Business Consulting Expert Witnesses

James F. Davidson is an Avant Advisory partner and managing director. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant with Financial Forensic Specialization credentials (CFF, CFS, CrFa, and FCPA), and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). Mr. Davidson is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Corporate Director, Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA), Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP), and Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA).

Litigation Support - Mr. Davidson uses his expertise in issues of financial forensics, fraud, and corporate investigations, due diligence evaluations, litigation and dispute resolution, strategic planning, and corporate governance. His combined experience and professional qualifications fulfill the financial expert requirements defined by Sarbanes-Oxley, NYSE, and NASDAQ. With over 30 years of experience, Mr. Davidson has performed hundreds of forensic, fraud, and corporate investigations, due diligence evaluations, operational turnarounds and financial restructuring, for lenders, private equity firms, and attorneys under privilege.

Areas of Specialization:

Corporate Governance and Investigations Insolvency Bankruptcy

Financial Restructurings Operational Turnarounds Profitability Improvement

Background - Mr. Davidson has served in executive positions at both public and private companies ranging from entrepreneurial to multi-billion dollar firms. After 10 years of accounting, auditing, and consulting for Big Four Certified Public Accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, he spent over 10 years as a member of several boards of directors and in various financial and executive positions, including president and CEO, COO, CFO, secretary-treasurer, chief accounting officer, and corporate controller.

View James Davidson's Consulting Profile.

Bank Resources and Solutions is an executive management consulting group that has provided Financial, Operations, and Regulatory / Compliance consulting services nationwide to financial institutions, attorneys and regulatory authorities since 2008. Litigation Consulting, Forensic Research and Expert Witness work are an important focus of our services. We have worked with attorneys and regulators on suits throughout the United States. Their work has included both plaintiff and defendant financial institutions, borrowers, depositors and regulators. Areas of Litigation Support Expertise: FDIC Suits, Non-FDIC Suits, Bankruptcy Suits, Employee Criminal Actions / Bribery, Branch Operations, Bank Secrecy Act Policies / Procedures, Wire Transfers, New Account Fraud, Trust Account Fraud, Bank Negligence, Foreign Checks. Mark C. Riley is an experienced and successful former Bank Chief Executive Officer whose background includes leading the turnaround of two banks that had been operating under regulatory agreements upon arrival. Mr. Riley’s relevant experience was overseeing all areas of his banks including the development, approval, and implementation of effective risk management programs. For example, as CEO, Mr. Riley was involved in all phases of lending from business development to credit analysis and underwriting to overseeing loan approval and review process, providing due diligence of client bank loan portfolios, developing and overseeing workouts of nonperforming loans. This is particularly important in Expert Witness support as Mr. Riley’s background will carry more weight than technical specialists such as Loan Officers. Using loan officers, analysts and even lending group managers can provide the technical side of lending (underwriting, documentation, recordation and related nuts and bolts). As a Bank CEO & Director with lending expertise, Mr. Riley can provide all of that, but more importantly to a lawsuit, is knowledge of Director Loan Committees and their response to weaknesses that occurred in the technical side and what actions did they take to ameliorate or exacerbate the problem. Mr. Riley has provided Expert Witness services, including consulting, reports, depositions and testimony, to attorneys representing the FDIC, banks, bank clients, and related companies. Susan E. C. Riley is an experienced Senior Officer whose background includes the total responsibility for creating and managing the enterprise-wide systems of two denovo banks. Her relevant experience also includes creating and managing the Human Resources Department, Compliance, IT and IT Security, BSA/AML, ACH, Vendor Management, and related contract negotiations and Retail Bank Management. As co-founder of Bank Resources and Solutions, Mrs. Riley has analyzed, recommended, and implemented complex banking software within tight guidelines. She has established a solid reputation as a “no nonsense, identify the challenges, develop effective strategies and get the solutions in place” administrator. Mrs. Riley has provided Expert Witness research and consultation in client v. bank and bank v. client related matters. View Bank Resources and Solutions' Consulting Profile.

