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.
Gary Deel, Ph.D., J.D. has 10 years of experience in executive-level positions in the hospitality industry and 10 years of experience teaching hospitality management and law curriculum for some of the nation's top hotel schools.
Dr. Deel holds both a Ph.D. in Hospitality and a J.D. in Law, so he understands the nuances of expert witness testimony from the perspective of attorney strategy. He has also worked in a variety of different hospitality industry capacities including operations, sales, security and risk management, training and administration, and others. His services are available to help attorneys make the strongest possible arguments for clients in hospitality-related cases. Dr. Deel offers expert witness services nationwide in the areas of:
Hotels
Resorts
Restaurants
Travel and Tourism
Meetings and Events
Theme Parks
Airlines
Cruise Lines
Casinos
Golf Courses
Recent Cases:
Suit against Miami beach resort involving catastrophic injury in the ocean and hotel duty to warn about latent hazards known to hotel and not obvious to visitors (plaintiff).
Suit against Orlando city center convention hotel involving sexual assault of a minor guest by an employee and hotel duty to monitor employee whereabouts and activities (plaintiff).
Jeff Nelken, MA, retired RD is a Food Safety / HACCP Expert with 40 years experience in the hospitality industry. He specializes in Food Safety, Accident Prevention, Inspections, Audits, and Training. Mr. Nelken is a certified trainer and provider with the Los Angeles Health Department who has worked with CNN, FOX, CBS, NBC, INSIDE EDITION, and Dateline MSNBC's investigation team, as well as Restaurants, Casinos, Schools, Supermarkets, and Food Manufacturers to provide food safety. Mr. Nelken consults for attorneys that need expert opinions on topics, such as food-borne illness complaints, food allergies, burns, accidents, and standards of performance and care. His Litigation Services include client consultations, conferences, reading, reviewing, and organizing documents, site visits, research, writing and preparing reports, depositions, and trials. Mr. Nelken's expertise is available to attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.
It's easy to slip into a false sense of security because you've covered the basics of food safety with your kitchen staff. However, there are many other hazards that impact your bottom line. For example, slip and fall accidents are at the top of the list of safety concerns. There are many other dangers that must be considered.
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Malibu - March 3, 2014 - There's an old saying in the food business - it's better to find a whole roach in your food than a half a roach. The experts at Tellem Grody PR's (TGPR) Food Issues Group (FIG) agree, but point out that there are a number of other items that restaurateurs may hear diners complaining about. While accidents happen, it's better to do due diligence before the bad thing occurs by monitoring the work area so that foreign objects don't enter the food preparation or food service areas. Here are some items to watch for and their fixes:
No one, including crack restaurant inspector Jeff Nelken, likes looking under refrigerators for yesterday's forgotten dirt, filth and food particles shoved underneath by busy feet. He does it religiously, though, two or three times a day, 300 days a year.
Looking back over the years, I find it somewhat of a paradox that restaurant owners are forever telling me that they don't have to worry about the temperature of their refrigerators and freezers during the night.
Food Service & Restaurant Design Consultant. I have been involved in the design of restaurants and commercial kitchens for over 10 years. I have personally designed over 125 restaurants including front of house and back kitchen design, including project management. I have a B.A. in interior design. I have worked on projects throughout the United States and Phillipines, and Honduras.
Over the last 2 years I have owned my own company which has provided complete construction drawings for over 30 restaurants ranging from 1,500 sq. ft. to over 3,000 sq. ft. I have also been retained by architects and business owners to provide coordination drawings for commercial kitchen design for over 35 projects ranging in size from 1,000 sq. ft to 5,000 sq. ft. I have also worked on franchise restaurant projects for McDonalds, Chevy's Mexican Restaurant, Jamba Juice, Tahoe Joe's, Taxi's Hamburgers.
Leonard J. Backer has over 28 years of extensive and successful Seating, Tables and Furniture Industry experience in all key areas. Mr. Backer has been directly involved in the design and development of 250+ seating and table collections. He specializes in Private Label Manufacturing, Sourcing, and Product Development expertise.
Mr. Backer provides aggressive Expert Witness and Litigation Support services to attorneys, insurers and businesses for Plaintiff or Defense. He performs site inspections, detailed product reviews and incident analyses. He has worked with law firms and insurance companies to develop and coordinate strategies for various types of legal actions and lawsuits. Very strong hospitality background.
Mr. Backer has extensive experience with hotel, restaurant, cruise ship, retail store and senior living incidents. Personal Injury and Product Liability Cases. He provides detailed analyses, written opinions, and expert witness reports for clients throughout the U.S. Strong proven deposition and court testimony.
Areas of Expertise:
Furniture Based Disputes, Claims, or Legal Actions
Many restaurants, independent hotels and timeshare resorts have much tighter budgets these days when it comes to purchasing seating for their properties. At the same time, there seem to be many “attractive” options available for their chairs, barstools and benches...
