Construction Claims Expert Witnesses: 38

Joseph A. LaRovere, CEM, has over 35 years of experience as a contractor, owner/operator, technician, and consultant to the construction industry with specialties in HVAC, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Energy Management and Control Systems. Licensed PE, Project Manager, Design Professional, Construction Manager on staff.

Project Types - Health care facilities, Clean Rooms, Operating Suites, Apartments and Condominiums, Medical Office Buildings, K-12 Schools, Higher Education, Commercial Office Buildings, Highrise Buildings, Casinos, Hospitality, Assisted Living Facilities, Military Facilities, Manufacturing and Semi-Conductor Facilities

Litigation Support - Mr. LaRovere is a Forensic Expert Witness for cases involving HVAC, Mechanical, Plumbing, Construction Defects and Project Management for a variety of clients. He has worked in Arizona, California, Texas, Colorado, and Hawaii as an expert

Areas of Expertise:

Certifications:

• C.E.M. - Certified Energy Manager
• Honeywell Tridium Niagara AX
• Honeywell Tridium Niagara 4
• Johnson Controls Facility Explorer
• LEED AP BD&C (Inactive)

View Joseph LaRovere's Consulting Profile.

Carl H. Josephson, PE, SE and Dan R. Werdowatz PE, SE are licensed in 30 states and have over 44 years and 39 years of Structural Engineering experience respectively. They are active and have served in leadership roles in numerous local, state, and national professional structural engineering societies.  They have testified in deposition, trial, and arbitration in over 500 matters throughout the United States and abroad. 

Messrs. Josephson and Werdowatz and their team provide structural assessment and evaluation on a wide variety of matters including construction defects, insurance claims, professional liability claims, standard of care analyses, among others.  Work involves a wide variety of materials and may include vertical, seismic, and wind design and analysis; code review; and construction evaluation.  JW&A is highly experienced in foundations, underpinning, tie-backs, retaining walls, and various geotechnical structures.  JW&A has extensive graphics and animation capabilities in order to make difficult engineering concepts understandable to lay people.  

Litigation Support - JW&A has been retained as structural engineering experts by plaintiff, defense, and cross-defendant clients on over 1,500 matters across the United States and abroad. Designated as experts for homeowner associations, developers, and subcontractor cross-defendants, they strive to provide balanced, well-reasoned and practical solutions to construction litigation problems. They have also been retained as court-appointed neutral experts on several cases.

SE Licenses: CA, AZ, HI, NV, UT, WA, IL, MA, LA, OR
PE Licenses: CO, CT, FL, ID, IN, KS, KY, MD, MI, MO, MS, NM, NY, NJ, ND, OH, SC, TX, WV, WI

Areas of Expertise:

Josephson-Werdowatz & Associates, Inc. Office Locations:

View Josephson Werdowatz & Associates' Consulting Profile.

EJ Janik, CPA, CFF, CFE is a Certified Public Accountant with 40 years of professional experience. He specializes in financial audits, compilations and reviews, consulting for commercial litigation, antitrust matters, engineering and construction matters, real estate, and bankruptcy / business reorganizations matters. Mr. Janik holds a Master of Science in Accounting from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Rice University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Janik has provided over 150 financial audits and consulted in over 785 business disputes. He has provided expert testimony in over 88 matters including trial testimony in 58 trials or hearings in 8 states. Mr. Janik's accounting services include Damages/Lost Profit analysis, Forensic Accounting, Fraud Investigations, Fact Finding, Financial Analysis, and Expert Witness Testimony when necessary. Litigation Experience:

Mr. Janik is also uniquely qualified to measure construction claims and damages. With over 11 years of construction experience, he has accumulated over 13,000 Engineering and Construction (E&C) auditing hours, 10,000 E&C consulting hours, and 15,000 E&C supervised hours. Construction Claims Services include:

View EJ Janik's Consulting Profile.

Philip J. Isaak, PE, P.Eng., DCDC, RCDD, SMIEEE, is an expert witness, consultant & trainer in the design, construction, procurement, implementation, commissioning & operations of Information Technology, Telecommunications & Critical Data Center Facilities. 

Mr. Isaak provides clear analysis for complex disputes, incorporating industry standards, best-practices and over 20 years of consulting & training expertise working with clients located in 28 countries and territories across 6 continents. 