John T. Foster calls upon his deep and broad senior level experience, gained through a 35 year career in the broker-dealer industry, to provide uniquely relevant securities expert witness services. Uncommon in the “expert” field, Mr. Foster continues today to be actively engaged in the field as a specialized consultant for broker-dealer firms. He currently serves as the President and CEO of Bedford & Main Financial Consulting. Mr. Foster worked for many years in a senior management role for a large, multi-national self-clearing firm. He also served as the President and CEO of an independent broker-dealer where he was responsible for ensuring compliance and regulatory requirements were properly implemented to support a retail-based business. He is very familiar with financial services expert witness issues related to fundamental FINRA compliance regulations such as: suitability, supervision, senior issues, churning, complex products and written supervisory procedures (WSPs). He is also proficient in matters related to client and firm interactions with financial advisors, which frequently are subjects of FINRA arbitrations. Mr. Foster believes that in order to maintain ethical standards a high degree of selectivity is required when reviewing specific issues and determining his ability to provide a meaningful expert opinion. As such, he is happy to review a claim (“On my own time and expense of course!”) to determine if he has the proper background and agreement to support a case. Areas of Expertise:

Senior Issues Suitability Supervision Churning Clearing Firms / Broker-Dealer Operations Discount Web Brokers Complex Corporate Actions SEC Direct Market Access (15c3-5)	FINRA Compliance Anti-Money Laundering Specialist Written Supervisory Procedures (WSPs) Foreign Accounts Private Security Transactions Outside Business Activities Master Accounts and Sub-accounts Financial Advisor Supervision

Licenses and Memberships:

• FINRA Series 3, 7, 24, 27 and 63
• Certified FINRA Dispute Resolution Arbitrator
• Member of the Securities Experts Roundtable
• Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (ACAMS)

View Bedford & Main's Consulting Profile.

Rosemary Coates, President of Blue Silk Consulting, is a seasoned executive with an MBA and 25+ years of experience in Chinese Sourcing and Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Manufacturing and ERP Systems Consulting. Background Experience. 

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 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:

Chinese Products / Chinese Imports Chinese Manufacturing Chinese Toys Chinese Plastics Chinese Drywall Electronics Purchasing Operations Planning

Inventory Warehousing Supply Chain Distribution Channel Manufacturing Operations Field Service Supply Contracts ERP Systems Implementations

View Rosemary Coates' Consulting Profile.

Bridget Brandon of ValueMyHorse Equine Appraisals specializes in educating attorneys in case specific horse terminology, developing valuation appraisals, testifying in court, finding critical evidence, analyzing crucial facts, and creating relevant witness questions. She provides the legal community with a wide range of analysis, education and support for equine-related proceedings throughout the United States. ValueMyHorse services clients from any locality and any state needing expertise in the area of Sporthorses, Performance Horses, pleasure horses and breeding. Bridget has testimony experience and is qualified as an expert. USPAP certified, 

ValueMyHorse understands the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) compliance issues. They also know what it takes to comply with the IRS Federal Code of Regulations with respect to being “qualified” appraisers developing a “qualified” appraisal in accordance with AQB (Appraisal Qualifications Board). Whether to support business valuation and profit motive claims for dissolution of marriage, charitable donations of horses, estate valuation, partnership disputes, or IRS related issues. ValueMyHorse is available with regard to IRS Hobby Loss Issues, the Relevant Market, Type of Horse, Horse Show Issues, Breeding Issues, Boarding, Care, Custody and Control, Highest and Best Use, and Fungibility.

Selected Case Examples:

• Appraised investment horse for syndication group law suit (plaintiff)
• Appraised show jumper in lawsuit concerning misrepresentation of age (plaintiff)
• Consulted on malpractice law suit concerning value of deceased dressage / breeding stallion - loss of income from stud fees and sale of offspring (defendant)
• Appraised imported Grand Prix prospect in a trailer accident and eventually euthanized due to injuries (defendant)
• Appraised dressage horse injured in care of veterinarian (defendant)
• Appraised jumper injured in a trailer accident (defendant)
• Appraised a deceased western pleasure show horse who was electrified (defendant)
• Appraised reining horse for bank regarding defaulted loan (plaintiff)
• Appraised jumper who died of injuries obtained while in her stall (defendant)

View Consulting Profile.