Basic but very important points which could help minimize owners' liability and financial exposure to accident and personal injury claims on their premises.
Recently, we were engaged by the National Park Service (NPS) to appraise the structures and other improvements that have been constructed by commercial vendors or "concessionaires" operating hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services in National Parks.
Dennis Gemberling, CHA, CFBE, FMP, FCSI, President and Founder of Perry Group International, has over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality Management industry. His experience includes managing, operating, and consulting on full-service, limited-service, extended-stay, all-suite, condo and timeshare hotels and resorts, casual, fine-dining, and quick-service restaurants, bars and nightclubs, catering and special event facilities, casinos, and mixed-use real estate. Mr. Gemberling has held prior positions for different owners, operators, and chains as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, and Restaurant Unit Manager. He has been retained on over 400 projects with typical values in the $1 million to $75 million range and revenues in the $1 million to $100 million range both nationally and internationally. His many clients have include among others Biscuits & Blues, Cantina’s, Chevy’s, Choice Hotels, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Hilton, Holiday Inns, Hooter’s Casino, Hyatt, Marriott, McDonald’s, Microtel Inn & Suites, Outback Restaurants, Radisson, Residence Inns, Signature Resort, Sizzler, Sonic Drive-Ins, Starbucks, Starwood, Sheraton, Togo’s, Wendy’s, and Willie Mays Skybox Lounge. Litigation Support: Dennis Gemberling is a Certified Hotel Administrator, Certified Food and Beverage Executive, Certified Foodservice Management Professional, and Certified Food Safety Manager. He offers expert witness services to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant cases on a variety of Hospitality-related claims. He is a Professional Member of Foodservice Consultants Society International and the Forensic Expert Witness Association. Mr. Gemberling also provides expertise as a Court Appointed Receiver and Interim Property Manager and is currently the Past President and a Board of Director for the California Receivers Forum – Bay Area Chapter. Areas of Expertise:
Richard A. Lazar is the nation’s leading Automated External Defibrillator (AED)Program Compliance Expert. He and his company, Readiness Systems, design and document complete AED programs, remotely monitor AEDs, provide AED law and public policy resources and publish industry standards
An AED program consists of a design and supporting set of policies and practices that ready an organization for Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) emergencies, suggest what actions should be taken if SCA is encountered and help manage the legal risks that come with owning AEDs. Industry standards and AED laws guide what to include in an AED program’s policies and practices.
Background Experience: For over 25 years, Mr. Lazar has designed and documented AED programs for AED programs nationwide. Examples include Microsoft, the Federal Aviation Administration, 24 Hour Fitness among many others. Earlier in his career, he practiced emergency medical services law, designed emergency medical services (EMS) systems, served as an EMS system administrator, and was an emergency medical technician. He also holds a law degree from Lewis & Clark School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Affairs from the University of Oregon.
Mr. Lazar develops and publishes national AED Program Design Guidelines that describe industry standards for AED programs and the AED Law Center, the only comprehensive online information resource that helps AED owners learn about the AED laws for every state, understand the AED laws in plain English, and stay informed about pending AED legislation nationwide.
Litigation Support: As the leader in his industry, Mr. Lazar has provided both consulting and testifying expert services to lawyers in a variety of cases around the U.S. involving sudden cardiac arrest response in workplace and community (non-medical) settings. His deep understanding of AED programs has led him to testify before the U.S. Congress in support of the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act, the FDA on AED over-the-counter and reclassification issues, and numerous state legislatures on AED public policy issues and immunity laws.
Howard is one of America's most sought after Restaurant, Bar, Food, & Beverage Industry Experts in the country. With over 32 years of experience, Judges & Juries respect Howard's industry expertise in regard to his restaurant expert witness& restaurant litigation support services - having provided expert witness testimony, opinions, and reports in both State & Federal Cases for Plaintiffs & Defendants.
• Federal Certification with 29 CFR 1910 from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• Certified Forensic Consultant (CFC)-the American College of Forensic Examiners
• Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points Manager Certification (HACCP)
• National Environmental Health Association Certification • ServSafe Food Safety
• On-Premise Alcohol - TIPs 2.0
Nationwide Services - NO CHARGE for Domestic Travel
250+ Litigation
300+ Pre-Litigation
State & Federal Cases - Plaintiffs & Defendants
Restaurant, Bar & Hospitality Industry Matters - Since 1987
Highly-recognizable books, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting A Restaurant" (1st & 2nd Ed) and "Restaurant OSHA Safety and Security: The Book of Restaurant Industry Standards & Best Practices", found in 76 countries around the globe.