In recognition of Mr. Isaak’s professional standing, the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest professional association for advancement of technology, certified him to the grade of Senior Member, a level only 9% of IEEE’s over 400,000 global members hold. Mr. Isaak is also an author of several industry standards published by TIA & ANSI/BICSI, whitepapers published by The Green Grid, and the Data Center Handbook published by John Wiley & Sons.

Expert Witness Services

Areas of Expertise:

View Philip Isaak's Consulting Profile.

Andrew Allocco, PE, is a leading Construction Consultant, Florida Certified Contractor, Florida Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster and Real Estate Broker. With over 45 years of experience in his fields of expertise, Mr. Allocco's services are sought by individuals, corporations, developers, and law firms to oversee and advise on construction projects. He is the current owner of construction, real estate, and engineering consulting firms.

Background Experience - Mr. Allocco is the President of Indian River Construction Services, Inc. Prior to his current role, he served as the President of Better Homes Construction Services, Inc. of Miami, Florida, which performed in excess of 40,000 Building Inspections. As a Forensic Consulting Engineer, he inspects Commercial, Residential, and Industrial Facilities before, during, and after construction. He assists property owners with complex insurance claims, some of which involve significant and lengthy litigation

Mr. Allocco is not only licensed in the State of Florida as a Professional Engineer and Licensed Public Insurance Adjuster, he holds more Florida certified contractor licenses both presently active and past than any other individual in the State

Litigation Support - Since the early 1970s, Andrew Allocco has been an Expert Witness in many court and arbitration cases involving disputes between owners, builders, contractors, and architects. He has extensive knowledge of the court litigation process and has assisted law firms in providing facts and questions to be used during depositions and discovery motions. Mr. Allocco's services include inspection reports on the status of the property, depositions, trial testimony, arbitration, and mediation hearings.

Areas of Expertise:

Insurance Litigation and Structural Consulting - Mr. Allocco is also called upon by insurance companies and attorneys representing property owners to help adjusters evaluate loss. He has been retained to investigate the cause of structural failures, determine the extent of the structural damage, develop subrogation information, prepare the scope of repair, develop a repair design, draft specifications, and more. Mr. Allocco also has experience with code upgrades and notice of dangerous conditions, including hurricanes such as Hurricane Andrew.

View Andrew Allocco's Consulting Profile.

Prof. Makarand (Mark) Hastak, PhD, PE, CCP, CRIS, is the Professor and the Dernlan Family Head 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 35 years providing his expertise through consulting, research, teaching, and service to the industry. 

Dr. Hastak is a world renowned expert in the area of construction engineering and management including risk management, profitability of Construction companies, process improvement, disaster risk reduction, resilience and capacity building, infrastructure management, intelligent planning for the built environment, project control, project management decision-making, and strategic planning. As a Fellow of the American Council on Education (cohort of 2013-14) at Cornell University his work focused on the various facets of Hybrid RCM budget, engaged institution, and Public-Private Partnership in academia.

Dr. Hastak is a Professional Engineer (PE), a Construction Risk Insurance Specialist (CRIS), and a Certified Cost Professional (CCP). He  has worked on numerous projects sponsored by the Construction Industry Institute (CII), NSF, State DOTs, and City Agencies. He is the current President of CIB (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction) and the Chair of the Advisory Board of teh Global Leadership Forum for Construction Engineering and Management programs (GLF-CEM). He also serves as an Academic Advisor to the Downstream and Chemicals Committee of the Construction Industry Institute (CII).

Dr. Hastak  has authored over 200 publications in his areas of expertise. 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 50 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 twenty-six (26) cases since 2017 and was deposed on eight plus two evidence depositions. His services include case reviews, written reports, depositions, and trial testimony as needed. 

Areas of Expertise:

View Dr. Hastak's Consulting Profile.

Dr. Fari Barzegar is a Licensed Engineer with 37 years of experience in Civil and Structural Engineering & Construction Forensics, Construction Project Management, university teaching/research. He has been an Expert Consultant / Witness in over 100-cases.

Litigation Consulting Expert Witness with testimony and trial experience. Has been retained by insurance companies, law firms, construction, energy, mining, technology & manufacturing industries, governmental & educational institutions, engineering and architectural firms, property owners and individuals. Consultant in both plaintiff and defendant cases.