Bryan L. Parker, CPA/PFS, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CASL, FCPA, is a Certified Forensic Accountant with over 30 years of experience in his field.

Background - Prior to founding Bryan L. Parker, CPA, LLC, Mr. Parker held the position of CFO at McPherson Oil Company ($300 million + annual revenues) where he was responsible for advising and negotiating banking relationships, acquisition review, acquisition integration, financial reporting, and interaction with external auditors. His experience also includes serving as VP of Mergers & Acquisitions for Citation Corporation (Public Co.) and CFO of TIC United Corp., Dallas, TX ($300 million + revenues).

Mr. Parker has performed business valuations for more than 100 businesses in a variety of industries including manufacturing, trucking, printing, fuel oil distribution, motor/lubricating oil distribution, professional services, restaurants, fast food franchises, metal foundry, metal forge, machining, and plastic injection molding.

Litigation Support - Mr. Parker provides expert witness services to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. He offers Forensic Accounting services, written reports, deposition, and trial testimony as needed.

Areas of Expertise:

Forensic Accounting Money Tracing Business Valuations

Divorce Settlements Business Damage Analysis Earning Capacity

View Bryan Parker's Consulting Profile.

Danny F. Dukes and Associates, LLC is a Forensic Accounting Firm that specializes in expert witness and litigation support services. We have investigated fraud and various financial transactions. We are extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of laws pertaining to financial transactions and lending transactions.

Our founder, Danny F. Dukes, has spent over 28 years in the financial institutions and mortgage industry. Danny understands all aspects of mortgage and financial institution transactions.

As a consultant, he has assisted community banks with investment management, asset liability management, investment banking, compliance issues, internal audit, bank operations, bank policies, and generally accepted accounting principles. He has assisted in a capital raise for de-novo banks. He has also served as a lead on the selection of data processing solutions and transition teams for mergers and acquisitions. 

Assisted in over 20 cases

Areas of Expertise:

Bank Fraud & Embezzlement Bank Operations & Practices Cash Management Check Processing / Check 21 Check Kiting Deposit Accounts Electronic Transactions / ACH, ATMs Embezzlement

Loan Administration Money Laundering Payment Processing & Fraud Detection/Prevention Royalty Audits Damage Computation Claims Analysis Determination of Compliance Divorce

Dennis E. Coleman, JD, MPH, has over 40 years of experience in Hospital and Healthcare Management. In 1990, he formed his own hospital administration / healthcare management services consulting firm provide healthcare management services to various healthcare provider clients in a variety of areas, including strategic planning, business development, operations management, sales and marketing, policy & procedure development, and human resources management.

Mr. Coleman's academic background includes a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University in Los Angeles and a Masters in Public Health degree with a Hospital Administration major and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, both from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Litigation Support - As a hospital administration expert witness consultant, Mr. Coleman is an advocate for applying community standards which are relevant, based upon the time frame, subject matter and administrative practice(s) appropriate to each case. He has consulted and provided case review, expert witness services, and/or strategic litigation preparation services in more than 200 legal matters. He accepts cases on behalf of Plaintiffs or Defendants.

Mr. Coleman is willing to serve as either a work product consultant or a designated expert based upon the particular strategic litigation needs of each case.

Cases Include:

• Medical Staff Credentialing & Clinical Privileging / ELAM
• Negligent Credentialing, Negligent Supervision, Negligent Retention
• Hospital / Physician Relations-MEJIA Ostensible Agency Issues
• Administrative Community Standards
• Medical Staff Bylaws, Rules & Regulations
• Provider-Based Physician Contracting Negotiations & Contract Administration
• Administrative Policies & Procedures
• Hospital Joint Commission Accreditation, Licensing & Regulatory Compliance Issues
• Wrongful Termination / Constructive Discharge / Whistleblower Issues
• Patient rights; Informed Consent
• Patient Safety; Environment of Care
• Governance; Corporate Negligence

View Dennis Coleman's Consulting Profile.