Howard Cannon - Restaurant Expert Witness
With 250+ Litigation and 300+ Pre-Litigation cases as a Restaurant Expert Witness, Food Safety & Contamination Expert, and Restaurant & Bar Safety & Security Expert, Howard provides Credibility, Integrity, and Unbiased Analysis & Reports. Howard is well-spoken - having given hundreds of restaurant, food service & hospitality industry speeches and seminars, and is quite comfortable in any court of law. He is a published author/experienced writer with books & articles published in dozens of markets around the globe - delivering clear & concise expert reports with an effective and efficient opinion & basis. Howard NEVER misses a deadline – his expert witness reports & opinions are always on time.
Did you know that restaurants are more likely to experience workplace violence than any other industry in America? In this article we will help you find out why restaurants are so prone to violence, what leads to violence, the practical steps to help make restaurants safe, and the insider information that you need when dealing with one of these legal matters.
OSHA guidelines, standards and safety rules apply to nearly every restaurant industry legal matter and it is a whole lot more than the little bit of text on the OSHA wall poster. Your case will more likely than not depend on the standards applied and whether or not you know the standards and how best to apply them to your legal matter as it pertains specifically to restaurants.
If you have a pending lawsuit that pertains to a restaurant or bar industry legal matter, you need to know what "shared space" is, and how it applies to your underlying legal matter, and the role that OSHA guidelines, codes and safety rules will have. Shared space is an industry specific formula and will impact the standards that you apply and could be the difference between winning or losing your case.
Compiled from more than 1,000 hours of research and statistical analysis, Restaurant OSHA Safety and Security was written to help provide restaurant owners, managers, executives, employers, employees, and vendors what they need to know about OSHA and industry standards and best practices in simple language, so they can concentrate on being successful and making money.
In this revised edition, aspiring restaurateurs will find everything they need to know to open a successful restaurant, including choosing a concept and location, creating a business plan, finding the cash, and much more. New content includes information on tips, tip-outs, and reporting for the entire staff, choosing the best POS system, setting up a bar and managing the wine list, and making the bottom line look good long-term.
Preston Rideout is a Nightclub and Bar Consultant with 24 years of experience in the industry. The Founder and President of Rideout Hospitality Consulting, Mr. Rideout specializes in nightclub management, bar operations, and responsible alcohol service. He has opened, operated, and provided consulting to Las Vegas nightclubs, Ultra Lounges, Sport’s Bars, College Bars, Ice Houses, Road Houses, Resort Bars, Hotel Bars, Roof Top Bars, and Casino Bars.
Mr. Rideout's client list includes Jon Taffer, Bar Rescue, Ambhar, B.B King’s, Babalu, High Watt, Itta Bena, Lafayette’s, Long Shots, Lucille’s, Mercy Lounge, Cannery Ball Room, Park City Live, Eastside Distilling, Crusen’s, Carlos & Charlies, Corner Tap, The Pocket, SpeakEasy, Wonder Bar, and Senor Frogs.
Background Experience:
Operating Experience - Coyote Ugly, Tangerine, Pure Nightclub, Pussycat Doll Lounge, Audigier Nightclub, LAX Nightclub, Noir Bar, EVE Nightclub, Venus Pool, Rehab Pool, Electric Cowboy, Luke's Ice House, Twelve25, Red Rock, and The Gin.
Casino Experience - Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, Luxor Resort and Casino, Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino, Aria Resort and Casino, New York -New York Hotel and Casino, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Hotel and Resort Experience - The Alluvian Hotel, The Memphian Hotel, The Collegiate Hotel, Hotel Fenix, The Pink Shell Resort Hotel, The Millennium Hotel, and the Crown Plaza Hotel.
Management Group Experience - Pure Management Group, Western Entertainment River City Management, Beale Street Blues Company, CMB Holding Group, and Beyond Hospitality Business Group
Litigation Support: An expert in his field, Mr. Rideout has been retained by Lawyers, Hotels, Resorts, Restaurants, Casinos, Nightclubs, Bars and Management Companies. He provides Alcohol-related Expert Witness testimony specific to:
David Rutecki's career spans 39 years of Restaurant and Hospitality related experience. Working in more than 20 restaurants and involved in the opening of more than a dozen, he has worked every position possible within this industry. Mr. Rutecki currently owns and operates Mountain Deli in Hendersonville, garnering the 2016, 2017 & 2018 Blue Ridge Growth Award. He is a Member of the North Carolina and National Restaurant Associations. Mr. Rutecki has been invloved in the following selected restaurants:
Fancy’s Food and Wine, Gourmet Shop, Coral Gables, South Miami & Grove Isle, Fl.
Susie’s Bagels, Breakfast Restaurant, South Miami, Fl.
Pizzaria Uno, Full Service Restaurant, Miami, Fl.
Baystreet, Full Service Seafood Restaurant, Miami, Fl.
