-Banking and e-Payment products and services
     - Building a payments business from start-up as CEO

Areas of Expertise:

Payments e-Commerce Transaction Banking Identity Services

Product Development / Product Management Piloting Commercializing Business and Strategy Formulation

Consulting Services - Mr. Tasker is engaged by companies that offer payment services as products or services, or for whom payments are "strategic" or "core," for example, insurance companies, exchanges, retailers, and investors wanting to evaluate payment business acquisitions, mergers, or funding opportunities. His services include:

Strategy Formulation Business Planning Profitability Improvement Change Management

Program and Portfolio Management Regulatory Compliance Risk Analysis Ventures / Mergers & Acquisitions

Swenson Consulting offers Snow Removal Expert Witness Services to legal professionals needing assistance with snow and ice removal slip and fall cases. He is a Snow Expert in black ice, sleet, freezing rain, and slick conditions. He is very familiar with the snow and ice removal industry standard operations and practices across the country, and will help determine how this relates to the snow removal agreement or operations in a slip and fall incident or snow related accident.

Principal, Jeremy Swenson, CSP, has satisfied requirements by SIMA (largest nationally recognized snow and ice trade organization-Snow and Ice Management Association) to become a Certified Snow Professional. There are less than 250 CSP’s in the United States Of America. He works with attorneys on defense and plaintiff sides with regards to snow removal, ice treatment, and snow removal best practices issues. He works nationwide and will travel. Swenson Consulting also offers detailed Weather Analysis services and reports for situations surrounding a slip and fall event or accident and will offer detailed weather expert witness consultation regarding the weather surrounding the slip and fall accident.

Mr. Swenson currently owns and operates Snowmen, one of the largest snow and ice management companies in North America. He is Security Clearanced and trained for onsite snow operations at the IRS Regional Headquarters, FBI Headquarters, Department Of Treasury Buildings, and many types of Airport, Railroad, Organ Transplant Centers, and Medical facilities. After overseeing thousands of commercial accounts over the years, he has worked through most every issue that is relevant to a snow removal operation in the industry.

View Jeremy Swenson's Expert Witness Profile.

David J. Brotman, FAIA, is an accomplished Senior Executive with proven career and solid experience in all aspects of Architectural and Engineering Firm Management, including project management, profit and loss, business development, mergers and acquisitions, sales and marketing, and strategic planning. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, with over forty-five years of practical experience.

Principal at Sunset Consultants, Mr. Brotman provides strategic planning and management consulting services for various entities, including those that need help with planning or architectural projects. He also serves as Chairman of the City of Malibu Planning Commission where he advises on land use matters including the local coastal program, specific plans, zoning, conditional use permits, and subdivisions.

Mr. Brotman spent 25 years with RTKL Associates Inc., one of the World’s largest Architect and Engineering Firms where he eventually served as its Vice Chairman.


Presentation by: David J. Brotman, FAIA

Litigation Support - David Brotman provides expert witness services to attorneys representing Plaintiff and Defense. His skills include all facets of Architectural practice. His worldwide, multi-million dollar project experience includes retail, office, hotel, institutional, and mixed-use. Mr. Brotman's services include affirmative and rebuttal report preparation, mediation, and trial testimony.

Areas of Expertise:

Professional Standard of Care Construction Documents Analysis Architectural Design and Coordination Building Code Analysis Scope of Work Definition Errors and Omissions Analysis

Construction Defects & Negligence Change Order Analysis Communication Analysis Construction Administration Slip, Trip & Fall Architectural Detailing

View David Brotman's Consulting Profile.

J. Armand Musey, CFA, JD/MBA, founder and president of Summit Ridge Group, LLC, provides expert witness testimony for the Satellite, Media and Telecommunications Industries. Mr. Musey is a highly regarded financial analyst with expertise in Asset Valuation, Business Valuation, Financial Analysis of Economic Damages and Financial Scenario Analysis. He also has significant experience in corporate governance and investment research practices. He offers litigation support for clients with complex financial analysis or valuation projects. His background includes Wall Street research methods and practices on behalf of defendants in insider trading cases.