David H. Williams is an internationally-known expert in the Wireless / Mobile Location field and President and Founder of E911-LBS Consulting. Litigation Support - Mr. Williams provides the highest quality and most impactful expert witness services related to wireless location, across the full range of IP / Patent, criminal, and civil case dimensions from the most technical to those regarding business methods. His services include forensic analysis, reports, and testimony on the validity and accuracy of various types of cell phone/sensor location surveillance devices and associated tracking using GPS, Call Detail Records(CDRs), Cellebrite data extraction, and other location data sources. He is an expert in determining how social media and other mobile application usage can play a key part in various cases.

Mr. Williams has successfully provided expert witness services in over 100 patent, civil, criminal, anti-trust, and ITC cases, including several successful Inter Parte Reexaminations (IPRs) and numerous civil, criminal, and law enforcement administrative proceedings. His credentials in wireless location prior art go as far back as the early 1980s. He has been deposed 8 times and testified in arbitration proceedings and the Eastern District of Texas, winning both IPR and infringement cases. His work with both prosecution and defendants have resulted in numerous key wins/favorable outcomes. His experience is differentiated based not only the amount of experience but its type, having worked "on-the-inside" of various carriers and location-service application developers. This enables knowing the right questions to ask of such providers, and to "break through the wall" that such providers often put up in litigation.

The basis of Mr. Williams' expertise is his 30+ years in mobile/wireless communications and information technology solutions design, implementation and ongoing management, Mr. Williams has extensive experience in the activities and issues needed to get mobile location applications to market, including design at the application, system, interface / integration, network, IT, operational and customer facing levels. Mr. Williams has extensive expertise in all aspects of LBS delivery across the mobile location ecosystem including enabling network communications, location technologies / sensors, map data, geospatial platform / GIS, GPS and other location chipsets, location data management, and device, infrastructure, and integration providers. David Williams has developed and implemented industry-leading product and technology strategies and solutions for numerous LBS applications and markets and provides consulting and research services to some of the leading carriers and enterprises in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. His client list includes Apple, AT&T, FedEx, GE, GM, Google, The Houston Police Department, The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, Samsung, Sprint, Toyota, Verizon Wireless, and numerous medium, small, and startup companies, plus numerous law firms of all sizes. He also provides support to various State Public Defenders Offices on a partial pro-bono basis. 

Areas of Expertise:

Mobile Location-Based Services Wireless 911 (E911); NG911 GPS Systems; Network-Based Location Determination Systems Indoor Location Systems, incl. Real Time Location Systems (RTLS); RFID and other RF-based Location systems; WiFi-enabled positioning systems (WPS); Beacon-based systems; Hybrids/Combinations Wireless Network Location Design Location Data Privacy Protection and Data Security Design People, Wearables Tracking / Monitoring Asset Tracking / Location Management

Telematics / Driverless Car Ecosystem Navigation Systems; PNDs Map Data, Digital Mapping and GIS Vehicle-to-Vehicle; Fleet Management Mobile Social / Business Networking GPS Forensics; Mobile / IT Integration Location-centric Process Design Mobile Product Design / Implementation M2M, Smart Grid / Energy Systems LBS Big Data and Cloud Computing

View David Williams' Consulting Profile.

ECS Financial Services, Inc., started in 1962, has expanded into a full-service accounting firm that offers so much more than traditional accounting. ECS is driven by their mission to provide clients with world-class services. From the leasing industry, to corporate and individual tax, their clients benefit from a staff of experts who not only listen, but take the time to thoroughly understand their needs and objectives. You get the experience and capability of a large-scale accounting firm, with the personal attention of a small business.

Forensic Accounting & Expert Witness Services - The ECS forensic accounting and expert witness team has the expertise to help with all litigation support needs. ECS professionals include accountants with investigative skills to examine records for possible fraud, identify theft or embezzlement, calculate a potential damage claim, or testify in a legal dispute.