• Insurance Claims, Peer Reviews
• Buildings, Structures & Materials: Residential, Commercial, Institutional, Historic Structures; Bridges, Towers, Stacks/Chimneys, Containment Vessels, Tanks, Grain Silos, Conduits & Pipelines, Retaining Walls, Foundations, Slabs & Pavements; Concrete, Steel, FRP Composites, Wood, CMU, Brick Masonry & Adobe
• Design / Construction / Integrity issues, Seismic Resistant Design; Errors & Omissions;Standards of Care; Repair & Retrofit Design Documents
• Construction Defects & Accidents; Defective Concrete; OSHA Standards, Excavations / Trenching / Scaffolds
• Slip/Trip/Fall, Code Compliance
• Damage & Failure Investigation; Due Diligence; Non-Destructive Testing 
• Explosion, Impact, Earthquake, Wind, Fire, Hurricane & Flood Damage Inspections / Analysis/Report
• Pile Driving & Demolition Damage to Adjacent Facilities: Vibrations, Cracking / Settlement
• Dynamic, Fracture, Thermal & Finite Element Stress Analysis; Product Design; Failure Simulation / Reconstruction
• Intellectual Property & Patent Infringement

Timothy L. Unger's 40 year career has been focused on the Residential Sector of Real Estate ranging from the acquisition and development of large-scale multi-product master planned communities, home building and the acquisition of land portfolios.

Litigation Support - Mr. Unger provides analysis and testimony for land development, entitlement, and valuation of residential project cases. His services include thorough examination and reporting, depositions, and trial testimony as needed.

Background Experience - For the last 15 years, Mr. Unger and his partner of several years formed their own development company. They focused on the acquisition and entitlement of both greenfield and infill sites. In addition, Mr. Unger has completed some Expert Witness assignments that are master planned community oriented.

Relevant Experience:

• Managing the acquisition of two large real estate portfolios, including the underwriting, entitlement, financial analysis and business plan. Each one comprised of over 10,000 acres and 100 distinct parcels.
• The acquisition and restructure of a large master planned communities in northern and southern California. The ongoing development activities were accomplished with a dedicated on-site team selected and managed by Mr. Unger.
• Through the management of the entities describe above, built and sold approximately 8,000 homes, including 1,500 by his own company.
• Developed two significant brownfield projects in northern California including oversight of ground water and soils remediation.
• Entitled several individual as well several master planned projects, including working with the resource agencies to obtain permits necessary to initiate development
• Experience with all forms of CEQA compliance.

Kiwesa King, PE, CCM, DBIA, PMP, is a construction management consultant and expert witness engaged in the vertical construction market for nearly 30 years. She is a Licensed Professional Engineer and a Certified Construction Manager and Trainer.

Ms. King has managed restoration, renovation, and ground-up construction projects as a designer, subcontractor, general contractor, and construction manager. She teaches graduate and continuing education courses in Construction Management at Fordham University and New York University.

Litigation Support - Ms. King provides expert opinions and case reviews in cases involving:

Degrees and Certifications:

• New York State Licensed Professional Engineer
• Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering
• Licensed Site Safety Manager by the New York City Department of Buildings
• Certificate of Competence as a Master Fire Suppression Contractor by the New York City Department of Buildings
• Certified as a Construction Manager by the Construction Management Association of America
• Designated Design-Build Professional from the Design-Build Institute of America
• Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute

View Expanded Resources LLC's Consulting Profile.

• Over 35 years of experience in Mechanical / Structural Engineering & Design, Failure Analysis, Product Liability, Industural Asbestos,Pressure Vessel & Boiler analysis and evaluation of mechanical and structural components.
• Extensive trial experience. Has been involved in multi-million dollar cases. Areas involved included:

  
  

  - Piping & pipe supports - Structural failure of products - Failure analysis - Industrial asbestos - Seismic analysis - Fire protection - Pressure vessels

  - Tanks - Construction - Heat transfer analysis - Environmental qualification of equipment - Welding - Product design - Patent information

• Expertise in developing litigation rate-case exhibits and detailed supporting testimony, and in organizing case documentation into easy-to-use computer databases for trial use.

Due Diligence Professional Services, Inc. (DDPSI) is a Construction Consulting and Expert Witness Firm that Specializes in Supporting Litigation and Representing Clients for Renewable Energy, Power, Heavy Civil, Underground Utilities, Building and other related Construction Specialty Projects. They are a diverse team with construction claims and project management expertise who value the importance of relationships and continue to distinguish themselves by showing clients that Experience + Talent + Strategy = Results.