Mr. Musey's industry knowledge, financial expertise and extensive writing experience allow him to expediently craft well-argued independent written direct testimony documents that withstand scrutiny in depositions and during courtroom cross-examination. Prior expert witness experience and years of communicating with investors of all types have honed his skills at orally communicating his industry knowledge and financial expertise. Moreover, Mr. Musey's legal background facilitates his ability to communicate with legal professionals, understand the legal relevance of case facts and efficiently read legal documents.

Areas of Expertise Include:

• Industry and Business
  • Broadband Communications
  • Broadcasting
  • FCC Spectrum Licenses (including orbital slot valuation and wireless spectrum valuation)
  • Satellite Communications Industry and Related Media and Telecommunications Topics
  • Wireless Communications
  • Wireless Spectrum
• Financial and Economic
  • Asset Valuation
  • Business Valuation
  • Financial Analysis of Economic Damages
  • Financial Scenario Analysis
• Other
  • Corporate Governance
  • Investment Research Practices - including accepted used of information sources and relationships with company management

View Consulting Profile.

Thomas W. Caldwell, PE, has over 40 years of experience in Materials Research and Development, Process and Product Development, and Manufacturing Operations in the Precision Cast and Machined Products industry.

Mr. Caldwell has designed and manufactured components for consumer and industrial products, including safety-critical applications such as aircraft landing gear brakes, seat belt lockup devices, windshield wiper, and window lift motor systems. He has experience creating and guiding technology development and manufacturing partnerships in Europe and Asia, licensing and selling intellectual property and creating supply chains in China.

Mr. Caldwell has lectured in the USA, Germany, Switzerland, and India on manufacturing premium quality metal products and manufacturing processes, and was a technical paper peer reviewer for 20 years for the Society of Automotive Engineers. A United States patent holder, he has published peer reviewed research in electrochemistry and materials processing, and has written and spoken numerous times on the subject of Materials Selection.

Litigation Support - Thomas W. Caldwell, PE, is a testifying and consulting expert for both plaintiff and defense counsel. His cases involve product failure for ferrous and non-ferrous alloy products such as hand tools, recreational and exercise equipment, fire fighting apparatus, rotating industrial machinery, construction hardware, piping, and lighting fixtures. Mr. Caldwell utilizes destructive and non-destructive methods for insuring product integrity.

Areas of Expertise:

Design Engineering Materials Failure Analysis Materials Engineering Mechanical Engineering Metallurgy Power Tools Products Liability Design Defects

Manufacturing Defects Fitness for Use Equipment Operation and Maintenance Accident Reconstruction Material Selection Manufacturing Process Design and Scale Up Safety Component Product Quality Control Safety Component Quality Systems Management

View Thomas A. Caldwell's Consulting Profile.

Brian A. Sullivan, CPA/ABV, CVA, CBA, CFE, CMAP, is a Forensic Accountant and Business Valuation specialist in the Food and Beverage Industry.

Mr. Sullivan integrates accounting and auditing knowledge with investigative skills gained from more than 30 years of practical business experience resolving financial disputes, including breach of contract, embezzlement, fraud, personal injury, and shareholder disputes.

Litigation Support - Mr. Sullivan is an experienced Valuation Expert Witness and court-appointed referee who specializes in Food and Beverage Business Valuations. One of the few individuals with multiple accreditations (including CPA/ABV and CVA), as well as a background in forensic accounting and business valuation, he is strongly qualified. When attorneys for food and beverage companies need an expert witness who works directly with them and has a reputation for clarity and composure on the stand, they turn to Mr. Sullivan.

Areas of Expertise:

Accounting Forensic Accounting Business Valuations Economic Consulting

Economic Damages Financial Matters Forensic Accounting Lost Profits

View Brian Sullivan's Consulting Profile.

David Shaw is an Expert with North America, Europe, and Far East expertise as an independent and impartial Technical and ICT Expert and Consultant involved in a wide range of high profile System, Integrations, remedial work on Failed Systems and Programs, Litigation, Expert Witness, Mergers and Acquisitions, Financial and Ultra-High Speed Trading Systems, Cyberwarfare and Defence work.

Services Offered as Expert Witness:

• Strategy
• Programme Definition
• Enterprise Architecture
• Process Engineering
• Portfolio Management
• Programme Management
• Pre Action consultancy.