Mitchell M. Cohen, CPA, CFE, FCPA, CFLC, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) a Forensic Certified Public Accountant (FCPA) and a Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant (CFLC) with over 27 years of accounting and tax experience.

Mr. Cohen is a Shareholder with ECS Financial Services, Inc., and has been with the firm since 2003. His expertise includes offering expert guidance in many areas such as: Strategic Business Planning, Financial Negotiation, Accounting System Design, Personal and Corporate Tax Planning, IRS Audits, and Financial Statement Compilations. A testifying expert witness, he has also conducted numerous forensic investigations in the areas of Divorce, Loss of Income Calculations, Piercing the Corporate Veil, and Conversion.

Mr. Cohen's services include Reviews and Audits in the areas of for-profit, governmental and not-for-profit entities, manufacturing, distribution, interior design, and catering companies and restaurants among many types of closely held businesses.

Nancy A. Geary, CPA, CLP, is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Lease Professional. Ms. Geary has been with ECS Financial Services, Inc., a regional CPA firm, since 1984, and a Partner with the firm since 1990. Among other responsibilities, she manages the firm’s Leasing Services Department. Ms. Geary is proficient in various software packages specifically designed for the Equipment Leasing Industry.

Ms. Geary’s primary areas of concentration include equipment lease portfolio management, accounting and consulting services for the equipment leasing industry, as well as accounting, auditing, income tax planning and compliance and management consulting for a wide variety of closely-held businesses.

Ms. Geary has participated in several expert witness engagements. Her experience includes preparation of expert witness reports, rebuttal reports, damage analysis, and forensic accounting. She has written numerous articles published in several leasing publications, and authored the Tax and Financial Accounting chapter of the CLP Foundation’s Handbook of Equipment Leasing.

Samuel N. Oliva, CPA, CMA, CLP, has served as Managing Partner of ECS Financial Services, Inc. since 1982. Concurrently, Mr. Oliva has served as CEO of Beacon Funding Corporation, a successful equipment leasing company, since 1990.

Mr. Oliva is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Lease Professional, licensed business broker and a licensed real estate broker. He serves on the Board of Directors of Harris Bank in Chicago. His distinctions include the 2002 Financial Executive Award from the Institute of Management Accountants and the 2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Western Illinois University.

Mr. Oliva’s accounting and tax background, coupled with his superior business knowledge and management skills, his expertise within the leasing industry, and his natural business sense, make him uniquely qualified to opine on Accounting, Finance, Credit, and Real Estate related matters. He has served as an expert witness in a variety of situations. His experience includes serving as a confident and knowledgeable trial witness, preparation of expert witness reports, evaluation of damages and consulting with attorney’s throughout the various stages of litigation.

View ECS Financial Services' Consulting Profile.

Monty G. Myers, PE, is an active Software Industry Executive with 30+ years of experience, including the founding of Eureka Software Solutions, Inc. (“Eureka”) and acting as CEO of Eureka for 28 years.

Mr. Myers has provided services to a balanced mix of plaintiffs and defendants in over 40 litigation matters ranging from billion dollar, landscape-changing lawsuits between worldwide industry leaders to smaller-scale litigation between individuals or local businesses. Mr. Myers' clients have included Global 1000 and Fortune 500 companies in industries such as Enterprise, Finance, Military and Defense, Transportation, Oil and Gas, Security, Healthcare, and Automotive.

Litigation Support - Monty Myers is a Computer and Software Expert Witness, experienced and proven at offering expert testimony under-oath at trial, hearings, and depositions. For the last 5+ years, he has provided expert witness services for engagements including Software Patent or Software Trade Secret litigation matters.

Mr. Myers is available as a consulting and/or testifying expert witness to assist with understanding the technology and technical issues in the case and providing review, analysis, and testimony (report, deposition, or courtroom) regarding the technology, software, or patents involved in the case. He has worked extensively with counsel in the taking and defending of depositions, reviewing and challenging the testimony of others, and assisting with and implementing an overall trial strategy.

