Fingerprint Evidence Expert Witnesses: 3

As a Board-Certified Forensic Document Examiner (D-ABFDE) and Ink Chemist and Document Dating Specialist with over 33 years of experience, both Todd Welch and Gerry Laporte are world leaders in high profile extremely complex document cases.

Riley Welch LaPorte & Associates is the leading global forensic document firm having conducted high profile multi-billion-dollar cases in the United Kingdom, France, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Canada, Netherlands, Hungary, Israel, Switzerland, and Denmark. We are considered a top-tier firm having conducted work for foreign governments, and are recognized globally by the most prominent law firms in the world for providing the highest level of forensic document examination services to both governmental and private entities.

Areas of Expertise:

Committed to fostering education and promoting justice, both Todd Welch and Gerry Laporte contribute to the advancement of forensic science through leadership roles, including service on the BOD for the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners and American Society of Questioned Document Examiners; served as the 40th President of the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists (Welch); and served as members of the National Institute of Justice Forensic Science Technology Working Group.

Both Todd Welch and Gerry Laporte have testified as expert witnesses in numerous notable international ICSID cases (ICSID Case No ARB/06/8, ICSID Case No ARB/14/22, PCA Arbitration Case No 2020-21_The Hague) involving forensic document examination, handwriting analysis, ink dating, and forgery detection. Their experience includes testifying before government officials, international tribunals, arbitrations, and mediations. Their testimony has been presented in courts worldwide handling a wide variety of legal matters including: defamation, investment law, insurance law, medical malpractice suits, will disputes, estate disputes, contract and patent disputes, trademark disputes, divorce disputes, and trade secrets cases. 

Gerry Laporte and Todd Welch have international notoriety and have testified in major courts such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) under UNCITRAL Rules, the International Criminal Court (ICC), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and appellate courts in Illinois and Washington D.C., among others. Their involvement in high-stakes litigation across multiple geographical jurisdictions, confirms their reputation and widespread professional acceptance worldwide.

Mr. V C Misra is a leading Forensic Handwriting, Finger Print and Document Examiner with over 21 years of experience. He has solved and given opinion on thousands of cases in India, UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, South Africa and UAE. Mr. Misra's Expertise Includes:

• Examination of Handwriting, Signatures, Fraudulent Additions and Alterations
• Approximate Age of Documents
• Photo Static and Scanned Transplantations of Signatures
• Traced, Freehand and Impersonation Forgeries
• Denial of Normal or Disguised (Changed) Signatures
• Anonymous Letters
• Body Writings on Account Opening Forms
• Denial of Withdrawal of Money
• Development of Latent Finger or Palm Prints from the Cheques
• Bank Documents by Ninhydrin (Chemical) Method Used for Impression Sweat on Paper
• Opinions on Folds
• Sequence of Strokes and Distinction Between Inks
• Insertion of Typed or Printed Matter
• Fake Currency Notes
• Credit Card Forgeries
• Identification of Computer Typed Documents
• Fake Seals and Rubber Stamps

Mr. Misra's Expert Opinion is Available in the Following Languages: English; French; German; Russian; Spanish; Hindi; Gujarati; Urdu; Marathi; Regional Languages of India or Abroad. Clients Include:

• Foundation Fingerprint Course
• Intermediate Fingerprint Course
• Advanced Fingerprint Course
• Scene Examiner
• Trained as Crime Scene Manager
• FERRT (Forensic Evidence Recovery and Retrieval Techniques) Trained

• Criminal Cases - Perform a comparison of an identified case and offer an independent analysis of the identification. Offer evidence to advise the Defense on related fingerprint matters.
• Immigration - Provide an impartial comparison of sets of fingerprints in dispute and provide an independent report into the comparison.
• Civil Cases - Assist Courts and Tribunals throughout the UK and abroad on issues involving contracts, wills and covenants.
• International Electoral Services - analyze ballot slips for duplicate or multiple thumb impressions.
• Fingerprint Development - developed fingermarks are photographed in line with published guidelines which allow for "cradle to grave" service.