Litigation Support - DDPS understands the complexities of dispute resolution and work extensively with attorneys to identify documents, prepare computerized document databases, establish document shared files, support witness statements, and prepare expert reports. Their construction and engineering litigation expert witnesses participate hands-on in all projects. They develop the methodology of analyses, analyze the relevant documentation, and develop support for opinions.

• Renewable Energy - Utility Scale Wind, Utility Scale PV Solar, Utility Scale Concentrated Solar Power, Biomass and Battery Storage
• Heavy Civil - Earthwork, Roads, Bridges Highways and Airports
• Power - Transmission, Distribution and Substation / Switching Yards
• Underground Utilities - Water, Reclaimed Water, Storm Drainage, Sanitary Sewer/Lift Stations, and Force Main
• Buildings - Commercial, Institutional, Industrial, and Heavy Civil
• Construction Specialties - Dewatering, Directional Drilling/Jack and Bore, Low Pressure Sewer, Fiber Optic Systems, Reinforced Earth Wall, Sound Barrier Wall, Telecommunication Infrastructure, Transformer – RCA of failures and Transmission Line Pole Remediation

Nicholas Fiduccia is President and Co-Founder of Due Diligence Professional Services, Inc. a Florida based expert witness service, construction claims specialist and project management consulting firm that focuses its practice on law firms, owners, engineering, construction firms, and contractors performing renewable energy, power, heavy civil, underground utilities, building and other related construction specialties.

Mr. Fiduccia has over 30 years of U.S. and Canadian construction experience involving construction contract disputes analysis and resolution, arbitration/litigation support and expert testimony, project management, engineering/construction management, cost and schedule control, and value-engineering.

Before co-forming Due Diligence Professional Services, Inc, Mr. Fiduccia had corporate-wide responsibility for technical management and oversight for the preparation and resolution of construction claims for 11 years for a utility-scale renewable energy and heavy civil infrastructure contractor, plus over 19 years of hands-on experience to ensure that profit, cost, schedule, scope, quality, and safety objectives were achieved for renewable energy, power, heavy civil, underground utilities, building and other related construction specialty projects.

Ron Ritter, Vice President and Co-Founder of Due Diligence Professional Services, Inc. has been responsible for on-site project management for Wind, Solar, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Projects, Heavy Civil Projects, and Underground Utility Projects over the last 25 years. 

Mr. Ritter’s expertise in a full array of self-perform and key subcontractor oversight has allowed him to execute multiple EPC contracts successfully and safely. 

Before co-forming Due Diligence Professional Services, Inc, Mr. Ritter successfully built a career in the construction industry that consisted of 45 years of hands-on, field experience.  Twenty (20) years of that field experience has been spent building and supervising the construction of renewable energy facilities.  Seventeen (17) years of his construction career have been spent as the senior field representative, directly responsible for the safe, timely, profitable and quality construction of 15 wind farms in the USA totaling 2,465 megawatts.  Mr. Ritter has also worked on and supported the construction of wind farms and solar farms in Canada.  

View Due Diligence Professional Services, Inc.'s Consulting Profile.

David Morris has over 30 years of deep understanding and hands on experience of Construction and Construction Processes that give him a unique perspective in the industry. Having worked in many roles, Mr. Morris has the ability to formulate conclusions based on practical experience. Staying abreast of new technologies, he is able to apply them to outdated construction processes.

Mr. Morris has welding certifications in nearly all processes (MIG, TIG, Stick) and most materials, (Carbon Steel, Various grades of Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Chrome,). He has extensive experience in Instrumentation, Controls, Building automation Systems, HVAC, Refrigeration, Plumbing Codes and Design, Drafting and Detailing, layout and quantity take-off, medical gas installation, Plumbing and Piping Detailing, Computer Aided Drafting, and BIM

Litigation Support - Mr. Morris serves as an expert witness for attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant. His services include onsite inspection, thorough reporting, depositions and trial testimony as needed. Cases include:

Select Background Experience:

• Prior to founding DMorris.consulting, Mr. Morris served as Director of Virtual Construction for EMCOR Construction Services from 2008-2016. In this role, he directed the virtual construction activities and operations of 82 EMCOR companies. His scope of work included drafting contract language for BIM and pre-construction, setting up new projects in lean and BIM delivery methods, and reviewing new construction technologies among other duties, Managing 3D and BIM processes
• From 2001-2008, Mr. Morris worked with University Mechanical and Engineering Contractors as Director of Virtual Construction. He was responsible for estimating Plumbing, HVAC Piping and Process Piping for numerous research laboratories and healthcare facilities valued at over 100mm + each. He also delivered conceptual estimates for numerous Biotech, Power, and Co-Generation plants.
• Select Project Participation: San Joaquin County Hospital, City of Gilroy Waste Water Reclamation Plant, Shafter Prison, Vandenberg Air Force Base HVAC Replacement, Space Shuttle Launch Complex Project, Tehachapi State Prison Level-4 High Security Prison Housing, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Co-Gen Facility, Kern Medical Center New Hospital Wing Expansion, Anheuser Busch Yeast Plant Expansion, and multiple Piping, Petrochemical, Hospital, and School projects.

*This Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire Protection Systems (MEP) Spatial Coordination Requirements for Construction Installation Models and Deliverables is a derivative work of a best practice guideline written by David Morris in 2003 and modified for the AGC BIMForum in 2009. It is the result of capturing ten years of practical methods on real world construction projects and reflects continual feedback and improvement gained from that process.

View Dmorris.consulting's Business Consulting Profile.

David M. Bekus has over 40 years in the Construction Industry specializing in new home construction, and remodeling. Mr. Bekus has been a project manager, overseeing all aspects of construction from conception and approvals to final sales for single homes and developments. Mr. Bekus is licensed by the State of New Jersey as a building inspector (RCS, ICS, and HHS), a licensed home remodeler, and a licensed new home builder. He is also certified in Project Management, Cost Estimating, Construction Methods, Construction Site Safety, and is a EPA Lead Safe Certified Contractor. Litigation Support - As a seasoned expert in the construction field, Mr. Bekus provides comprehensive reports  and credible expert witness testimony. His services include project evaluations, building code inspections, and clear precisely written reports. Mr. Bekus' expertise is available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant and has testified in NJ superior court Areas of Expertise:

View David Bekus' Consulting Profile.

Brian H. Aanestad has over 30 years of Construction and Fleet experience, including Heavy Equipment, Truck, and Trailer Transport. He currently serves as President and Construction Consultant at Inland Valley Engineering, Inc. and as an Expert Witness for Discover Experts.

Mr. Aanestad is a Consultant and Expert witness for matters including Underground Construction and Placement of Underground Utilities. He has decades of experience overseeing the placement of underground utilities, pipelines, and conduit. In addition, he has almost 20 years of experience in the Full-Service Truck Leasing industry, overseeing transportation, logistics, leasing, rental, and maintenance activities. His company was honored for its work on the Scripps Seawater Return Lines at the University of California, San Diego. The complex, $2.5 million project included nearly 4,500 feet of piping.

Litigation Support - Mr. Aanestad provides expert services to attorneys representing plaintiff and defendant which include on-site review, written reports, depositions, mediation, and trial testimony as needed. Most cases end in mediation or negotiated settlement.

Clients have included such firms as Heffernan & Boortz LLP, Wood Smith Henning & Berman LLP, Rutan & Tucker LLP, and Dowling/ Aaron, Chancio Brown LLC., Southern California Edison, Vast Networks (CVIN), City of Kansas City Missouri, and the City of Oceanside.  

Areas of Expertise:

Steven M. Murow has over 45 years of experience in the Land Development and Construction industry with expertise in Earthmoving, Site Development, Street Improvements, and Underground Utilities. 

During that time, Mr. Murow has served as a principal in two leading contracting firms; consultant to major land developers; specifier and bid administrator; senior project manager, and as an expert witness. 

Litigation Support - Over the past 20 years, Mr. Murow has supported developers, municipalities, builders, and contractors through their legal teams. He has a perspective on general engineering contracting unmatched by opposing experts in the field having been involved in the bidding of over 2,000 projects since 1978 and managing over 300 of those projects in the mass grading and site development arena as a principal owner of the firm. Mr. Murow has been deposed 70 times and testified in trial / arbitration 34 times. His expertise has been called upon in Dallas, Texas, Conway, Ark. and throughout California.

Areas of Expertise:

"DIRT, not civil engineering or geotechnical, but as a general engineering contractor performing the work and as a Construction Manager managing the work on projects up to 1,200 Acres and $50,000,000 in value. I can tell you how it was bid, should have been bid, where it went wrong, and cost to repair." - Steven M. Murow