Areas of Expertise:

Source Code Review Source Code Comparison Source Code Reconstruction Source Code Misappropriation / Theft Source Code Copyright / Patents Software Patents Trade Marks Trade Secrets

Antitrust NDAs Open Source Licensing Computer Forensics Mobile / Wireless Technology Cloud and Web Business Hardware / Infrastructure Contract Performance / Project Management

Capabilities:

• Adept at taking highly technical material and effectively communicating it to counsel, the judge or a jury in terms they can understand via testimony or reports/declarations
• Skilled at reviewing and comparing software source code and functionality in the litigation context in relation to protected intellectual property including, trade secrets, copyrights, and patents and/or license or other contractual commitments and requirements
• Able to reverse engineer and reconstruct hardware and software environments from backups, remnants, and fragments of deprecated software along with re-creating historical hardware and software environments
• Highly familiar with functional and performance testing of software against applicable specifications, warranties, or industry standards using proprietary and commercial testing tools and techniques

View Monty Myers' Consulting Profile.

Joel Feigenheimer, PhD is an industry expert with over 35 years of experience related to the Restaurant and Hospitality field. A graduate of the Cornell Hotel School, he holds an MBA in Hospitality and a PhD in Business from Northcentral University (attained 2018). Dr. Feigenheimer has been named the National Association of Concessionaires Eminent Scholar at The Chaplin School of Hospitality at Florida International University.

For the past three decades, Dr. Feigenheimer has served as both an entrepreneur and director for an International restaurant firm. He has corporate, independent, and franchise restaurant experience. Over his career he has consulted on three continents, excelled in the corporate environment, been a successful entrepreneur, and met thousands of industry leaders.

Currently on the faculty at Florida International University, he teaches Restaurant and Hospitality Management to tomorrow's hospitality leaders. His courses include Purchasing and Menu Planning, Concepts of Food and Beverage, Sustainability, Cost Control, Introductory Management Concepts, and Project Management, among others.

Litigation Support - Dr. Feigenheimer provides nationwide expert testimony relating to Food Service and Hospitality Operations. He has direct experience not only as a "legal expert" but also as an operational expert. This enables him to explain cases in a manner that juries understand, easy going yet direct and effective. Dr. Feigenheimer's services are available to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant.

Areas of Expertise:

Contractual Obligations Restaurant Lease Issues Restaurant Employee Concerns Food Safety Vendor Disputes

Hospitality Business Law Food Service Management Operator Liability Liquor Liability / Dram Shop Slip and Fall

View Joel Feigenheimer's Consulting Profile.

Douglas E. Johnston, Jr., is an expert witness in banking and corporate finance. He has 30 years experience across the US in senior management of leading Banking, Private Equity/Mergers and Acquisitions and Real Estate companies.

Trained at a major AAA-rated East Coast bank, honored early in his career as a bank President, and confirmed by regulators in a Class 1 rated bank, Doug Johnston managed five full-service banking offices in Texas and California over 11 additional years, before expanding into mergers & acquisitions as EVP-Finance and Administration and a Founding Father of the largest private company in Los Angeles. He has due diligence, negotiation, documentation, and monitoring experience including as a lender, borrower, buyer, seller, manager and/or co-investor in hundreds of transactions including the service, technology, manufacturing, and real estate sectors across the US and also in Europe, with over $2 Billion in closed transactions. His over 3 decades in banking and finance management includes Bank Operations, Regulations, Credit Underwriting, Financial Statements, Commitments, Loan Agreements, Deeds, Guarantees, Purchase and Sale Agreements, Ventures, and Equity Partnerships, plus analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the parties. Doug is a published author on banking and finance topics since 2008, he is a past President of the Century City Rotary Club, and he is a frequent speaker to Advance Placement high school juniors in South Central Los Angeles under the Youth Business Alliance program.