Litigation Support - David Rutecki offers expert witness and litigation support for restaurant related issues in the United States. His services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant. Areas of Expertise:
Overview:Kenneth Free is a hotel and resort professional with over 40+ years of experience in the business. He is a highly credible resource for operations, real estate development, feasibility, business valuation, and business interruption issues.
Degrees and Licenses held by the Principal: MBA- Finance, Bloch School of Business & Public Administration (University of Missouri, Kansas City); BS- Hotel Administration, Harrah College of Hospitality (University of Nevada, Las Vegas); Registered Resort Professional, American Resort Development Association; Certified Master Hotel Supplier, American Hotel & Lodging Association; Real Estate Broker licensed by the California Department of Real Estate.
Detail: Mr. Free’s company, Straightline Hospitality, Inc., provides Advisory and Expert Services for Hotels, Resorts, and Timesharing. These services may be in relation to new properties going through the development or pre-development stages, those that are open and experiencing difficulties, or in situations where disputes have arisen among the stakeholders. Additional current emphasis is in personal injury and wrongful death cases.
Key areas of consulting and expert effectiveness are –
Hotel Operations:
Wrongful Death
Premises Liability/Personal Injury
Mismanagement
Operational Issues
Financial Issues
Security Issues
Industry Standards of Care
Hotel Development:
Economic Damages, Lost Profits, and Business Interruption Impacts
Brand/System Affiliation or Conversion Issues; Management Contracts & Franchising
Development Planning
Project Management
Strategic Planning, Market Repositioning, and Workouts for Distressed Properties
Michael J. Canaan, CPP CFLC, is a Premises Liability Expert Witness with over 45 years of experience in military and civil law enforcement, as well as corporate and private sector security and investigative positions.
Assignments have taken him from the Bering Sea to Southeast Alaska, across Canada and the United States, to countries in Central and South American in case venues ranging from educational settings, amphitheaters and stadiums, nightclubs and sports bars, ships, casinos, retail environments, food processing facilities, malls, and shopping centers.
Expert cases have involved evaluating failure to meet best practices, duty or standard of care in areas such as:
Inadequate or negligent hiring, retention, training, supervision, staffing, and terminations
Use of force or excessive force, threats, harassment, and intimidation
Inadequate or non-non-existent policies and procedures, post orders
Assaults, voyeurism, rape, sexual assault, robbery, shootings, stabbing, and homicide
Security technology integration, improper or inadequate physical security infrastructure or systems installation
Workplace violence
Mr. Canaan has worked over 35 expert cases, with testimony experience in both deposition and trial.
He is Board Certified in Security Management by the American Society for Industrial Security, International. ASIS is the largest professional security practitioner association with over 38,000 members worldwide, of which only 2200 have received this prestigious certification. Mr. Canaan is also a Certified Forensic Litigation Consultant with the Forensic Expert Witness Association.
Dennis Gemberling, CHA, CFBE, FMP, FCSI, President and Founder of Perry Group International, has over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality Management industry. His experience includes managing, operating, and consulting on full-service, limited-service, extended-stay, all-suite, condo and timeshare hotels and resorts, casual, fine-dining, and quick-service restaurants, bars and nightclubs, catering and special event facilities, casinos, and mixed-use real estate. Mr. Gemberling has held prior positions for different owners, operators, and chains as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, and Restaurant Unit Manager. He has been retained on over 400 projects with typical values in the $1 million to $75 million range and revenues in the $1 million to $100 million range both nationally and internationally. His many clients have include among others Biscuits & Blues, Cantina’s, Chevy’s, Choice Hotels, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Hilton, Holiday Inns, Hooter’s Casino, Hyatt, Marriott, McDonald’s, Microtel Inn & Suites, Outback Restaurants, Radisson, Residence Inns, Signature Resort, Sizzler, Sonic Drive-Ins, Starbucks, Starwood, Sheraton, Togo’s, Wendy’s, and Willie Mays Skybox Lounge. Litigation Support: Dennis Gemberling is a Certified Hotel Administrator, Certified Food and Beverage Executive, Certified Foodservice Management Professional, and Certified Food Safety Manager. He offers expert witness services to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant cases on a variety of Hospitality-related claims. He is a Professional Member of Foodservice Consultants Society International and the Forensic Expert Witness Association. Mr. Gemberling also provides expertise as a Court Appointed Receiver and Interim Property Manager and is currently the Past President and a Board of Director for the California Receivers Forum – Bay Area Chapter. Areas of Expertise:
Howard is one of America's most sought after Restaurant, Bar, Food, & Beverage Industry Experts in the country. With over 32 years of experience, Judges & Juries respect Howard's industry expertise in regard to his restaurant expert witness& restaurant litigation support services - having provided expert witness testimony, opinions, and reports in both State & Federal Cases for Plaintiffs & Defendants. 