Litigation Support – Five Management, LLC and Doug Johnston provide complex business litigation support in Banking, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Due Diligence and Lender Liability for counsel representing Plaintiff and Defense. Mr. Johnston has provided litigation support in breach, misrepresentation, fraud and other actions in complex Business, Family and Employment cases since 2010.

Areas of Expertise:

Banking & Lending Policy & Regulations Mergers & Acquisitions Corporate Finance Private Equity Due Diligence Operating Management

Leveraged Buyouts Equity Syndications International Business Foreign Currencies Hedging Commodities Marketing & Development

View Douglas Johnston's Consulting Profile.

Prof. Makarand (Mark) Hastak, PhD, PE, CCP, is the Professor and Head of the Division of Construction Engineering and Management as well as Professor of Civil Engineering at Purdue University. Dr. Hastak has been involved with the construction industry for the past 32 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, intelligent planning for the built environment, cost control, project management decision-making, risk management, and strategic planning. Dr. Hastak is a Professional Engineer (PE) and a Certified Cost Professional (CCP). 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 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). Dr. Hastak has given over 40 keynotes and invited lectures around the world. As a prominent educator and consultant, he also engages in developing training material and workshops as well as regularly teaching professional courses for the A/E/C industry. His services include consultation, on-site investigation, data collection, assessment, and reporting. He has completed the 30-Hour OSHA Hazard Recognition Training for the Construction Industry 

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

Litigation Support - Dr. Hastak offers expert witness services to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. He has served as an Expert Witness on six cases since 2017 and was deposed on two plus one evidence deposition. His services include case reviews, written reports, depositions, arbitrations, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

Construction Engineering Construction Management Cost Overruns Schedule Delays Construction Safety Modular Construction Patent Infringement

Factory Built Construction Infrastructure Planning Data Center Construction Project Risk Management Disaster Recovery / Disaster Mitigation Trade Secret Misappropriation Contracts & Warranties

View Dr. Hastak's Consulting Profile.

Paul Breslin, CHA, CHE, ISHC, is a 30-year veteran of the Hospitality Industry. His background within the industry is all encompassing, as he has extensive experience in hotel operations, development, and asset management with major branded hotels as well as independent and smaller luxury hotels. 

Background Experience - After working with eleven different hotels and resorts in ten different cities over the years, Mr. Breslin founded Panther Hospitality in 2005 to provide consulting services to developers and hoteliers in all aspects of their businesses. From property acquisition and infrastructure development to the successful opening and operating of a hotel, Mr. Breslin and his team of industry professionals leverage their expertise and customize their services to meet the needs of their global client base. He and his team have successfully consulted on a variety of establishments within the industry, including boutique hotels, both limited and full-service hotels, as well as luxury hotels, such as Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, IHG, and Hyatt. 

Previous to founding Panther Hospitality, Mr. Breslin held positions at the world-famous Fontainebleau Hilton Resort and Spa, the Sheraton San Diego Resort, the Sheraton New Orleans and three convention hotels in Atlanta, Georgia. He became a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA), which is the most prestigious hospitality certification available to a hotel general manager and hospitality executive. Mr. Breslin, who is qualified as a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE), is also a respected and well-known teacher and leader within the industry. He is a frequent lecturer at national conventions and hospitality industry conferences throughout the United States. Mr. Breslin has also been quoted on hospitality issues in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Miami Herald. 

Litigation Support - Mr. Breslin provides hotel expert witness services to attorneys specializing in litigation, bankruptcy, real estate, franchising, employment, and personal injury cases related to the hospitality industry. His caseload as an expert witness over the years includes work with both plaintiffs and defendants. Mr. Breslin has provided evidence in jury trials, AAA- and JAMS-sponsored arbitration panels, Federal Bankruptcy Courts, and mediations. 

Area of Expertise:

Hotel Wrongful Death Hotel Management & Franchise Issues Hotel Premises Liability Hotel Wrongful Termination Hotel Liability

Hotel Finance Hotel Standards of Operations Hotel Safety & Security Business Interruption Claims Hotel Franchise

View Horwath HTL's Consulting Profile.